“Dear God, there are hundreds of them,” Melcorka shook her head. “I hope the king gets here soon.” She nudged the bearded man. “The High King is 40 miles to the south, camped on a bend of the Spey. Run and tell him the Norse fleet is west of Cullen. Inform him that Melcorka advises him to hurry with all the force he can muster.”
Nodding, the bearded man set off at once, jumping over obstacles with an agility that belied his stocky build.
“Stay with me,” Melcorka said to Drostan. “We'll follow the Norse until we see where they're going to land.”
Running down to the shore, and keeping level with the Norse fleet, Melcorka trotted westward. The ships were so close that Melcorka could see every detail, from the designs of the shields to the individual strakes of the hull. She could hear the
