Page 136 of Bond of a Bewitched Highlander

Some of the males called telepathically to the females to return from the sea.

"They're nay responding," Harcus said, his eyes troubled.

"Where are they?" Ronin asked, concentrating as if mentally searching for them. "They usually stay close to shore."

Scarth frowned. "They went out too far."

All was silent. Brodie did not detect any female telepathy either.

"A far away cry for help!" Daavar yelled, squeezing his eyes closed.

"From where?" Scarth demanded.

Daavar pointed toward the southeast. "From the sky?" he asked, face contorted. "Nay! Surely, they cannot be...."

Remembering the sea eagle's cry from earlier, Brodie said, "The witch took them! All aboard the galleys!"

Though everyone looked confused, they all ran toward the back side of the island and boarded the MacCain galleys.

Most of the male selkies shifted and followed in the water. Brodie's three galleys weren't large enough for everyone, and they would not borrow the earl's galley. A few males remained with the injured in the event the females returned somehow.

The clansmen on board hoisted the sails, and the wind carried them south in a diagonal line along the firth toward the mainland.

"I ken she captured them, but how?" Brodie asked.

"In the great hall at Raeglen castle a few months ago, Wilona turned Alpin into a mouse, and herself into a raven," Gavin said. "She picked him up by the tail and flew out the window. I suspect she has done the same thing with the females."

"Aye," Torr agreed. "She and Alpin were often in bird form. He had no magic of his own, so she had to be the one forcing a shift on him."

Though 'twas approaching dark, Brodie used his spyglass to see a lantern they'd lit on one of the enemy galleys in the distance.

"They must be heading to Glenhaish," Torr said.

"Aye." Brodie had traveled to Loch Long once before, as a youth, and remembered where it was.

Fleeting moonlight slipped through the swift clouds, illuminating the white sails ahead of them.

"We're gaining on them," Brodie said.

The night wind grew colder, whipping his hair about, and small flakes of snow stung his eyes. He sensed the male selkies swimming all around them.

They had pikes earlier. Are they still wielding them? Brodie asked the selkies ahead of them.

Nay, they've put them down to row because they lost so many men.

Overturn their galleys if you can catch them. The fewer enemies we have to fight, the better. But have a care. They could pick up the pikes at any time.

"This is Loch Long," Brodie said a half hour later. Thankfully, 'twas high tide, which would help them navigate.

Keeping the sails aloft because the icy, stiff wind favored them, the men rowed into the outflowing current from the freshwater loch.

Once the loch widened out, the wind continued to carry them rapidly, this time in a northeasterly direction.

Through the spyglass, the lantern and white sails ahead glowed.

"We'll be there soon. Be ready to fight," he told the clansmen.

Shouts echoed from the distance, and the white sails disappeared into the water.