Even as she turned back, Iliana could hear the frightened whinnies of the animals within the stables. It was aflame. Cursing, she started down the steps, intent on rescuing the few animals that had remained behind when Duncan had marched out. There had only been a dozen or so left behind, but most of those were ponies and pregnant mares who were near their foaling.

She was barely halfway to the building when the next fireball came over the wall. Staggering to a halt, she shouted a warning and waited to see which way the missile would go. It seemed to be one large ball of flames at first; then she realized that it was actually a collection of debris that had been set alight and shot over as one. As it came down the pieces separated, spanning a large section of the bailey as it flew in every direction.

Iliana’s shout was taken up by the others, becoming one panicked cry as the women and children began to scatter, fleeing the fiery rain of debris. Iliana herself leapt to the side to avoid one falling shard, only to step into the path of another. She stumbled when it struck her shoulder but kept her feet. Brushing at her arm to be sure that her gown had not caught flame, she glanced behind her, relieved to see that, while Elgin had followed her, he was unharmed.

“Tend to the horses!” she yelled above the shrieks filling the bailey, then hurried to the nearest victim of the flaming debris. Helping the woman to her feet, Iliana glanced at her mother with surprise when she was suddenly there, tending to the woman’s burns.

“Take her into the keep and stay there,” Iliana ordered, pushing them in that general direction. “We must get them all to the keep,” she shouted to the others, who were trying to douse the flames.

“They will not go.” Janna approached her. “These are their homes they try to save.”

“Their homes will do them little good if they are not alive to enjoy them,” Iliana snapped impatiently.

“Then you’d best get up on the wall and see what you can do.”

“Do?” Iliana peered at her as if she thought her mad, and Janna nodded.

“They tried this same tactic in Lady Agnes’s day.”

“Lady Agnes,” Iliana sighed the name. Giorsal had used the woman often against her when she had first arrived here. Black Agnes had been able to hold the keep against the English for six months in her husband’s absence. “What did she do?”

“Giorsal told us that, after each volley, she distracted them with insults and curses while the women rushed about, dusting up the fire.”

“Insults?” She looked doubtful, but Janna nodded.

“And curses, me lady.”

“I see.” She peered at the flames the women were hurriedly trying to put out, then whirled away, hurrying to the wall.