“That may be. We will hold an assembly in the morning and decide her penalty. For now, she will remain confined with the women and guarded.”
“She’s a girl,” Trahern snapped. “Not an adult. A girl of thirteen who saw more violence that night than she should have.”
He said nothing about Morren’s suffering, though he wanted to. The truth was, if Jilleen hadn’t killed the raider, he would have—without a second thought.
“It’s late, MacEgan. As I’ve said, we will gather everyone in the morning and decide what to do.”
“We bury him,” Trahern remarked, “and we’ll take a group of men toGall Tírto find the other raiders and bring them to justice.”
“This isn’t our battle,” the chief remarked.
“I didn’t say your men, did I?” Before he lost the tight control over his temper, Trahern turned and left. Though it was only hours before the dawn, he felt nothing but raw madness coursing through him.
When Morren had looked upon the raider, horror had washed over her face, as though she were reliving the nightmare all over again. He’d wanted to go to her, to reassure her of his protection. But at that moment, his greater focus had been on getting information.
The raider had come fromGall Tír, a Norse settlement only miles from his family lands. Why had the men traveled so far? Someone had hired them, but who?
He needed those answers. And he had every intention of tracking the men down. Though it was not the best time to travel, there was still time to go before winter struck.
He could recruit men from among the Ó Reilly’s, men who wanted vengeance as much as he did. Perhaps Ciara’s brother Áron would come. He visualized men to ask, his mind spinning with plans.
As he turned to walk back to the men’s hut, he saw Morren standing near the palisade wall. She stood with her back to him, and from the trembling in her shoulders, likely she was weeping.
Trahern didn’t think about what he was doing. He simply closed the distance and took her into his embrace. She wept shuddering sobs, her tears dampening his tunic.
“What will happen to Jilleen?” she asked at last, lifting her tear-stained eyes to his.
“Nothing.” His voice was hard, confident. “I’ll let nothing happen to her.” He stroked her hair, fitting Morren’s slender body against his own.
“She’s all I have left, Trahern. I can’t let anyone harm her.” She pulled back and wiped her cheeks. “They wouldn’t let me close to her, she’s so heavily guarded.”
“I’ll speak to them.” He took her hand in his, leading her back to the women’s hut. “Trust me.”
“I don’t know why she did it,” Morren confessed. “She would never hurt anyone. Jilleen is the most soft-hearted person I know.”
The anguish in her face pierced him through the heart. He stopped walking, his fingers caressing hers. “She loves you, Morren.”
“And I love her. But I would never have asked her to do something like that.”
“You sacrificed yourself for her. Don’t you think she would do the same?” He touched her damp cheek, and her blue eyes grew solemn. His thumb brushed against her temple, and her cheek warmed against his palm. “She wanted to punish the raider for what he did.”
“I was so angry,” she admitted. “I didn’t know how much until I saw him.” She touched his hand, gently moving it away. “I’m not sorry he’s dead.”
“Neither am I.”
After a few moments passed, she seemed to realize that she was still holding his hand. Her blush darkened in the torchlight, and she dropped her fingers from his. But she didn’t leave him.
“You’re going after them, aren’t you?” she guessed. “ToGall Tír.”
He inclined his head. “As soon as I can gather men to join me.”
“I want to go with you.”
He’d sooner cut off his legs than put her in danger. “No. The other men can identify the raiders. There’s no need.”
“Can they?” She shook her head. “I doubt it. It was dark that night, and they struck so quickly, everyone was trying to put out the fires.” She squared her shoulders, as if trying to reassure herself.
“Stay here with the others, and rebuild your cashel. Let a man like Adham look after you.” The words he spoke were the right ones. She should remain safely within her clan, protected by a man who cared about her.
