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“Oh, I’m gaeing tae tell him alright, and he’s gaeing tae be proud of me. He’ll see that I can be a leader,” Ruairi said proudly. Maura looked at him in disbelief. He just couldn’t seem to understand that what he’d done was wrong. According to him, the ends justified the means, and nothing else mattered. Maura shook her head. Her thoughts were swimming as unease settled in the pit of her stomach.

Ruairi pulled on a fresh shirt and strode out of the room, humming a merry tune as though nothing untoward had happened. Maura followed him, her footsteps heavy, and her shoulders slumped. She wished she knew the right thing to say that would perhaps help Ruairi see why what he had done was wrong, but she could not think of the words.

They found their father by the stables, readying his horse. He wore a sword and a mean look, as though he was prepared for battle.

“Da!” Ruairi cried out. “There’s no need for ye tae ride out tae meet the bandits. I went out by myself last night and took care of the problem.”

Niall turned and regarded them with a stern expression. “What dae ye mean ye went out last night?”

“I took a band of men and we hunted down the bandits. We found them, and we drove them away. I killed one of them.” Ruairi rocked on his heels, and his words were filled with pride. There didn’t seem to be any remorse at all. Maura wondered what it was like to be a warrior, to be able to slay a man without feeling any guilt at all. What would it be like to have a heart as hard as that? She wasn’t sure she would ever know, and she feared that she might marry a man who was similar.

“Did ye capture any?” Niall asked. Ruairi’s pride took a hit, and he stopped rocking.

“Well…no, but they scattered like the wind and I doubt they’ll be troubling anyone else again.”

“Ye should hae waited for me. I told ye I haed a plan. Ye were reckless. It could hae gone very differently,” Niall said sternly. Ruairi bowed his head.

“Aye, I am sorry for that, Da, but I just couldnae bear the thought of the bandits causing any more problems. I just wanted tae protect the people of the land. That’s what a good laird does, aye? I’ll take any punishment ye want tae give me, but I did kill one of them, and I’m certain that they will think twice about striking again. I’m sure yer plan was good, but sometimes taking a risk pays off.”

“And what did ye dae with the body?” Niall asked.

“Nothing.” Ruairi looked surprised. “The bandits carried it off with them.”

“Bandits carrying off their own? That does nae sound like any bandit group I hae encountered. Usually, they abandon their dead tae save their own skins.”

“Maybe these are different.”

“Aye, maybe they are.” Niall sighed and rested his hand on his horse’s rump.

“Well, I suppose there’s no need for me tae gae out riding then since ye hae taken care of the problem. I cannae say that I agree with yer methods, Ruairi. Ye need tae trust me when I tell ye that I hae a plan, but I’m proud of ye for taking care of the situation.”

Maura’s mouth dropped open as she heard her father’s words. He placed his arm around Ruairi and praised him for his strength and vigor. “Ye still hae a lot tae learn about being a wise leader, but when ye are laird, I know the people of the lands will feel protected.”

“Is that it?” Maura asked, her words sounding more bitter than she intended. Niall and Ruairi both looked at her as though she was intruding on a private moment.

“What dae ye mean?” Niall asked.

“Is he nae gaeing tae be punished?! He went out in the middle of the night with a band of men tae fight without knowing the enemy he was facing or if there were any traps. He got lucky, plain and simple. Are ye nae gaeing tae punish his recklessness? He could hae gotten himself killed!”

“There’s an old saying: it’s better tae be a lucky warrior than a skilled one. Ruairi here seems tae be both. But aye, Maura, ye are right. Ruairi will be disciplined. I’m gaeing tae help train ye in the ways of war. Ye need tae think about different possibilities of what ye might face. If ye bluster and thunder yer way intae every situation, then eventually ye are gaeing tae get trapped. Come on, let’s gae and find yer uncle Jamie. We’ll have a wee chat about the nature of battle.”

Father and son walked away, leaving Maura aghast at what had just transpired. Her face was scrunched up in confusion, as it didn’t seem that Ruairi had been punished at all! He liked talking about battles with Niall and Jamie; where was the punishment in that?

With a scowl, Maura marched back into the castle, a dark cloud simmering around her head. She strode into the main chamber, where her mother was sitting with a book. Her footsteps were as loud as a clap of thunder, and she let out a bursting sigh of frustration.

“What’s wrong, lass?” Moira asked, looking up from her book.

“It’s just nae fair!” Maura cried, and proceeded to tell Moira about what had happened with Ruairi and how Niall had reacted. She spoke so passionately about the matter that her eyes glistened with tears. Moira folded the book into her lap and reached out to Maura in an effort to calm her daughter.

“I just dinnae understand how Ruairi can gae against Da’s wishes and end up being congratulated for it. If I did the same thing, I would feel the full force of his temper,” she said. “It’s always been the same. Ruairi haes always been his favorite.”

“Now that’s nae true, and ye know it,” Moira said gently, placing her arm around Maura’s shoulders. “But I agree that it’s nae fair, and I shall be haeing a word with yer da and with Ruairi tae. I dinnae like tae encourage him tae leave the castle in the middle of the night tae gae on a raid. But men hae an understanding about these things that we lack. When it comes tae war and fighting, they see it as a matter of pride. Honor and glory are the most important things tae them, and that is just the way of it. Sometimes it feels as though they hae a secret language all tae themselves, and they rarely share it with us.”

“But it’s nae fair!”

“Aye, it isn’t,” Moira sighed. Maura was surprised by her mother’s frankness. “I wish I could tell ye different, but life is nae the same for men and women. Men can revel in their prowess on the battlefield and bring glory tae the clan, but the only way women can serve the clan is tae give themselves up for marriage. We simply hae tae make the best of it. Believe me, though, I will hae strong words with yer da. This matter will nae be forgotten,” Moira said.

Maura felt a little better after having spoken with her mother. At least there was still one other person in the castle who saw sense. With her feelings calmed, Maura was able to enjoy the rest of the day. She asked Moira to join her for a ride, and Moira gladly accepted. The two women went out in the forest and collected some berries as they rode along following a winding, gentle stream. They spoke of everything and nothing, but as the future seemed so inexorable, every one of these moments was tinged with a bittersweet wistfulness. Maura knew that one day soon, she was not going to be able to do something as simple as ride through the forest with her mother. Soon enough, she would be riding alongside a man—a man she would have to declare her life to.