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Caoimhe had slept surprisingly well in the stable. She was roused in the early morning as the merchants and travelers fetched their horses and rode away to make the most of the day. She intended to sleep for as long as she could, as her body continued to ache from her efforts of the previous day, and her soul was still exhausted from grief and despair. The straw was soft and warm, providing a comfortable cocoon that helped tempt her into sleep. However, it wasn't long before the innkeeper came by to wake her up fully.

“If ye dinnae get up, I'll throw this water over ye,” he threatened. She opened her eyes and saw that he was holding a bucket. Since she didn't want to spend the whole day soaking wet, and also because she wasn't sure where this water came from, she quickly pushed herself to her feet and swept away some of the straw that had attached itself to her clothes.

“I dinnae suppose ye could spare me some breakfast?” she asked, almost knowing the answer before she had even finished asking the question.

“Dae ye hae the coin?” he asked with a smirk, knowing full well that she didn't. “And dinnae gae looking for that softhearted fool either. He's long gone, and I suggest ye get on yer way tae. If I find ye out here the next time I come back, I'll make sure ye regret it!” he barked as he returned to the inn.

Caoimhe felt dismayed as she realized that Hugh had left. The old man had a comforting wisdom about him that helped ground her, and she wanted to thank him properly for the kindness he had shown her. She remembered what he said and tried to keep an open mind about things, but she couldn't imagine ever believing that Vikings were anything other than vicious warriors without a noble bone in their bodies.

Her stomach grumbled again, so before she left, she swiped an apple that had been left there for the horses. It was uneaten, and she skipped away from the inn before the innkeeper could punish her for stealing an apple.

The day was fresh, and although she was still shaken by the Viking attack, she was also feeling better after a refreshing night of sleep. Before she had arrived at the inn, things had seemed bleak. The night had a way of making fears even more intense, and she could feel every ounce of hope slipping away from her. She had felt lost and alone, without anyone to turn to, but now in the fresh light of day, she knew she had her sister. She walked towards the village, as Hugh had directed, and ended up having to walk for most of the day. She had visited Kylie a few times ever since Kylie had gotten married to Andrew, but the journey had never taken this long because she had always traveled on horseback. Caoimhe would have given anything to ride on the back of one of those majestic beasts at that moment, for her legs were already beginning to ache on account of the miles and miles she had walked the previous day. The journey took longer because she allowed herself frequent breaks to alleviate the pain in her legs. She also took some time to forage in the nearby woodlands. This time she found some edible berries and also a small babbling brook, which allowed her to slake her thirst. All in all, her prospects seemed much improved from the previous day, which was more than could be said for those who had been captured from the village.

Caoimhe wondered what had happened to her father. Cameron was a proud man, and she couldn't imagine him accepting his fate meekly. Had he tried to fight back against the Vikings and been killed for his efforts, or was he biding his time in the hope that he might escape? She had heard stories of how Vikings made slaves of their prisoners and sometimes took them back to the far lands of Norway, never to be seen again. She wept again as she walked along, fearing that she would never see Cameron again. Losing her mother had been a different matter because she had died of an illness, but for someone to be carried off like this without any sense of mercy was a difficult thing to bear. But at least soon she would be with Kylie, and they could share their sympathy together.

Night had fallen by the time Caoimhe reached Kylie's village. Like her own village, it was located near the forest. The houses glowed with fire, which kept the villagers safe at night. There was a small inn by the entrance to the village, and from this, there were great songs and bellowing roars of laughter. It was clear that none of these people knew how close danger lurked.

Caoimhe quickly made her way to Kylie's house and rapped her knuckles against the door. It took a little while for an answer.

“Who is bothering us at this time of night?” a grumpy voice spoke as the door was opened. Andrew, Kylie's husband, stood there, wearing a long robe that covered his slender body. He started when he saw Caoimhe.

“Caoimhe? What are ye daeing here? Kylie didnae tell me ye were coming for a visit.”

“It wasnae planned,” Caoimhe said. “I apologize for dropping in on ye like this, but something terrible haes happened. I need tae talk tae Kylie. It's about our da,” she said. Andrew lifted the candle he was holding. The soft amber glow illuminated her face, and he could see how stricken he was. He welcomed her in and then called out to Kylie, who roused herself from bed. She rubbed her eyes, having evidently just fallen asleep. Andrew excused himself to make a hot calming drink for them, and Caoimhe asked if she could have a bite to eat as well. He brought back some bread and cheese, as well as a couple of slices of salted meat that had been left over from dinner. Caoimhe ate the food savagely, but after she had flung her arms around her sister and clung on for dear life.

“What's the matter, Caoimhe?” Kylie asked.

Caoimhe gathered herself and launched into the tale of all that had happened. She spoke of the attack and how she had seen her father being carried away.

“I feel sae bad, Kylie. I wanted tae help him. I wanted tae help all of them...but dae ye remember when we were younger? He took me out tae the forest and told me that if Vikings ever attacked, I should run without giving it a second thought.”

“Aye, he told me the same thing,” Kylie said.

“That's all I could think about. I haed no weapon, and I haed no way tae help them. But tae see them all being carried off like that...oh, Kylie, it broke my heart!”

Kylie took Caoimhe in for a hug again. The embrace made Caoimhe comfortable enough to be able to release all of her sorrow. It came flooding out of her in shuddering waves, and the conversation had to be paused for a while as Kylie consoled Caiomhe.

“Ye did the right thing,” Kylie said in a reassuring tone. “It's what Da wanted us tae dae, and it wouldnae hae done any good for ye tae be captured as well. Ye know what Vikings dae tae the women they take in their raids. What happened is terrible, but at least ye are safe. At least ye are here. Maybe there's a way we can save the ones who were taken. Did ye see any of the Vikings? Would ye be able tae recognize them?”

Caoimhe sniffed back tears and searched into the back of her mind. “I am nae sure. I...I think sae, but it all happened sae quickly.” There were vague images that tormented her mind, but it was difficult to make any sense of them because they were laced with so many powerful emotions. There was one thing she did remember, though, although it didn't make much sense to her: a hammer.

“I know, dinnae ye worry. It's nothing that haes tae be sorted right now. What ye need tae dae is get comfortable. I'm glad ye are here,” Kylie said, giving Caoimhe another squeeze.

“I dinnae even know where they hae taken him. They could be halfway across the sea by now,” Caoimhe said. “I'll dae anything tae get him back Kylie—anything.”

“I know, I know,” Kylie said, stroking Caoimhe's head. Caoimhe let herself slip into the warm embrace of Kylie, which was the closest thing she had to the embrace of her mother. For a moment, she could almost fool herself into thinking that she was with her mother again. Cameron had always said they would be reunited in the afterlife. Perhaps he was with her now. That made her feel a little better.

Once she had calmed down a little bit, she allowed Kylie to show her to another room where there was a small bed. Kylie left her a warm drink and perched on the edge of the bed.

“I'm sorry for coming tae ye like this with no warning. I dinnae know where else tae gae,” Caoimhe said.

Kylie smiled and stroked her forehead. “Dinnae ye worry about that. I told ye long ago that ye are always welcome here whenever ye like. Ye are family, Caoimhe. Andrew and I are happy tae hae ye here, although I wish it haed been under happier circumstances.”

“Me tae. It's funny... I was thinking yesterday morning how things never seemed tae change. All I want is for things tae stay the same, but they never dae,” Caoimhe said, her words having a dreamlike quality as she fell into sleep. The bed was far more comfortable than the straw she had used the previous night.

“I know, Caoimhe, but things never stay the same, no matter how much we want them tae. And ye are gaeing tae hae tae think about what ye are gaeing tae dae for protection now, but that is all something we can talk about in the morning. Ye just focus on getting some sleep and resting yer head. Ye are safe here.” Kylie kissed Caoimhe on the forehead. Caoimhe smiled and found that her eyelids were too heavy to open. She stretched her body out and let sleep claim her, although her slumber was not restful.

Darkness swirled around her. Caoimhe awoke in the middle of a black forest. The trees were thin and spindly, their branches like the fingers of an old hag. The leaves were like petals as dark as blood, and there was a cold feeling rising up from the ground. She heard movement and looked around, hoping that it was a deer. As she turned, something flickered in the corner of her eye so she ran to investigate, shivering all the time. The ground was hard, but soon she heard the river. Relief filled her heart, for she knew the river.

But when she arrived at the riverbank, it wasn't the river she was used to. Empty clothes were strewn on the bank and were floating on top of the water, except this river wasn't filled with water—it was filled with blood. She recoiled at the sight of the scarlet liquid, but she didn't have time to scream as she sensed movement again. If the deer were here, it would lead her to safety, at least, she thought. She moved in the vague direction of what she thought was the deer. It led her to the same copse as she had been in before, but there was no deer to be found.

There was movement, however...movement in the shadows, as though they were coming alive. She had heard stories about malevolent spirits in the forests, so her face twisted and turned as she tried to see the truth. She backed away, her mouth forming an oval as she saw the shadows dance and writhe. For a moment, she wondered what kind of monstrosity would leap for her. She assumed that it would be some brutal Viking lying in wait to claim her and carry her away to another land, to take away all her hopes and dreams before they had ever had a chance to come to fruition.

Instead, there were two snakes. Adders. Their green skin reflected the vague moonlight. Slitted eyes were beady, and tongues flicked and darted out as they rose. Their armless forms looked unnatural, but the way they swayed was somehow mesmerizing. Caoimhe was paralyzed with fear. One of the adders looked at her and then departed, crawling away back to the shadows. The other hissed and bared its fangs. The ground steamed and bubbled as liquid poured out, although she wasn't sure where it came from, but somehow she knew it was poison. The snake lunged at her, quicker than an arrow slung from an expert's bow. She raised her arms to defend herself, but that was the last thing she remembered of her dream.

Caoimhe awoke in a cold sweat. She panted and wiped her eyes. In the small hours of the morning, nothing else stirred. Although she told herself it was just a dream, she could not shake the fear from her heart, nor could she calm the rapid beating.