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After spending time with Douglas, Brenda was excited about the meeting, and she was filled with confidence. Douglas seemed to have a good handle on life despite having had two years stolen from him. There were moments when he seemed particularly brooding or when she saw a hard look in his eyes, but that was to be expected given all that he had been through. Despite having seen the death of family members, Brenda’s life had been rather sheltered, and she had never faced such tragedy directly. Her heart went out to Douglas, and she admired him for being able to lift his head up high when it must have been so painful to be away from home. She imagined that she would have died had she been forced away from her island and her family. Her stomach churned as she thought about being away from all she knew for that long, and her admiration for Douglas increased. She wanted to help him return home and reunite with her cousin as he had been suffering for too long, and he was well on the road to recovery.

She was glad he agreed with her about standing up to her family as well. For a while, it had seemed as though she was the only one who thought that way, so it was a relief to see that someone shared her thoughts on this matter. Now she had a meeting to prepare for, and she wasn’t going to be silenced this time. If Emmel wasn’t going to allow her to speak then she was simply going to have to force the issue and convince everyone that she had the ability to lead the village and take more responsibility. There was no reason that she couldn’t, especially not simply because she was a woman.

The villagers gathered together late in the afternoon. Erik was once again absent, and Connell was keeping quiet. Brenda made sure to avoid him. She stood with Douglas near the middle of the village, and she noticed how Emmel kept making pointed glances toward her, as though he was trying to ward her away, but she wasn’t having any of it.

“I thought we would call this meeting taeday tae formally welcome Douglas intae the village and ask him about the situation with the Vikings. I know all of us are a wee bit worried whenever Vikings are mentioned, even after all this time. We dinnae get much word from the mainland or Norway, and it haes taken us a long time tae ignore the fear that rises within us whenever a Viking comes near our shore,” Emmel said.

Brenda noticed that Colby was absent. She hadn’t spent much time with their Norse visitor, having been preoccupied with Douglas.

Douglas nodded and rose to address the crowd. “I dinnae know how much I can offer since I was kept prisoner for a long time. I was nae privy tae all the discussions about their plans, but I can tell ye that the Bjork clan is nae as strong as it once was. After Ivar died, they lost a lot of clout, and some of their strongest warriors left for new opportunities. We dinnae hae as much tae worry about from them,” he said.

Brenda was pleased to hear this, as were the others. An audible gasp rippled around the room.

“And how many ships do they have?” Brenda blurted out as she saw that Emmel was about to ask a question.

He glared at her. “If ye dinnae mind, Brenda, as the village leader, I will ask the questions.”

“I can ask questions just as good as you, Emmel, and I’ve been spending more time with Douglas. Besides, you don’t know anything about war.”

“I know all I need to know,” Emmel said haughtily, turning back to Douglas with his head tilted back and his nose in the air. “Well, Douglas, how many ships are there?”

“I would nae be able tae give ye an exact count, but I’m sure that the Highlanders hae more,” Douglas said.

Brenda went to speak again, but again Emmel cut her off by holding up a hand. She felt as though she was a child speaking out of turn, and the more it happened, the more annoyed she got. In truth, there weren’t many years between them, but because of his position in the village, there might as well have been a lifetime. Her cheeks turned red, and eventually, she stamped her foot and cried out.

“Will you let me speak!” she cried. The room was silent. “I am tired of being treated like a wee girl! I am the eldest daughter, and you should treat me with respect. If I want to speak, then I shall speak,” she said.

“Brenda, there’s no need tae speak tae me like that,” Emmel said softly, as though he was the one who had been under attack. “We all hae our parts tae play in the world, and mine is here. Ye will help Da form an alliance with some strong clan. I understand that ye want tae help, but at the moment, we dinnae need ye,” he said, which only served to make Brenda even more incensed.

She trembled with anger, and her lips snarled, but before she could speak again, someone else from the crowd spoke up, telling her to keep quiet because they wanted to listen to Douglas. This was met with a chorus of cheers, and she hated how they mocked her, but she could do nothing about it. Her hands curled into tight balls, and she would have fought them all if she could have, but she didn’t understand why she did not have the same respect as her father. Was it because she was a woman? Because she was young? Either way, it wasn’t fair.

But then another voice rang out across the room, one that was strong and deep and commanding.

“I wouldnae be sae swift tae mock the lass. She is the one who rescued me, and remember that her cousin is a powerful laird. She haes a noble name, and over the last few days, she haes proven herself tae be noble in spirit as well. She haes shown me great kindness, and she doesnae deserve the disrespect ye are showing tae her now. Now, if ye dinnae mind, I am still weary from my injuries and would like tae rest. Thank ye for inviting me tae this meeting, Brenda. I look forward tae another one,” he said.

Brenda’s heart pitched as he stood up for her. The sight of him rebuking the villagers on her behalf made her tingle all over, and she felt pleased that he was willing to go to such lengths for her. He was a most remarkable man, quite different from any she had met so far, and she wore a smug smile as she walked away from the meeting with him.

“Thank ye for what ye said,” Brenda said with a shy smile.

“It was the least I could dae. Ye didnae deserve tae be treated like that. Yer opinion should nae be mocked. But I hae tae ask, why are ye sae adamant tae lead these people and stay here when they treat ye like that?” he asked.

In truth, it was a question that Brenda had asked herself more than once, but the answer was simple. “They might be difficult sometimes, but they are still my people, and my duty is to help them see the error of their ways. I want to prove myself to them. I cannot change my duty, no matter how anybody else reacts,” she said.

Douglas accepted her thoughts without any challenge. He bid her farewell for the moment, although she found herself wishing that they could spend more time together.

“I need your help, Father,” she said as she ventured home to meet with Erik. He was sitting in the shade, gazing out of the window at the sea. He turned and faced her with a warm smile, although there was still something missing in his life, something that she wasn’t sure he would ever get back again.

“What can I do for you, Daughter?” He took her hand and squeezed it for a moment as she sat beside him.

“I am frustrated with the people of the village. They never give me any respect. They treat me like a child, and Emmel never allows me a chance to speak my mind. All he does is roll his eyes and assume that I’m going to say something foolish, but I have plenty to offer. The worst thing is that others go along with him and mock me! They should have more respect for me since I am your daughter. Do your years of leading this village mean nothing? Do they hate me because I’m a woman? Because I’m young? Because I’m a Viking? I do not understand. Emmel is my brother. He’s supposed to love me, yet he treats me like this.”

“They do not hate you, Brenda. Neither does Emmel. He does love you. He’s just trying to protect you because he knows what a burden leadership can be.”

“I don’t need protection.” Brenda scowled. “And that doesn’t explain why everyone else acts like this. What have I ever done to make them think I’m not capable?”

Erik sighed. “Respect is something that you have to earn. I was treated the same way when I first arrived here. Nobody aside from your mother trusted me, and even she had her moments of suspicion. I had to earn their trust and respect. You cannot simply expect to demand it of them, nor can you expect them to treat you as a leader when you have not done anything to show it to them. I know it may not seem fair to you, but glory is found in doing great deeds. Sometimes to please people, you have to do the same as you do to please the gods.”