Page 15

8

“Istill can’t believe that you’re actually sitting here with me again,” Erik continued, marveling at the sight of his long-lost friend.

“Aye, I cannae believe it myself,” Douglas said.

Brenda watched them both carefully. They had a shared history that she was not a part of. They had been in battles together and had a silent understanding that she could never understand. Still, Douglas surprised her, but she assumed he must simply have been a man of few emotions as he did not crack a smile or shed a tear. Perhaps that was still to come, in private. Douglas and Erik reminisced for a while about some of their old deeds, and Erik waxed lyrical about his wife and child.

Douglas, however, was there for a reason. “While it’s good tae see ye again, Erik, I’m afraid that I cannae act as though everything is well. Colby came tae me a while back and said that ye are haeing some kind of trouble with my clan.”

Erik sighed. “The Bannermans are proving somewhat difficult. I hope you’re not suggesting that the only reason you escaped from the Bjorks is because you wanted to help me figure out this problem?”

Douglas shook his head. “Nae entirely, but as soon as Colby told me, well, I dinnae like tae hear my clan making problems for ye. I thought if I went back tae them, I could smooth things over.”

“I have no doubt that your presence would be a great boon. Unfortunately, they have been rather difficult over the past couple of years. I think they resent me for returning home while you remained over there. I can’t blame them for that, but now that you are back, things will be better. They cannot help but rejoice at your homecoming!” Erik said.

“It may nae be easy,” Douglas said. “From what Colby tells me, they are interested in some land.”

Erik nodded. “That’s all anyone seems to argue about these days. You’d have thought there would be enough land to go around for everyone, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Sometimes I don’t know how my father did it, kept everyone happy. My respect for him grows every day.”

“I am sorry tae hear about yer da. He was a great man,” Douglas said.

“Thank you, Douglas. I’m just glad he managed to go out as he wanted, defending his family and fighting for honor. I can only hope that when I die, it’s the same way,” Erik said.

Brenda noticed a strange look pass across Douglas’s face and assumed that he hated the idea of his old friend speaking about death so soon after Douglas returned. There must have been so many things he wanted to remind himself about, so many conversations he wanted to have. It must have been overwhelming for him not knowing where to begin. While his reactions were difficult for Brenda to understand, she had to remind herself that she did not know what it was like to be imprisoned for two years. There likely was no “right” way to act in this situation. As far as she knew, it was unprecedented. The only other man she had known to escape from captivity was Erik, and he had not been held for nearly as long as Douglas had been.

“I’m sure whatever death ye receive, it will be one ye deserve,” Douglas said. “But if ye dinnae mind me taking my leave of ye, I will gae tae my clan and talk with them for ye.”

“Don’t think that you have to leave straight away,” Erik said. “It has been too long! You should stay and feast at least.”

But Douglas shook his head. “I wish tae get this matter resolved as quickly as possible. It is difficult tae be around ye when I know that my clan is causing ye problems. I would rather be with ye and feel no shame.”

Erik nodded in understanding and then turned to Brenda. “And what about you, Brenda? Are you going to stay with me?”

“Actually, I wondered if I might go with Douglas. I think it would do me well to know how the different clans act, and I came here to have an adventure. As much as I appreciate your offer, Erik, I have stayed with you many times before, but I have never been to the Bannerman clan,” she said.

Erik turned to Douglas.

“I have no qualms with allowing her to go with you, Douglas. I don’t know if you’ve learned this about her already, but Brenda often finds a way to do what she wants. She’s learned many lessons from my wife,” Erik said with a twinkle in his eye.

Brenda blushed and turned to Douglas, hoping that he would accept her plea because she wasn’t ready to stop spending time with him just yet.

“I am still in her debt for saving my life. Of course, she can come,” Douglas said.

“And what of you?” Erik asked, turning to Colby. Brenda’s heart was in her mouth. The last thing she wanted was Colby ruining the moments she had to share with Douglas. All she wanted was to have some time alone with Douglas, to talk with him as they had done when he was wounded, when she had managed to see his vulnerability and his emotions. Since then, it had seemed as though he had erected a wall around his heart.

“I would like to stay with you, if I may. I believe I have some opportunities that you may find lucrative. I frankly had no idea that this was such a vast, prosperous place. I believe that we could be of great benefit to each other. I have been wanting to expand my trade into the Highlands for a long time, but I have lacked the connections to form a base of trade operations.”

“I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement. Any friend of Douglas’s is a friend of mine,” Erik said. Brenda breathed a sigh of relief. Excitement entered her heart as she was going to spend time with Douglas again, alone! Perhaps now she could finally get to the heart of the matter and figure out what was going on behind his eyes. The way he was acting didn’t strike her as the way a homecoming should be. She worried that something was wrong, and she didn’t want Douglas to suffer any more than he already had.

She also knew that being at the heart of this negotiation would add to her prestige, and if she was present as an agreement was reached between the Hoffstad clan and the Bannermans, then surely the people of her village would have to give her respect, and there would be no way that Emmel could prevent her from speaking up at the meetings.

Douglas gnawed on his lip as he stood in the shadows of a building, away from the main heart of the village. The plan had been set into motion perfectly, and there seemed no way to stop it now. Colby sauntered to join him. They were stealing some moments while horses were being prepared for Douglas and Brenda.

“Erik is more impressive than I thought. That was quite a sweet homecoming. He seemed happy to see you. For a moment, I thought you were going to accept his apology without any question. You seemed pleased to see him.”

“It was an act,” Douglas said.

Colby’s eyes were cold, and he made no effort to pretend to smile.