Page 3

1

Two years later…

“Are you going to come out today, Father?” Brenda Hoffstad asked. She was young, on the cusp of reaching twenty years, yet she felt more capable than her years suggested. Her eyes were bright, and her hair had the same reddish hue of her father. Erik (sometimes known as Erik the first considering that his nephew had been named after him) was sitting in a chair, staring into space. He often had days like this ever since his brother had died. Their story had been a tragic one, for, at one point, they had been separated, with Ragnar believing that Erik was dead. For a time, they had both been happy until Ragnar had been slain. Now Erik the first lamented his brother, feeling as though he should have been able to protect Ragnar.

“I don’t think so, no. I think I’m just going to stay here,” he said.

It pained Brenda to see her father suffer like this. For the majority of her life, he had been vibrant and vigorous, always ready with a smile, always searching for an adventure.

“If the stories about the gods are true, then Uncle Ragnar is feasting and hunting as we speak. He must be happy up there,” Brenda said, hoping that it would cheer her father’s spirit. Instead, he sighed and offered her a weak smile.

“It is a nice thought, and I’m sure that he is having a glorious time up there with all the warriors of old, but I thought we would have more years together. As much as I am sure that the halls of Valhalla are filled with Ragnar’s cries, it does not offer me as much comfort as I thought it would since I am unable to see him again.”

Brenda nodded and knew there was nothing she could say to shake Erik out of this bleak mood.

“I’m sure everyone would like to see you, but I will return later and tell you all that happens at the assembly.”

“Thank you, Brenda. You are a good child.” He smiled and patted her cheek, but his touch was a ghostly one as his hand returned to his lap, and he went back to thinking about glorious days of the past when he and Ragnar had fought together against anyone who dared challenge them. Brenda was well versed in the stories. Her eyes always lit up with delight whenever she heard a story of a battle or a fight somewhere. People had always been amused because she wasn’t like the other girls. They had indulged her when she was younger, but recently most people, including her brother, thought that she should have grown out of all this by now. She was a statuesque woman, taller than most others, and the shade of her hair made her appearance striking.

She left the house and walked to the middle of the village, where the assembly was being held. She spotted her sister Lena, who was opposite to Brenda in almost every way, favoring their mother, and her brother Connell, who was visiting their small island from his new home in the south of the Highlands, where he had recently gotten married.

“I haven’t missed anything, have I?” Brenda asked in a low voice as she joined Lena.

Lena shook her head. A sheen of golden hair rippled as she did so. “Ye know what they’re like; always talking and talking,” Lena said. Her accent was harsher than Brenda’s as she had spent more time with their mother. Brenda had always been her father’s child. “Is Da nae joining us?”

Brenda shook her head. “He is going to miss this meeting—again,” she added, pressing her lips together. Lena reached out and squeezed her arm.

“He will be well again,” she said in a reassuring tone, but Brenda wasn’t convinced.

“There is a time for grieving, but that time can’t last forever,” she said. “I will return in a moment.”

Brenda strode away to join Connell and Emmel, her two brothers, the latter of which was the new leader of the village, who had taken over when Erik had relinquished the post once Ragnar had died. Connell would have been in line to inherit the role, but since his marriage took him elsewhere, he was no longer eligible to rule over a place where he did not live from day to day. Brenda had nursed a grudge ever since the decision had been made. She understood why she had not been seriously considered as she had still been immature when the change in leadership was made, but since then, she had grown older and wiser, and she thought that she should have been given more opportunities to take a role in the leadership of the village.

Connell, like Lena, spoke with a heavy accent, although in his case, Brenda thought it was more put-on than Lena’s so that he could fit in with his new wife.

“Where’s Da?” Connell asked when he spotted Brenda approaching.

“He’s not going to join us today,” she said, and turned to Emmel. “I was hoping that I might be able to speak instead of him.”

Emmel and Connell shared a glance.

“With all due respect, what dae ye think ye might wish tae speak about?” Emmel asked in a soft voice, although his eyes were sharp.

“I’m not sure. I just thought it would be nice to address everyone and perhaps tell them that I’m here if they ever need to talk to me. I have been thinking that it would be good for me to take more responsibility within the clan. I was younger before, but I am ready now,” she said, puffing out her chest and tilting her head up.

Emmel and Connell shared another glance.

“Perhaps in the future that may be a good idea, but if ye dinnae hae anything tae share now, then I would nae want tae take up the valuable time of the village. Besides, is there any point in ye taking on more responsibility?” Emmel said.

“What do you mean?” Brenda asked, furrowing her brow.

“Well, surely ye will be leaving soon. I dinnae want tae speak out of turn, but ye are approaching the age of marriage, and I assumed that Da would want tae arrange better prospects with ye than what ye can find here, just as he did with Connell.” Emmel gestured to Connell. “We each hae our roles tae play.”

Brenda almost staggered back, she was so shocked. She hadn’t given any thought to marriage or in leaving the village because she was quite happy here, and to think that forces were conspiring against her was a sobering thought.

“I dinnae—” she began, but Emmel had already excused himself and was walking away to gather the villagers together. Brenda frowned and was about to storm after him, but Connell grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. She caught Lena giving her a sympathetic glance, but it didn’t do much to help.

“What were ye about tae dae?” Connell asked.