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The waiting was interminable. Every moment skipped by, and Brenda was just waiting for flame-tipped arrows to soar through the air and wreak destruction upon the village. Eventually, a shadow did loom over the island, but warriors did not pour forth onto the land. Instead, it stayed there, as though taunting them, as though declaring that they could invade whenever they wanted, and the destiny of the island was in their own hands. Brenda and the other warriors waited and waited for the Vikings to attack. She could sense the other warriors getting agitated. It was an unusual tactic for the Vikings, but it was working as the mood in the village was becoming panicked. Brenda, Erik, and Douglas had to keep the others calm. The warriors thought about rushing up to attack the boat, but they were rebuked harshly.

“That’s exactly what they want,” Erik said. “At least here, we know the land. We can withstand a siege, at least for a short time. If we run from cover, they’re going to pick us off without any trouble at all. No, we must be patient,” he said, but patience only went so far. There was a sense that no matter how long they waited, the inevitable was going to happen. They had already seen other ships move past the village toward the main coast of the Highlands. It was a full-scale assault, and while the air was quiet on this island, Brenda knew that on the Highlands, it was likely alive with the clash of steel and the cries of people fighting for their lives. If they didn’t do something, death was going to come for them, and it was Douglas who acted first.

He strode out toward the ship and bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Gorm, if ye are in there, come out and face me! I know ye want me. I’ll be yer prisoner again. Ye can humiliate me and torture me all ye want if ye just leave this place alone. What can it get ye?” he asked into empty air. There was no reply. Douglas flung his sword to the ground and then dropped to his knees. “Look at me, Gorm. Ye can kill me if ye like. There is nothing stopping ye. But when my blood is spilled, leave this place alone. That’s all I ask,” he said.

Again, there was no answer.

In fact, the first visitor to the island wasn’t one of the enemy Vikings at all but a friend. It was Erik, who arrived in a small boat all by himself. His face was ashen, his clothes were tattered rags, and he looked as though he had been through a war rather than a siege. There was a cry when he arrived at the village. Brenda left her father and Douglas to keep watch over the ship to greet her cousin.

“Erik, what are you doing here?”

“I got word from the survivors that you were under siege from Vikings. The same is happening all along the coast. I’m glad to see that you are well,” he said.

“Aye, for a short time at least. The Vikings haven’t left their boat. They wait and wait. I don’t like it. We’re all unsettled.”

“I think I know why. We managed to capture some men who were fighting for the Bjork clan. They said that Gorm is on this ship. I want to speak to him, to try and come to some kind of agreement.”

“Do you think such a thing can be accomplished?”

“I don’t know, but I have to try. From what I remember of Gorm, he wasn’t the most agreeable man, but at least if we speak face-to-face, I can persuade him to stop this fighting for the time being. There must be something he wants. Between this and the dispute with the Bannerman clan, I don’t know where we’re going to be left when the dust has settled. Speaking of which, is Douglas with you, or did he stay with his clan?”

Brenda grimaced at the mention of Douglas. “He’s with me, but there’s something you should know about him…” she said, trailing off. Erik looked at her with intrigue, and she told him everything that Douglas had told her, quickly adding that he had saved her life, and he was ready to sacrifice himself for the good of the clan. “The thing you have to remember, Erik, is that he’s angry at you. Terribly angry. He blames you for not going back to rescue him, and I think the Vikings fanned the flame of this hatred to such an extent that he finds it hard to feel anything else.”

Erik wore a pensive look. “It has weighed heavily on my heart. I know I should have done something different, but I honestly thought he was lost.”

“I know that, but Douglas isn’t thinking rationally about this. The things he told me…” She shuddered.

“I know full well how the Bjork clan treat their prisoners. The same fate would have found me if I hadn’t escaped. Douglas was one of my closest friends. I even considered him a brother. I can’t believe that he would feel these things. We must settle this once and for all,” he said.

Brenda nodded and led him back to where the main warriors were clustered. On the way, he told them that Sigrid was leading the defense of his village, while Egon had banded together with some other smaller clans to fight against the tide of Vikings that were streaming across the coast. Brenda’s eyes widened at the tales of battle, for it was the kind of thing she never thought she would have to witness in her lifetime.

When she returned with Erik, the nephew and uncle who shared the same name embraced heartily and bid each other good tidings. Douglas held himself rigidly and tensed when he saw the younger Erik approach. Brenda had bated breath as well, worried that there was going to be some explosion of tension between them, but it seemed as though they all had other things to worry about. They marched toward the Viking ship, and this time, it was Erik who approached.

“Gorm! Gorm, are you there? It’s Erik Hoffstad, the slayer of your father. I am here to talk terms if you would be so brave as to disembark from the safety of your ship!” Erik yelled, a haughty edge to his voice. The words rang out in silence, and Brenda wondered if even this would be enough to coax Gorm out from his ship, but then a hatch opened, and a ramp was lowered. Gorm sauntered out as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Those are strong words from someone whose entire lands are under siege,” Gorm said as he descended the ramp.

“Under siege, yes, but you are not victorious yet. You know we will fight to the last man. Your father was not successful in conquering this place, and you shall suffer the same fate as him. I wonder if the expression on your face as you take your last breath will be the same as his.”

They were strong words, and they clearly affected Gorm. His face lost all trace of calmness. It twisted in fury, and his eyes became two tiny beads.

“I will raze this island to the ground. The Highlands will burn by the time I’m finished with them! And I will make you watch as your lands are taken, your women are raped, and your children are flung into the sea. I already have a special punishment planned for that dear sister of mine. It’s a shame you didn’t bring her with you.”

“I’m sure you’ll be reunited soon enough, and if I don’t get you, she will. Stop this madness and let us come to some agreement. Even your father wouldn’t have been mad enough to burn this land. Do you really want to be a ruler of ash?”

Gorm shrugged. “I suppose an agreement isn’t out of the question, although you will have a high price to pay given the fact that I am in control here. But first, there is another matter I must attend to,” he said, and gestured with a wave of the hand. Behind him, two guards emerged. They marched down the ramp, brandishing heavy axes. Gorm’s gaze fell upon Douglas. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you stand with them. I knew your convictions would fail as soon as you stepped upon the shore of your home. Colby had too much faith, and I’m assuming he paid the price for his folly. No matter, you shall return to your place with us,” he said.

The guards moved forward and grabbed Douglas, dragging him back up into the ship. Douglas attempted to struggle at first, and Brenda cried out.

“What it this, Gorm?” Erik cried.

“I’m merely taking back something that belongs to me. I would advise you not to try and free him, for anything would be seen as an attack on my boat, and I would have no choice but to retaliate. Is one man truly enough to see an entire village burn? Especially a man who betrayed you and brought us here?”

“The man you speak of is my friend,” Erik said, loud enough so that Douglas could hear as he was being taken into the boat.

“Then you have poor choice in friends,” Gorm said. “Now, what do you have to offer me in order that I should call off this attack? Bear in mind that the Highlands are within my grasp already, so you will have to offer me something tempting. The Hoffstad name was always synonymous with strength in the past, but that’s no longer the case, is it? It’s time for the Bjork clan to rise as the strongest. You left Norway, and that has clearly angered the gods. You should have stayed in our ancestral home. Asgard watches, and they are disappointed,” he said.