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When Brenda left, Douglas exhaled deeply, and a dark look fell across his face like a shadow. He wiped his dry, cracked lips and examined his body again. A sly smirk crossed his face, for he knew that the pain had been worth it. He had ended up exactly where he needed to be, although he had never expected to meet a direct relation of Erik!

The name conjured feelings of mistrust, betrayal, and hatred. For so long now, he had wondered what had happened to Erik. There were times when he thought that Erik would surely come back and save him. At first, he hadn’t believed it when Gorm said that Erik had forsaken him, but time had proved Gorm true. Erik had never returned, never come back for him. He had left Douglas to rot in the Bjork clan, and Douglas knew that the bonds he thought were so strong were nothing. The trust and the honor he had fought with had been lies. All his life, he had devoted his sword to a man who had run off at the first chance of escape and then never returned. Oh yes, all the people in the Highlands likely thought Erik a hero, but Douglas knew the truth. He was as selfish as anyone else, and now it was time for him to finally pay the price and get what he deserved.

But still, it left Douglas with a sick feeling in his stomach to know that Erik had prospered while he had been a prisoner of the Bjork clan. Erik had married and had a family, while Douglas’s life had been put on hold. The last two years had been hellish for him, while Erik had been living in some kind of paradise. It was enough to make bile rise in the back of Douglas’s throat, but it would make his revenge all the sweeter. Yes, the plan was in motion now, and it was only a matter of time before Erik got what was coming to him.

Douglas rested and ate heartily when Brenda brought him some food in the evening. She lingered, and it was clear that she wanted to ask him more about what happened. Since he knew that he could use her to get to Erik, he wasn’t inclined to send her away, and it helped that she was easy on the eyes as well. She was taller than most women, with flaming hair and eyes that looked like jewels. After being starved for sights of beauty for so long, Brenda was indeed a feast for his eyes.

“What is the nature of this dispute you have with Erik?” she asked.

“It’s a mere small one; it really is nae important. I will speak with him about it myself once I am recovered.”

“If you like, I can get word to him, and I’m sure he will waste no time in coming here. I doubt anything could stop him from coming to see a man who means so much to him,” Brenda said.

Douglas had to stop himself from laughing in derision. Nothing indeed, except the Norse Sea.

“I hae waited two years tae see him again. I’m sure a wee bit longer will make no difference,” he replied with a forced smile. “Tell me about this woman that Erik married?” he asked, although he knew full well the story. He had heard it from Gorm. Ivar had an ungrateful daughter who had helped Erik escape. They fled with each other and made their way back to the Highlands, and once there, they never left even though others had been left behind. They were both as selfish as each other. Erik had heard about the girl from her sister, Kari, who could never believe that Sigrid would have left her family like that. But Douglas knew that people could never be trusted. Everyone was only ever out for themselves, just like Erik had been. Douglas listened along, feigning the fact that he was interested, but hearing details of Erik’s life only served to stoke the anger of his fury. His hand twitched, wishing that he had a sword to reach for. In time, he told himself, in time.

Later on that day, there was a visitor to the village, a man who claimed to be an ally of Douglas and that he had been visiting various islands to see if Douglas had washed up on them. He introduced himself as Colby Truelson. He had a sly smile, a smooth voice, and his hair was the color of honey. When he was told that Douglas had indeed washed up on a nearby shore, he acted immensely relieved and was ever so grateful to the villagers for showing such great hospitality. He promised them that the gods would look kindly upon them and bless them for their actions. He was shown to the hut, but as soon as he was alone with Douglas, the smile fell from his face.

“It’s no wonder these Highlanders needed the help of Vikings to be strong. They’re simpering fools who are easily swayed by the slightest compliment,” Colby said.

Douglas ignored the barb against the Highlanders and grunted. He hadn’t witnessed Colby’s arrival, of course, but this had all been planned out so he knew how Colby would have acted.

“They’re just friendly. It’s going tae work in our favor,” Douglas said.

“Speaking of which, when are we going to move forward with the plan? I hope you’re not thinking of crossing us, Douglas. We have to hurry up and do what we were told to do. Gorm will not suffer any delay.”

“Gorm will get what he needs,” Douglas said. “But I hae an even better idea. There is a lass here…she’s Erik’s cousin.” His eyes flashed with greed. “We can use her tae get close tae Erik. And believe me, I am nae gaeing tae cross ye. I was crossed before, and the only thing I’m interested in is getting revenge on him for that.”

Colby seemed smug and satisfied. “That is as it should be,” he said. “I’m glad to hear that your loyalty is unwavering, and Gorm will be glad of it too. But we must be quick. We have already waited too long for this. It is time to get our revenge.”

“Yes, it is,” Douglas said. “Now gae out there and play the role of the honored guest. I’m sure ye will nae find it hard tae be fawned over.”

The opportunistic smile returned to Colby’s face. “Indeed, and there were a few maidens that caught my attention. I’m interested to see just how far the hospitality goes here,” he said, and took his leave of Douglas.

Douglas needed to ensure that his recovery was believable, so he did not rush at all, despite Colby’s warnings. Frankly, he didn’t have much love lost for Colby, Gorm, or any of the other Vikings. They were a means to an end just as Brenda was going to be—a way to get him back to Erik’s side so that Douglas could plunge a dagger into the man’s heart and teach him that it wasn’t wise to turn your back on a man who had pledged his sword to you. He relished that moment. For so long, this thought had nourished him and gotten him through the dark nights where wolves howled in his mind. Sometimes it was the only thing that had kept him going, and now he was so close he could almost taste it. He could almost feel the knife in his hand, twisting through flesh, the blood rushing over his fingers.

It was glorious.

But he couldn’t let Brenda guess any of this, of course. With her, he continued to wince, and he continued to listen to her stories of Erik. She seemed delighted and proud, and it annoyed her that she couldn’t see what kind of a man her cousin truly was. There were moments when he had to bite his tongue because he was about to reveal the truth to her, but he managed to stop himself and maintain the illusion.

“You have been here for a while. Perhaps it’s time you should try walking today? You must have regained enough strength for a walk,” Brenda said.

Douglas pretended to think about it and then accepted her offer. “Perhaps ye are right. I cannae stay in this bed for the rest of my life,” he said, and then gingerly rose with Brenda’s help.

They left the small hut with Brenda holding his arm gently. He feigned a limp and smiled, pretending to be in a better mood and less distant now that he knew he was going to use her to get closer to Erik.

“Have ye lived on this island all yer life?” he asked, making idle conversation.

“Yes, aside from when I have visited my family in the Highlands.”

“Have ye never wanted tae leave? People like ye often want tae get back tae Norway, tae yer home.”

“This is home,” Brenda said. “I am curious about Norway, but in truth, I know that the rest of the world won’t be as good as this. This place is my home. It might be humble and small, it may not be as vast as the Highlands or Norway, and there certainly aren’t as many people here, but it is home all the same and I love it. I know every inch of this island, and I don’t think I could bear to leave it.”

“I thought the same thing about the Highlands tae, and then I spent two years away,” Douglas said with genuine emotion. Not everything he said was a lie.