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“Fiona, I did nae raise ye tae be sae callous. Lotta needs our help. There are different types of battles tae fight.”

“I know, Da,” Fiona sighed. “But she never gives me any respect, and she doesnae understand what I’m trying tae teach her. It’s as though she doesnae want tae protect herself.”

“Some people dinnae want that,” Laird Callan said. “That’s the beauty of the world. People want different things, and we hae tae get along with that. Besides, one day ye will both be married, and ye will nae see each other as often. I’m sure that one day ye will miss haeing her around sae often.”

Fiona grunted in reply, for she didn’t believe it at all. She ignored her father’s comment about marriage as well. It was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. All she wanted was to make sure that the clan was safe and protected.

“Haes there been any reports of Vikings in the area?” Fiona asked.

Laird Callan shook his head. “It seems as though our recent allies cleared the area of them. I’m sure some will return in time, but it appears as though we dinnae hae tae worry about them.” Laird Callan sighed. “I was sae foolish tae trust that man.”

“Ye could nae hae known he haed a black heart,” Fiona said.

“I should hae seen it in his eyes. There was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that he was nae honorable, but I thought we needed his help.”

The man they were speaking of was Rune Dolph, a vicious and formidable leader of a Viking settlement nearby. Laird Callan had been in negotiations with Rune Dolph to form an alliance that would help strengthen the clan. Laird Callan hadn’t been too enthused with the prospect, but given that the clan was so vulnerable, it was either join with the Vikings or be at their mercy, for they seemed to grow stronger with every passing year. Laird Callan had even been supposed to get a wife out of the arrangement, but when Rune Dolph’s nature had been revealed, there had been a battle, and thanks to help from the Hoffstad clan, danger had been averted, and the threat had been quashed, but Laird Callan knew he couldn’t always rely on another clan to protect his people.

“We will be strong again, Da. It will be like old times,” Fiona said.

“I fear that yer confidence is unfounded, my dear,” the laird said. There were moments recently where Fiona noticed her father looked older than he should have, as though time was taking its toll on him. “We are still lacking in men. The boys we hae are nae growing quickly enough.”

“We dinnae need men; we hae the women,” Fiona said defensively.

Laird Callan smiled, showing that he didn’t mean any insult by what he said. “I know, lass, but we still need more raw numbers, and the only way we’re gaeing tae get them is tae hae more children, and the only ones who can bear children are women. Tae get a bigger army, we’re gaeing tae hae tae sacrifice some of the women. I dinnae want a woman carrying a child tae gae intae battle. The other clans are already making plans tae expand, and with more Vikings coming here all the time, there is less land. If we’re nae careful, then we’re gaeing tae be left behind, and the Callan name is gaeing tae dwindle in significance.”

“Then what dae ye suggest, Da?” Fiona asked.

“I think that we should gae tae Emmel Hoffstad and ask him if he could spare any men tae join our clan. I dinnae know if any of them would want tae leave that peaceful island in favor of our wee village, but it’s worth asking. We cannae continue like this. Ye will come with me as well. It will dae ye good tae see the world. And bring some of yer warriors with ye.”

“Really?” Fiona’s face lit up with pride. Over the years, her father had become more used to the idea that she was going to throw herself into battle and help defend her people when needed, but it still meant a lot to her when he specifically requested her help. Of course, it wasn’t as though he had much choice given their lack of resources, but it still meant a lot that his opinion had been changed over the years. The heart of a warrior was always a powerful thing, no matter whether it was a woman’s heart or a man’s.

They made preparations to leave, and as they did so, Fiona struggled with her feelings toward the Hoffstads. There was no denying that Vikings had done a great deal of good for the Highlands and had even come to the aid of her clan, but not all of them could be trusted. She hated Rune Dolph for trying to deceive her father. She had heard how they had kept people prisoner, and kidnapped a woman and child, so she was wary of Vikings, especially any who had been associated with Rune Dolph.

Before they left, Lotta came to see them off.

“Dinnae ye want tae come with us? Or are ye afraid of getting yer clothes dirty?” Fiona asked.

Lotta smiled. “I think I’d rather wait here and see what men are brought back. Ye never know; there might be a husband for each of us. I want tae make sure I’m at my prettiest.”

Fiona rolled her eyes and turned the horse away. She would never understand how her sister could be obsessed with so many pointless things. They looked at the world from completely different perspectives, and because of this, she wasn’t sure they would ever agree on anything. It was a shame, though, because when Lotta had been brought to the village, and Laird Callan had told Fiona that he was going to take care of Lotta, Fiona had been quite looking forward to it. She imagined that she would have a friend, a best friend who would like all the same things she did. Given that Lotta had Viking heritage, Fiona had assumed that she would aspire to be a strong woman as well and that she would have all kinds of stories about the Viking world she could share with Fiona. But Lotta had never shown much affinity with her heritage, and she didn’t want to be like any Viking woman either. All she wanted was to sit around, look pretty, and have the world come to her. Fiona wanted to get out there and seize it herself, and she wondered if she and Lotta would ever be friends.