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“Ye should nae be sae quick tae refuse help when it’s offered,” Laird Callan said gently.

Fiona scowled at him as she sheathed her sword once she was certain the Viking had retreated. “Ye said it yerself; he was one of Rune Dolph’s men. I dinnae know why he is allowed tae roam free here, but I’m nae gaeing tae take aid from him when I know what he’s capable of.”

“Perhaps he haes changed,” Laird Callan said.

“Men like him dinnae change,” Fiona said in a dark, haunting tone.

She glared toward the area where the Viking had been standing. Fear had flashed through her, and she had been ready to strike. She hadn’t expected to find danger in this place, but she was prepared to defend herself and was pleased to see that her fellow warriors had reacted swiftly as well.

She turned her attention to Beth, who had gotten herself tangled in some vines. She was crying out because there were insects and beetles crawling over her, although none of them seemed to pose any danger. Fiona drew her sword again and twisted the blade around, elegantly slicing through the weeds and vines, which sloughed away. Beth immediately jumped up, rubbing the bugs off her and shaking her entire body to ensure that none of them lingered.

Fiona lowered her voice and spoke to her warriors. “We must be careful gaeing forward. We might be in danger. We dinnae know what haes happened here. Rune Dolph’s men might hae fought back and taken the village from the Hoffstads. Let us be wary,” she said.

Laird Callan rolled his eyes.

“Ye are worrying over nothing,” he said, but Fiona wasn’t going to be complacent, and she wasn’t going to let herself fall prey to any surprises. She led the group stealthily through the forest, approaching the village slowly in case it had been overtaken by hostile Vikings. She kept low, crouching in the tall grass, and peered out at the people moving around. It did not seem as though anyone was in danger, and within a few moments, Fiona was standing up and told her fellow warriors to not be concerned, although privately, she wondered why that Viking had been allowed to walk around without anyone guarding him.

Laird Callan chuckled to himself as he walked into the village unopposed and without any sense of caution. People in the village turned to him and greeted him cheerily. Their gazes turned toward the women who wielded shields and swords, but nobody said anything, although Fiona got the feeling that many things were going to be discussed during the evening. She hoped that her appearance might inspire young girls to take up a sword as well in time. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that there would never be a need for warriors.

She followed her father as he was taken to speak with Emmel while she directed the other women to relax and wait for them. They dispersed and walked proudly through the village with their heads held high, ensuring that nobody would think to question them about anything. Fiona continued to gaze around suspiciously in case there were other Vikings lurking about, although it was difficult to tell which Vikings were suspicious ones and which were ones who had made their homes in the Highlands. The Hoffstad family had been the first Viking family to be welcomed into the Highlands, and as such, Viking blood was present, especially in these small islands. Still, she didn’t understand why someone who associated with Rune Dolph was allowed to roam free.

“Laird Callan, it’s good tae see ye again,” Emmel said, greeting Laird Callan with a firm handshake. Laird Callan expressed the same sentiment and wore a wide smile. He introduced Fiona proudly, who bowed her head.

“Ah, one of the famed warrior women of the Callan clan, it’s an honor tae meet one of ye in person,” he said.

“The honor is mine,” Fiona replied politely.

“It’s a shame my sister haes gone tae visit our cousins on the mainland. She would hae liked tae meet ye and even test yer prowess in battle,” Emmel said.

“Perhaps another time, and assure her that I will nae gae easy on her,” Fiona said.

“She’ll be glad tae hear it,” Emmel chuckled as he spoke, but then turned his attention back to Laird Callan. “I’m sure ye hae nae come all this way for a wee visit, though. What can I help ye with? Are ye in danger again? Haes there been a new threat?”

“Nae as such,” Laird Callan said, “although I am concerned about our lack of men. We’re proud of our women, of course, but we were already short on men before the last battle, and the casualties we suffered hae made our numbers dwindle even further. I dinnae want tae risk the safety of the clan in case some laird decides he wants our territory, of if some greedy bandits want tae plunder our homes. That’s nae tae mention any wild and stray Vikings who might long tae raid again. The Highlands can be a dangerous place, and I want tae make sure that we’re well protected. I was hoping that ye might hae some men tae spare, men who could live with us and add tae our strength, and even give birth tae a new generation.”

Emmel listened carefully to Laird Callan’s request. He stroked his beard and nodded thoughtfully. “I can understand why ye hae come tae me with such a request. We hae all suffered our losses, but I can well sympathize with wanting the clan’s name tae continue. I will help ye, but I cannae give ye my best men. I hae tae think of the safety of this clan as well. Besides, they already hae families and live here. But I can think of some men who would be willing tae take on this challenge, single men as well who would be looking tae lay down roots. But ye must understand tae that most of these will be Vikings. Is that something ye are prepared tae accept?”

Before Laird Callan could speak, Fiona stepped forward and addressed Emmel directly. “Are these Vikings ones that worked with Rune Dolph?” she asked.

Emmel arched an eyebrow, surprised at her bluntness, although he did not comment on it. “They are, yes.”

“Then we dinnae want them in our clan. They are criminals and villains,” she said.

Emmel frowned and turned to Laird Callan, who was already wringing his hands together and leaning forward, making an apologetic gesture. “My apologies; my daughter speaks out of turn. Of course we would be happy tae take any help ye could offer. Ye are most generous.”

Fiona glared at her father, pressing her lips together firmly so that they formed a thin line.

“I know ye might hae yer misgivings, but I assure ye I would nae offer these Vikings tae ye if they were nae good men. The truth is that Rune manipulated a lot of them. Believe me, I haed my doubts as well, but these men hae nae caused problems. They just want tae belong somewhere and dae some good, tae make up for the pain they hae caused. They will nae cause any trouble,” Emmel said.

Fiona wasn’t sure she believed any of his assurances, but in deference to her father, she wasn’t going to reject the notion out of hand again. Her father was still laird after all, and she had to obey his wishes.

She nodded in assent and stepped back, a pace behind her father.

Emmel asked them to wait there for a few moments. In the meantime, Laird Callan scolded Fiona for speaking out of turn, as it was disrespectful to a man of Emmel’s stature. Fiona apologized and promised that she would remain composed. The promise was a short-lived one, though, for when she saw the man Emmel brought back, she was incensed.

Fiona was unsure exactly what it was about this man that unnerved her so much. When he had approached them earlier, she had been taken by surprise, but he hadn’t made any threatening moves. There was just something about him that got under her skin.