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The path was not an easy one, as the tracks were difficult to follow. Angus showed great skill in directing them, and before too long, he had the lead of the group. The men from the Callan clan were all too happy to follow him, and there were more than a few gloating words spoken celebrating Angus’s talents. Some of them even dared to ask if it had been worth paying Maxwell as much gold as they had when they could have done this themselves. Hilda remained quiet, but she noticed Maxwell silently seething.

They worked their way through a part of the forest that was deep and dark. The trees were clustered together, and it made it difficult for horses to move at a good pace. The going was slow, but Hilda was relieved because it meant that they at least wouldn’t risk making too much noise and perhaps giving away the advantage of surprise. The smell of the forest was musty and damp rather than sweet like the forest she was used to. It was devoid of colorful flowers. Occasionally she saw the flicker of movement from an insect that crawled away, but other than that, there wasn’t much in the way of wildlife either. Her hand kept sliding down to her thigh to make sure that her sword was still there, for if they found these raiders, then an attack was going to happen.

They crept through the dark forest and eventually heard noises in the distance. They moved carefully and followed the faint noises, eventually smelling cooking meat wafting through the trees. The lair of the raiders was a tangled mess of vines and trees. It was cramped, but it offered much protection from the outside world, and it was no wonder that they had managed to remain here undetected.

“We found them. Well done, Angus,” Hilda said in a low whisper. She felt far from triumphant, though. The raiders were more numerous than she had realized. From a quick head count, it looked as though they were outnumbered at least three to one, and these were not good odds at all.

“There are more of them than there are of us. It’s a good thing we hae the element of surprise,” she said.

“That will nae be enough,” Maxwell said in his low, rumbling voice. “We hae tae distract them tae split them up. Then we might stand a fighting chance.”

“Speak for yerself. I think we could take them on now, or dae ye underestimate yer prowess in battle?” Angus taunted.

Maxwell wore a grim smile. “I would nae want tae enter a battle where the odds are sae strongly against me. Only a fool would seek tae put themselves in harm’s way when there’s an easier way.”

“I’m getting tired of ye insulting me. If it was nae for me, we would nae be here!” Angus replied.

Hilda shushed him. Her eyes widened in panic, for she was afraid that they would be overhead.

“Keep yer voices down. If ye carry on like this, we will nae hae the element of surprise or anything! What is yer plan, Maxwell?”

“We split intae two groups,” he said while Angus folded his arms and simmered with anger. “One acts as a distraction, while the other takes the fight tae them. Hopefully they’ll be sae off-balance, they will nae know what’s hit them.”

It seemed like a sound plan, and Hilda nodded. She looked at the faces around her and furrowed her brow.

“Sae we just hae tae decide who gaes in which group.”

“Aye, well, obviously ye should be in the group that causes the distraction,” Maxwell said.

Anger flared within Hilda’s heart. She had hoped that they would be beyond this by now. How many times did she have to prove her mettle? How many times did she have to prove to everyone else that she was just as capable in a fight as any man? The fact that she was a woman didn’t make her any less powerful, and it annoyed her that Maxwell didn’t seem to understand this. Thankfully, she managed to keep her wits about her and control her voice; otherwise, she would have screamed in frustration and drawn all the attention to them. Then it wouldn’t have mattered whether there were two groups or not. The enemy would have been upon them. As it was, Hilda still had a measured voice and looked at Maxwell directly. After the many times she had sided with him over Angus, she felt that she was owed more than this.

“Ye know that’s nae gaeing tae happen. I’m the most skilled warrior in the village. I’m nae gaeing tae be a distraction.”

It was telling that nobody disputed her claim, not even Angus. The men in the village may have been prideful, but they had been in duels with Hilda over and over again, and they had each been turned on their back because of her skill.

“I only want tae make sure ye are safe,” Maxwell said, as though he was doing her a favor.

Hilda rolled her eyes. “The last thing I need is tae be protected. I can take care of myself. It’s my ma they killed, and I will hae the revenge.”

“We’re also gaeing tae hae tae defend ourselves. Whichever of us makes the distraction is gaeing tae hae the most attention on them. We need tae be skilled enough tae deflect the attacks that are gaeing tae be flung our way.”

“Then how about ye come in the group with me!” Hilda challenged.

“Fine,” Maxwell said.

For a moment, the two of them looked at each other, and the rest of the world melted away. The tension between them was palpable. It sizzled and was just as hot as when Hilda had straddled him after their fight, although this time, it was seared with frustration rather than anything deep and tender.

“Then I’ll lead the attacking group,” Angus said, breaking Hilda’s focus on the moment. Angus seemed pleased, perhaps because he thought he would be stealing the glory for himself. Hilda had no doubt that there was enough glory to go around, and the deed was set. They quickly arranged themselves into two groups, for time was of the essence, and they couldn’t sit around debating who was going to be a part of which group all day, lest the enemy become aware of their presence and render their plans futile. Given that the odds were so badly in the enemy’s favor, the plan was for the first group to rush out and cause a distraction, which hopefully the enemy would fall for. Then Angus’s group would be able to come at the enemy from behind and take advantage. It would not be an easy victory, but Hilda knew she could not afford to let this opportunity slip, for these people might well disappear again, and then justice would forever be elusive.

Hilda drew her sword and moved around carefully, making sure she didn’t step on any twigs. She was surprised that Maxwell was able to move so quietly as well. If anyone was going to cause a distraction, she was certain that it had been him, for he didn’t look as though he had been made for this world. The branches were hanging low, and he continually had to dodge the wide leaves and prevent himself from being caught by the branches.

As she peered into the enemy camp, it was clear that they were none the wiser. They lounged about as though they had not a care in the world. They had made this place a home, building squat huts out of wood to make it look like a little village. It reminded Hilda of the villages that her father had told her about when Vikings had been more primitive. It was as though these people were not a part of the world she inhabited but rather lived by their own rules, and their own rules meant that they were not going to punish themselves for causing death and discord amongst the more civilized clans in the Highlands.

In truth, there had been murmurs of discontent throughout the Highlands. Hilda had never paid more than a passing interest to them, but she had been present when Varrik and Fiona had spoken about them during dinner. Apparently, there were some people who didn’t like how the world was progressing, how the villages were expanding and becoming linked together. They longed for a sense of freedom where they could roam around the countryside and do whatever they liked without having to feel beholden to anyone or any clan. They wanted to be free from responsibility, and it looked as though they had achieved their dream.

But Hilda was determined to show them that they couldn’t have what they wanted. It was foolish of them to believe that they were never going to be caught. They might well have thought they were hidden in this dark part of the world, but they had not counted on Hilda Aland Callan and the anger that burned in her heart.

Before she stepped and put the plan into motion, she reached into her tunic and stroked her necklace for good luck. She felt the contours of Mjolnir and thought of herself as a hammer—strong and forceful, always determined to get the job done, no matter how many tries it was going to take. That was the attitude she carried with her, and she remembered why she was doing this. One of the men before her was responsible for firing the arrow that killed her mother. She was going to find who it was, and then this matter could be over and done with. Their reign of terror would come to an end, and peace would return to this area of the Highlands once again. The people of the villages would no longer have to live in fear and cower at the thought of the raiders coming to their homes and leaving them distraught.