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They had been riding for a while in the opposite direction from where Hilda lived. The forest in this area was unfamiliar to her. Riding at night had been arduous and slow, but it needed to be because the light was dim, and they could not trust the terrain under their feet—whilst at the same time, they wanted to put as much distance between them and the enemy as possible.

“Are ye sure they will follow yer bait?” Hilda asked. “What if they gae back tae my clan anyway? There are gaeing tae be few men tae defend the village.”

Maxwell’s opinion was resolute. “I know men like them. They are a prideful lot, and they will nae like the fact that their prisoners hae escaped. For all they know, we are rousing an army tae storm their lair. Aye, they’ll want tae track us down before they attack anyone else. They cannae trust who we will tell. Besides, can ye imagine Angus hesitating in trying tae find me after the beating I gave him? His blood lust will lead him right tae us.”

Hilda hoped that Maxwell’s estimation was right. His instincts had proven right so far, including his immediate dislike of Angus. She trusted in him to see them to safety, and hopefully, they could end the threat of these villains once and for all.

Dawn broke, and when the sunlight caressed the world, they were able to increase their speed. The horses seemed to enjoy being able to go at a greater pace, and the ground trembled under the impact of their hooves.

Hilda glanced behind them, worried that somehow Angus and the others would have already caught up with them. It was impossible, of course, because they would only be becoming aware that the prisoners had escaped by now. It wouldn’t take them long to mount their horses and send them out to the world and then to find the sign that Maxwell had left. Soon enough, they would be haring through the forest, making up the ground quickly so they wouldn’t have to go as slowly as Hilda and the others had through the night. It seemed as though every moment was fraught with danger, and every heartbeat brought them closer to another conflict.

They crested over a hill and found a village that was unlike her own. She gaped at the size of the wooden walls, built as a defense against any raiders. She assumed these had been built in response to the attack that had killed Bea. The walls were tall, with pointed tips to prevent anyone from climbing over. The gates were high too.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Let’s hope they remember me,” Maxwell said, flashing a smile in the direction of his men. They took it with good humor, but Hilda wasn’t laughing.

Maxwell rode up to the gates and hammered a fist against the door. He bellowed out his name, and the gates swung open slowly, creaking as they did so. They opened to display a humble town, and the people wore pained expressions. Maxwell swung his legs as he alighted from his horse and clasped the gatekeeper’s hand.

“Maxwell Black, as I live and breathe. I never thought I’d see the day when ye returned,” the man said. He was probably as old as Hilda’s father, with thick grey whiskers and a naked scalp. “And ye hae brought friends. Am I tae assume ye hae done what ye set out tae dae?” the man asked.

“I’m afraid nae,” Maxwell replied. “But I did find them, and they’re on their way here. We need tae prepare for an attack.” As soon as Maxwell said this, the gatekeeper stood to attention and called back to someone within the village. Moments later, men poured out and helped gather the horses, welcoming them into the village.

The gates were closed behind them.

Hilda and the others were shown great hospitality. They were fed and given new clothes, as well as given copious amounts of water and medical attention. Maxwell’s people were attentive and sympathetic once they heard about the attack on Hilda’s clan. It was a great relief to be shown such friendliness after the ordeal they had been through and was certainly better than being in a cage.

There was a moment where Maxwell was tending to something, and Hilda was given an opportunity to speak with Stephen.

“I see he’s earning his coin,” Stephen said.

“Aye, he haes been a good addition. He haes fought well,” Hilda said, deciding not to tell Stephen about Maxwell’s momentary lapse.

“Good. We’re gaeing tae need him at his best if we’re tae fight off these men. I hope he’s right and they come here. I hate the idea of leaving Da tae defend the clan with the few men he haes.”

“He haes the women tae,” Hilda reminded him. “How is Da? Is he…is he still angry with me?”

“Angry with ye? Why would he be angry with ye?” Stephen said, looking genuinely shocked.

“Well, because of what happened with Ma. I thought he blamed me. That’s why I came out here. I wanted tae make sure that I avenged her sae that Da would nae be angry with me anymore.”

“Da is nae angry with ye,” Stephen said, almost laughing with incredulity. “Is that really what ye think?”

“I…” Hilda began.

Stephen wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“We hae just been giving ye space. We thought ye needed time tae process what happened. Nobody is angry with ye, Hilda.”

A grim expression came over her face. “Perhaps ye should be. It’s my fault this haes all happened.”

“We’ll be with Da again soon, and then ye can see that ye are being foolish. We’re a family, Hilda. Nothing haes changed that.”

Hilda wished she could believe the words, but she wasn’t sure she could, not until she saw her father again and spoke with him about his feelings directly. They left to feast and to make a plan for the following day, with lookouts a constant presence on the walls in case the enemy approached while they were sleeping. It had taken them all night and the best part of the day to arrive, so she hoped that they would have more time to plan.

As night began to fall, she started to yawn, and Maxwell was there by her side.

“Come with me. I hae a place for ye tae rest,” he said.