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Hilda hadn’t spoken to many people over the last few days. She had kept to herself, and nobody had made the effort to come and find her. She knew that her brother and father were angry with her, nor could she blame them. All she wished was that she could turn back time just a few days and stay in the village after she had spoken with Fiona. Hilda was the first one to argue that she was a woman and should be given some independence and freedom, but she still threw tantrums like a child, and this time it had cost her the ultimate price.

Tears flowed freely, unendingly. Hilda thought she had cried enough to fill a loch, but still, tears came. The days were endless, and she was devoid of hope. How could she help them now? How could she avenge her mother? There were so many things she wanted to do, and yet she felt forlorn and helpless. Her hands were empty. How could she dare call herself a warrior when she had made so many mistakes? How could she think she was worthy of a seat in the halls of Valhalla when her own failures had killed her mother?

On this particular day, she was sitting by a stream, staring into the rippling water that swept by. A shadow fell over her. She looked up and saw that it was Angus.

“Ye hae been keeping tae yerself over the past few days. That’s nae like ye,” he said.

“Aye, well, I think being around other people would dae more harm than good. It’s nae like Da and Stephen want tae be with me.”

Angus sat down beside her and placed his hand in the stream, feeling the cool water surge through his fingers.

“They’re grieving. Ye are a family. Ye should be taegether.”

“They dinnae want me. I cannae blame them. I’m starting tae think I should just give up on this idea of being a warrior and listen tae Ma. If I haed just listened tae her in the first place, this never would hae happened. Maybe I should just be a wife, nae that anyone would want someone like me.”

“I’m sure that’s nae true,” Angus said. “But the matter is nae resolved yet. I’m sure that brute of a man is still in the area if ye want tae gae tae him and try and persuade him tae help us.”

“He would nae listen tae me,” Hilda said with a dry laugh.

Angus shrugged. “Stranger things hae happened. We could use all the help we could get in case these people return, and a man like that doesnae come along very often. If he’s tracking these people anyway, we might as well try and ally ourselves with him. It would be good tae know what he’s thinking.”

Hilda considered the matter as she stared into the river. When the water shimmered past her like this, she could almost believe that she was looking at her mother. It was as though Fiona was trying to speak to her from beyond the grave.

“Ye are the only one who could find him as well. Ye know where his camp is…if he haes nae left yet.”

“Aye, but what if he says no?”

“Then what hae ye lost? But if ye bring him back, then maybe yer da will nae be sae angry with ye.”

“Sae he is angry with me then,” Hilda groaned, unable to ignore the implication in Angus’s words. Angus turned his head away, which indicated to her he didn’t want to have to tell her the terrible truth.

“I dinnae think he’s angry at ye as such, only that it’s a shame about the situation. But ye can make up for it, Hilda. If ye find Maxwell again and convince him tae help us, I’m sure it will show yer da that ye hae the best interests of the clan at heart.”

Hilda knew he was right. She closed her eyes to try and prevent tears from falling down her cheeks, hoping that Angus wouldn’t think her a weak fool for being like this. She hated letting down her father when she held him in such high esteem, and the fact that he wouldn’t even talk with her now showed how deeply he had been affected by this. The one thing that had been clear in Hilda’s life was how much her parents loved each other, and she had brought their great romance to an end. It was only fitting that she find some way to make it up to Varrik, and if that meant going on her hands and knees to Maxwell, begging for him to come back, then so be it.

She thanked Angus and rose, striding back to the stables where she once again mounted her faithful steed. She looked at her house, wishing that she could find the right words to say to her father, but none of them seemed adequate. She had let her family down more than once, and it was going to take everything she had to make it up to them. Maxwell had refused her help once, but she would ensure it would not happen again.

Hilda rode through the forest, this time at a more measured pace than she had done before. As always, she was keenly aware of her surroundings so that nobody could ambush her, and she retraced the path she had taken that led to Maxwell’s camp. As she approached, she worried that they would have already left because then she would have to scour the entire Highlands for them, and perhaps the Lowlands too, although she didn’t think it would be that easy for a man like Maxwell to hide from view. However, she saw a spire of smoke rise from the canopy of trees and breathed a sigh of relief. She alighted from her horse and called out her name to alert them to her presence, not wanting to take them by surprise. The last thing she wanted was to be attacked because they thought she was some bandit sneaking up on them.

When she arrived, suspicious gazes turned to face her, studying her closely. She looked around but could not see the man she wanted.

“Where’s Maxwell?” she asked. Her sword hung from her waist; this time, she had not ventured into the forest unprepared.

None of Maxwell’s men responded to her vocally; they merely gestured with their heads in the direction he had gone. Hilda inclined her head in silent thanks and followed their guidance. Their camp was a simple one, made up of rudimentary tents and bedrolls, as well as a small campfire in the middle. Over the campfire was a spit, and the remnants of a small animal were yet to be cleaned from it.

She found Maxwell a short distance away from the main camp area. He was sitting on a log, cleaning his blade. As it rested in his lap, the sword looked like a long pole. Hilda walked up to him, annoyed when he didn’t notice her presence. She cleared her throat and shot him a demanding look. He slowly turned his head to face her, never once taking the cloth off the blade. He studied her for a moment, and his eyes lingered on her sword.

“Did ye come for another round? Ye will hae no need for that. I dinnae consider ye the enemy,” he said.

Well, that’s a good start,Hilda thought to herself. She straightened her posture and summoned her courage.

“I wanted tae come and talk tae ye about what happened. I hope ye will reconsider yer decision tae leave.”

“I’m a man of my word. I gave ye the terms of my deal, and ye didnae accept. As far as I’m concerned, the matter is closed.”

“But without yer help, we might never find the men who did this.”