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Niall swung his fist, hitting only air. The man in front of him ducked and fought back, jabbing a fist into Niall’s gut. Air was pushed out of his lungs, and Niall doubled over, giving his opponent a chance to take the advantage. Niall felt an elbow crack against the side of his head and staggered back, losing his orientation to the world. Stars pulsed in the edges of his vision, and he could feel his mouth filling with bile. There were more jabs and then a huge hook that slammed into his shoulder, sending him back and teetering at the edge of the sparring circle. Niall almost lost his balance, almost fell out. His hands swung around like mighty pendulums as he struggled to steady himself. Blood streamed from his nose and trickled along his lips. The warmth was a taste he had gotten used to over the years.

He blinked away the pain and looked at the man in front of him. His name was Donal. He was young, proud, with a stocky frame and fists that hit like hammers. His mouth was twisted into a snarl behind his thick beard, and aggression lay in his eyes. Niall was not some witch who could read minds, but he didn’t need to be to know that vengeance lay in this man’s heart. It was not a struggle to believe that these people hated him and wanted revenge for their kin and friends that had been slain in battle.

And it had only taken one moment for Niall to be distracted, and that one moment may cost him his life.

Through the crowd, he had seen her, as though a bright star had hovered over her and illuminated her, casting the rest of the people in shadow. It had only been for a moment that she had captured his gaze, but it seemed remarkable how she could have such an effect on him, this Tovie, this woman who was now his wife even though he had not asked for one at all. Just as he could sense the desire for vengeance emanating from his opponent, he could feel the hatred pouring off her as well. He knew that people were going to hate him when he returned, but knowing a thing and preparing for it was far different from suffering through it. There had been a few moments where he thought he had been making progress with her, but then she had stormed away and muttered under her breath, and it was clear that she did not want him there.

But he could not allow himself to lose his focus. After being dazed, he lost sight of her in the crowd. The deafening cacophony of cheers rose around him, babbling uncontrollably. They saw the blood, and it was likely that they could taste it in the air as well. But he wasn’t about to let himself be defeated that easily. He wasn’t about to lose all he had worked for.

Donal roared and came in for another attack, his fists ready to crunch Niall’s bones. Niall braced himself and shifted his weight to the side. He caught Donal’s head in his powerful arms and squeezed. Donal struggled and struggled while Niall’s biceps swelled around his head. Niall’s face went red with the strain he was placing upon himself and eventually had to let go, but now it was he who had the advantage. Donal staggered back, his face crimson, clutching his throat as he gasped for breath. He wasn’t about to let that stop him from attacking Niall, though. He came forward again, but this time he was weak and Niall was strong. Niall blocked the blow Donal threw toward him, pushing the man’s arm out of the way. Then he put all his weight into the punch and it snapped across Donal’s jaw. Niall could feel teeth breaking, and there was a sickening crack in his neck as Donal’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, dazed. He fell to the ground in a heap, knocked out completely.

Niall shook his hand to try and relieve himself of the pain, but it continued to reverberate through his arm. He spat out blood and wiped his nose, looking through the crowd to see if Tovie was still there, but it appeared she had gone. He turned from the crowd and walked out of the ring, returning to where he had left his shirt. He pulled it over his sweaty body and picked up a flask of water, pouring it over his face to help wash away the blood and sweat that had gathered on his face. It wasn’t long before Drew was beside him, smiling widely.

“Aye, ye sure showed him,” Drew said.

“I was nae attempting tae show him anything. I just wanted tae give him an opportunity tae get whatever dark thoughts he haed off his mind.”

“Ye did more than that. They’ll know that ye are nae a force tae be reckoned with. I’m sure in no time they will start tae see ye as their true laird,” Drew said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“The sooner the better,” Niall said, although his thoughts turned to Tovie. Somehow he knew she would be the most resolute of them all.

“Can ye hear them cheering for ye? It’s as though ye are a returning hero. I think some of them must hae forgotten what kind of warrior ye are.”

“Aye, well, I hae been away a long time.”

“And what’s it like being back?”

“It’s…strange, but I am glad our clan haes a home.”

“Ye know we would hae stayed out in the wild as long as ye needed us tae.”

“Nay. It was time for us tae come back tae a place we can call home.”

“Ye know she would nae hae—”

“This is nae about her,” Niall snapped, glaring at Drew. Drew closed his mouth, although there was a slight look in his eyes that suggested he knew exactly what this was about. “What is the state of their army?”

“Well, obviously it took a loss in the battle we fought, but the men who are left are strong and capable. When they learned that ye were in command of the enemy, it confused them, and I think they’re still coming tae terms with the fact that ye slew yer brother. But they all know ye hae a right tae this clan, and nobody is gaeing tae argue against ye for it. They know there’s no use in fighting, and I think they just want tae make the best of it. I dinnae know the man, but I hae tae give credit tae yer wee brother as he did train them well. They’re each capable with more than one weapon, and I dare say on a different day they could hae beaten us.”

“Aye, perhaps they could hae. My brother always wanted tae be the strongest in the land. It doesnae surprise me that he put sae much focus ontae his army. At least we can be sure that we are nae vulnerable tae an attack.”

“We are nae. In fact, with our forces combined, we should be one of the most powerful clans in the region.”

Niall closed his eyes and nodded. Drew mentioning her stirred thoughts he was not prepared to think about at this present moment, and he had to breathe deeply to stop his heart from thundering.

“And what about our people? Are they settling in well?”

“As far as I can tell. There haes been some arguments and disagreements, as was tae be expected, but I think most people are glad of the extra help. It’s been a relief for most people tae hae fresh clothes and an opportunity tae plant seeds and help a place flourish,” Drew said.

“Good. I know it will take time, but eventually, our two clans will become one and there will be no difference. We will dae everything we can tae ensure this happens as smoothly as possible. Make sure that everyone in our clan knows we are nae here tae conquer the clan or tae stir up trouble. We’re here tae live, and tae live in peace.”

Drew pursed his lips. “I’ll tell them, but I dinnae think it’s a message that is gaeing tae soak in well. We hae been used tae fighting for a long time…”

“I know, for too long,” Niall said in a quiet voice. “But those days are over, Drew. We never hae tae set up a watch again. We never hae tae watch the wild shadows for a beast or a bandit. When we lay our heads down, we never hae tae hae nightmares about those things that seek tae attack us from the dark. We are safe here. We can be at peace here. We can hae real lives, lives we never could in the wild.”

“Aye, although for the record, I never disliked our life there. Of course it was hard, and sometimes the world was barren, but we could look at each other and know we were suffering taegether. It gave us a bond that nobody in this clan would ever understand. Somehow I just cannae stop thinking that we hae retreated from a war.”