Page 25 of Highlander’s Viking Sin

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The day was long, and the night approached. Isla hated to wait yet another day before going to rescue Andrew, but there was no use for it. The evening was filled with discussions about what to do and how many men the village could spare to send with Emmel and Isla. The discussion turned to war. Erik and Douglas started talking about expected casualties and how difficult it would be to attack Rune’s settlement because they would be on guard and knew the territory better than any of the people of the village. There were so many nuances that Isla had never thought of because she didn’t have the mindset of a soldier. The most pressing concern for her, however, was the fact that any attack on the settlement meant that Andrew would be in danger. She might be confident that Andrew would be left in the house, but then again, he might be outside. A stray arrow could end him or any other number of ways. It was unpredictable, and while she didn’t speak up, the worry was etched upon her face, so much so that when they broke away for the night, Emmel walked up to her.

“There’s something troubling ye,” he said.

They walked to a sandbank near the shore. They had gotten used to braving the elements at night, although this time they had a blanket with them, and Emmel made a small fire to protect them against the chill breeze that whipped in from the sea. The fire crackled quickly, and Isla’s gaze was attracted to the flames.

“I’m grateful that there are sae many people who wish tae help me, but in all the talk of the attack, nobody mentioned the fact that Andrew is in danger. What if he gets hurt?” she said.

Emmel pressed his lips together and leaned forward, clasping his hands in between his legs. “There’s always a risk with these things. But I’m sure Rune will be keeping him safe somewhere. It’s nae like we’re gaeing tae be aiming for children anyway.”

“I know, but it still makes me uneasy tae know that he could suffer even as we’re trying tae rescue him, and it’s nae as though he’s gaeing tae know that we’re the ones attacking. He might think it’s the enemy and try tae flee, or he might even try tae take up arms and fight against us if Rune haes his way.”

Emmel frowned and waited a long time before he responded. “There is another plan I hae been thinking about. It might help tae allay yer fears, but it could be as much of a risk as anything else.”

“What is it?” Isla asked, intrigued to learn what he had been thinking about. He spoke slowly, giving her the impression that this was not his first choice for a plan, and as she listened, she would discover why.

“If ye want tae keep the fighting tae a minimum, then there’s only one way tae dae it, and that’s for me tae give myself up,” he said.

“What?” Isla gasped, leaning toward him.

“If we gae back tae Rune and tell him that I abducted ye and Andrew, maybe he will take pity on ye. I’ll surrender tae him on the condition that he lets Andrew gae with ye. Ye can say that ye never intended tae leave him, that this is all my fault, and that I forced ye tae leave.”

“He’s never gaeing tae believe—” she began, but Emmel cut her off.

“He’ll believe whatever he wants tae hear. I’ll tell him that I’ll be his prisoner. It should be enough tae have a Hoffstad in chains tae be worth a child,” Emmel said.

Isla was shaking her head as she tried to comprehend what he was saying. “Nay…nay. Ye hae given tae much already. I cannae ask ye tae dae this.”

Emmel turned to her and grabbed her hands. Somehow his hands were even warmer than the fire. “Ye are nae asking. I am offering. I promised ye that I would get Andrew back tae ye, no matter what. If ye want him safe, then it haes tae be this way. Rune already haes a vendetta against me, and he haes nae learned of my heritage yet. They can beat me and imprison me, and I will put up with it as long as Andrew and ye are safe.”

Isla was overwhelmed by the generosity of the man’s spirit, but she still couldn’t believe that he would do something like this for her. He was remarkable in every way, and she wasn’t sure how she was ever going to repay him. She tried to refuse his offer again, but he was insistent and told her that it was the only way. No matter how much she wracked her brains, she couldn’t think of anything else either, and sadly, she had to admit that his plan was the only way to keep Andrew safe. There was only one wrinkle that she could think of, though, and it gave her cause for concern.

“If Rune haes ye and us, why would he let us gae? I would hardly call him a man of honor,” Isla said.

“No Highland honor, but he does abide by Viking honor. He knows what my name means and what prestige can come from having a Hoffstad in chains. It will be enough for him tae give up Andrew, and if he doesnae abide by the trade, then we will have our army waiting tae attack. Hopefully, it will be enough warning tae get Andrew tae safety,” he said.

“And what if we attack anyway once the trade haes been made?” Isla asked. “We dinnae hae tae be honorable with him when he haes been such a villain. He haes lied tae me from the beginning.”

“Because we hae tae live up tae our name. I am nae gaeing tae bring shame on my family and be known as a liar or someone who gaes back on his word. Besides, if we fight, then people of my village are gaeing tae die. It’s nae just Andrew that I’m sacrificing myself for, but the people of the village tae. I failed them as a leader, but in this way, I can make it up tae them. We can avoid bloodshed, and things will be as they were.”

“Except that ye will nae be here,” Isla said softly, shifting her gaze away from Emmel to the fire, but even then, she was still overwhelmed by emotion.

“Aye, but the village will be in good hands with Brenda, and ye and Andrew will be safe. It’s the best for all concerned,” he said, but Isla didn’t share the sentiment. After all this, she assumed that she and Emmel would still be able to live their lives as normal, that things would be as they were before. She hadn’t counted on the fact that he might not be around. He was willing to give her everything, and what had she given him? Why was he doing all of this for her?

She reached out and touched his arm tenderly, feeling the strong muscles underneath. “Ye are a good man, Emmel,” she said. “The best.” She leaned across and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He winced a little as her lips brushed against his bruise, and then she drew back and smiled shyly. She sighed and rested her head against Emmel’s shoulder, lifting her gaze to the night sky. They had been talking for so long, discussing the plan and other things that the sun was beginning to crest before the horizon. They watched dawn rise, and there was something gentle and tender about the moment, as though it was one of those moments that would never come again. As Isla sat with Emmel, she sighed with regret.

“I think we should hae done this a long time ago,” she admitted.

Emmel looked at her, his face all bruised and mottled and beaten, but despite this, she was beginning to see him in a new light and had an appreciation for him. It was as though his essence defined him in a way that she had never been open to seeing before. They had been through so much, and only now, when it was too late, was she beginning to finally understand that a good man had been nearby all along. She had been too quick to castigate them all because of Rune’s sins, but Emmel had worked to heal her heart. Isla dared not tell him everything that swirled inside her, though, for fear that her heart would only end up broken again. If Emmel’s plan unfolded as he wanted it to, then she would have her son back, but Emmel would be gone.

Was there always to be a trade-off between things she wanted? Could she never have everything?

Emmel wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly into him. There was so much left unspoken between them, and she could only wish that tomorrow would never come so that she might enjoy the time with him, for soon it would be at an end. Emmel would give himself up so that she might get Andrew back. It struck her that he was more of a father to Andrew than Rune had ever been, and she wondered if Emmel realized this.

She drifted off for a while, and then she was awoken when the sun was bright in the sky. Emmel was nudging her forward. “It’s time,” he said gently. They walked back to the village and told the others of their plan. There was much consternation between the villagers as most of them thought a direct onslaught was the best way forward and the only way really to teach Rune Dolph a lesson. In the shared history of Vikings and Highlanders, there was a truism that the best way to drive Vikings away was not to hide and pray but to fight them. They responded to violence and aggression, and they looked with derision on anyone they thought was weak. In the end, it was Erik who stepped forward in support of his son. He was a legend among the villagers and commanded great respect, and even though the timbre of his voice was weaker than before, and even though his limbs shook a little even when he was standing still, everyone looked at him with awe.

“My son has made this choice to protect people, and it is not for you to argue with him or try to persuade him otherwise. When we reach the gates of Valhalla, our actions are judged; each man is responsible for what he does. This is Emmel’s choice to make, and all we can do is support him.” He turned to his son and placed a hand on Emmel’s shoulder. “I know the gods and our ancestors will be looking at you with pride for doing this. And this is not the end of your story. As long as you breathe, there is always the chance to fight, to escape. Rune Dolph will not be the end of your saga.”

A murmur of approval followed, and people stopped disagreeing. They were fine words, Isla thought, but it was easy to say that the story was not going to be over when she knew firsthand how cruel and ruthless Rune Dolph could be. Arrangements were made for the warriors to follow them to the mainland a few hours later, just in case Rune still had men watching the shore. Isla was certain that Rune expected some kind of retaliation. He must have known that Isla wasn’t going to let Andrew go that easily, but he would certainly be surprised when Isla returned seemingly of her own volition.

As they made their way back to the mainland, the mood in the air was somber. Isla couldn’t bring herself to speak about what was going to come, but speaking about anything else seemed redundant. Instead, they traveled in silence. Emmel still looked haggard. Isla had had to dirty her dress so that Rune wouldn’t suspect she had been anywhere but the forests. If he pointed it out, she planned to say that she had stolen a dress from an inn. They reached the shore and then made their way to the settlement. They scanned the forests in case anyone was watching, but they did not notice anyone. They made their way to the settlement, stopping shortly before they arrived.

“This is it, Isla,” Emmel said.

Isla swallowed a lump in her throat as they alighted from the horses. She took some thick cord and pulled his arms behind his back, tying his hands together, apologizing when she thought the rope was becoming too tight. Then she said a silent prayer for this to work, and for Emmel to somehow return to her safely.