Page 9 of His Highland Shield-Maiden

5

Fiona stood in Elsie’s home, annoyed at how easily Varrik could get under her skin. She didn’t want to like him or, in fact, respect him at all, really, but she couldn’t deny the sight of him horsing around with the children had been amusing, and it was certainly something she hadn’t expected of such a mighty Viking warrior. She thought on his words and wondered if she had been too harsh, but she couldn’t very well go back on her orders now, lest she be seen as weak.

“Oh, is the nice man gone?” Elsie asked as she returned from putting her children to sleep.

“He haed tae get back tae his men and deliver the food. It’s nae good for his kind tae be out in the village at night. I dinnae know what they might get up tae,” Fiona said.

“Ye cannae be suspicious of them unless they hae given ye reason tae be,” Elsie said.

“Isn’t the fact that they lived with Rune Dolph reason enough?”

Elsie sighed. “Ye cannae judge a man by another’s actions. Ye know what it can be like, how men can be led astray. I cannae believe a man like him haes an evil heart. Anyone who can put up with my wee ones like that is a good man. It’s all a silly thing for anyone to think of people as good and bad. I’m sure there are people who think of our clan as the villains.”

“Never!” Fiona cried out.

Elsie arched an eyebrow. “What about that battle where yer da sent out men tae attack those traders who haed been living in a field nae far from here?”

“They weren’t where they were supposed tae be. Da asked them nicely tae move on, but they refused. He haed no choice!”

“Aye, I’m nae saying that his choices were justified, just like I’m nae saying that what Rune Dolph did was right. All I’m saying is that as far as those traders were concerned, they were attacked without just reason, and those that are left probably curse our names just as much as ye are cursing the Vikings now. Nobody ever gets anything from holding ontae these dark feelings,” she said.

Fiona clenched her jaw. The words made sense, but she didn’t particularly want to hear them right now.

“We’ll see what happens with them. Hopefully, they will prove ye right,” Fiona said.

Given that she didn’t need to get any food for the Vikings, she turned away and left Elsie. Fiona strode through the village back toward her home, but as she did so, she continually glanced at the stables. It was difficult to make out in the dim light of the night, but she thought about the Vikings there, how they were holed up with the horses, surrounded by the smell of hay, and for a moment, she felt a flicker of shame about how she was treating them like animals. She pushed the feeling aside, though. After all the blood that had been shed across the Highlands, especially recently with Rune Dolph, these men had everything to prove to her.

“Are our guests all settled?” Laird Callan asked when Fiona returned home.

“Indeed they are, Da. They hae their food. They’re sleeping in the stables taenight until I can arrange other accommodation for them,” Fiona said.

“See that ye dae. I dinnae want them tae think that they dinnae hae a place here. They are as much of this clan as anyone else,” Laird Callan said.

“Are ye really sure about this, Da? It’s still nae tae late tae send them back from where they came.”

Laird Callan sighed. “I know it may seem strange tae ye tae bring our enemies intae the fold, but these men are nae Rune Dolph. Emmel haes given his word that they can be trusted. He would nae dae sae lightly. I’m gaeing tae trust him because we need the help of these men. We dinnae hae the luxury of being able tae turn them away. People know about what happened here. They know that our forces are depleted. It’s the time when bandits like tae strike, and I will nae see this clan be attacked because we were tae proud tae accept help when it haed been given.”

“And what help it is,” Lotta purred. She was sitting in a chair with her arms laid in her lap, and she had a warm smile upon her lips. Light danced in her eyes. “I cannae believe that ye would want tae send these strapping men away! I hae never seen any like them before, especially that leader of theirs. I would hae a good mind tae marry one of them if it was my turn.” Her smile turned into a scowl, and she narrowed her eyes at Fiona. Fiona rolled hers and shook her head.

“There’s time tae discuss all of that later,” Laird Callan said, adopting the role of peacemaker between the two sisters as he often had to do. “But I think, Fiona, ye should follow yer sister’s lead. These men are gaeing tae stay, sae ye might as well learn from them. In fact, I want ye tae really show them what the Callan clan is all about. I’d like ye tae spend some time with Varrik and teach him about our ways. Show him what it means tae be a Highlander. If ye are sae concerned with his intentions, then I’m sure ye will hae no objection tae keeping him close.” He said this with an arched eyebrow, indicating that he knew exactly what he was doing. Fiona furrowed her brow. She so badly wanted to refuse his orders, but not only was he her father, but he was also the laird, and she knew she had to obey. But then a flicker of a smile crossed her face as she knew what she was going to show him.

“I’ll be with him first thing in the morning, Da, and I promise ye I’ll give him a good welcome,” she said.

Her father failed to detect the undercurrent of amusement in her voice, but she was eager for morning to come so that she could show Varrik exactly what she was capable of. She left the room, feeling the weight of Lotta’s glance on her back. Fiona wasn’t in the mood to talk about marriage or anything like that. As far as she was concerned, Lotta could marry who she liked. It was Laird Callan who insisted that Fiona should marry first, and she wasn’t going to get married hastily just so Lotta could then get married.

Dawn broke with a heavenly sigh. The world was bathed in golden light, and when Fiona strode to the training field, the dew was shaken from the grass. She had gone to the stables first to gather Varrik when light first broke. His men were sleeping off the previous day’s travels, and they actually looked rather cozy in the stables. No words were spoken between her and Varrik until they reached the training ground.

“Pick yer weapon,” she said, gesturing to the collection of swords and axes that were displayed on racks.

Varrik stared at them. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked.

Fiona flared her nostrils at him. “Dae ye nae think of me as a worthy opponent?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that I didn’t think I would be fighting. I assumed that you wanted us here to help out around the village.”

“We dae, but if ye are gaeing tae help defend us, then I need tae know how ye fight and what yer technique is like. Since ye are the leader of yer men, I’m assuming that ye are the finest warrior, sae by fighting ye, I can tell if any of ye need extra training.”

“We are Vikings. Fighting is in our blood,” Varrik said. “But if you need convincing, then…very well.”