Chapter 5

5

“ T hey’ll come for us,” Conall said to Isobel, sounding concerned. They made it back to the cave and told Elene and the twins what had happened where the Viking longships were beached.

“The Viking marauders? They’ll be sure that the Scots killed their guards and burned their ships.” Isobel held out her bloodied arm to Elene, where she’d injured her arm during the swim.

Elene bound Isobel’s wound with a spare cloth. The cut on her arm from the rocks in the ocean hurt something fierce. Despite the pain, Isobel only grimaced and didn't reveal how much it stung. Afterward, she and Conall changed into dry clothes.

Once they were settled on their blankets and furs, Isobel knew that the Vikings attacking the Scots above the cliffs were from the clan they had lived with. If the Scots realized that, or the Icelanders discovered Isobel, her cousins, and Elene were here, she feared the worst.

“Nay. You’re right. I meant that the Scots would come for us after seeing you kill Ari,” Conall said.

“I didna expect us to have Scots company. Though I’m glad they killed the other guard, saving us from having to do it. You’re right, though. They’ll know we swam to reach the beach.” Isobel had hoped when they made it to Scotia, they would have a new way of life and freedom. But what if they became slaves of the Scots?

“I canna believe you managed to eliminate Ari all on your own. He has bested two men at a time when he has been put to the test.”

“That’s why you must take such a big man down where it makes the most impact.”

“Mayhap I could speak to the Scots?” Elene asked.

“You might be safe. The rest of us willna. No’ after the Scots had to fight the raiders. We’ll have to leave here,” Conall said.

Isobel shook her head. “The problem is that if we try to beach our longship at another shore, the marauders might see it, take it from us—and eliminate us. Or the Scots will discover it, destroy it, and would sound the alarm.”

Conall exhaled deeply. "We've run out of food. We must catch more fish. If we go fishing before dawn and bring the ship back to the cave, we can smoke the fish and take it with us as we journey further inland."

Isobel wasn't keen on taking the ship out again, risking damage during the rowing process, but she understood his point. Their main priority was securing food. If she could climb up the cliff and scavenge for sustenance in the forest, she would do so.

Knowing the Viking threat could still exist, and the Scots were on high alert for any trespassers, Isobel decided it would be safer to fish from their ship rather than scavenge in the woods. "Let's leave before sunrise."

The wind began to whip about outside and inside the cave without warning. Waves began to crash, and thunder sounded just overhead. The storm raged outside, lashing the waves against the rocky shore and sending them crashing into the cave entrance.

Inside, the longship that had been their home for weeks was tossed about like a toy in the white-capped waters. Isobel lay huddled under her furs, trying to ignore the storm, watching her cousins.

They were wide awake, Libby covering her head with her furs.

Isobel couldn't sleep, though her body pleaded for rest after killing Ari and the swim she and Conall had had. The raging storm was too loud, and the worry of their ship being destroyed by the relentless waves was at the forefront of her mind.

She could feel every crash and jolt reverberating through her, and the constant motion of the waves slamming into the cave and pulling out made it impossible to relax.

Despite the chaos outside, there was a sense of protection within the cave. The walls were solid, and the roof held firm, shielding them from the storm’s fury. Still, Isobel couldn't shake the feeling of unease as she waited for the storm to pass and for the safety of daylight to return.

She prayed that their ship would survive the night and they would make it to their destination, wherever that may be.

As the hours ticked by, Isobel drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, her arm aching with pain. Each time she woke, she took a deep breath and listened to any changes in the storm. Gradually, the wind died down, and the waves grew less violent.

Everyone else was asleep, which she was grateful for, though Libby had moved in between her and Elene sometime during the night for safety’s sake.

“Are you ready?” Conall asked her before dawn.

She felt she had barely slept when Conall woke her the next morning.

“Ready?” he asked again, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, not looking awake either.

Isobel was normally a light sleeper. After the wild storm died down, she finally fell fast asleep when Conall woke her. At least her arm didn’t hurt like it did last night. She looked at the ship and realized it wasn’t sinking, thank the gods. The ship appeared to have been undamaged by the waves crashing into it last eve.

Elene lifted her head.

“If you can gather some driftwood in the dark, we’ll go fishing,” Isobel said.

“Aye.” Elene got up and stretched.

Drummond stirred, and Libby woke.

“What’s happening?” Libby asked.

“We’re gathering firewood. Come on.” While Elene waited for them to leave with her, Isobel and Conall rowed the ship out of the cave, not having any issues yet, and headed out into the ocean to fish.

“We were sailing for so long, it was hard to walk straight when we reached the shore,” Conall said.

“ Ja. I feel like I’m still rocking on waves even now when I’m off the ship.”

They rowed out as far as they could where they figured the fish might be biting, anchored the ship, and then began trying to catch something to eat, her stomach and Conall’s stomachs grumbling all the while.

“What if we dinna catching anything?” Conall asked, sounding anxious.

“Then I will have to climb the cliffs and forage in the forest for something for us to eat.”

“What if you get caught?”

“I willna.” She would turn into her wolf and hide. At least, that was the plan.

A storm had battered the castle last night, and in the morning, Alasdair had Rory see to the damage to one of the walls while he and several of his men hunted for wild boar. His main concern was to repair the wall at once in case they had more difficulties with the Viking raiders.

The hunt was a welcome distraction from the recent turmoil within the castle walls, and with the additional mouths to feed as villagers camped out in the inner bailey, they needed more food.

The thrill of the hunt coursed through his veins as Alasdair couldn't shake free of the image of the woman who had killed the Viking guard by the longships. He had heard stories of fierce warrior women from across the seas, but to see one with his own eyes was another matter entirely.

Erik and his brothers had joined Alasdair on the hunt, eager for adventure and the chance to prove they were just as great at hunting as Alasdair and his brothers were. After an hour of tracking, they finally cornered a boar, its protruding, razor-sharp tusks capable of inflicting dangerous, deadly wounds, charging the hunting party.

The horses were just as much at risk as the men. Alasdair tried twice with a boar spear to take down the beast while others readied their arrows. Erik and Hans approached the boar from different positions, using spears to finish it.

Then, some men field-dressed the animal before taking it to the keep.

As the hunters returned to the castle, Alasdair's men were on high alert, searching for any signs of the marauders who had attacked before.

“I have seen no sign of them,” Hans told Alasdair.

“Nor have I. But what about the woman?” Erik raised his brows.

Everyone had talked about the woman who had cut down the Viking warrior before he could even fight back.

“We will find her.” She slayed one of their enemies. If nothing else, Alasdair had to meet the lass and learn who she and the lad were.

Thankfully, they returned to the safety of the castle walls without incident, the wild boar carried on a cart. The staff hurried to prepare the boar for the morning meal, their faces a mix of relief and exhaustion. When the storm hit last night, they’d had to move the villagers inside the keep, both their own and the others.

Now, many were milling around outside the keep in the inner bailey, waiting to find out if it was safe enough to return home.

He also wanted them to be home, mainly because his people could not turn wolf until the humans left. He pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the feast that would feed all the hungry people.

For a moment, everything felt right in the world. But Alasdair knew that this uneasy peace could not last, and he braced himself for whatever challenges lay ahead.

Hans asked Alasdair, “What are you planning to do now?”

“I’m headed for the cliffs until the meal is ready.”

“Because of the woman and the lad?”

“Because of the concern that more ships will come.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Hans asked.

“Nay. The fewer of us that are exposed on the cliff, the fewer will be noticeable. We saw no sign of the marauders while on the hunt, so I’m certain they left the area to find a way home.”

Hans nodded. “If you dinna return, I will send the whole army out after you.”

Alasdair smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. “I will be back by the time the boar is ready to eat.”

When he reached the cliffs overlooking the beach closer to their castle and half a mile from where the smoldering longships were, he peered out at the water, not expecting to see any ships this time.

He squinted his eyes as he swore that he had seen something in the water—a small longship—another Viking longship. He’d seen the red-and-white striped sail first, and then it was gone. Then he saw the prow, and it disappeared, saw it again, and it vanished yet again behind large swells of waves.

It was smaller than the two they had destroyed and could only carry about six men or so.

He peered out at the water and saw naught but the waves that crashed onto the rocks way out from shore, and fog quickly enveloped the whole area.

Despite telling Hans not to join him, he suddenly was there with him, most likely worried that the marauders might come upon Alasdair. Hans slapped him on the back. “Did you see another Viking ship?”

Alasdair was certain he’d seen a hand-carved figurehead of a dragon at the prow of a small longship heading their way. The dragon was meant to placate the gods of the sea and ensure its safe voyage. A Viking dragon.

In truth, Alasdair had traded with some Norsemen but had fought with others. He never knew when to trust them. Language wasn’t much of a barrier since it was similar to theirs. But their intent—peaceful or not—could be an issue. Erik and his people had been an exception to the rule, but they were wolves.

Alasdair stared at the beach for a while but couldn’t see anything. Nor could he make out any sounds other than the water crashing into the rocks. With his enhanced wolf hearing, he suspected he would catch the sound of the breaking up of a vessel on the rocks or men talking, injured or otherwise, as they made it to shore.

“Dinna worry. If more Vikings manage to land on the more accessible shore than here, we’ll take care of them. At least Erik and his men are still here to aid us if we need them to,” Hans said.

“Aye.” The Norsemen were persistent, if nothing else.

But what Alasdair couldn’t understand was that the sailing vessel had been smaller than what he was used to seeing Viking raiders use. Like a fishing vessel, not a ship sailing on the open seas. Unless they’d had an armada, and this one was the only one left or had lost the rest of the longships in a storm, and the rest of the armada was far from here.

The other thing that puzzled him was that the figures on the vessel seemed a wee bit small—not like hulking Viking raiders, and that didn’t make any sense either.

“Do you want to post a guard to alert us if raiders make it to our shores?” Hans asked when Alasdair didn’t budge from his spot.

Alasdair wanted to be the one keeping watch. “Is the boar done cooking?”

“Aye, that’s why I came to fetch you. But if you want me to stay?—”

The sky was still dark, and the twinkling of green lights of female fireflies telling prospective males they were ready to mate filled the meadow.

“Nay, let’s eat. You’re right. I just imagined seeing a serpent in the sea. ‘Tis naught but my imagination playing tricks with me.” Which happened from time to time as unpredictable as the weather was along the coastline.

They were certain the marauders had left their area, but until they could verify this, the villagers from other villages remained with them, which meant twenty more mouths to feed. They weren’t wolves either, so Alasdair, his people, and Erik had to retain their human forms until the villagers could safely return home.

They finally reached the keep. The smell of roasting meat filled the air, and Alasdair's stomach growled in anticipation. As they entered the great hall and then took their seats at the head table, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the sight of his people gathered together, sharing a meal and laughing despite the recent hardships.

“While we were cooking the boar, what were you doing?” Bessetta took a bite of her boar.

“Alasdair was watching the ocean for the Viking raiders about to attack our village and the keep again,” Hans said, the storyteller of the bunch. “We should work faster on repairing the wall.”

Everyone looked up from their meal to see what Alasdair had to say about it. Even though they could guess Hans was making up a story, the threat of Vikings was always a concern, especially since Alasdair had destroyed their ships. Not to mention, they didn’t know where the Vikings were at present.

Alasdair shrugged and took a bite of the boar. Alasdair and his siblings had been born to their mother simultaneously—well, a few blinks of an eye apart. He was the oldest, Bessetta was the youngest, and Hans was the next oldest, Rory, between him and Bessetta.

“Tell us what you think you saw,” Rory said, “before Hans makes up more of a tale and we dinna know what to believe.”

“I thought I saw a Viking ship sailing on the ocean headed for our shore. But you know how it is with the waves kicked up by the recent storm and the fog rolling in, covering everything in its path. I’m unsure what I saw or if I saw anything.”

All eyes were upon him still, as if they believed he had seen something, and the danger could be very real to all of them. But if he had thought so, he would have had someone serving on guard duty watching the beach.

“But?” Rory asked.

Alasdair shook his head. “It looked like the size of a fishing longship, but the prow had a dragon figurehead. And the sailors looked like wee bairns.”

Everyone laughed. That certainly didn’t inspire fear in them.

“That’s why I dinna believe it was anything more than my imagination. If it wasna just me imagining things, they would still have to navigate the rocks and climb the cliffs. Not an easy feat, either one.”

“Yet you were able to envision that much,” Bessetta reminded him, sounding like she believed he’d seen what he thought he’d witnessed.

“The fair folk,” Rory said. “Naught more.”

“Aye,” Hans said. “Do you think we should post a lookout, just in case what you think you might have seen is true?”

Alasdair ate some more of the boar, then nodded. “Aye. You can schedule watchmen for the duty. I will take the watch in a few hours.”

“I will take watch after we eat,” Bessetta said.

They all did their part in the clan—men and women alike—though if they had to deal with Vikings, he didn’t want his sweet sister to learn the hard way that what he’d seen was right.

He nodded. Under his breath, he said, “As a wolf.”

“Aye.” Though Bessetta could fight well with a sword and sgian dubh , he still wanted her to serve on duty as a wolf.

She could run faster and howl if she spied the enemy. However, as a human, they could howl also. If Vikings were making the dangerous climb up the cliff face, he would think of them as his foe.

“I can go with her,” Rory said.

Alasdair ate another slice of boar. “Nay. We have work to do, sleep to catch up on, and guard our village and castle. If Bessetta canna do this alone, she will stay at the keep, and you will go instead.”

“Nay.” Bessetta gave Rory a reproachful look.

Rory smiled at her, loving to tease their younger sister.

“If they are below the cliffs and Bessetta or anyone else on guard duty hears them trying to climb up if they are far below dinna howl. Just return and report what you’ve seen. But if anyone doesna hear them until it is too late, howl and run like the wind. Dinna try to stop them. A well-placed arrow not only could kill you—” Alasdair said.

“But reveal the truth about us,” Hans said. “Which is much worse.”

It wasn’t that they thought if one of their people died, it didn’t matter. It did. As a wolf pack, they were close to each other—family, kin, and more. One death greatly affected them all. But if they died as a wolf, they would become human.

They couldn’t let anyone know they were wolf shifters. When they battled it out with other clans, they only did so in their human form. If they were wholly outnumbered and could slip away into the woods, they could remove their clothes, hide them to return for them later, shift, and run as a wolf.

Alasdair noticed then that Bessetta had left the great hall, and he looked around for her.

“If you are looking for Bessetta, she is off to shift in her chamber so she can run to the cliffs and see if you were right or no’,” Hans said.

Alasdair let out his breath and leaned over closer to speak to him more privately as other conversations were shared over the meal about catching dragons in the water, seeing the fair folk, and other such things.

Alasdair shook his head. “Go with her to ensure no one has breached the cliffs. If everything is quiet and you see no trouble, you can leave her to her task and return until it’s your turn to be a lookout, Hans.”

“Aye, will do.”

Alasdair trusted his sister to do a good job watching for trouble, but if the trouble had already breached the top of the cliff, he didn’t want her to have to run for her life.

Alasdair and Hans left the great hall, where the villagers they had taken in were still eating and drinking. They met up with Bessetta as she descended the stairs from her quarters. A blond wolf, her belly and chin white, woofed at him.

“Go and be vigilant. Hans will go with you to make sure no one has already climbed the cliffs unbeknownst to us.”

Not that Alasdair thought anyone would have, or that anyone was down below the cliffs, or he would have seen a longship on the beach or heard it wrecked on the rocks, but just to be certain, he wouldn’t risk his sister’s life.

Then she licked Hans’s hand, and the two of them left the castle.

When Alasdair returned to the great hall to finish his meal, Rory huffed.

“You sent Hans with her but no’ me.” Rory sounded miffed as if Alasdair hadn’t trusted his younger brother to keep her safe.

But Alasdair did. “Aye, but only to ensure everything’s fine, no’ to stay with her.”

Appearing to understand Alasdair’s reasoning, Rory nodded. “I want to go as a man when I serve on guard duty.”

Alasdair shook his head. “As a wolf. Spread the word privately to our people. Everyone will go as wolves who serve on guard duty. They can howl, warn us of trouble, and outrun an arrow if they’re quick enough. On their own against a bunch of Vikings, if they’re armed only with their sword and shield, they would no’ be able to stand against them.”

Alasdair hoped he was wrong about spying a longship in the ocean—that he had only imagined it. He’d had the strangest dreams of late, though he hadn’t shared them with his brethren, afraid they might see them as a bad omen.

He’d been fighting with a beautiful, golden-haired Viking shieldmaiden. Swords clashed, and she was damn good at it too. A worthy foe. He’d seen wolves that were not his own in attendance, ready to protect her and he was all alone. Maybe that’s why he thought he’d seen a smaller Viking longship.

It was all just a manifestation of his dreams. And yet—he swore the shieldmaiden looked like the woman he’d seen kill the Viking guard on the beach.

Isobel and Conall's faces were downcast, and their brows furrowed in disappointment as they gazed at their empty fishing nets. The pink rays of the sunrise danced across their faces, casting a warm glow in the crisp morning air. Their small boat sat on the calm waters, bobbing gently in the slight breeze.

“Canna we stay out a little while longer?” Conall asked. “I’m sure if we cast our nets a little longer, we’ll catch something.”

“Nay. The Scots could be watching the ocean, and we canna risk being seen.” They had sailed as close to the rocks as they could, then took the sail down.

Her arms strained as she pulled the oar through the water, her body tense with determination as she steered the ship towards the dark cave entrance. Conall's face was grim and determined, and his muscles rippled as he matched her rowing speed.

“No fish, so now what?”

“I’ll have to climb up the cliffs and see if it’s safe for us to go that way.” Isobel was worried about getting her younger cousins up the cliffs. She wasn’t sure about Elene either. She knew Conall could manage.

“I should go,” Conall said.

She shook her head. “I brought you here. If something happens to me, you must take care of your brother and sister, and you will make the decisions from then on.”

As they approached the mouth of the cave, the waves crashed against the jagged rocks, creating a white foam that covered the dark gray surface. The sunlight danced off the water, creating a sparkling effect in contrast to the rough and dark cliffs.

This time, they managed to row the ship inside the cave without hitting any rocks and tied it up to the same rock column.

Elene had piled timber up near the brazier and looked hopefully at them.

Isobel had to dash her spirits and shake her head. “We were unsuccessful.”

Conall and Isobel climbed out of the ship.

“Isobel is going to climb the cliff and scout around.” Conall looked at Elene. “What are you going to do?”

Isobel hadn’t asked the question of Elene, hoping she would stay with them, but she could understand if she wanted to try and make her way home to see if she could find any of her family that might still be alive.

Isobel felt it was her obligation to make sure she got there safely. Even though Isobel and her family would be at risk for doing so, Elene wouldn’t be safe traveling alone either. Not as a lone, young woman.

“If you allow me to, I’ll stay with you for now.” Elene probably felt like part of Isobel’s family because she was a wolf like them. And she didn’t know how she would be treated when she returned to what was left of her clan.

“I’m glad you will.” Isobel was sincere about it. She liked the woman who was always quiet, though that might have been because she’d been a slave.

Now that Elene was home, Isobel wondered if she would act differently. So far, she hadn’t. Would she feel more sure of herself if she found some of her family? Isobel suspected it would be so.

Elene sighed. “You were the only ones who were kind to me when the others in your clan were no’.”

“That’s because we weren’t members of the clan,” Conall said, sounding angry. “And you are a wolf like us. That makes us family, dinna you think?” He ran his hands through his tangled blond hair. “I should have helped our da when he fought the chieftain.”

“We would have all been dead,” Isobel said. “He never told us his plans. And it all happened so quickly. The men supposed to help him overthrow Funi didn’t side with your da as they had pledged.”

That had angered her. Not that they would have been successful if they hadn’t turned on him, but she hated them for backing out on her uncle.

“I’m going now,” Isobel said. At least, as wolves, they could see in the dark, so they had the advantage. She just had to go early enough to reach the top of the cliff without being seen. If it was clear and there were no settlements nearby, she could howl to her kin and Elene, and they would know it was safe to come up.

She figured that for now, they would leave their belongings in the cave and only take what they needed to eat—when they found more to eat—and weapons to protect themselves, of course.

“We need to wear the clothes of my people,” Elene said.

Isobel and her kin had been speaking Gaelic the whole time they’d been on the ocean to improve their use of it, but they still had accents that set them apart from the Scots.

“ Ja ,” Isobel said. “Aye.”

“We could steal them if we find a croft,” Conall said.

Isobel hated to steal from people who probably couldn’t afford to have many clothes. But they needed to disguise themselves the best they could. Elene was right. It could mean the difference between life and death.

“Are you sure you dinna want me to climb the cliffs first?” Elene asked. “My Gaelic is much better than yours.”

“It is, but, nay, you’re still dressed like us.”

“I…I canna say enough of how grateful I am to you that you freed me.” Elene sighed. “I didna think I would ever get out of there, or even that I would meet you and your family and have so much in common.”

“Aye. I wanted, in the worst way, to free you once we had met you. It killed me to see the way they treated you,” Isobel said.

“The chieftain didna like that all of you were kind to me. It would have been worse if you had left me behind.”

“We would never have left you behind,” Isobel said. Even though sneaking her out had put them more at risk because she was a wolf like them, they’d had to free her no matter what.

Libby snuggled up next to Isobel, and she wrapped her arms around her cousin. For now, they were safe. But how long would that last? She feared they would soon find out they weren’t safe.

Isobel and the rest of her companions took turns stripping and shifting and doing their business near the cliffs as wolves. If anyone saw them, they wouldn’t believe wolves could be on the shore when they wouldn’t have any way to climb down the cliffs to get there in the first place.

But they wouldn’t suspect they were anything other than wolves or maybe even wild dogs. Not Vikings.

Then they returned to the cave, and once Isobel had shifted and dressed, she said, “Conall, you’re in charge of your sister and brother. Stay in the cave until I return and tell you it’s safe. Elene, you’re a free woman. I hope you stay with them, but it’s your choice.”

Elene smiled. “I’ll stay with them.”

It was a balancing act for Isobel. Conall was responsible for his siblings, and Isobel was responsible for all of them. She hoped Elene would stay with them because Isobel wanted to keep her safe, but she also understood if, at some point, Elene wanted to be on her own since she wasn’t related to them by blood. Though what if all wolves at some point had been?

“I’ll stay with them,” Elene said again.

“Thank you.” Isobel hugged her and then hugged her younger cousins.

Conall always acted like he was too old or too much of a warrior for hugs, but she pulled him into her arms and embraced him. “Keep them safe.”

“I will.”

Then she left the cave and hurried to the cliffs, praying she wouldn’t be seen by anyone who might be up on top. As soon as she reached the cliffs, she looked for the best hand and footholds and began the climb, praying she didn’t fall and leave her kin and Elene alone to fend for themselves in a hostile world.