Jain woke up in bed next to her husband and smiled, nuzzling her head into the crook of his arm. The red waves of her hair spilled out across the blanket and tickled the side of her face. Her body was deliciously sore after their first days of marriage and they were more in love then Jain could have ever hoped. It was like waking up only to realize that her dreams had indeed come true.
Alan groaned, rolling over and opened his eyes to kiss her on the forehead. “Good morrow, love.”
She lifted her chin to kiss him softly on the lips before climbing out of bed. The whiskers of his beard tickled the skin around her lip, but Jain didn’t mind in the least. “Good morrow, Alan. Shall I get started on the morning meal?”
“Mmmm,” he hummed sleepily while trailing his fingers lightly up and down her arm. “I’d much rather have ye lay with me in bed a while.”
Jain laughed, reaching over to rouse him from his sleep, and said, “Aye, but Bruce will be expecting ye at the shop and we both have work to do. The world dinnae stop just because ye and I are happy and in love.”
He sat up on the bed next to her and blinked, letting the blankets fall down around his stomach. “Curse ye and yer infallible logic.”
She smiled at him and leaned in suggestively, “There’s always tonight, my love. Trust me, I’ll be more than willing to make it worth the wait.”
Alan sighed and threw off the rest of the blankets before climbing out of bed. Jain pulled on a grey tunic and wrapped her leg with a bit of fabric over the pair of hose. The extra layers kept her legs warm beneath her kirtle while Alan stoked the fire. He glanced up at her and grinned when she came into the living space. “I’ll be sad to leave ye every morning,” Alan murmured. “But knowing ye’re here waiting fer me will make the day pass that much more quickly.”
Jain smiled. “I feel the same.”
He watched as she undid her braid from the night before and started cooking them some breakfast. When it was ready they both enjoyed a brief meal before Alan had to go. She walked him to the lawn outside and held his hand before they kissed with a dreamy smile. “I’ll be back in the eve,” he promised.
“And I’ll be waiting.”
Alan waved goodbye and left her embrace to start walking up the hill. Jain wondered how life turned out this way, especially after thinking for so long that she could never be happy with domesticity. Her thirst for travel hadn’t disappeared completely, but it had been pushed to the back of her mind while enjoying the life that fate had seen fit to grant her.
For the first time, it felt like everything she needed – everything she ever wanted – was right here. She’d never felt so content.
While the day grew on, Jain prepared a noon day meal for Alan and Bruce and started up the hill outside. The pads of her shoes crunched on fallen leaves that were strewn across the lawn. Autumn had come at last and all of nature celebrated its arrival with a colorful display of orange, brown and yellow. With a determined sigh, she headed up the path towards Elign with a basket on her hip filled to the brim with a tasty snack. She’d barely reached the village gate when a rider came galloping up behind her, making his way towards the keep. Its hooves beat against the ground like thunder as the horse and rider sped off into the village. Her eyes grew wide when she saw him disappear around the bend, and fear trickled down her spine, raising goosebumps on her arms.
It could only mean one thing – the Vikings had returned.
Jain broke into a run, following the horse all the way to the steps of the great stone fortress. Her lungs were burning, and she was out of breath when she got there. Her father was standing near the gate outside, speaking with the man who came riding with such urgency. His face said everything, with a furrowed brow and eyes dark in concentration.
“Ye’re sure?” Eamon asked him.
The man nodded, still sitting aloft his horse. “Aye, my laird. The Viking ships are unmistakable. They made camp on the northern coast, but it’s only a matter of time before they attack.”
“They’re back,” Jain breathed out in desperation, torn between panic and brave resolve. “What does that mean?”
Eamon sighed, turning to address his daughter. “It means we still have a couple of days to rally more forces until they get here.”
“What about…?”
He glanced up at the rider and dismissed him with a wave. The messenger nodded and led his horse back around the keep to where the stables were located. Once he was gone, Eamon looked at Jain and said, “Alan and I will make sure that nae one finds ye. There are more than enough warriors to defend our village, and Clans MacDonnell and Grant send more reinforcements daily.”
“But I’m the one they’re looking for!” she insisted quietly. “None of the men should have to die on my account.”
He put his hand on Jain’s shoulder and looked deep into her eyes, saying, “The Vikings came back because it is their way. Whether it is yer kinsmen or not, I dinnae ken. However, I’ve heard many of them believe the glory of dying in battle is their only way to reach Valhalla. We must prepare fer battle, it’s the only way.”
She stared back at Eamon’s wise, steel grey eyes that had given her a sense of peace so many years before. Something about them held a fierce protectiveness over her, and she knew that he was right. “But—”
“Go see to yer husband.” Eamon told her. “Tell him what has happened and then send him here. I have much to discuss with him.”
She huffed in exasperation at Eamon’s command, turned on her heel and ran all the way to the smithy. On the way there she had to navigate through a growing crowd of people who were all curious about what happened. They came flooding out of their houses and shops and into the path where she was running. Her heart was pounding wildly as she approached, calling out to him, “Alan!”
Her husband stepped out of the shop and met her in the road outside. His blond hair was pulled back into a topknot and his hands were dark and covered in ash. Alan’s eyes grew wide when he saw her panicked expression. “Jain, what’s wrong?”
“The Vikings have returned,” she told him in a rush. “One of the scouts came back with news of theirs boats on the northern coast. Da asked me to fetch ye and bring ye to the keep.”
Alan exhaled through his nose and placed his hands upon her shoulders, saying, “I’m sorry that it has come to that, Jain. But we always knew that was a possibility.”
“I’m frightened,” she told him honestly while setting down her basket. “There are so many lives at risk…if I could just speak to them, we could avoid this entire battle.”
Alan sighed. “I dinnae ken. Perhaps ye’re right, but yer da’s word is law and he wants us to be prepared.”
“What if I rode out and spoke to them directly? Nae one else would have to be involved and it could solve everything.”
Alan’s face hardened and he tightened his grip on her hand. “Have ye lost yer senses completely? What do ye ken those Vikings would do to ye?”
“I’m the only one who speaks their language!” Jain insisted. “Doesn’t that make it worth the risk?”
The young blacksmith shook his head, releasing her and Bruce came walking out of the shop behind him. “I promised Eamon that I would keep ye safe. Let’s not have any more talk of this suicide mission, alright? I love ye, and I will not see ye put yerself in that kind of danger.”
Bruce crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaning up against the doorframe. Jain wasn’t sure how much he overheard and nodded miserably. “Aye, husband. I understand.”
Alan’s expression softened. “Why dinnae ye go home and get some rest? I’ll head up to the keep and see what yer da has planned. I’ll let ye ken what he says when I get home fer supper.”
He kissed her on the forehead and watched Jain leave. She trudged down the road back to the village gate. Jain’s thoughts were in a fog as she tried to figure out what to do. None of them cared what she had to say; Alan and her father thought they could take care of it on their own.
Jain knew better. She knew how ruthless Viking warriors could be.
She walked mindlessly towards the house, feeling numb and completely helpless. That’s what Jain hated more than anything – not being able to do anything about it. With every step, a plan started forming in her mind and Jain set her jaw with determination. It was dangerous and Alan would be furious, but there was no other way.