“Oh, I will,” said Red. “Rest assured, Uncle, you are never far from my thoughts.”

“Hmph.” Richard seemed to take this in the spirit in which it was intended. “I’d be glad to persuade young Ben here to come along with me this time. Show him a bit of action. But if he won’t, he won’t.”

“You surely cannot plan to place an isolated garrison on the far shore, if you succeed in taking this piece of land,” put in John, clearly interested despite himself. “That’s asking for trouble. These local warlords, they have a knowledge of the terrain that far surpasses our own, and their forces are considerable. How could you man such a distant post? How would you supply it? The position would be extremely tenuous. What about the Norsemen? You’d be a sitting target. And what would be your intention in setting up there?”

Richard laughed. “I suppose it seems small enough, in the scheme of things. My main advantage lies in the islands themselves; you are probably not aware of how great a force may lie concealed for a time there in safe harbor. In fact, I am perfectly positioned to provide support for an outpost on the far shore. That will prick their vanity, these petty lords with the unpronounceable names. That the enemy has a toehold on their sacred homeland, that will sting them. That will draw them out. Then we shall see.”

There was a brief silence.

“You cannot hope to establish yourself beyond the coast,” said Red bluntly. “If you plan this, you underestimate your enemy.”

“Our enemy, boy, our enemy,” said Richard, rising to face his nephew who still sat at some distance, concentrating on his meticulous work with the little knife. “No, I may have been called many things, but never a fool. I simply wish not to become complacent. It is the islands that matter. Who holds the islands, keeps his coastline secure. While I have them, I have a grip on my enemy’s spirit. He believes them a source of magic, a fountain of power. While I possess them, he is weakened. But it is not enough to sit there and wait to be attacked. We must move first, show them our strength of will, show what stuff we are made of. And remember, I am not alone in this. I have the support of three of our closest neighbors, and a hundred of their best fighting men to prove it. Your own household, Hugh, is the only one in these parts that will not be represented on my expedition.” He threw a glance at Lady Anne. “This shames me, boy. My own flesh and blood. But there is still time. Time to muster a small fighting force. They’ll need to be assembled and ready in six days’ time. I would welcome your support.”

Red was still working on his tiny piece of wood. He didn’t bother looking up.

“You know my feelings on this issue, Uncle,” he said. “I have no intention of letting good men throw away their lives for nothing. This feud is yours, not mine. Its origins are all but forgotten, so many years has it raged, so many lives has it wasted. Forgive me if I do not add my own, or those of my people.”