“The banns are only two weeks old,” Joshua said. “It cannot take place for another. What could possibly take that long to plan?” He picked up another sack, as did Bàs, and they followed Cain toward a place in the shade against the wall. His men would take the grain to a dry, cool cellar where it would be stored for use this winter.

“Ye two are already married in the eyes of God anyway,” Bàs said, lowering the bag of barley.

“Bloody hell, Bàs,” Joshua said with a wry chuckle. “I would be wed to at least half a dozen lasses if tupping tied one up in marriage.”

Bàs murmured something that neither of them heard and walked back to the wagon for another bag of grain. Joshua watched him go and turned to Cain. There was a tightness to his brother’s eyes. “If Da was here, he would lead us against Mackay now, while they fumble around for a new chief.”

“Da is dead,” Cain said, meeting his hard gaze.

“Aye, by the order of your bride.”

“Nay, Joshua,” Cain said, his hand fisting next to him. “He died by the lunacy and wildness that made him a mindless killer, without care for safety or much thought for strategy. And I am most certainly not Da.”

Joshua came close, inches apart, to stare him in the eyes. “Ye were raised to conquer our enemies, not compromise and invite them into your bed.”

Cain’s hand shot out to grip Joshua’s tunic tightly in a fist. “Ella is not our enemy, and I do not need to kill and burn our neighbors to ash to conquer them. And ’twas your push at the festival that helped send her to my bed.”

Joshua threw his arm up to shove Cain’s fist away, his tunic ripping, since Cain’s grip was just as strong. “I hold no ire at ye for wedding Ella, but do not start letting a Sutherland rule your head.”

“No one rules my head,” Cain said, frowning.

“Sinclairs before all else, brother,” Joshua said, as if needing to remind him of his duty. “We must knock down all who dare to stand against us, Mackays to begin with and any Sutherland who tries to block our way when taking Dunrobin.”

“Your bloodlust makes ye as thoughtless as Da.”

“And your lack of action makes ye nothing like Da,” Joshua said, his words full of rage. He pivoted on his heel and strode away, punching one of the sacks sitting in the wagon on his way by. Cain watched him stride out of the gate.

Bàs dropped a grain sack next to the others and straightened. “’Tis God’s wisdom that sent ye to be born first, else Joshua would have us murdering all of Scotland,” Bàs said and slapped a hand on his shoulder.