“Tell me,” Tadhg said. “If this Thor told you to go out and kill a man, and you knew that man was a good man and innocent of any wrongdoing, would you do as you were bid?”

“Why are you asking me this? Of course I would,” said Eyvind, more than a little irked at this turn of the conversation. “I am a warrior and sworn to Thor, and a warrior keeps his oath, always. It is my duty to do the god’s will; it is my life. But that does not mean I killed Ulf.”

“No indeed. That was not what I meant. Tell me. Somerled Horse-Master is your chieftain now. Will you kill at his bidding, even if you think it wrong?”

Eyvind scowled. “Somerled is my blood brother. Long ago, we swore loyalty to one another. That must be sufficient answer for you.”

“What if he ordered you to kill me?” Tadhg’s tone was light.

“He wouldn’t,” Eyvind said curtly. “You’re too useful. But don’t think you’re any different from another man where I’m concerned. The thing I do best is killing. If Thor bid me cleave your skull with this axe, I would do it, priest or no priest.”

“How sad,” Tadhg observed.

“Sad? What’s sad about it?” Odin’s bones, the fellow certainly had a way of getting under your skin and making you feel uncomfortable.

“That your calling prevents you from making your own choices, from being your own man. On Holy Island, we have no axes and swords and fine spears, we have no golden torcs and arm-rings, we have no chieftains. We need none of these things, for we have two gifts of priceless worth.”

“What gifts?” Eyvind was intrigued, despite his annoyance.

Tadhg smiled in the torchlight. His words came softly to Eyvind’s ears.

“God’s love, and the freedom to choose what is right.”