“Later,” she told him, and saw that look on his face again, like the sad expression of a faithful dog chastised for no good reason. Curse the man, why did he have to make her feel so guilty? “Rona,” she went on, “I can hardly bear to tell you, but I must. It seems to me that I can influence the course of events here, though my uncle does not wish it so. It weighs on me. Somerled asked…he said a part of the agreement would be that I marry him, and our son would be ruler of the islands after him. If we agreed to that, he would spare our people’s lives, though my uncle and Kinart would be exiled. Rona…” Nessa felt tears close and willed them back, “if I persuaded my uncle to agree to that, there would be no more killing. I could save the Folk, men, women and children. We have lost so many. The prospect chills me, for that man is not fit to lead anyone, he is not of the Folk, he can never understand what the islands are and what it means to be their guardian. But the other way is the end for our people. That’s why I must perform a Calling. Always, before, I’ve been able to tell which way is right: which path to follow. But this time, both choices feel terribly wrong.”

Rona shook her head and put her arm around Nessa’s shoulders, muttering something about bones and ash, and suddenly Nessa was crying. In her mind, she saw her mother’s empty eyes, and the broken bodies of Ramsbeck, and she heard Kinart’s furious vow of vengeance. Over it all, Somerled’s voice came with studied calm. In my vision for Hrossey, there is no place for you.

“Right, lass,” Rona said when Nessa’s sobs had subsided. “This is what we’re going to do. First, you sit down here and drink some more tea.” Eyvind was standing by the hearth, his blue eyes fixed on the distressed Nessa. Rona’s hands showed him what was required; he moved obediently to set the pot back on the fire, to find a bunch of dried mint, a crock of honey. It was clear to Nessa, watching his careful, methodical movements, that he and Rona had established an efficient way of talking with no words at all. Eyvind made no attempt to ask her what was wrong.

“Now do as I say, Nessa, and no arguments,” Rona instructed. “Tonight’s ritual will take every bit of strength you can summon. Drink the tea. Get warm, sit quiet for a while. Let me prepare the chamber for you—no, don’t interrupt—I’m not yet so ancient that I can’t go down there and set things out the way they should be. You’ve done it for me often enough over the years. While I’m gone, you must talk to the big fellow. I can see from that stubborn look on your face that you shy away from it, but you owe him that much for waiting around until you came back. He needs you to listen to what he has to say.”