He thrust the buckle back in the pouch and fastened it to his belt. His gut churned; his mind was in turmoil. Think, Eyvind. Very well, he had evidence, though he almost wished there were none. For now he must confront the truth: Somerled really had done the unspeakable. The friend to whom he had sworn lifelong loyalty had killed his own brother, killed him with cold premeditation and devious, imaginative cruelty. And he had lied; he had convinced them all of his grief, of the guilt of the islanders, of his genuine wish to discover the truth about his brother’s murder.

Images ran through Eyvind’s mind with terrible clarity: Hakon laying his wolfskin down before his brother warriors for the last time; a bull’s horn piercing a man’s chest; a girl lying open-eyed under a stream of clear water. So many lies: so many betrayals. If Somerled was guilty, was not Eyvind equally guilty in his blind adherence to the oath that bound him to silence? And yet, a promise made in blood was a promise never to be broken. What was to be done? There was no Jarl Magnus here, no priest of their own kind, no impartial men of law to whom he could go for help. He could try to find Eirik or Thord, he could ask them to support him. But there was no place where charges might be brought formally, since Somerled had dispensed with the Thing. Besides, even if a charge of murder were proven, what penalty could be imposed here in this isolated realm? Somerled could not be banished; he could hardly pay reparations, since he himself was the dead man’s closest kin. This could not be done openly, as if they were still in Rogaland. Besides, he did not want to destroy Somerled. He did not wish to wrench from him all that he had desired in life: recognition, authority, a place of his own. As a true brother, he must persuade Somerled to change, to become the kind of chieftain they needed here, a man of vision and balance. That pale, fierce-eyed child had had the seed of greatness in him; Eyvind had seen it. Somehow, he must turn Somerled from the dark path he followed, and into ways of true leadership. That was the answer. If he could convince Somerled to remake the treaty, Nessa’s people would be saved. After that, Eyvind must ensure this chieftain led his people justly and fairly. He would use what he knew to force a change. Stand back from this battle, leave the Folk in peace, or I will tell the world you killed your brother. Renew the pledge of amity Ulf made, or I will expose your crime before all. Rona had known. Somehow she had known what this buckle meant, and saved it until Eyvind was ready to use it. A wise woman indeed.