“Oh, yes.” Somerled raised his brows. “I refer to Engus’s niece, the lovely Nessa. Last princess of the Folk: last hope of an heir for the old man. The girl won’t be a priestess long; she has to bear a son. Oh dear, Eyvind, you’ve gone quite pale. Had she become a special friend? I will ask the lads to watch out for her while they’re over there, it’s in my own interests to get her out alive, after all. It seems to me a king needs a wife, and there’s a distinct shortage of princesses in these parts, so I can’t be too fussy. But the sad fact is, my warriors have been spoiling for a bit of action. I can’t be certain they’ll look too carefully before they start laying about them. Maybe we’ll retrieve her safely, maybe not. Now, I think we’re out of time. Interesting talk. Shall we resume later? I don’t like that look on your face, Eyvind. There’d be no point in putting those big hands around my neck and squeezing the life out of me, Wolfskin. That would only spur the men to greater effort. I think you have forgotten that I am your chieftain now. I suggest you put that fine helm on your head and go out to join the others—back where you belong, in my front line. I don’t need to remind you of your own lifelong ambition, do I?”

“You can’t do this,” Eyvind whispered with terror clutching at his vitals. “You can’t do it. Such an act of evil denies the man you are, the boy you were. It will set a dark curse on your future. These people are blameless, your brother befriended them. The treaty was ring-sworn. Don’t do it, Somerled.” And he backed to the open doorway of the hut, as if to prevent the other man from stepping outside. Somewhere across the fields small birds were uttering their first cautious greetings to the day; the dark sky was washed now with palest gray, shading to a rim of darker blue. “You must not,” he said aloud, putting his arms out to block the way. “I beg you, on our oath of brotherhood.”

Somerled looked past him as if he were not there, speaking to someone who stood outside the hut. “Move up,” he said. “Wait for Holgar’s sign, then advance. Keep to the center as I told you, those rocks are treacherous. There’s to be no sound until you reach the far shore. We want to surprise these people.”

Behind Eyvind there was a surge of movement, men grabbing spears, men drawing swords, men striding fast, too many men to be counted, their booted feet carrying them in a relentless tide to the west, toward the Whaleback.

“Don’t run away again, Eyvind,” said Somerled with a crooked smile. “The next move’s yours, and you must play properly now you’ve started.”