Highland Warrior by McCollum, Heather (good summer reads .txt) 📕

and spying about for danger. He’d started working with her warriors that day, including Geir. Even Osk had begrudgingly decided that what Joshua had to say was worth his time.

He has a book on war, Osk had told her, a look of admiration in his eyes. ’Tis in French, but he can read it. Hopefully, some of the information in it would make them strong enough to stand against Robert, his sons, and the whole bloody crown of Scotland. “Dammit,” she murmured.

If they kept growing in size, however, they would need to dig out more underground homes or split into groups, living apart. Her uncle, Erik Flett, had brought the issue up at the last council meeting where the elders gathered to discuss the ongoing threats to their people.

The pressure of grief grew behind her eyes. She wished they could go into Robert’s palace and free Erik as easily as they had Hilda. He was a good leader, even if he was stubborn. But he would be guarded there, if he was still alive. And like every leader of their group, Erik had made them swear not to endanger themselves to save him. All efforts were to save the family as a whole. The group would not try to rescue her if she were taken, either. Direct confrontation with Robert had led only to their deaths, which was why she needed Joshua. If anyone could change the balance of power in their favor, it was the Highlander who was built to win wars.

“If Joshua will not lead us in a battle against him, at least he is teaching us to defend ourselves,” Brenna said, stroking her babe’s swaddled back. “We will go on hiding and surviving.” She smiled reassuringly. “It is what we do.”

Kára pushed up off the pillows, pulling in a fast breath through her nose. “I want more for us.” She looked at Brenna. “I want us to stand together out in the open without worrying someone will see us and attack. I want your lad to laugh loudly and roll down the grassy hills with the other children without having to constantly look over his shoulder for Robert’s patrols.” She ran a hand down her face. “I want our people to hunt and raise livestock without fear of them being stolen by men who have riches and luxuries.” She exhaled long. I would die to keep my people safe and living with their dignity, she thought.

Kára squeezed Brenna’s leg through her smock and robe as she lay on the bed. “I will convince Joshua to lead us against Robert. I must. If we do not act now, as Robert’s children grow—”

“Like that pig, Henry.”

“Aye.” Kára sighed. “There will be no freedom for us if they continue to live and rule this isle.” As Brenna tipped the sleeping babe from her breast and covered herself, Kára touched the wee babe’s head gently, marveling in the little movements of his lips as he slumbered. “I do not want to live always in shadows,” she whispered. “And I do not want you to live in them, either.”

“If we must, we must,” Brenna whispered, meeting Kára’s gaze. “And there are plenty of shadows on Orkney.”

The outer door opened and closed, and heavy footfalls came to the bedchamber door. Calder poked his head in, saw his sleeping son, and smiled broadly. “Full and sleepy?”

“Aye,” Brenna said and smiled. Since Calder had married her, Brenna had been smiling nearly all the time. Thank God, the man had finally committed. Was it the fear of losing her that had brought him around?

Calder walked into the room with a wooden cradle. Brenna crossed her arms over her son’s back so that he lay completely against her. “I am not putting him in that to sleep. He will always sleep right here on me.”

“As long as you want,” Calder said, setting it down. He lifted a dagger and Bible out of it. “To protect wee Joshua?” The name was a question, and he waited.

Brenna nodded, glancing at Kára before going back to Calder. “Aye, wee Joshua.”

Calder grinned and nodded. “I have left the dagger and Bible in the cradle since he was born, and we will lay them underneath it to protect him when you are ready to set him inside.”

“Not until he is christened,” Brenna said.

“Tomorrow morn, and we’ve already wet his head and given him a nip of whisky for luck,” Calder said.

Kára rolled out the side of the bed. “I am going to wash and see if Amma needs help preparing the blide-maet meal for those coming to meet little Joshua.”

Calder looked at her, his smile fading. “I forgot to say, Torben is looking to talk with you as soon as you emerge from Brenna’s nest.”

Kára puffed her cheeks out with her exhale, bracing herself for another of his long explanations of why she must marry him. With Joshua at Hillside, the man seemed even more determined to win her for himself despite her refusals.

Kára walked out the door into the muted sun of late morning. Orkney was headed into the dark season of winter. Usually, that meant less aggression from Robert, but now Kára wasn’t sure of anything after rescuing Hilda and Broch.

She spotted a group of men standing on the upside of the hill and walked toward them. The clergyman from Scotia stood, watching the gathering. She had seen him talking quietly with Joshua after the birth. Was he trying to convince Joshua to return with him?

Her heart pounded a little harder when she saw Joshua standing in the middle of the group, opposite Osk. Where her brother was still thin in muscle, Joshua was a mountain of strength, twice his size.

Before she could get close enough to hear, Torben walked out of one of the three up-ground cottages. “Kára,” he called, striding toward her.

She kept her eyes turned toward the group. “Torben,” she said. At one time she had considered marrying him, especially with Brenna pressing her to find another