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answer.
    Outside, the wind whipped at the thatched roofs. The night sky was dotted with stars and all around them were the mingled voices of Irish and Viking.
    Trahern stood with his back to her, his tall form silhouetted in the darkness. The outdoor fires cast a slight glow, barely enough to see. An invisible weight bore down on his shoulders, and, like her sister, he appeared to stand apart from the others.
    Moreen stepped nearer to him, keeping her tread loud enough to be heard. There was a restlessness brewing within him, of a man who didn’t want to be here. He needed his freedom, and she had no right to ask him to remain.
    â€˜You don’t have to stay on my behalf,’ she offered gently. ‘There’s nothing to keep you here.’
    He turned, his massive height overshadowing her. His grey eyes locked onto hers, and the fury seemed to drift away. With each breath, he grew calmer. ‘That isn’t true.’
    Colour rose to her cheeks. Though she knew she meant nothing to him, his tone suggested otherwise. ‘We’ll be all right.’
    â€˜I left Ciara behind, thinking she would be safe.’ He took a step forward. ‘I said goodbye to her, believing that the others would protect her.’
    The night air prickled the back of her neck, and she took a step backwards. ‘You couldn’t have known what would happen. They set our homes on fire in the middle of the night. No one was expecting the attack.’
    â€˜You’re asking me to do the same thing again. To leave you and your sister behind, at the mercy of these Lochlannach .’
    She drew the edges of her brat tighter. His face was determined and fierce, his entire body rigid with pain. ‘It’s not the same. Some of my cousins and friends are here.’
    â€˜I promised your sister I wouldn’t let any harm come toyou.’ Trahern reached out and drew her brat over her head for warmth.
    Morren wanted to step back, but she found herself unable to move. Something about his protective air held her locked in place.
    â€˜Do you want me to escort both of you to the abbey in stead?’ he asked.
    She knew Trahern meant to bring her to safety, but she couldn’t hide among the monks forever. She had to return to her clan, for the sake of Jilleen. And that meant staying here.
    â€˜Thank you,’ she told Trahern, ‘but no. It’s best for my sister if we remain among our people here. When the rest of the Ó Reillys return to Glen Omrigh, we’ll go with them.’
    â€˜I don’t like it, Morren.’
    â€˜My kinsmen trust the Dalrata people well enough, and they’ve been here for months.’ Beyond that, she saw no other choice.
    â€˜What happened to your chieftain?’ he asked.
    She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. ‘Lúcás died, I suppose. I don’t know which of the men is leader now.’
    â€˜And neither do they.’ Trahern pointed back to the dwelling. ‘Haven’t you seen the way they look to each other, waiting for someone else to lead? Were Lúcás’s sons also killed?’
    â€˜I don’t know. They aren’t among the survivors. But even so, there are a few men who might fill Lúcás’s place.’
    Their chieftain had not been the strongest leader, often preferring to let the others make decisions. Morren had never particularly cared for him, though she couldn’t say why. For now, perhaps it was best if her clan remained blended with the Lochlannach .
    Trahern led her across the longphort , towards the gates. ‘Until someone becomes the chieftain, your tribe has essentially fallen into the hands of the Lochlannach .’
    â€˜The Dalrata weren’t our enemy,’ she pointed out. ‘Severalof our women married them. It isn’t as though we have no ties.’
    Trahern stopped and surveyed the entire structure, which dominated the landscape. Easily as large as his brother’s kingdom,