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“You heard the whispers, and you commanded your warriors to stop?—”

“And they did,” he said, before she could finish and cast a glance over his men, some turning their heads away.

“You cannot stop their thoughts, their worries, their fears of me.”

“My warriors do not fear.”

“Everyone fears the strange, the different, the unexplainable and blames it on evil, on the devil,” she said, having experienced it all too often.

“You let their whispers worry you and you worry for your safety.”

That he understood her misgivings surprised her. “The only place I am safe is at my home.”

He captured her eyes with his again, not letting her look away. “Nay, you are safe with me.”

His eyes felt as if they burrowed into her, as though he searched deep down inside her to see all her fears, doubts, and hopes. And his voice was full of such confidence that it made it difficult not to believe him. There was only one problem.

“I do not know you, so how then can I trust you?” she asked.

He responded without hesitation as though the answer was simple. “You will grow to know me. Besides, I honor my word. You can always trust me.”

“It takes time to trust.”

“We have plenty of that, so it need not concern you,” he said as if it was settled.

She tried to keep her worry out of her voice, but she heard the tremble herself. “You make it sound as though Clan Ravinsher will be my home forever.”

He nodded and as if the matter had already been decided, said, “Aye, forever.” He grabbed another piece of meat before he stood. “Be wise and eat more before you sleep.”

Sky watched him walk away and saw how his men looked at him in awe, as if he had just faced evil and conquered it.

* * *

Slayer wokebefore dawn and sat staring at Sky from across the camp as she slept. He was not sure what to make of her, but then he didn’t think she was sure of what to make of herself. Her family obviously protected her. She never learned to stand on her own and find her own strength and courage. Never learned to accept who she was with pride rather than fear.

Her strangely colored eyes did not bother him. They somehow provided her with a mysterious beauty as if she contained a treasure of sorts that begged to be discovered. He shook his head at the absurd thought. He had no time for such nonsense, no time for women.

“The clan will not easily accept her,” Ross said, joining him in front of the dwindling fire.

“They have no choice,” Slayer said, his focus remaining on her.

“Have you told her yet?”

Slayer turned to Ross. “She will learn soon enough.”

“What if she protests?”

“It will do her no good. What is done is done and nothing will change it.”

“Are you sure about these plans?” Ross asked.

“You sound your skeptical self.”

“As long as you are not skeptical, we are all right,” Ross said with a chuckle.

Smiles had been something that eluded Slayer for some years now. When he was young, he laughed often and more times than he could count with his brother Warrand and Ross, but once he started training and joined the Gallowglass everything changed.

“Then we have no worries,” Slayer confirmed with confidence.