Chapter One

She could feel it, the sun warming the back of her eyelids, soaking into her skin and lulling her to sleep. For a moment she thought she might, for a moment she wanted to if only to make time go faster, but then she found herself smiling, then her hands were reaching to her lips to stifle that laugh that so desperately wanted to escape her.

Tonight… Tonight Cormac was going to ask her father if he could marry her!

This time those hands fell away, this time she did laugh, even though it was quiet and to herself. And they could push for a quicker wedding. They could argue that they wanted to have it done before the harvest, before the harsh, cold months of winter.

Yes, by the end of the summer, she would be a married woman!

This time those hands went out, crushing the long grass underneath her arms, this time that laugh was louder. And Cormac, she was going to marry Cormac the blacksmith! Not a farmer like her father, not an old man with a flock full of children, like everyone had said she would end up with for waiting until she was eighteen, but Cormac the blacksmith!

She saw them then, Brianna and Cara's faces, big and red and puffy from tears, with jealousy and anger. They had listened, they had married young. Now they had children of their own and now they were poor farmer's wives and she would have her own house in town. Cormac had already bought it and made it ready for his future wife, for them to live in together.

She felt it then, the colour that rose to her cheeks, the way they burned hot, even hotter than the sun high above her. All at the thought of him and her together in that house, alone as man and wife. For a moment she couldn't even picture it, for a moment she could think of nothing else, and then she heard it, the midday ring of the church bell in the centre of town and this time her smile turned into a grin.

One day it would ring just for her. One day she would be Enid, wife of Cormac the blacksmith.

It was her hair, that's what had caught his eye. Her fiery mass of red hair that rippled down her back, that curled like thick waves, just like her mother's had done before she had died a few winters ago. Enid would think of her every time she saw it. For a while it had almost been like a curse, for a while it would always remind her of what she had lost, but now it was so much more, now it was without a doubt a blessing.

That was when she felt that heat wash over her again, when she closed her eyes and thought of sleep, when she imagined it was Cormac warming her skin instead of the sun. Then she heard it again, that church bell ringing, not once but twice. She almost sat up. For a moment she wanted to look down from her hilltop and into town, but then that sun was too warm, then the thought of those big, blacksmith arms had her blushing and closing her eyes even tighter.

Then she heard it again, not just once or twice, but ringing on and on. This time she jolted forward, her hands pressing into the grass underneath her, ready to push, to jump up and race to town to see what all the fuss was about. That was when she heard it, a distant scream almost too quiet, almost drowned out by the sound of those bells. For a moment she almost thought that she had imagined it, for a moment it didn't make any sense, and then she heard it again, this time louder, this time more than one voice.

She stood then, gathering her skirts in her hands and racing towards town, her cheeks flush and her chest heaving. Soon she was there, diving between stray animals and buildings, heading closer and closer to the church, but that was when those bells stopped ringing, when she heard a loud cry and thud and she froze. Something was wrong. She could see them, people lying on the streets, face down in the mud almost like they were sleeping, almost like they were dead.

Then those church doors burst open and a man so big he had to duck to fit through it stepped out with a large, golden cross in one hand and a blood-red blade in the other. That was when she ducked, when she hid behind a crate and covered her lips with her hands, but that did not stop her shaking. It did not stop her heart from racing so fast, so loud she almost could hear nothing else.

It was the blood, that blood on his sword, that blood that had speckled his face and dirtied his clothes. That was all she could see now, all her mind could think of. She had to run, had to get away safe and make sure she did not add to those bright red blotches on his skin.

But where should she go?

Home… Home to the farm, home to her father. Home where it was safe.

But it was so far away.

She peeked then, spying that man from behind her crate, watching him as he buried that cross in a leather pouch. He couldn't have come alone. He couldn't have made it into the middle of town and stolen the cross from the altar all on his own. No, there had to be more, more giants like him, more men with blood-splattered faces.

Cormac… She should go to Cormac! His house was closer, he would protect her from these terrible men and keep her safe.

That was when she stole another look, when she watched him disappear into a neighbouring shop with his sword raised and ready. She slipped out then, her skirts held in one hand, her other reaching for a wall, for a door, for anything to keep herself steady and from falling. She saw him outside his workshop then, wielding his hammer against two of those giants, his face scrunched up in a fierce scowl. There he was, her future husband, so big and strong, so brave!

And she knew that she would be safe with him. She forgot what was happening then. Then there was a big smile on her lips as she ran for him, but then she felt it, the hard, thick slap of leather as she crashed into a chest. That was when she fell, when she found herself sitting in the mud staring up at one of them. He was glaring down at her, those sky-blue eyes never blinking, that axe in his hand shining in the sun. She knew that it was all over then, that she was going to die.

"Cormac…" she whispered, and she closed her eyes, too frightened to look. That was when she heard it, him gripping his axe in both hands and readying himself to kill her. "Cormac…" she whispered again, and then she felt big hands gripping her waist, felt his shoulder dig into her stomach as he lifted and carried her.

For a moment she was stunned, for a moment she was almost relieved, and then she thought on it, on where he would be taking her, and what he would be doing when they got there.

"Cormac!" she shouted, kicking her feet and slamming her fists into every part of him that she could reach. "Cormac, help!"

"Enid!"

"Cormac, please!" She saw him, swinging his hammer, trying to make his way to her, but he was still outnumbered and the giant that now carried her was fast and light on his feet. "No! Put me down! Put me down now!"

But all that man did was wrap his arm around her calves to stop her from kicking. That was when she heard it, when she felt his voice rumble in that chest underneath her and she heard someone answer. Not a word, she did not understand a word of what was said, but now she knew that there were more and knew that he would be sharing.

"No! Let me go!"

She fought, slamming her fists into his hard, leather vest and screaming, but then she heard the other man laughing and saying something to the giant that was carrying her.

"Oh Lord, have mercy…" she whispered then, covering her eyes and praying.

It was a while before he put her down, before she crashed into something hard and solid. She cried out, rubbing her back with her hands, but that was when she saw it, that wooden floor, the wooden wall bent and curved along the sides.

A boat…

She leapt up, racing to the side, pulling up her skirts so that she could jump over, but that was when their eyes met, when he glared at her from over the side of the boat with those cold and terrible eyes. She froze then, not even daring to breathe, and then her foot was over the side and she was wriggling to pull herself up and over. He pushed her back in and she fell down to the floor with a loud and painful thud, but she did not stay down. This time she went to the other side, this time she would make sure he could not reach her, but that was when she felt it, how the boat moved and tilted as he stepped in.

"No… no, leave me alone!"

And then she felt them, those cold, rough hands grab her wrists, felt him pull her back down and slam her into the mast. She sat there for a moment, her chest heaving as she gasped for air, her eyes half-closing from the pain. When she could see again she noticed it, that rope around her wrists and knew that it was over. He would take her now, out in the open like a farm animal, out where everyone could watch and see her shame. She pulled her knees together, lifting them up and tried to curl into a ball.

"Please, don't…"

But he said nothing, he only stared at her with his eyes unblinking and his face blank, and then he jumped over the side of the boat.