Raven lay on her plaid, staring up at the darkening night sky. The half moon shone brightly leading a path across the glen. The aroma of roasted rabbit lingered on the still air. The horses were hobbled for the night, and their soft blowing barely disturbed the quiet.
"When will you give up this search, Raven? He must be dead by now, or we would have found some trace of him." Aiden tossed bits of twigs onto the low campfire. "It's time you were seeing to the business of the rest of your life. Bad enough your mother didn't see fit to make any arrangements for you when you were young. Had she done so, you would not be here."
"Don't think to speak against her." Raven snapped at the unintened criticism. "She may not have been the best of mothers, but she was all I had. I am seeing to the rest of my life. I will not rest until I know for certain he is dead, either by hand or another's. I made a vow to find the man responsible for my mother's death, and he is the only one who can tell me. I don't know what became of the rest of the clan. I often hear their screams in my sleep but I cannot remember what happened that day."
"And will the chieftainship die with you? The clan still needs someone they can trust. It's unique, you know. No other could replace you or your family in that position. You have special talents that could be used on a larger scale. With your abilities you could go further and unite other clans. There will come a time when clan unity could save Scotland."
"How am I to be a chieftain if there is no clan to lead?" Raven sighed and looked at her companion. "The chieftainship will not die," she spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. "Both commitments will guarantee the survival of clan MacDraoidh if anyone yet lives, besides Martha and me." She reached up and touched the soft black curls surrounding her face. Since the day she'd hacked off her braid, she'd never allowed her hair to grow long again. It was part of her penance for not being able to do anything, or recall what happened. She recalled only the vulnerability she felt that day. It wasn't enough.
