Authors note-  If you didn't heed the warning at the end of the previous chapter, I will warn you that this chapter does depict scenes of violence which could be distressing.

Name pronunciation-

Beathan- Bay-un

Don't say I didn't warn you... hope you enjoy!

Scotland- 804 AD

"Tully, come back!" Aedan shouted as he rushed to catch up, but Tualla didn't break stride. She kept going, determined to pursue whatever this compulsion was.

Breathless, Aedan finally caught up. "Tully, it's not safe."

"I need to go," she said without slowing down.

"You don't need to do anything."

"That fire wasn't an accident. They were attacked." 

"Exactly," Aedan said, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her round to face him. "They could still be there." 

"Then we may be able to see who's responsible." She tried to shake him off, but his grip tightened the more she fought.

"What has gotten into you?" he growled. "You can't go." 

"You don't understand," Tualla said, becoming desperate. The urge inside her grew, gnawing away at her. Too strong to overpower, she stopped fighting Aedan and tried a different approach. "There's something bigger at play. I'm supposed to see this… this is what my mother foretold, the conflict she saw, and I'm supposed to end it."

"You won't be able to end anything if you're dead." 

Tualla stared at Dunlaid hill, smoke still funneling from the top as it called to her. "You of all people should understand the burden. Your whole life has been about preparing you to become the next Ceann-Tighe. Your father even sent you away so you could learn to become a warrior. Mine hasn't been much different." Her face softened but her eyes remained fierce. "I've been brought up to believe I have some big role in this life. As a child, I imagined that I'd become some great warrior queen like Boudicca. As I grow older, I feel the weight. Sometimes it's suffocating. I don't want to spend my life worrying about something that hasn't come to pass yet. I'm not sure I want this burden." 

Aedan's grip on her relaxed and his blue eyes lightened. She placed her hand over his as she pressed. "I need to know." 

Letting out a groan, Aedan looked up at the sky. "Gods give me strength!" He shook his head and sighed as he turned to Tualla. "You'll be the death of me. We'll go, but I have some rules. If we see anyone at all, we get out of there. And most important, you do exactly as I say. Agreed?" 

A huge smile broke out across Tualla's face. "Agreed!" 

***

Through the dense smoky fog, Tualla could make out the charred remains of the fort. Ash flitted on the breeze, falling down on them like grey flakes of snow. A heavy silence permeated around them, almost as if the landscape mourned the loss.

An acrid smell hung in the air, growing stronger as they neared the hilltop, so pungent, Tualla almost gagged and had to cover her nose with her arm. "What is that smell?" 

"I know what it is." Aedan's face paled, and he stopped, seeming reluctant to continue. "If we go on, I can't protect you from what you'll see. I've seen enough to know what's happened here but I understand if you need to see for yourself."

Aedan's reaction terrified her. She'd heard of the horrors of war, but Aedan had experienced it up close. For him to hesitate now, things must be bad, although she respected that he gave her the choice.

With a glum nod, Tualla ventured forward, preparing herself for the worst. Out in the open, they remained extra vigilant for the final stretch. 

Not much of the palisade remained intact and they were able to walk into the village without any obstruction. Most of the buildings had already collapsed, reduced to piles of glowing embers and ash. 

Ahead of them were the remains of an odd shaped bonfire, much bigger than any of the bonfires they lit during festivals. A few crows hopped on the mound as they picked at it.

Aedan gave Tualla some space, allowing her to set her own pace for investigating. With caution, she proceeded towards it. The foul smell grew stronger as she approached. It took everything she had not to retch. 
Her heart hammered as she stared at the blackened mass, trying to make sense of what she saw. As she edged closer, patches of red and white seemed to seep out of the blackness. Now up close, she could make out the shapes.

Bodies. Dozens upon dozens of bodies. Perhaps even hundreds. Piled high on top of one another.

She dropped to her knees, choking on sobs, unable to believe anyone could be so callous. She felt Aedan's presence behind her. "Who would do such a thing?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"I tried to warn you," he said softly. 

"No. I'm glad you brought me." For a brief moment, she wondered what sort of horrors Aedan must have witnessed. Her eyes continued to rake over the mountain, each detail imprinting on her memory. Bodies of all shapes and sizes were burnt beyond recognition; men, women and children. No one had been spared. 

One body in particular stood out to her. It belonged to a child, although impossible to tell if they were a boy or girl. Judging from the size, they couldn’t have been any older than her cousin, Beathan. The charred skin had cracked in places— some deep enough to see right down to the bone. Their arms and hands held in front of their face as though they were ready for a fist fight.

"Did this happen while they were still alive?" Tualla asked. She prayed to the gods they hadn’t. The sheer terror and pain must have been unbearable.

“I don’t know.” Aedan said, pulling her to her feet and wrapping her up in his arms. He brushed her hair with long comforting strokes. Fresh tears brimmed, stinging her eyes as she mourned each and every one of them.

The sound of mens laughter startled them. Aedan drew his sword and pushed Tualla behind him. "We need to leave now."

"Are they the ones responsible?" Tualla asked, a sudden fury taking over. How she wanted someone to pay.

Aedan shook his head. "They'll be long gone. These are most likely pillagers. Come on…" he said, taking her hand and leading her away.

They'd almost made it to the safety of the forest when two men spotted them.

"Where's your bow?" he whispered.

"I left it at the clearing." 

A frustrated grunt rumbled from his chest. "Run back the way we came," he said, pushing her towards the woods. When Tualla hesitated, his voice took on an authoritative tone she'd never heard him use before. "You agreed to do whatever I say." 

True, she had. But how could she leave Aedan behind? The two men coming their way may not have been soldiers, but they were armed with swords and shields. 

"Tully!" he growled. "Go! I'll catch up. I can handle them."

She had no doubt he could. Neither were as tall or strong as Aedan, and Aedan had been well trained in combat. But still, she didn't want to leave. 

"You're unarmed! I won't be able to focus if I have to try and protect you too." 

Realising she may be putting them both in more danger, she took a few hesitant steps back before breaking into a run, heading straight for the trees. 

Aedan made a strange terrifying cry before she heard the clashing of swords. She didn't dare look back, unable to bear the thought of Aedan getting hurt because of her. Out of breath, she ran until the fort couldn't be seen. She slowed down, her throat parched from panting. While she caught her breath, she leaned against a tree trunk. Aedan would be along soon.

A twig snapped behind her. 

"Aedan?" she whispered, spinning around. Her relief turned to dread as she came face to face with a much older dark-haired man. 

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing all alone in the woods?" If that wasn’t enough to let her know how much danger she was in, his predatory leer left her in no doubt.

As he stepped closer, she noticed his slight limp. Certain she’d be able to outrun him, she took a step back, her eyes darting around the area, searching for some sort of escape route. Behind her, she spotted a fallen branch on the ground. Without trying to be too obvious, she backed up towards it. The man countered her every step, advancing on her with each one.

She couldn’t let him get any closer. 

A crow cawed above them. Thankful for the distraction, she darted for the branch. He kept up, hot on her tail.  The instant her fingers gripped the wood, she swung it around. 

The man dodged the blow, laughing as she swung at him a second time. 

“Don’t come any closer,” Tualla said, holding the branch ready to strike again.

“You’re a feisty one, aren’t yer?”
He lurched forward. She swung, but he caught it. Tualla let go and watched the man cast her weapon aside. She made a dash for it, hoping she’d been right and could outrun him, but he soon caught her and threw her to the ground. Before she could attempt to get back on her feet, the man jumped on top of her, pinning her down with his weight. 

She’d been shown how to get out of this position before, but her mind went blank as panic set in and instinct took over. She wriggled and squirmed beneath him. Managing to get a hand free, she clawed at his face, drawing blood.

The man yelled in pain and raised his hand. “Yer doaty galla!” he said as he struck her.
Blood exploded in her mouth. The left side of her face burning as he restrained her hands and held them above her head.

Where was Aedan? He couldn’t be too far behind. A voice in her head told her he hadn’t made it and she couldn’t rely on him to save her.  Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to think of a way to get out of this situation. Then she remembered… 

Her scian! With the blade tucked under her belt, how would she get it without the use of her hands?

A deafening screech echoed above them. Tualla looked up to see the large crow swooping down, its talons splayed. The bird’s claws ripped into the face of her attacker. Screaming, the man's arms flailed as he tried to protect himself. 

Wasting no time, Tualla reached for her knife and sank the blade into his neck. The crow retreated to a nearby bush, bouncing along the branches, watching Tualla withdraw her scian. Terror filled the man's eyes as he clutched at his neck. He choked on his own blood as it spurted from the wound, soaking Tualla in bright red. A gurgling raspy sound escaped his throat before he collapsed onto her.

In shock, she lay there a while before she could muster the strength to roll him off. Finally out from under him, she shuffled backwards until she hit a tree. Her entire body shook as she pulled her legs in and wrapped her arms around them, staring at the lifeless body just a few feet away. 

She killed him! She’d killed a man.

Not that she had much choice, but still… 
Nearby rustling caused her to freeze in place. Someone could be looking for him. She'd almost forgotten about the crow as it flew off. She never thanked it for helping her.

"Tully?"

"I'm here," she said, overcome with relief and fighting back sobs.

Aedan emerged, his sword still drawn as he took in the scene before him. “Did he hurt you?” Aedan said, his voice almost breaking. 

“It didn’t get that far,” she replied, understanding his meaning.

“Thank the gods!” He rushed to her side and brushed her swollen cheek. Tualla flinched but didn’t move away. “This is my fault,” he said, brushing her hair. “I should have stayed with you. Are you okay?”

She nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak without bursting into tears. Although her body ached from the scuffle, she held onto him until she felt calmer. “We should get home and warn the others,” she said, pushing herself up on her shaky legs.

“You should rest a bit first.”

“I just want to get out of here,” she said, wishing she could just go home and see her aunt Dena.

Aedan kept her steady as he helped Tualla to her feet. “Hold on a moment.” Aedan walked over to the body and grabbed a fist full of her attacker's hair. He let out a whistle as he exposed the mangled face. “I’m impressed! Remind me to never piss you off.”

Holding the head higher, he raised his sword and swung, hacking at the neck until it detached from the body. “Tolla-thon,” he said with disgust before spitting down on the corpse. Still holding the head by the hair, he walked back to Tualla and put an arm around her. “Now we can go home.”

Authors note- thanks for making it this far! I really struggled with deciding how far to go in this chapter and was concerned that it may be too dark. However, this is a pivotal scene and I felt it better to go into more depth so Tualla's later motivations are clearer. What do you think? Too dark, not dark enough or fine as it is?

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The next chapter is well underway and should be released in a few days!

Thanks again!