Grisell perused her breakfast with disinterest. She hadn't slept well the previous night, astounded that the one person she trusted explicitly, was staging a clandestine coup to oust her. She pushed the bowl of porridge away and drew the tray of fruit closer. She pushed that away and helped herself to a cup of coffee. She had requested a meeting with the young ladies of the tribe for just after breakfast, so without doing justice to any food, she proceeded to the meeting.

'Why are we meeting Chief?' Iona took the vacant chair next to Grisell.

'Morning Iona,' Grisell smiled politely. 'Just inviting the lady folk to become more involved in the business of the tribe.'

'"Business?"' Iona repeated with alarm.

'Yes.' Grisell nodded to the ladies taking up chairs at the long table.

'Morning Ladies. I hope just like me, you would like to become more involved in the business of our tribe.'

'How Chief?' Sixteen-year-old Hannah Snell enquired.

'This is just an idea,' Grisell promoted, 'but if our womenfolk wish to join the men at sea I will support it. 'Ladies will be allowed to serve on the trade ships, or be trained for military duty, if any so desire.'

'Yay!' A few young ones clapped applaudingly.

'Will the men allow it?' Iona questioned.

'I, alone, make that decision,' Grisell replied.' 'Any young lady over sixteen, who wishes to go to sea, will be considered. And all women wanting to join the combat force, will be allowed to.'

'I wish to join the trade ship,' Hannah raised her hand.

'Me too,' another seconded.

'Please teach us how to be soldiers,' a third requested. And a few murmured agreement.

Grisell nodded, the military training, I will delegate Uncle Gadd to oversee.

'Will he want to train women?' Iona questioned.

'He trained me, from age six,' Grisell smiled. I'm, sure he will agree. 'There will be some ___challenges for you womenfolk going to sea,' Grisell declared. 'The men share sleeping cabins. Privacy may become a problem, where ablution facilities are concerned.'

'We trust you to fix that Chief,' Hannah responded. 'I want to go to sea. I wish to join the trade vessel,' she repeated firmly.

'Okay. I will address the Council. I will request the maintenance team, to reconfigure our ships, to accommodate our women with comfortable cabins.'

'Thank you Chief. Thank you Chief,' many of the women chorused, smilingly.

'Chief,' Iona murmured, in Grisell's ear. 'That will require major expenses. There may not be enough in the purse.'

'Thank you, ladies. Enjoy your day,' Grisell smiled, dismissing the womenfolk.

'Why?' Grisell questioned Iona. As far as she knew, there should be sufficient funds in the purse. She didn't look in the books often, but she kept a good record in her mind. Her memory was excellent, in keeping a mental account of their finances and of all the decisions she and the Council makes. Often she had to remind the Council of certain resolutions taken, which they'd omitted in their reports.

'Chief ___ we spent a small fortune on the recent arms you requested us to purchase.'

'Oh.' Grisell was certain the price should have been cheaper that what they had purchased a year ago from a different supplier. 'Can I see the account?'

'Sure,' Iona ruffled through the papers she held in a boxed folder and passed the account to her Chief.

Grisell scrutinized it without commenting. 'Aside from the arms purchase, we should have more that sufficient funds available.' Grisell quoted a figure from her head that she was certain, should be the same figure that Iona's accounting should reconcile to.

'Uh__ um_ Chief let me verify my numbers. I will come back to you later this afternoon.'

'Take your time Iona. I'm in no hurry,' Grisell smiled. 'I will meet with the Council tomorrow afternoon to run all this by them; but I don't expect any problems. I aim to make this happen. As long as I am Chief, I am going to ensure our lady folk get more involved in decision-making and operational matters. Times are achanging. Management and workload needs to be re-balanced.'

After that meeting, Grisell boldly took a walk. She was meticulous to undertake her movements carefully. Once or twice she went in the opposite direction of her final destination, just in case she was being followed. An hour later, she was fully persuaded, she was not being followed and proceeded to a specific clandestine meeting place.

'Grisell, I was not expecting you,' Eskine laughed, hauling her into his arms. 'In fact I conditioned myself that I will not being seeing you for a few days.'

She laughed softly. Her arms tightly around his neck, as she gazed down into his dark hypnotizing eyes. She bent her head, and pressed her lips to his. He lowered her to the ground, his arms tightening around her waist. His mouth captured hers hungrily in a searing kiss. She pulled her head away to catch her breath.

'I was merely walking, Chief DeMartino. I was unaware of where I landed.'

He threw his head back and laughed. 'I am not believing that,' he playfully tapped the tip of her nose.

She smiled. 'What are you doing here?' She questioned

'I've ___ assigned myself perimeter duty indefinitely,' he grinned.

She laughed. 'I missed you,' she confessed in a whisper.

'Me too,' he held her eyes. 'Even though it was late last night that we were together.

'Kiss me again,' she demanded.

'Ay Chief,' he acknowledged, covering her mouth again with his. His lips caressed hers. His tongue dipped into her mouth and drew hers into an erotic duel. She clung to him, her hands riding up his shoulder blades to press him against her aching breasts. He lifted his head and took her by the wrist. 'Come. I have found a perfect secluded spot, just inside your land,' he grinned.

He led her under two birch trees, their canopies intertwined, the low hanging branches almost cascading to the ground. It was pleasantly shaded and provided almost complete isolation.

'I've ridden past here often enough,' she smiled. 'I just never thought to stop and rest here.'

They sat down, leaning against the branches, holding hands in companionable silence.

'Did you meet Gadd?' he asked.

'No. I'm giving him a wide berth. Let's see if he hangs himself.'

'I want you to be more careful,' he ordered.

She smiled, nodded and cupped his face. 'We should have brought some treats,' she suddenly remembered she'd forgone breakfast.

'I truly was not expecting you,' he lifted her palm to his lips, and kissed the inside of it.

'That's okay,' she boldly opened the top two buttons of his shirt. Her head lifted to his eyes when she heard him gasp. She found his body attractive and wanted to explore the contours of his masculine chest. Her fingers grazed over the tiny curly hairs caressingly. She pressed her palm against the burly wall, measuring its sturdiness.

'Grisell___.'

She leaned towards him, offering him her lips. His hands cupped her face, drawing her closer, until she was enveloped within his arms. She pulled away, gasping for breath.

'I actually wanted to talk to you,' she murmured.

'What about?' he breathed, as his tongue caressed the slope of her slender neck.

'I won't be using your arms dealer anymore. I paid less for a larger shipment a year ago.'

Eskine's eyes widened. 'Are you sure?' He checked. 'I know nobody's prices are lower than his.'

She searched his eyes. 'Iona showed me the account.' She relayed to him the price she paid his supplier.

He was shocked. He was furious that the dealer had reneged on the price he'd agreed upon. He recalled the dealer confirming to him, that Grisell could get the arms at the same price he'd paid.

'Not to worry,' she cupped his face. 'We have an alternate dealer who can offer us competitive prices. 'I must head back now,' she looked into his eyes adoringly. 'I did not intend to stay too long, if I encountered you.'

Eskine nodded, his mind distracted. He was going to have words with his supplier. In fact, the man was going to have some colourful bruises, by the time Eskine was finished with him.

'She plans on creating a women's army, Love,' Iona hissed with annoyance.

Gadd laughed. 'Being a woman, she is inclined to elevate the womenfolk here.'

'You approve Love?'

He shrugged. 'I don't care really. I want the fiercest soldiers. The hardest working labourers and the fittest crew on our ships. Gender is immaterial.'

'It's going to unearth some problems,' she mused. 'It will need funding. She must not know we shifted money.'

Gadd sharpened his sword. He blew off the steel flakes at the edge of his blade. He pressed the blade against his palm, testing its sharpness.

'I trust you to come up with some creative engineering,' he grinned.

'I detest her,' Iona groaned. 'She is so self-righteous. 'Can we not get away from here? Find our own island. Establish businesses and build ourselves our own place, where we make our own rules.'

'You must be patient dear,' Gadd walked towards her and gently shook her shoulders. 'A soldier's greatest weapons are a sound mind and patience. Let us allow her enough rope to voluntarily hang herself,' he smirked.

Iona nodded unbelievingly. 'I have to fix the accounts,' she sighed. 'She was questioning the bill for the arms purchase. I think we need to tread carefully until I can convince her that all is above board.   She seems to retain a good memory of the accounts, even though she barely studies the accounts.'

'That is something you must never take for granted,' Gadd advised. 'She is intelligent, astute, with a razor-sharp mind. You must never engage her on anything, until you are fully persuaded you have all the facts and figures. Her father was correct about one thing,' Gadd laughed. 'She is certainly showing better leadership than he did at her age.'

'Ah Love, don't be singing to much praises for her. I am getting jealous.'

'Have no fear,' he kissed her cheek. 'Though I've trained her to be our leader. I have not imparted to her everything I know, just enough for her to look impressive.'

'You are devious Love,' Iona sneered. 'I cannot wait for the match that will be the end of our autocratic Lady Chief.

Gadd scoffed, lowering his eyelids. If his lover thought Grisell was autocratic, she was going to be stunned when he took over as Chief. As far as Gadd was concerned, Grisell was a good Samaritan, compared to his leadership style.

'You reneged on your word,' Eskine grabbed his arms supplier by his collar and shoved him brutally up against the wall.

'Chief no! I swear. I would never do that to you. You are my best client. Nobody pays me in advance like you do. I would never do you in Chief. I swear it.'

'You charged the Dalmahoy Chief three times the amount, I paid!' Eskine's face was like unyielding granite. His fury enveloped the dealer dangerously.

The dealer shook his head pleadingly. 'Chief___ I can prove it. I can show you Chief.'

'Show me what?' Eskine's voice thundered, in the man's office.

'I have the papers,' he pointed to some documents on an angular table. I will show you the receipt, I issued.'

Eskine's eyes narrowed. His gut was telling him the man was sincere. So how the hell did Grisell pay three times the price for the damn stock?

'Show me,' Eskine ordered.

The man hobbled clumsily. He adjusted his coat and hurried to his table. Nervously he shuffled through the papers looking for the dratted receipt.

'Here Chief. Here it is. Here is the receipt. Look I did not swindle the Dalmahoy Chief.'

Eskine studied the document. It indicated the quantity of arms, supplied to the name and geographic location of the Dalmahoy and the date, Eskine concurred with, because he'd told Grisel of the date of delivery. Astonishingly, the amount was exactly the same as the dealer has agreed with Eskine.

'Whose signature is this?' Eskine questioned.

'The lady boss who holds the purse for the Dalmahoy. When she paid me that amount,' he pointed to the receipt. 'I signed, that I received my money. She signed, that she received the quantity of arms as agreed to.'

'May I hold on to this? I will return it to you by the end of the week.'

The dealer nodded eagerly. He was pleased he was able to convince the chief that he had not conned the Dalmahoy.

'I apologise for not trusting you,' Eskine offered sincerely, his eyes held the man's steadily.

'Thank you Chief.' He continued to nod vigorously.

Eskine left, wondering what the hell was going on at the Dalmahoy camp. Was Gadd trying to swindle Grisell? But it did not make sense. What would Gadd be doing with the money? Maintaining the land, feeding the tenants and covering operational expenses was exhaustive and draining. If Gadd was stealing the money, how was the Dalmahoy leadership going to provide for the untold needs of their clan? It was infuriating him that her own clan members were trying to sabotage her. Eskine closed his hand around his sword frustratedly. He wanted to plunge the blade into Gadd and his accomplices! He needed to alert Grisell rather urgently.

Grisell was reading an interesting book about land reclamation in her quarters. The article indicated that land can be reclaimed from the sea. It stated that the simplest form was to fill the area with large amounts of rocks, sand, dirt and cement. The first three she had accessible amounts on their land, but cement; she shuddered at the quantities she would need to buy to convert sea area to more land for her clan. Still she was excited at this concept of land reclamation. If she could engineer more land for her tribe, then perhaps her clan will be less hostile towards DeMartino. She lifted her head at the knock on her door and was surprised to find Alfie standing there, looking rather nervous, his hat in his hand.

'Come in,' she invited.

'Chief,' he addressed her in a form of greeting.

'Have a seat,' she pointed to the empty chair across hers.

'I prefer to stand Chief,' he declined, avoiding her eyes.

Grisell searched his face, trying to ascertain why Alfie was in her private quarters. Him refusing her offer to sit was making her nervous. 'How can I help you?' She questioned.

Alfie fiddled with his hat nervously. She waited patiently, curious as to what brought him to her door.

'I have to tell you something Chief,' he mumbled.

She nodded, urging him to continue, but he hung his head, continued fiddling with the dratted hat and then his shoulders slumped.

'It was I that caused Finn's death, Chief.'

'What!' Grisell stood up alarmed, unable to digest what he'd just confessed. 'You ___! How __ ? What happened? I was told it had been an accident!'

Alfie looked down guiltily, beads of sweat filmed his upper lip and forehead. His feet shuffled clumsily.

'How the hell did you cause Finn's death?' she demanded.

'General Gadd __ he ordered me to do it. Whilst Finn was perched on the wall, I deliberately surprised him. He turned to look, lost his balance as I knew he would.'

Grisell's eyes widened. She shook her head unbelievingly. 'Why! ___ How could you? __ How could you kill an innocent member of your very own clan? How the hell could you do that?' she sobbed unashamedly. 'Finn __ was a good man. A hard worker. He was ___ my friend. We grew up together. I cannot believe that you and Uncle Gadd could so cold heartedly murder one of your own!'

'I am truly sorry Chief. I beg your forgiveness.'

'Finn was so young ___ so young. How could you ___ How could you?' She demanded.

'I am a soldier, Chief. Soldiers follow instructions,' he looked away, feeling ashamed and worthless.

'Get out! Get out!' she screamed. 'You will be put to death!

                                                         -end chapter 10-