“Mither? She is 'ere? How on earth...” Kieran muttered after listening to the scout. 

As soon as he walked out of the longhall, he saw Lady MacShane approaching the bailey on her horse, accompanied by three of her own guards. He quickly ordered a servant to clean out the chamber his mother used when she was visiting and hollered for the stable hand. Helping her dismount from her horse, Kieran escorted his mother to the study. When the doors slammed shut behind them, Lady MacShane took a moment to take in her son’s appearance before speaking. 

“What do ye think yer doing?” 

“Mither, I have told you already, I am going with Olaf in the mornin'. If am to get vengeance for father’s death, I need to scout McDermott lands 'n' security 'n' speak wi' th' spies.” Kieran said rolling his eyes. 

Lady MacShane took a step closer to her son and lovingly put the palms of her hands on his cheeks. 

She looked him straight in the eyes and said, “I know you'll want vengeance 'n' I know ye promised th' Chieftain that ye with ally with him against th' McDermott’s, bit must ye start now? Can ye not hold yer horses?” 

“Nae th' time is now”, Kieran said shaking his head. Slowly he removed his mother’s hands from his face, kissed her palms and said, “Don’t worry mither, I will be safe. We aren’t fightin' them yet. Tis just a scouting mission.” 

“Nothing is just what it seems,” She said her eyes searching the floor for courage, “I will not lose ye too”, she said softly. 

Slowly Kieran brought his mother into a big hug before he said, “Do not worry, all will be well. I will be back in two weeks, ye'll see”. 

Unable to shake her son’s resolve, Lady MacShane softly said, “I have something to tell ye”. 

*************************** 

In the longhall, Olaf suddenly found himself sitting alone on the dais with Catriona. While the others drank, sang and chatted away about their adventures, Olaf searched his plate while he thought of something to say to Catriona. His mouth opened and closed several times and his brow creased as he tried to focus. 

Just when he thought he had figured out how to start a conversation, Klaufi, his first mate, stood up holding his drinking horn high in the air. As silence spread across the hall, Olaf glared at Klaufi, not particularly interested in what he had to say. For a split second there, he wished the earth would swallow Klaufi, giving Olaf another opportunity to speak with Catriona. But then Klaufi spoke, and a slow smile crept on Olaf’s face. 

“To th' greatest drinker in this hall, Catriona, may she forever hold her drink 'n' may many men continue tae challenge her…” 

“Nae” said Sverting as he rose. Grabbing the table to steady himself, he slowly raised his drinking horn before bellowing, “Olaf can best th' lassie in a drinking challenge any day”. He let out a loud belch that had the hall rolling around in laughter before he plonked down on his bench. 

“Is that so” Catriona muttered before glaring at Olaf with a mischievous grin on her face. “Shall we put Olaf’s drinking skills to the test”, she said. The hall roared with the chants of “Drink, Drink, Drink, Drink.” 

Before Olaf could protest, two chairs and a small table were brought to the center of the hall. Huge hands grabbed his arms and unceremoniously lifted him from his chair. A second later, Olaf found himself staring into Catriona’s eyes as he sat across from her at the small table. A thrall stood beside them with a jug of mead, filling a drinking horn for each opponent. Sides were picked and bets were being placed by the onlookers.

“Ah hope yer as good as they say”, Olaf muttered to Catriona before grabbing his drinking horn. She simply snorted and turned to grab hers. Silence befell the hall once again as the onlookers waited for Klaufi to begin the contest. 

******************** 

Sadness filled Kieran’s eyes as he sat quietly at his table, his chin in his hands. As Lady MacShane continued to narrate the events leading to the death of his father, his sadness was replaced with a sense of loathing, a raw kind of anger that he had never felt before. It was like a beast clawing him from the inside, demanding to be unleashed. Not only had the McDermott’s taken his father from him, and killed countless clansmen over the years, they had treated his mother unfairly – and all of this destruction and death was over a rumor based on an unexplainable yet tragic plague that had haunted the McDermott’s.   

“I will bring ye 'n' father justice”, Kieran said as he rose to engulf his sobbing mother into his arms. 

He then slowly led her out of the study and up the stairs towards her chambers. “Ye must rest now”, he said, “I will have th' servants bring yer meal to yer chambers” 

With that, Kieran made his way back to the hall, slowly pushing his anger into the dark corners of his mind. Tonight was not the time to be angry. 

With the servants scuttling to the kitchen to prepare Lady MacShane’s meal, Kieran wandered outside. His mind still replaying the conversation he had had with his mother. No matter how hard he tried, the beast inside refused to back down. He was pulled from his thoughts with the loud cheers coming from the hall. The whistling and clapping however, intrigued him more. And in that moment, the beast had been hushed into silence. 

As he pulled open the doors, the oddest of sights met his eyes. While a half-naked and drunken Olaf was grunting as he tried to wriggle into a lass’ smock, Catriona rode atop the shoulders of the men who were celebrating her victory. Kieran strode up to Klaufi, and questioned him with a raised eyebrow. Not far from passing out from all the drinking. Klaufi filled Kieran in on what had passed. 

A bet had been placed; looser was to dance on the table. 

The festivities died down when the men had had their fill of the thralls. The entire hall reeked of smoke, food, ale, all mixed in with the fragrance of the herbs and flowers and the thick scent of sex.  In every corner, one could see a tangled mess of naked body parts. A loud crash bounced off the otherwise quiet hall, as Sverting threw his arm across the table, cleaning it of its content. He then sprawled a dark haired thrall on the table before thrusting into her in one swift motion. Her groans echoed off the walls only to be replaced by the low whistling of a drunk onlooker. Kieran shook his head wondering how, despite all that Sverting had drunk, he could still aim right. 

His eyes then wandered to Klaufi. The man was hilarious. He was naked as the day he was born, deeply buried in a thrall... and snoring loudly. The thrall wiggled under his weight, hoping to throw him off so she could make her escape. Finally she gave up, resigned to sleeping under the heavy man. Kieran walked over to the two and pushed Klaufi off before stretching his hand out to the thrall. She muttered her thanks before grabbing her clothes. 

Kieran’s mouth gaped open when he saw Agnar. The boy must have been the playboy of the night – if such a word existed. With his short blond wavy hair curling above his neck and his deep blue eyes and wide smile, he must have charmed everything that moved or wore a skirt. Kieran grinned as he recalled Olaf pounding the boy when Agnar stuck his hand up the smock Olaf was wearing. Now, the boy knelt on the floor, his hand groping the breast of a red-head while his face was buried between the legs of a dark skinned lass. He watched with mute fascination as a blond sauntered over to the group. She kneeled and placed her hands on Agnar’s back before whispering in his ear. A low laugh followed before Agnar pulled himself from the other girls only to lay down for the blond who placed her open and eager mouth between his legs. Unhappy that his attention had been drawn from her, the dark skinned lass sought Agnar's mouth again. She playfully pinched her nipples as he opened his mouth to welcome her. She closed her eyes as his tongue found her more intimate parts.

Kieran’s view of Agnar was interrupted as the red-head walked towards him, now free of Agnar. Her eyes suggestively traveled over him. Oh why not, Kieran thought. Time to be part of the fun. He turned the girl around and bent her over the table. He earned a giggle from her as he smacked her bottom before spreading her legs. He grabbed at her long hair, tilting her head up before plunging himself into her wet core. His free hand sought a taught nipple while his mouth found her neck. 

It wasn’t long before people began retiring to their chambers. Those too drunk to walk, or stumble, were left in the hall to pass the night. When the last of the capable had left, Olaf quietly stood up and threw off the smock. He grinned while he dressed. He knew his reputation as a drinker had suffered, but Catriona had more to lose had she lost the bet. He would never subject her to such indignities, not while he still breathed. He slowly lifted the sleeping lass in his arms, chuckling softly at her snores. Not wanting to be spotted, he hastened towards her chambers. As he made his way up the stairs of the keep, Olaf spotted Kieran standing in her doorway. “Ta for bein' kind tae her” he said before walking off. 

“Ah hope ye enjoyed Nia. She's mah favorite thrall.” Olaf said as Kieran walked away. 

Olaf walked towards Catriona’s bed and gently laid her down. With the slightest of movements, he tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ears. “Goodnight mah love”, he said before he left her room, exiting as quietly as he had entered.