As Lil's gaze met hers, Bree felt a shock of surprise. Only two weeks before, this younger girl had been afraid of her own shadow. Now Lil lifted her head and crossed her arms on her chest in their secret sign. "Courage to win, Bree," she said softly.

"Wherever you are, you will be all right," Bree whispered.

"I know." Lil's eyes shone. "And you also."
Bree swallowed hard. "Mikkel said I'll be his mother's slave. I'll watch where you go. We'll find each other."

When they walked down the ramp, Lil was ahead of Bree. Mikkel motioned Lil toward a sturdy woman with kind blue eyes. Standing there, Bree watched to see what happened with each of her special friends.

As a girl growing up in Ireland, she had always longed to travel. Often she had climbed the mountain near her home to gaze through the mists and wonder what lay beyond the Irish Sea. Yet in the days since leaving Ireland, Bree had begun dreaming about her new quest—being home again with her family.

Again she thought of her sister Keely, of walking up to their cottage, opening the door, and shouting, "Surprise!"

Again Bree let herself hope. If Dev comes, and Keely is here—

Ever since being captured—since watching Mikkel release her fourteen-year-old brother, Devin, on a shore in northern Ireland, Bree had clung to one hope. One year older than Bree, Dev had always watched out for her. If Dev could, he'd be here now, a bag of ransom money in his hand. When Mikkel boasted about his father being chieftain of the Aurland Fjord, Dev had learned how to find Bree.

But now a tall slender girl headed toward Mikkel. Like many of the people standing on shore, she was also blonde, but her long thick hair fell down her back, nearly reaching her waist.

As she swept forward like a queen before her subjects, the girl's gaze went from one Irish person to the next, and then stopped on Bree.

The girl turned toward Mikkel. "Who is this?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"Well, Gee-nah," Mikkel drawled, "What a way to welcome me home."

But the girl named Gna paid no attention. "Who is she?" she asked again.

Mikkel looked uncomfortable but only said, "One of the Irish."

Stepping forward, Gna reached out her hand and tipped up Bree's chin with one finger. Bree backed away.

The girl followed, saying, "Look at me!"

Bree lifted her chin, but the girl's finger stayed beneath it. Bree had all she could do to keep herself from opening her mouth and snapping her teeth around the finger. If she had her way, the girl would be hollering with pain.

Instead, Bree opened her eyes wide. Without blinking, she stared at the girl with her meanest look. The girl stared back.

Mikkel laughed. "You've met your match, Gna. You can't beat her down."

"No?" Gna turned on him, and the coldness in her eyes became a fire in her face. "You think I can't. I've never known a person who hasn't learned to bow before me."

Bow? Bree asked herself, then realized she had spoken aloud.

Gna whirled on her. "So you know my language too. You will do more than bow. You will grovel in the dust of the earth before I am through with you. You will be my slave!"

Bree straightened, threw back her shoulders, and lifted her head. With the same movement, she turned slightly from looking at Gna to Mikkel. No words passed between Bree and Mikkel, but in that moment Bree knew he remembered.

"No, she won't," Mikkel said.

Gna stared at him. Even Bree felt surprised at the strength in his voice, but it was Gna who spoke. "You think not?"

A flush of embarrassment crept into Mikkel's neck, then into his face. But when he met Gna's gaze, there was no backing down. "She will not be your slave. She will be my mother's slave."

Gna laughed. The hard, cold sound of it sent a shiver down Bree's spine. Then to her surprise she forgot everything else. The bleating of sheep and bawling of cattle drowned out the voices of families on the beach.

As Bree swung around, she saw a wide, flat-bottomed boat that looked like a raft. The minute it came to rest on shore, the animals started over the low sides. A large billy goat led the rest. The billy headed straight for Gna.

"Gna!" Mikkel called in warning.