Page 70 of The Rogue’s Redemption

“If we do this,” Reid said, “it will be in direct opposition to the council’s decision.”

He sat beside Toren in Brockburg’s great hall, along with the other leaders and elders of Clan Kerr. Although they had not caught the reivers responsible for this latest attack, their clan was not the only one to have suffered such an attack. In the last two days, there had been multiple reports of cattle being stolen on the Scottish side of the border. It was an escalation that could not go unanswered.

“The council can rot in hell.”

The others cheered old Edmund, one of his father’s closest friends and the most respected of the elders. The man often agreed with Toren’s decisions. But when he did not, all knew of it. The man was not known for his calm demeanor.

“You would have us go back to the days when Kerr allies were few?” Toren asked the white-haired farmer.

“I would have us do what is necessary to keep our clan safe.”

“We’ve exercised our right to a Hot Trod. Unless we want war—”

The sound of mugs being pounded on the trestle tables drowned out Toren’s response until he demanded that it stop. “Enough!”

Toren was not against a counter-raid, though he wished to proceed with caution. If there was a way to root out the offenders but stay within the law, he would do it.

“They leave us no choice,” a voice yelled out from the crowd. Toren ignored it.

“Unless we want war, which may be inevitable, we must find the English reivers who did this and learn who is behind the attacks.”

“And if they are condoned by the warden and the king is unable, or unwilling, to remove him?”

Edmund asked what all the others were thinking. Although they had no confirmation, the circumstances of the first attack had suggested that possibility. At the very least, they all doubted Caxton would give them justice.

“Then we fight,” one of the elders yelled.

“And if that is exactly what Caxton wants?” Reid asked, bracing himself for the elders’ ire. They were beyond exercising caution, beyond trying to interpret something so inscrutable.

“Caxton can go to hell,” someone yelled as the crowd cheered.

“Toren,” he said loudly enough to force everyone to listen. “We should talk more about this—”

“Talk?” Edmund yelled. “You can talk while your clan takes action.”

“As you would have us do at every provocation, despite the wishes of the Lord Warden.”

“Ahh,” Edmund muttered with a wave of his hand as if to dismiss the idea that they all knew was true.

Realizing what Edmund had originally said, Reid could not let it go. “It is my clan too,” he said. “And I—”

“Are now asking for a position you did not want before.”

The room went silent at Edmund’s comment.

Everyone looked at Reid as Toren spoke. “You received my appeal,” he said to Edmund. “Perhaps now would be the time to act on it.”

Edmund put his head down to speak to the other elders. Collectively, they held as much power as their chief, and now his future was in their hands.

“Now is not the time,” Edmund said finally. “When this crisis is over—”

“You named Alex in one day,” Toren said, clearly angry now.

Edmund stared at him intently, and Reid knew what the elder was thinking. He himself had thought it, said it. He was not Alex. And they would not name him today, or possibly ever. It had been a mistake to think he could change that simply because he wanted to.

Shame wrapped around him, choked him, but he did not look away. To return to Highgate as nothing more than his brother’s bodyguard—

“We will eat,” Toren said, breaking the silence. “And before tomorrow, we will either agree on a course of action, or I will take one myself.” When he spoke in that tone, none dared to dissent.