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beside Payton as Moira tiptoed to her small bed.
    “I will begin the battle, aye,” replied Payton in an equally soft voice. “’Twill be a long one, I am thinking. It must be a slow, cautious assault.”
    “Why?”
    “Because we are the only ones who are willing to speak out against him. ’Tis nay enough. His family is a powerful one.”
    “We would be killed.”
    Pleased the boy had the wit to understand the difficulties, Payton nodded. “And my kinsmen and your lady’s could find themselves in danger, e’en in the midst of a feud. Aye, Sir Roderick must die, but we want to be sure no innocents fall with him. We want him to die alone, his name nay more than a foul curse.”
    Callum nodded. “And that will take time.”
    “Aye, lad, especially since ye, the bairns, and your lady must all be kept weel hidden. The mon will taste the cold steel of justice, but ye must be patient.”
    “I will be. And, I will grow and get strong,” he looked at the knife he held, “and I will learn how to fight.” He looked at Payton. “And, when that bastard is dead, I will still grow and get stronger and become a mon of skill and cunning.”
    “Of that I have nay doubt.”
    “And then I will be able to protect the wee ones from all such men. Then I will be able to hunt down such evil and end it. On that I swear.” He gave a sharp nod and strodeto his bed.
    Payton made his way to his own bed, thinking of what Callum had said. In his heart, the boy had already taken the oath to protect children. In his heart, Payton also took an oath. He and his clan would give the boy all he needed to fulfill that oath. By the time Callum reached manhood, he would have all the skill, learning, and weaponry he needed to be the guardian of innocence he wished to be. Payton knew that it would be a legacy to the world he could take pride in.

CHAPTER THREE
    “Where are the bairns?” Payton asked Strong Ian as he met the man outside of the empty room where the children had slept.
    “Been up and about for an hour or more,” replied Ian.
    “Jesu, I must have been weary to sleep through the rising of five children.”
    “Nay. ’Tis sad how quiet they were. Like wee ghosties.” Ian shook his head as he started down the narrow stairs. “My Alice would have slept through it, too, except wee Moira woke her. The poor lass couldnae get her clothes on proper.”
    “Moira seems right ready to trust us,” said Payton as he followed Ian.
    “My Alice thinks the other wee ones will be quick to accept us, too. The lass was loved by her mother, it seems, so she kens an adult can have a kindness in him. The wee lads were probably not with that bastard long enough to have all their faith and innocence destroyed. Ah, but Callum lost much of his ere he was e’en cursed by Sir Roderick’s attentions. As a street waif he would have had a dismal life, nay much better than a stray cat’s.”
    Payton sighed and nodded. “He survived. He is a strong lad. He wants to be a champion of innocence.”
    “He would probably be a good one if one can teach him nay to just cut the throats of such scum.”
    “Aye, that could be a problem,” Payton agreed, and laughed softly. “That dismal beginning could actually serve him weel now. He was hardened, wise to evil and brutality, ere MacIye got his filthy hands on him. As ye say, there was probably no sweetness or innocence in Callum to be destroyed.” Payton frowned. “There is something strangely familiar about the boy.” He shrugged. “No matter. Ridding the world of MacIye is all that must concern us for now.”
    “Are ye going to send word to your kin?”
    “Nay, not yet. If I must ask them to assist me against a clan as powerful as Sir Roderick’s, I want to be sure I have at least enough proof to avert the chances of a feud. Or, that the danger to Kirstie and the children grows too great, more than we can deal with on our own.”
    “Agreed,” said Strong Ian as they entered the great hall. “For now,