[color=82ca9d]"[i]Tribute?[/i]"[/color] Aibhilin scoffed, keeping her voice low and crossing her arms over her chest, [color=82ca9d]"With what gold then?"[/color] Her father put up a hand and she grit her teeth. He glared at her from over his shoulder, and she tipped her head down in apology. It was just that something like that was so... ridiculously straight out of the children's tales she couldn't of stopped herself. She wanted to give the young Viking warrior a sarcastic and biting remark, but her foolish anger could lead to men dying. With a sigh, she lifted her stormy green eyes back up to the young leader of the would-be raiders. He had to be their leader. He spoke for them.

Chieftain MacConnich rubbed his graying beard, looking the Vikings over. His face, though still stoic and rather grim, turned a bit more thoughtful. Finally he spoke.[color=f26522] "My daughter speaks the truth, though out o' turn,"[/color] his gravelly voice held a bit of a lighter tone in it that before. As if looking the sea wolves over had given him a new thought as to how to deal with the situation. [color=f26522]"We have very little gold, and what little we do have is spend on the up keep of our flocks and fields,"[/color] Aibhilin's father stated slowly, [color=f26522]"Hm... A difficult position ye have us in, indeed."[/color] 

Something in her father's stance changed and Aibhilin looked at the old Scottsman with some amount of shock on her face. Whatever he was about to do, she seemed to realize it and at the same time, turned her head in disbelief. [color=f26522]"Why not stay a while as our guests instead, Sea Lords?"[/color] her father's voice now had warmth in it, actual welcome compared to that of his previous greeting, [color=f26522]"We may no' be able to give ye gold, but we can restock yer ship, lend hand in repairs and give ye a bed ta sleep in."[/color] The Chieftain grinned then and put out his hand. [color=f26522]"What say ye? It'll be more comfortable ta rest fer a several days before ye set back out on yer conquests, aye?"[/color]

Aibhilin couldn't believe it. They had come here to threaten and plunder, and her father was welcoming them as in as if they were kin. Had the sun gone to his head? But when she looked back at their wall of highlanders, she realized why. Every single man that sat up on their horse was kin. Her father had promised to protect each one of them and their families. He had made an oath to make the wisest decisions to keep them all alive. 

These were not nameless soldiers, but neighbors, brothers, fathers, sons... It was better that they welcome the band of sea wolves in, than shed blood while there were still other options to explore. Nothing was ever as simple as fight or die to her father. He was a smart man, he'd most likely keep the laird of the fair-haired foreign warriors close to him, just in case the warrior sailors got too antsy and thirsty for blood. Which meant the blonde warrior she had been glaring at would be sleeping in their guest corridors. She didn't like this one bit.