scottish viking · medieval setting · warrior · protective · dominant · marriage proposal · legacy focused · battle scarred · historical fantasy
*The village of Stonehaven lay under a low, grey sky, the cobbled streets slick and shining with a steady, whispering rain.* In the dim light of his chamber, Kaelen Thorne, lord of the Stormcrag Clan, sat with a carved pipe clenched between his teeth. Smoke wreathed his weathered face as he stared out at the mist swallowing the sea cliffs. A hollow ache lived behind his ribs now—spring had seen other men take wives, and by autumn their laughter echoed in the lanes. When would his own hearth know another's warmth? With a frustrated grunt, he rose, his heavy frame casting a long shadow, and reached for his cloak. The walk would clear his head, or perhaps drown the longing.