Father takes a seat at the table as I sit two bowls on it. He smiles at me. “Thank you, Ellie.”
“You’re welcome,” I tell him as I sit down across from him.
“Did you catch this fish?”
I nod excitedly. “I did! Just like you showed me.”
“Atta girl, Ellie,” he says with a smile across his face. “Someday you may need to know how to do these things. I know it’s not a traditional thing to teach a girl, but you never know what life will throw at you.”
I nod, preparing myself for the inevitable talk about marriage. I know it’s coming next year, but I’m not sure I’m ready for it. Who will take care of him if I leave? He surprises me, though, not mentioning it at all.
“There was an attack on Northumbria last week,” he says, his entire body stiff. “The Norsemen came. They killed every
