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</div><br/><br/>"I'm just saying<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fd3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F11%2F10151924%2FOutlander.jpg&amp;hash=bec77a2bcbccfabc5f6fe897cec7cc7c" href="https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/uploads/2017/11/10151924/Outlander.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Robert</a>, you need a wife.  In these hard times, you don't want to die without an heir."<br/><br/><a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Flibriscrowe.com%2FOUTLANDER%2Fdel243.jpg&amp;hash=a29c795b31d882de21d4f97c72a62d8d" href="http://libriscrowe.com/OUTLANDER/del243.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Robert Maclean</a>laughed at his brother's persistence.  "And if I die without an heir, you become Laird of<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timberbush-tours.co.uk%2Ftimberbush%2Fincludes%2Fthemes%2Ftimberbush%2Fimg%2Fhomepage1.jpg&amp;hash=3fc70ae514cbbb4a14d4571e2e25b4eb" href="https://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk/timberbush/includes/themes/timberbush/img/homepage1.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Corran Castle</a>.  So why should you care if I take a bride or not?"<br/><br/>"Because I don't want to be Laird!"  Stephen said it so emphatically, that Robert, surprisingly enough, believed him.  Given that Stephen questioned Robert's decisions almost constantly, he would have thought that Stephen wanted to replace him.<br/><br/>"Do you think I wanted to become Laird when father died?"  Robert responded, a tinge of bitterness in his voice.  The title had become a burden rather than an honor.<br/><br/>Blight had claimed much of the harvest during the summer.  It had been the wettest summer that anyone could remember.  Famine was on the horizon as a result.  Some of the farmers had turned into bandits, pillaging the villages of their neighbors in search of food.  And those that were still honest men had fled to the safety of the castle, which was now crowded with their families.  And winter had come early this year.  So under those circumstances, why should anyone want to be Laird of Corran Castle?<br/><br/>If matters weren't bad enough, the MacDonalds and the Campbells were encroaching on his land, as poor as that land was.  The only saving grace was that the Campbells hated the MacDonalds even more than they did the Macleans.  Enough that Robert had even considered an alliance with the Campbells against the MacDonalds.  That hadn't made Stephen very happy.<br/><br/>"Don't you have some farmers to turn into soldiers?"  Robert was tired of the discussion, so he reminded his brother that it was time for him to march the farmers out onto the heath and teach them how to fight.<br/><br/>"Fine!"  Stephen muttered, looking sullen as he got up to leave the great hall.  "But it's a waste of their talents and mine to turn farmers into soldiers."<br/><br/>"On that, we agree," Robert replied.  "They should be growing crops to feed the people, not learning how to kill each other.  But if the Brotherhood of Thieves marches on this castle, we'll need to defend ourselves."<br/><br/>The farmers who had abandoned their farms for banditry had created their own little army, the Brotherhood.  And that army was headed towards Corran Castle.  If they came, it would be a battle of farmer versus farmer.  So Robert needed his farmers to be trained as warriors if he had a hope of protecting his castle and the people inside.<br/><br/>No sooner had Stephen left than one of the farmers' wives came running into the hall, bowing to Robert awkwardly.  "My Laird, Mary has pulled a strange woman from the loch."<br/><br/>Robert couldn't help a chuckle, uncertain why this was being brought to his attention.  "And Mary thinks this mermaid would be a perfect wife for me?"<br/><br/>Eva gave him a blank expression, not seeing the humor of the situation.<br/><br/>Robert waved away his previous comment.  Clearly, his joke was wasted on the woman.  "So what is strange about this woman?"<br/><br/>"My Laird, she's dressed as if she's from some far off land, in clothing none of us has ever seen."<br/><br/>Robert had been planning on checking the castle's defenses, but now he was curious.<br/><br/>"Tell Mary I'm on my way."<br/><br/>Corran Castle was on an island connected to the mainland by a narrow stone bridge.  A reasonably good defensive position in times of conflict, the bridge was too narrow for an attacking force to cross in large numbers.  Though it also meant, with Stephen marching the farmers from the island to the heath on the mainland for training, Robert had to wait for them to clear the bridge before he could go to check on the woman pulled from the loch.  But when he finally arrived where the woman washed their clothes on the rocks next to the loch, he could see why the women had found the stranger so . . . . . . . strange.<br/><br/>She was certainly dressed warmly enough, though the outfit was unusual.  But that clothing that appeared to be designed to keep her warm was soaked from the icy waters of the loch.  It seemed ill-suited for swimming, the cloth looking a bit heavy.  Besides, this was not the time of year to be bathing in Loch Mara.  And the way her face was smeared, it looked like she was wearing Pictish war paint.  No one had done that in centuries.<br/><br/>"You might want to take off that . . . . . . cloak, lass." Robert said as he pulled his off to put on her.  It was thinner than her cloak, but at least it was dry and warm.  "So, who are you and why were you in Loch Mara?"