The Offering (Unabridged‪)‬

In a quiet corner of a rural Irish-Scottish settlement, a young girl named Bridget McDonald tended to her family's sheep. Her sturdy boots squelched in the damp earth, and she hummed a lilting tune as the animals grazed around her. The sky above was a canvas of shifting grays, hinting at rain but holding its tongue for now. Bridget's red hair was tied back in a loose braid that danced in the breeze, and her freckled cheeks bore the rosy hue of a life spent outdoors. Her eyes, a deep blue, mirrored the sky's indecision. As young women were considered less valuable than their male counterparts, she was given the tasks out in the field tending the animals rather than indoors learning trades and metal skills. His sister, Aileen, viewed just as cavalier, was assessed as invaluable and tasked with other chores away from the men.