“Their towers, farms, and fortified houses stood scattered across valleys, mosslands, forests, and river crossings where violence could erupt with little warning. This was not lawless chaos in the modern sense. The Borders operated under their own culture of survival. Families formed alliances through bloodlines, fosterage, marriage, and military obligation. Livestock represented wealth. Horses represented mobility. Reputation represented protection. A family unable to defend itself risked losing cattle, crops, land, or even its surviving sons. Raiding became woven into frontier life. Under cover of darkness, mounted riders crossed hills and river valleys to reclaim stolen cattle, retaliate against rival families, or enforce old feuds.”