𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑

3

( 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑! )
CHAPTER THREE
PRICE OF TETTANHALL.
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They were at a new camp, the men setting up by Cnut's command. "I want all of these defenses finished by sunset."

Solvi trained behind Brida and Cnut, playing with a spider she had found, as it crawled harmlessly on her hands, which rotated as the spider continuously climbed up and up, without stop. "A head falls, though two bodies live." She murmurs to herself mindlessly, unheard.

"We are so close, Brida..." The two adults shared a smile, "To everything we ever wanted. Lands for our people to settle in for generations."

Brida placed her hand on his arm, stopping him and standing before him, smiling slightly, "Cnut?"

"Yes?"

Brida glanced at Solvi, who was too preoccupied with her little creature, before looking into Cnut's blue eyes, a different blue from Ragnars, but blue all the same. "There's something–" she wanted to tell him, but was interrupted.

"Ah. It's Bjorgulf! Returning with Alfred's little bitch."

Solvi looked up, spotting the frown on Brida's face.

But when the men on horses approached, they did not bring good news.

"Tell us what has happened," Brida says, placing her hand on Solvi's shoulder as she brought the child in front of her.

"Tell me my sons live." Cnut said, after hearing that Haesten had traded them for his life to Uhtred Ragnarson. "I will not harm you, just tell me the news."

The man tentatively walked towards them, after unsaddling his horse. He was apprehensive, before saying quietly, "Uhtred beheaded your eldest son. He would have killed Esgar had we not left."

Cnut kills the messenger in his rage, and orders for them to pay back Uhtred in blood. Brida follows him, protesting, knowing that this distraction could risk everything they had been fighting for. "No, no! This will be paid for in blood, but we cannot let this distract us!"

"Avenging my child is not a distraction!"

"Cnut," she stopped him, standing in front of him, "I share your grief and your anger. The gods know I do. Please... do not let Uhtred lure you into a fight. He's not the priority."

"He killed my firstborn. And Esgar is still with him! If I have no heir..."

"Cnut."

"All of this... All of this is for nothing!"

"Cnut, do not give up our battle position!"

"It does not matter where we fight! We have a thousand warriors!" He screamed out. "Jackdaw! Prepare the men to march! Send men ahead to find them! We will follow... now!"

"Cnut this way is–"

"Leave me!"

"This way is foolish!"

Brida sighed, her frustration without an outlet as she saw the downfall now. Cnut was overtaken by his paternal instinct, he had coddled those boys too much. They should have never left their side. Look now, Solvi was still with them and she had remained unscathed and protected. They should have never been entrusted to Haesten, the selfish turncoat.

And she had not been able to give Cnut the news of her carrying his child. Now, it just felt inappropriate to say, as he grieved his firstborn, and worried for his second son.

"The head falls, but the two bodies remain," Solvi whispers cryptically to Brida, then, as she approaches, holding onto Brida's hand.

The woman looks down at her girl with confusion, but does not say anything.

. . .

Solvi had remained at Brida's side during the entire battle at Tettenhall. Solvi proved to be a skilled young warrioress, a shieldmaiden in the making. She stuck close to Brida's shadow, only striking passing men when she needed to, conserving her energy as her mother battled on. She remained safest at her mother's side.

She twirled with her blades, daggers sharpened to slice with ease, getting men at the knees so they would fall, and then slitting their throats, puncturing their throats with stabs, gouging out their eyes, stabbing them in the chest to get to their heart, anything Solvi could muster.

They had all rode into a slaughter, with the Saxon forces fighting with the Welsh. They had not stood a chance. Not when Uhtred had dictated the battlefield, and it left them unprepared for the defenses he had built into the earth for them to fall into. It was a trap, filled with traps, and they had stood no chance of victory. But at least Brida had been able to kill Cnut, after finding out he had pushed Aethelwold to kill Ragnar. He had been the mastermind, pulling the strings of fate to his advantage, stealing Brida away from her lover. He had taken him from her, and now, she killed him.

"You should not have trusted him," Uhtred spoke to Brida, before she turned around to Solvi.

"My sweet girl," her hands found either side of Solvi's face, inspecting the young girl, who stared blankly at the dying form of Cnut. "You are unhurt, sweetling?"

Solvi looked into Brida's eyes, smiling. "The blond man is avenged? The rat and the red man have been killed?"

Brida smiled, tears in her eyes, "Yes, sweetling, Ragnar has been avenged. Come, let us run. We need to get to safety!"

Only to be taken away from her child, as she was detained by the Welsh.

"Send me to Valhalla." Brida spoke to Uhtred as the reds of the Welsh circled around them.

"They will take you as a prisoner."

"That's worse than death. Please, I cannot be a slave!" Brida exclaimed. "Let me die with honor here on the battlefield. You owe me that, Uhtred. I want to be with Ragnar. Please, Uhtred. Please."

But Uhtred couldn't. He couldn't kill her. He didn't have it in him.

"Take the pagan bitch!"

Solvi screamed out, feral, fighting against the men that held her as the Welsh grabbed the both of them. "No! No! Solvi! Uhtred! Kill me, please!" Brida screamed out, "Solvi! No! Don't touch her!"

"Quite a beauty we have here," A Welshman said, grabbing the feral child who snarled and snapped at them. He grabbed her by the face, squeezing her face. He hissed, pulling his hand away when Solvi bit him. "Feral small thing she is!"

"You cannot have her." Uhtred said, stepping in.

"Oh?"

"The child is under my protection. Step away from her," Uhtred spoke, trying to ignore Brida's pleading for him to kill her as the Welsh held her struggling body back.

"Very well. But we're taking the woman."

"No! Mother!" Solvi screamed out as they pulled Brida away, the two females fighting at the people once more who were separating them. Uhtred held onto the child, struggling to contain her as she fought to get to her mother.

"Be strong!" Brida screamed at her daughter as she was taken away. "No! Solvi! Uhtred!!"

"MOTHER!"

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