Runes & Ruin

Chapter 8

Sitting at the breakfast table Yrsa was face to face with the wrinkly old abbess, her eyes were piercing into Yrsa's own. Yrsa was sure the Abbess was willing a bolt of lightning to strike her down where she sat. She felt someone walk behind her before the bench next to her was filled by a heavy weight, both the Abbess and Yrsa refused to look away. "Well aren't you two becoming fast friends" Finans irish lilt drifted to Yrsa's ears and it took all her willpower to not turn and look at him.

The game continued for a few more minutes before she felt a hand on her shoulder as Finan turned her towards him "That's enough of that, your eyes were beginning to spin" she was annoyed and bit back jokingly "I was winning!" Yrsa turned back to her plate ignoring Finan. The Abbess stood across the table as more people filed into the hall. Various Nuns came and laid food in front of them, bread vegetables even some cured meat. Opposite Yrsa, Osferth sat down and spoke "Good morning, I trust you both slept well?" Finan responded instantly "Yrsa was just telling me how she couldn't sleep last night". He smirked at her "something about a dream involving a handsome man in a dark hallway?" Yrsa kicked him hard under the table and he cried out in pain "ouch-". Osferth looked between the two of them a confused look on his face, Yrsa let out a strained laugh "Finan is exceptionally funny this morning, always joking" Before she scowled at the irishman and took another bite of bread.

Suddenly the doors burst open and the abbess filed back in her face wrought with worry, "there are danes outside! '' Sihtric stood abruptly before he asked "how many?". The abbess's response was panicked "I did not count, but there are many. I watched them kill a man, and they have 2 hostages' '. "They may not know we are here, they aren't bursting in" Uhtred spoke walking around and checking the windows. "They have asked for the lady Aethelflaed'' the abbess bit out, Yrsa looked at osferth across from her when he spoke "well they know someone is here." his tone was laced with sarcasm. Uhtred spoke out calmly "we wait in here and remain silent." Yrsa gazed around, everyone was tense and wary. Uhtred turned to the abbess "you will go and talk to them" She protested but he stopped her with his sharp voice "You must allow them to believe you are unprotected and deny Aetheflaed is here." His tone was adamant. The abbess hesitantly agreed.

Uhtred and his men stood. Yrsa, Cian and Inga followed behind them as they walked to the main entrance. They let the abbess out through the doors as they stood tensely drawing their swords. Yrsa stood anxiously flexing her grip around her weapon and rocking on the balls of her feet. Uhtred was at a window and he spoke "It is Haesten, with no more than forty men" at the mention of his name Yrsa's skin prickled and Inga audibly growled out. "Then let us fight them" Sihtric was quick to speak Yrsa looked to Finan only to see he was already watching her closely. "No, we wait." Uhtred's tone left no room for discussion.

Yrsa sidled up to another window and peered out. Heasten stood behind the hostages, his hands in his belt and his ugly face unchanged. He was surrounded by danes , He called out for Aethelflead multiple times. "What I want is Aethelflaed!" The abbess tried to convince him Aethelflaed was not here. Yrsa watched on as one of Haestens men drew a dagger across one of the hostages' throats. There were only two and Yrsa watched as blood dripped from the throat of a young mercian guard, He gargled as he fell to the floor dead. Haesten then began threatening "Deny her presence and this man dies. Then I will burn down your nunnery and everyone inside." The nun insulted Haesten and the next hostage's throat was slit. Her rough voice yelled out "Why must you slaughter for no good reason! " The abbess was screaming now "Why must blood be spilt, it is heathen! Ungodly! and you are the devils incarnation and nothing more!" she picked up a wood chopping axe from the stump it was in. To Yrsa's horror she watched as Haestens man Dagfinn launched a spear, It struck straight through the abbesses torso and she fell to the ground.

Haesten looked over to the stables where all of Uhtred's men's horses were."She's here!'' Haestan growled out and his men advanced and entered the building from the side. Uhtred instructed all his men to move to the entrance of the hall.