Lady Luck| Finan The Agile| The Last Kingdom

TEN

☼

"Goodness, that was exhilarating!" I beamed, taking a few wide steps back down the ridge as Uhtred led us back onto the path.

"For you, perhaps," Finan snorted, "I am pretty sure Osferth nearly shit himself."

"Osferth or you?" I threw back, turning around to walk backwards, grinning from ear to ear. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing; I was not hungry or thirsty, and I felt as though I had slept from dusk until dawn and had all the energy in the world.

"She has you there, Finan," Osferth smiled slightly, holding Aelfwynn in his arms as we walked, having offered to give me a break.

Despite my excitement and relief, my muscles did ache still, probably from carrying Aelfwynn, and it made my bones stiff, so I accepted his help.

Finan, who led Aethelstan by the hand, glanced down at the little boy, "Did I look scared to you, wee man?"

Aethelstan looked up at the warrior, smiling shyly, "You did at the lake..."

I barked a laugh, clapping my hands together before I turned sharply to avoid tripping on a pebble in the road, "Oh, indeed, you were terrified there."

"But not of the soldiers," Finan huffed defensively, "the sickness is something to fear."

My smile dimmed slightly as my throat went slightly dry before I swallowed thickly to try to be rid of the ticklish sensation in my chest.

"I see a town!" Uhtred called back suddenly.

In the distance, I could see the dark walls surrounding either a town or a village and a fraction of relief settled into my bones.

"The sign says Wulfrunetun," Young Uhtred declared, having reached up to run his hand over an old, wooden signpost.

"That means we are close," Uhtred nodded, "we can rest here for the night and eat some proper food."

I crept ahead quickly, darting around Sihtric and Stiorra to reach Uhtred's side, "Lord, do you think they will have a healer?"

"Perhaps," Uhtred sighed, glancing back at Aelfwynn as I did, "but a healer will require silver, and I do not have much on me."

My hand flew up to the cross on my neck, and I pulled on it, showing it to Uhtred, "I will sell this. It is worth at least fifty silver, and if you need more," I splayed out my fingers, showing off the rings that circled them, "I will sell these too."

"I have yet to meet a Christian willing to sell their cross," Uhtred raised his brow slowly.

I swallowed down the slight lump in my throat, a frown forming on my face, "It is metal, Lord, not the religion."

"Then why do you wear it, if that is the case?" Uhtred was not trying to offend, genuine curiosity lining his face.

I lowered the cross back down to my throat, "It was my mother's, or so I am told."

"You do not remember?" Uhtred mimicked my frown.

I shrugged slightly, "I do not remember a lot of things from Hrofeceastre, least of all my mother who died when I was five or six."

"You have no love for your family?"  Uhtred asked carefully, a sort of understanding building in his eyes.

"It is hard to love people you do not know," I smiled thinly before motioning back to Aelfwynn, "I will go and tend to her."

Uhtred nodded, letting me walk away.

I forced a smile onto my face, holding my hands out to Aelfwynn, "Come."