Kingdom Come

XII. Flying or Crying

Don't stop running boy

But don't be naive

'Cause this world will burn and break you

Worse than hearts like ours believe

"Lord," Oseferth's voice pulled Uhtred from his vision. He had seen Leofric once again. Uhtred sighed and hung his head. He had thought that with Skade's powers blocked he would no longer see his friend anymore.

"What is it Osferth?" Uhtred asked.

"Forgive me, Lord," Osferth told Uhtred, standing rather stiff. "I have not said. I loved her, Lady Gisela. I mean not as you loved her, but... She was always kind to me, Lord. always. I will pray for her soul if that's acceptable."

Uhtred looked at the monk with surprise and gratitude. "It is, Osferth," he answered. "Thank you." Osferth didn't say anything else and turned to leave Uhtred as he had found him. Alone.

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Finan and Osferth sat together outside the inn they had all decided to stay at together. Osferth read something and Finan sharpened his sword. Sihtric had said he wanted to rest after their long journey and be by himself. Jaehaera had said that she had also wanted to be alone. Jaehaera's excuse they believed, Sihtric's on the other hand, they did not. Finan and Osferth each knew about the two, but they didn't know that the other knew. So together they sat alone, Finan looking at the baby monk now and then, trying to see if he knew.

"Hey, baby monk," Finan began, "would you go to Sihtric's room and get that ax he borrowed from me?" He wanted to know how much the monk knew.

Osferth looked up, trying his best to conceal his nervousness, but it didn't work. Osferth did not want to incur the wrath of Jaehaera, especially now. "Now?" Osferth asked. "You want me to get it now?" Finan nodded and hummed his response. Osferth looked at Finan before leaning slightly forward toward the warrior. "Do you know something?"

"Do you know something?" Finan countered.

Osferth looked at the man nervously, and nodded, "I might know something."

Finan shrugged, "I might know something as well," he answered, putting down his sword.

Osferth looked at Finan curiously, "what is the thing that you know?"

Finan shook his head, terrified of what would happen if Jaehaera found out he had told Osferth. "Oh no, I can't tell you until you tell me what you know."

Osferth shook his head, equally if not more scared, "well I can't tell you what I know."

"Well I can't tell you what I know," Finan answered back quickly.

"Fine," Osferth answered

"Fine."

There was a beat of silence between the two men, and they each started to go back to what they were doing. Finan looked back up at the monk and narrowed his eyes at him. "You don't know," Finan commented.

"Alright how about I go over to him," Osferth said, "and I will walk into Sihtric's room, and I will see the thing that I think that I know is actually  the thing that I think that I know!"

Finan gasped dramatically and pointed at the baby monk, making people around the pair look at them like they were mad. "You know!"

"And you know!" Osferth added, equally as shocked.