𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 || ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 - ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ᴛᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛʏ.

—— • ° ☽ ★ ☾ ° • ——

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 —
ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ᴛᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛʏ.
ᴀᴄᴛ ᴏɴᴇ — ᴏᴍᴇɴꜱ.

—— • ° ☽ ★ ☾ ° • ——

OBLONG CLOUDS
kept the sun hidden within the kingdom of its sky, shielding all signs of golden light from touching the earthly soil. The crystal surface rippled across the lake, water creating dismembered figures within its reflection.

It was cold the moment her fingers broke through the surface and dove beneath the water, fingertips whispering across the rocks and stones that lined the bottom of the lake.

Freyja's eyes stared straight across the lake where boats rocked and swayed and distant shouts tore through the sky from the Dane camp.

Cupping her hands together, she scooped water into the makeshift cup of her palms and splashed it over her face. She felt the cold beads roll down her skin, across the small scar on her cheek and catching on her bottom lip.

Her tongue instinctively came out, dragging slow movements to taste the walt. The taste of salt entered her mouth, spreading across her tongue and she looked up as the leaves crunched beneath Brida's feet.

The woman exited from the trees and approached a kneeling Uhtred. In a matter of steps, she was on the ground beside him, knees bent, eyes carefully scoping the camp.

His hands were fists over his mouth and Uhtred lifted his head to rest his chin upon his knuckles as he spoke. "If resting through the winter was their intention, they would have remained in Lundene, yes?"

Brida glared sideways at him, her features scorned in frustration as she sneered. "It's you who is Alfred's spy. The next step is to kill for him. Will you so that?"

"My brother has made his bed." Freyja spoke in an unwavering tone, steady as the waters that flowed inches from her feet. Shifting her weight, Freyja cast the woman a subtle look — one that said despite how much she agreed, she made a promise. "You will do best to let him lay without your hassling."

Brida's eyes snapped to her, wide in shock for the fact that she was agreeing with Uhtred. "You agree with him?"

Uhtred sighed at the bickering, eyes rolling briefly to back of skull as a display of his annoyance. "Answer me this — if we were to cross this river and find Guthrum, what would happen?" He paused, looking at her wide eyed. "He'd kill us three. We owe them nothing."

Brida scoffed, her plan pressing into her knee as she hastily stood to her feet. The dead, lifeless leaves crushed angrily beneath her steps as she turned away from siblings, her stubbornness deafing all her senses as she began to storm towards the tree line.

Uhtred rolled his eyes and stood up, his movements beginning to follow in her wake. "Alfred needs to know about the Dane's, and I need to win his trust."

With her back turned to him, Brida argued. "You'd think he'd deliver you Bebbanburg, what if you're wrong?"

Freyja watched closely as the woman strode away, feeling a slight pain in her chest at Brida's anger. Her eyes caught something as she looked passed her, something small, no bigger than the palm of her hand, gently swaying back and forth with the breeze.

She gave a curious tilt of her head.

"What is it?" Uhtred sighed and glanced her way, his gesture dismissal as he continued to glance back in Brida's direction.