Fragile and Agile ~ Finan the Agile x Reader

⚓️ Ch.6 ⚓️

Y/n's POV

Three days passed with us camping on the cliffs of the beach. In that time the three of us, once slaves, I have washed and changed from our rags. Hild had to help peal off my old clothes which as time had passed molded to my skin.

Now I adorned a pair of leather boots, socks, trousers tightened by a belt that held a dagger Ragnar had made me accept. A tunic along with a leather corset on top and the cloak Hild gave me when we first encountered each other.

It felt liberating to feel human again and with each day that passed my voice and smile slowly returned though my appetite was still a working progress. After so many months of starving myself at the health of the boys I could barely stand the sight of food, yet alone the smell of cooking meat.

I could barely keep what I was eating down, my stomach hadn't the strength to hold any contents besides liquid. The water and ale they offered, were very much welcomed.

Sat around the campfire I picked at my food taking small bites of the thin meat before discarding the thicker parts onto Finan's and Uhtred's plats.

"You have an appetite, lord." Steapa comments watching Uhtred, who was practically inhaling my extras and the seconds he'd taken.

"Mmm, I do." He hums happily enjoying his food. "It's good."

"I'm pleased. Alfred waits. For your return." Steapa then says halting Uhtreds enthusiastic movements as I slowly place more food on his plate.

"We have business here, Steapa, in the north." Uhtred smiles with gentle assertion.

"I gave my word. We go to Wessex." Ragnar then chimes in.

"But we're here, now." Uhtred argues in shock.

"I gave my word, we go directly to Wessex. Kjartan can wait, and Thyra must wait." There was pain and strain in Ragnars voice as he spoke.

He obviously wanted nothing more than to deal with his business here in the north but sworn by his word he had no choice but to do as commanded. People in this time era took their promises far more seriously than I'd seen in comparison to my time.

"And Gisela?" Hild asks a smirk on her face

"What about her?" Uhtred wiped his head towards her at the mention of the woman he'd fallen for before he was taken as a slave. He spoke of her often during our captivity. I was quiet curious to meet the woman he was so smitten for. His wide puppy dog eyes made me smile, he looked like a lost puppy.

"She's safe. She waits for you at the nunnery at Ebchester." Hild informs Uhtred who turns to his brother and Steapa as if asking permission to go to his woman.

Of course the eyes of a man so lost without his love could not be denied. They relented and agreed.

"Ebchester? I know that place, its name has not changed." I comment, handing Finan the rest of my food.

"Does it still exist in your time?" Uhtred asks to which I nod.

"It's 294 miles from my home... About a five day walk. I went there for... huh, I can't remember now that part of my life seems so long ago, I have barely thought of my previous life in so long." I mumbled, staring into the fire.

"I'm still skeptical of the idea that you're from the future." Ragnar voices.

"I would be too... Heck, I was, but none of that matters now, I have no home, no way to get back to my time. It's better left as a distant memory." I comment, pulling the cloak tighter around my body grabbing my cup of ale.

~~~

We slept that night and when dawn rose we were making our way on horseback to Ebchester.