Life was simple, easy, safe despite the nagging of others demanding to know what Y/n wanted to do with her life she had little to complain about.
Still she wished the sea would take her, she didn't want to worry about where her life was headed, she...
As we travelled towards the brothers camps a sense of reminiscence washes over me when I see an all too familiar tree which in my time adorned a tire on a rope swing.
I halt my horse and stare at the tree with a crease in my brow.
"Y/n?" Brida calls.
"What is it?" Hild asks.
"I know this forest." I mumble looking around me as my horse fidgets. "It still lives in my time. This tree holds memories from my childhood. I had no idea it had survived so many eras of men." I reply solemnly.
"How do you know it's the same tree?" Finan asks.
"I just do." I say smiling at him over my shoulder. "Sorry I held us up." I say walking my horse over between Brida and Hild.
"Move on." Ragnar commands.
As we continued on to the camp of the brothers I spare the tree one last glance, imagine my young eight year old self running circles around it and pretending to be a warrior fighting off a wolf.
'Simpler times.' I thought.
~~~
Night was creeping up on us, rain clouds clouded the last of the days light as the water poured down heavily and thunder boomed in the distance.
"I see three on watch." Uhtred comments as we look out from under some shelter thing hidden among the trees.
A loud clap of thunder echoed around us at his words. As such memories of the storms I endured as a slave clouded my eyes. The memories sat fresh in my mind, after all my freedom was still new to me, the pain of the past still laid heavy on my heart and mind.
"The rest will be huddled inside their furs." Comments Uhtred.
"There could be more, behind the tents, sitting low." Ragnar points out, knowing well the ins and out workings of a Dane's camp.
"I don't have a good feeling about this." Brida says, another rumble of thunder echoes over the sound of heavy pouring rain making me flinch.
"Which tents are full, which are empty." Brida questions.
"You okay?" Finan whispers next to me where we are crouched looking out at the camp. I offer a nod and tight smile but he can see through it especially when I flinch again at another rumble of thunder snapping my head forwards.
"And in which tent is Sigefrid and which is Erik?" Ragnar asks. "We are blind." He then states.
"Tafl." A voice chimes causing all heads to turn. "The game, tafl. The king is positioned at the centre of the pieces. I would say, that tent there, is the King." Aethelwold points to one the big tents located roughly in the centre of the camp.
"From any other mouth it make perfect sense." Finan comments resting an arm on my shoulder as I flinch once again.
"It is perfect sense." Aethelwold hisses.
"I will go in alone." Uhtred claims about to step away from his watch.
"I think you should." Aethelwold agrees without hesitation.
"No, we go in as agreed, together." Ragnar refuses.
"We cannot risk the both of us being killed." Uhtred argues.
"Yes, we can." Ragnar rebukes.
"This is for Alfred. You must save your sword for Kjartan." Uhtred asserts.
"If it is for Alfred, I will go with you." Steapa volunteers.
"And me." Finan says. "It was my bastard plan." He claims.
"And I shall wish you all the best of luck." Aethelwold comments unhelpfully.
"If you get caught?" Brida asks.
"Do nothing." Uhtred says.
Ragnar scoffs at this looking from his brother.
"Ragnar, think only of our blood feud and of Thyra." With that said Uhtred pats his brother on the shoulder and starts walking off to ready.
"I hope you're light on your feet, big man." Finan says following after Uhtred and tapping Steapa on the chest. Before either man can get too far I run after them.
"Be careful, the both of you." I claim, instantly being drenched by the rain, the cold wet feeling familiar as a shiver runs up my body and I wrap my arms around myself.
"I am worried." I state.
"We will be back before you know it." Uhtred says, taking my face between his hands. He puts our foreheads together smiling. I nod slightly, swallowing the lump of nerves in my throat.
When he pulls away he squeezes my shoulders before continuing on to get into positions ready to attack.
I turn to finan. "Be careful." I repeat.
"You don't need to worry about me." He states as I step closer to him water running down my face, my hair already sticking to my skin.
"I'll always worry." I declare.
"I ..." I trail off, looking away from Finan whose dark brown eyes bore into me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable under his gaze, not in a bad way though. It was strange.
"Don't tire yourself out." I then say after a minute. "I will win our fight today." I claim with a hint of a smirk to mask the feelings beginning to stir inside me.
I quickly throw myself at him, taking him in my arms. He laughs at my jest wrapping his arms around me and to be honest it felt right being in his arms. Like my body was made to fit between them.
"Is that a challenge?" He muses pulling away.
"Yes, so you better come back alive." I say placing my hands on my hips.
Finan laughs at me placing his hand on my face and pushing me away. "I am serious, look at these muscles." I continue, flexing my arm and earning more laughs from him.
"Aye, you're a fierce woman, I wouldn't dare go up against you." Finan jests making me laugh as I wrap my arms back around myself.
Looking me in the eyes once more he smiles tenderly. "Go before you catch your death." He gestures with a tilt of his head back towards the shelter.
Nodding I take a few steps back hearing him walking away before I stop and turn back to him.
"Finan..." I call.
"Hmm." He bums over the sound of rain.
"Bydded dy dduw gyda thi. (May your god be with you.)" I wish before turning and walking away.
Once back at the shelter Hild nudges my shoulder with a smile, I laugh under my breath turning to watch everything unfold. Uhtred, Finan and Steapa infiltrate the camp and after a bit of a brawl between one the brothers and Uhtred, who's cut off his hand, they managed to successfully negotiate the brothers' retreat.
~~~
To Be Continued
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