New Shores ➳ The Last Kingdom | Finan the Agile (The Northman's Daughter 1)

FREED

Shaylee felt as if she was detached from her body as she saw Finan standing in the tent entrance. He stood there, frozen to a pillar of salt, staring at her.

"What have they done to you?" he stammered faintly and slowly approached her. Shaylee said nothing; she just watched him coming closer, never letting him out of her sight. She knew that he was here to rescue her. But she could not shake the haunted feeling. And as Finan dropped to his knees before her and reached out to touch her cheek, she flinched. As best as she could, she slid away from him. For a fraction of a second, Finan looked startled and slightly offended, but then he quickly raised his hands and backed away a little.

"Shaylee, take it easy. It is me, Finan. You know me. I won't hurt you," whispered Finan and looked at her with this mixture of pity and offence. Shaylee could barely stand his expression and turned her gaze away.

"I'm going to take off the shackles on your wrists, okay?" Finan asked quietly after a few minutes of silence. Shaylee just nodded slightly, and Finan began to release the restraints with slow movements. Then he asked, "And now the ankle ropes, okay?" He waited again for Shaylee to nod, and only then did he start to unknot the rough ropes from her ankles. As these ropes also fell off her, Finan stepped back a little. He seemed to understand that he had to take it slow with Shaylee. That she would need time. He only looked at her. Shaylee felt his gaze rest on her but could not look at him herself. She simply could not bear the horrified look on his face. Finally, Finan gently asked her, "Do you want to get out of here?"

Shaylee nodded hesitantly. Something about the idea of leaving this tent scared her. She knew she had no reason to stay in the tent even a minute longer than necessary. If she was in her right mind, she should have run out of the tent as soon as she was free of her shackles. But something held her back in this tent. Even though she had been held captive here. Even tormented. She had spent some of her worst hours in this very tent. Yet, the unknown outside of the tent frightened her. But she knew that she had to leave. So, she forced herself to nod at Finan and tried to get up. She had difficulties getting up and probably would have made it if it hadn't been for Finan, who helped her.

"Can you walk?" he asked her timidly.

Shaylee wanted to nod, but then her legs bent under her, and she would have fallen down if Finan hadn't caught her. Now he picked her up like a child and carried her out of the tent.

He talked to her all the way into town, reassuring her. While Shaylee hid her face in his shoulder. The sun blinded her, and she did not want to look into the faces of the people who looked at her, shocked and pitiful. In Ceaster, Finan brought her to her uncle's house and laid her on the bed in her old room. He stayed with her until Uhtred stormed through the door and rushed to Shaylee's bed.

Shaylee looked distraught at the man, who looked terrifying. He was covered in blood, and a deep cut was made across his cheek. As his gaze glided across Shaylee's battered body, his look became even angrier.

"I swear he'll pay for this," he reached for Shaylee's hand, and Shaylee suppressed the reflex to pull her away. He would not hurt her. But Shaylee just found it hard to allow physical contact with anyone.

"How are you?" Uhtred asked her gently and scrutinised her closely.

Shaylee opened her mouth, she really wanted to answer him, but she couldn't make a sound. Her lower lip began to tremble, and Shaylee averted her gaze. She didn't want to cry; she wanted to show them that she was still strong. But there was nothing she could do to stop tears rising to her eyes. Uhtred seemed to understand and gently patted her hand: "It's all right. You just get some rest. I'll have a healer come to you."

As he stood up, he exchanged a look with Finan and then said, "You're staying with her?! Finan nodded quickly, "I won't leave her side."

He really did not. Finan stayed with her as she hung gagging over a bowl and vomited blood. He stroked her back as she was shaken by cramps and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.