Back in Winchester, not two days after their return, both Khaana and Uhtred found themselves busy. Khaana walked quickly down the halls of the Abbey, avoiding Nuns when she could, but as of now, she was avoiding Father Beocca. He'd been asking her many questions, and she found she was quickly running out of answers for him. Rounding a corner a little too fast, Khaana nearly ran into Young Odda. He looked up at her with wide eyes "L-Lady Messanger. I was looking for you." He stammered in suprise. Khaana was screaming on the inside, "I just want a moment's peace!" her mind shouted.
Khaana straightened her poster and gathered herself, "what can I help you with child?" she asked. "I need council, you see...your Pagan ward is to be handed the girl I love to marry." He confessed. Khaana tilted her head "Oh? I was told nothing of this. Alfred looks to have Uhtred wedded?" She asked. "Yes, I am afraid. She is a good, kind, innocent, virtuous woman of God, Lady. She would not survive marriage to a heathen. She is too good for him" he said speaking in a frantic manner, nearly pleading.
"Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you." He said.
Khaana arched a brow, "and you assume the pagan to be swine, while you bark and roll at your master's feet to be granted praise and a good boy? Should she be as godly as you say, who is to say that the young woman is any better suited to you?" Khaana stated calmly.
" or are you the pig?" she added, "There is a beam in your eye Young Odda, so it first, pluck it free and then concern yourself with the motes you see in the eyes of those around you. See father Beocca, I am sure you will need as much prayer as you can muster in the coming days." Khaana sighed. She brushed past Young Odda to continue on her way before a nun or priest spotted her.
"Left, right, up, down, this way and that. Why is the King's domain filled with holy men and women." Khaana thought to herself as she dodged behind a corner. "but I only just saw her, where could Lady Messanger have gone?" A nun asked a priest.
Khaana ducked behind a tall vase, peering through the leaves of the plant inside.
A chuckle sounded from behind her, "lovely, just what I needed." Khaana thought, she stole a glance back at Leofric. "why are you everywhere?" she asked him in a whisper.
"apparently to save you from a fate worse than death." Leofric laughed. "sshhhh! not so loud." Khaana hushed, dipping lower behind the plant's leaves, "They might hear you..." she said. Leofric chuckled "Scouts have spotted suspicious figures on the road to the city. I was going to look into it with a few of my men. But I think the two of us could be easily enough." Leofric said.
Khaana looked up at him in suspicion. "You wouldn't give me away to those Nuns would you?" she asked. Leofric rose his right hand "on my honor as a soldier, I would not." He said. Khaana took one last peek at the searching Nuns. "alright," she whispered carefully stepping out of her hiding place.
Leofric let Kkhaan walked ahead of him, both running with the idea that he could hide her from the view of the searching nuns.
"Lady Messenger!" the nun called, Khaana shuddered and froze in her steps. "Sorry, sister, our Lady is needed to erm..." Leofric tried to think fast as he turns to look back at the Nuns, "Bless the land surrounding the city, that we may go with god's protection in our endeavors to keep Wessex strong." Leofric said.
"oh," The Nun exhaled, a smile soon jumped on her face as she took an eager step forward, "Then let me and my sisters join her, we will send out prayers and praise to the heavens like an army." She said. Khaana forced a smile, "Thank you, You're willingness will not be forgotten and has surely been seen, however, It is something I must do alone. Sir Leofric is only accompanying me in case there is a threat lurking. The Danes have only just left, and more raids happen by the day. It is not safe for you." Khaana warned and thanked the nuns.
They gave a nod and a bow "as you wish Lady Messenger, God keep you." One said as they turned to leave.
Leofric and Khaana looked to each other and shared a sigh, they'd managed it. "I can't say I envy you." He said with a chuckle.
The side around the Winchester territory was quiet, Khaana's eyes scanned the area but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Leofric eyed Khaana every now and then whilst he thought she wasn't looking. He noticed the corners of her mouth extend downwards in a dramatic curve.
Khaana's eyes flickered to Leofric, "Have you something to say please say it." she said hints of annoyance. Leofric cleared his throat, "You bristle too easily." He said. "I don't like being watched by Pig-Bears." Khaana shot back.
Leofric chuckled, "I'll have you know, I am no pig. I have nice manners." Leofric said, "When I feel like it." he added with a bit of a smirk. " Probably more than a bit of a bear, however." He added. Khaana withheld a bit of a smile, Leofric's brow raised "the corner of your mouth just ticked up for a bit." He pointed out.
Khaana sighed heavily and threw him a long scowl, "didn't you have something to say?" she huffed. "What made you so guarded?" Leofric asked. Khaana ignored the question, "I hope that wasn't it." she spoke flatly. Khaana surveyed the land around them, all still seemed calm.
"No, I was talking to myself. I wanted to ask - Where did you learn to fight with those sticks?" He said.
A fond wistful smile came to Khaana's face, " Somewhere not as far from here as you would imagine and yet a world away." Khaana murmured. "It is mainly a skill called Nguni, though I fight with many skills I have picked up during my time here," Khaana said. " Who were you trained by?" Leofric asked. "One of the strongest warriors I have ever known..." Khaana's smile became forlorn and it started to fade away.
Leofric's eyes caught something glinting across the open hills in the distance, He taller on his horse, stretching his back so that he might see above the hillside. "what is it?" Khaana asked. "Something shimmered, a shield maybe," Leofric said.
Khaana looked out of the horizon, a line was moving slowly across the land. "Do you think they are Danes? or more villagers seeking shelter?" Leofric asked. "only one way to tell, let's get a bit closer." Khaana said, letting Leofric lead the way.
Closer to the line of travelers, Khaana and Leofric lingered out in the open land, from their horses they watched a slow procession of warriors. Leofric drew his sword, "It seems the scout was right." Leofric muttered. Khaana watched the warriors carefully and shook her head, "no," she breathed, "Not altogether, these are not you typical Danes." she said carefully.
Khaana's eyes scanned their armor, their colors, weapons, and what she could see of the faces who were watching herself and Leofric just as closely. "no?" Leofric asked, "they do however come as Vikings. These are not the Danes you know, they are Norsemen." Khaana sighed, "and I don't know if I should tell you to be relieved or worried. Some people say they are willing to negotiate more but are more calculating in battle." Khaana said.
Leofric turned his head and spat, " they're all one and the same to me, my blade knows no difference." He said. "It ought to, knowing your enemy more closely has its advantages, you might find you can turn one enemy into an alley against another one," Khaana said.
"I won't argue that still easier to run them through and be done with it." Leofric sniffed.
"We could probably take on the lot of them just the two of us, about 50 men," Leofric said. Khaana shook her head and pointed, "They travel with wives." She warned, "yeah? and they fight too, what difference does it ma-"
Leofric's words silenced themselves as Khaana pointed, his gaze followed her finger to a warrior grinning from ear to ear as she looked lovingly down at a pale-haired woman, she bore a long ball shaped belly which she stroked gently. "She's with child. They are here because this land seems promising. Likely looking for a place to rest, she's very far along." Khaana said.
"Right, so what do we do?" Leofric sighed, "They see us, we see them. Sheathed your sword, it will let them know they may pass safely." Khaana said, Leofric followed her instructions, "we will follow them for a while, so any scouts Alfred may have out will know they mean no harm." she added. with a light clicking of her heels, she started her horse into motion, the two of them trailing behind the Norsemen at a lazy pace.
"You're sure this won't come back to bite us in the arse, Lady?" Leofric asked. "I am sure." Khaana said, "Dane, Norse, Rus, they are both the same and very different." she said. "aren't they all called Norsemen, lady?" Leofric asked. "yes, it will be easier for you to remember their differences, by parting the terms." Khaana said, releasing a long sigh Khaana fixed her eyes back to the warriors, "and you will need to learn a lot about them, all of them. If your people want to stand a chance." Khaana said.
Leofric held a large frown on his face, "Nah, this doesn't feel right." he muttered, his eyes scanning the large group of warriors. "how so?" Khaana asked, "I see nothing out of the ordinary. they are being passive." she said. "Why so many, if they're just touching land, looking for a place to settle and why so few women. so far inland," Leofric murmured.
Leofric looked to the woman with child, she looked slightly frantic as something dropped at her feet, she and the warrior who was the proud father to be nearly stepped over it "Hey!" Leofric called pointing, The woman's stomach was now flat, and at her feet lay an around woven basket.
Khaana gasped, "damn" She whispered, Leofric drew his sword, from the corner of Khaana's eye she could see something move to their left. "Lady move!" Leofric shouted.
The arrow struck deep into Khaana's side, she let out a hiss, her hand sliding over the wound to put pressure on the bleed, the shaft of the arrow between her fingers. Leofric grabbed the reigns of his horse, ready to rush them. "Hold!" Khaana called to him raising her hand into the air.
She glared at the group f warriors as they brandished weapons and shields. "But-"
"I said Hold," Khaana said with a shaky breath. she looked straight into the eyes of the Norse couple, who would seem to have been their leaders. Her gaze was cold as she sat as upright as she could manage on her horse.
With little emotion on her face, Khaana called an illusion around herself and Leofric. Leofric's pulse quickened as he noticed a pack of shadowy black wolves gathering around them, first, there were five, that five turned into fifteen and fifteen to thirty, and the shades covered the land surrounding them.
Leofric eyed the odd sounds cautiously and then, like a dark wave they swept over the warriors, Leofric could hear snarls and screams. the wolves cut through the warriors quickly, some wolves were slain and their bodies vanished in wisps of black vapor. Eventually, the remaining warriors fled.
Leofric looked over the bodies of men strewn across the grass, they had clearly been mauled, he had seen it with his own eyes. And yet, there was no blood around the bodies, they lay with wide horrified eyes the hounds vanished leaving no tracks.
Exhaling Leofric shook his head, "Forgive me Lady, but that did not feel holy." He said quietly, turning a cautious eye to Khaana. "Maybe not, maybe it wasn't, the wolf holds a special place to any Dane, no matter where they hail from. It is vicious, smart and where there is one there is likely many others. It sent them a message." Khaana said, her voice nearly purring as she turned a coy eye to Leofric, "and am I not a messenger?" she hummed.
Leofric shivered at the dark glint in her eye, Khaana turned her gaze to the bodies, "they thought they would trick us, and they used our kindness against them. You will fool me only once and then never again." Khaana spoke in a near growl. "I see...Messenger, not Angel." Leofric said tearing his eyes away from Khaana and to the bodies.
"I will tell Alfred to send someone to clear the field of the bodies," Leofric said.
Khaana urged her horse forward, "I have got a better idea." she said.
Uhtred sat with Leofric at the tavern, this had become a nightly ritual for the both of them. The truth was both warriors liked each other's company more than their egos would allow them to say out loud. "you're drinking a lot more than usual tonight," Uhtred said, Leofric glanced up to see the amused smile on the young warriors face, "I should say so." Leofric grumbled.
"You're sure Khaana is a holy messenger?" Leofric questioned. Uhtred shrugged "It is what she says, and I believe he she raised me." said in half-truths, Uhtred then smirked, "Did something happen?" He asked. Leofric pushed his mug of ale away and flagged down one of the barmaids to order another. "She called an army of wolves, and they ran through fifty some-odd warriors like it wasn't nothing." Leofric said.
Uhtred laughed quietly, "Did they look like shadows, leaving their field of victory?" He asked. Leofric looked at him and sat taller in his chair, "You've seen- she's done this before?" He asked. Uhtred gave a loud chuckle. "Look at you as white as a ghost over a few hounds that fought on your side. I have seen thing far scarier." Uhtred said.
"They didn't leave any markings on the bodies. I'm not scared." Leofric whispered leaning forward, "If I was to tell anyone else they'd have me hauled away and claimed mad." he said. Sitting back in his chair he took the fresh mug from the barmaid, quickly guzzling it. "I'm going to have to explain to Alfred about the surprise down at the shore at some point. only a matter of time before someone sees it and worries." Leofric muttered.
"Surprise down at the shore?" Uhtred questioned.
"she hacked them up...and laid them in some sort of symbol...flayed a man open right down his middle and hung him up in the nearby trees. a warning she said." Leofric murmured. Uhtred smiled, "she is sending a message to would-be raiders, that they should be afraid." He said. "the wolves let them know they are being watched and can be hunted."
Leofric slowly set down his mug, "so the bitch is pagan after all." He gasped. "you will not call her that." Uhtred said his eyes narrowing, "She might have saved you today." He warned. Leofric shrugged, "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just mad I've been walking around calling her Lady when she's little more than a pagan witch." Leofric grumbled. "She's a lot more than that." Uhtred said, "The honest truth of it? No one knows what she is, not even Ragnar...and he's plowed her." Uhtred said guzzling down the rest of his ale.
Leofric lowered his mug and cast Uhtred a look, "think I stand a chance to?" He asked. Uhtred spit out his drink in a series of coughs. "Not in this life or the next," Yhtred said in a fit of laughing. Leofric shrugged, "had to ask, her not being holy and all...could be interesting." He said. Uhtred shook his head, "If she likes it or not, she is spoken for. She and my brother Ragnar are bound, there is no breaking it." Uhtred said.
"Does she have any sisters?" Leofric asked.
"Stop it, or I will tell her you asked," Uhtred warned. "and she may hang you from the trees as a warning."