We rode all day, I on the ass end of the horse. My body was sore, and it was not a particularly smooth ride, but my feet were grateful for the break regardless. The sun was warm on my skin, but the air held a chill that brought gooseflesh.
Further into the evening hours I began to shiver.
Uhtred offered me his furs and I was happy to take them. The men chatted amongst themselves about everything from women to enemies to crude jokes. I was not privy to most of the information they spoke upon, but it passed the time. I began to feel more at ease the more time I spent with them. I still didn't know the name of the third man, and he was mostly silent aside from the occasional chuckle or small comment.
After dark, we finally stopped among the trees for the night, near a stream. Uhtred helped me off his horse and started tasking us with a checklist of items to do to prepare camp. He gave me to task of finding kindling and getting a pot of water for tea. This was easy work, of course, I had done it before.
I gathered an armful of sticks and returned them to camp, dropping them next to where man number 3 was building the framework for a campfire. I left again, taking careful steps down to the water's side, I did not want to fall into the icy water. It was dark, only the moon reflected on the water's surface giving me its approximate location. After a few tries I was able to get a good scoop of water, and headed back to camp with my bounty.
I sat the water pot on the edge of the campfire, now just beginning to spark to life. Finan had laid out our bedrolls, and Uhtred returned from the nearby trees, empty handed and began shuffling through his saddle bag. Man number 3 began to feed the fire little by little.
Uhtred approached the fire and put his hands out to warm them. "I could not find fresh meat," he sighed, "but I have some dried meat we can share, and herbs for tea. It will have to do."
I nodded. It was better than what I had yesterday which was nothing.
In time the water was boiling and Uhtred put some of the herbs into it as he removed it from the heat, stirring it once or twice with a stick. He produced a small wad of cloth from his pocket and opened it, revealing a few thin slices or unknown meat. He broke two of the slices in half and passed all but one to man number 3 who passed one to me and another to Finan before biting into the last one.
Uhtred wrapped the remaining strip of meat in the cloth and put it back into his pocket.
Everyone was silent, which seemed weird in contrast to how chatty they had been during the ride. I caught man number 3 eyeing me and I gave him a look back. He did not divert his eyes.
"What?" My tongue finally felt like more than a lump.
"I do not trust you," he said," We meet few Danes worth meeting out here."
Uhtred chuckled. "Sihtric, she is a victim. She is not here to assassinate us in her nighclothes, she does not even have a weapon."
Sihtric sighed and nodded to Uhtred, but his eyes remained hard. "As you say, lord."
"Now, let us have tea and rest," Uhtred reached for the tea and took a sip from the pot, smiled, then passed it to Finan who did not take a sip, but held it a moment as he looked into the flames. Sihtric took the tea from his hand and took a bigger sip before passing it to me. I sipped it slowly, then took one larger sip before Uhtred reached for it again. We went around like this a few times until it was all gone.
It was superbly quiet that night, the winter had sent the bugs to hideaway until spring and the breeze creaked through the barren branches of the forest. The fire crackled and we breathed softly. Those were the only sounds to be heard.
"Thank you for taking me in," I break the silence.
"We could not rightly leave you there in your state," Uhtred said.
I nodded. "Well, I was lost in the forest. For days I think. My mind was not right. For a moment I thought I was in Niflheim. I was wandering the dark cold forest, unable to die. And then I saw your camp.."
Finan looked at me sadly. "What happened, love?"
"Oh, Finan, she will share when she is ready," Uhtred reassured.
"It does not do me well to hold onto it," I sighed, "I will share my story with you." I sat up a little straighter and looked into the fire. "They came at night and slaughtered everyone that would not join them. My brother did not join them and nor did my father.. and nor did I. We gathered with the others and fought back, but.." I trailed off. "My brother, my father.. both feast in Valhalla. If only I were so lucky." I left out the part about my capture, his attempts to pup me, and the eventual escape. It didn't feel pertinent at the moment, and I didn't want to seem weak to these capable men.
"Jesus," Finan said after a long silence.
"I am sorry for your brother and your father. I have lost mine as well. This pain does not subside," Uhtred prodded at the fire with a stick as he spoke.
"He has my axe," I said.
Uhtred looked at me, understanding in his face. "Aaand you plan to reclaim it?"
I nodded. "And use it to remove Erik's head."
"Why did Erik Ubbason take your town? For its resources? It's location?" Uhtred asked.
"I do not know," I responded, recalling the slaughter and the senseless brutality. "But he must die. That axe was made for me by my father. It is meant for my hands only."
Uhtred nodded. "Very well. We will assist you in this quest."
"Lord, why would we do that?" Sihtric asked apprehensive.
"It was not so long ago we did the same for ourselves, unless your memory fails you, Sihtric."
"It does not, lord," Sihtric stated, "but this is not that. We had personal reasons of our own for our quest of vengeance." He nods his head in my direction. "We do not know her, or if she speaks the truth. It could be a trap to lure you out."
Uhtred smiled. "A trap? A rather poor one I would think. No, if it were a trap Erik would have attacked by now. That is if he truly is his father's son."
"A bastard son," Finan said jokingly.
"Who is Ubba?" I interuppted.
Uhtred dropped the stick into the fire. "A man I killed some time ago."
"Or maybe he is a bigger fool than his father," Sihtric quipped.
"Are you fucking serious?" I snapped at him, heat crept up my neck. "Why would I lie about this? You have no idea what I went through to survive."
Sihtric bit his cheek, saying nothing for a few moments. "No, I do not." I couldn't tell if he was challenging me or agreeing with me, and he didn't spend the words elaborating.
Uhtred laughed again and Finan snorted, like they were sharing an old joke.
"Let's just get to Rumcofa, then we will decide the rest," Uhtred said. He said this as if "the rest" he spoke of was already decided, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Anger pushed through me and I needed to move. I needed to move further away from Sihtric and his snide remarks and mistrusting gaze. My eyes burned with tears, and my throat tightened. Panic spread across my chest like a wildlife, burning its path towards the center. I stood carefully, and walked into the woods, back near the stream as nonchalantly as possible.
Once at the bank of the stream, I sat down, grasping my face in my hands and sobbed. I sobbed for everything lost. My family, my virginity, my axe, my home. It was all gone. I tried to be silent, but I was soon assured that I was not.
The Irishman suddenly appeared, and sat beside me. He didn't say anything, but his presence was comforting enough by itself. I tried to reel myself back in, pushing the panic back as much as I could so he wouldn't see the full extent of it.
"I am fine," I half sobbed.
"You are not, and that's all right."
"My axe.." it was all I could think about now. The only thing that was still attainable from my previous life.
"Hey, we will get your axe back," he said softly, "and don't worry about Sihtric, he's always suspicious. He's a damn good spy, and loyal as a dog, but he does not trust easy."
I swiped at my cheeks as he spoke. "I am not worried about him, but he suggests I was anything less than terrorized by Erik. It was.. I thought I would be discarded, but he kept coming back.."
Understanding passed over Finan's face. "Oh. Oh, Red."
I didn't say anything more. Eventually I stopped crying and after a few moments Finan stood and offered his hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. We walked back to camp and I went straight to my bedroll and laid down, falling asleep almost instantly.
The next morning came fast and went just as fast. Before long it was midday again and this time Finan was able to get a few rabbits as we rode, dinner was secured, and my stomach longed for the evening so we could be eating it already.
It didn't seem that Finan had betrayed my secret, for whatever reason, or if he had no one cared. Sihtric still watched my every move, and Uhtred was still the same. Their gazes betrayed nothing, so I could only assume that he didn't tell them. That was a relief, at least.
"We will camp one more night," Uhtred said over his shoulder, "and tomorrow we will he there. You may stay in my home until we find you something better."
"You have my gratitude." And I meant it. If it were not for happening upon them, I would surely be dead.
Uhtred only nodded his reply.