Khaana nuzzled the little Uhtred awake as Ragnar and Ubba's men worked to clear the battle field of their prisoners. The boy awoke with a start, "easy Osmund...you are safe." She said speaking to hiss mind.
"Thats not my name! I am Uhtred son of Uhtred!" He shouted. Khanna's canine ears twitched a bit and her tail swished in amusement "oh look at thepuppy bark - you are Osmund to me." She said. Uhtred lunged forward and hid his face in her fur. Khaana sighed. "The name my father gave you...what is your real name?" He muffled into her large neck.
"I am Khaana, and you are mine now. You've nothing to fear." She whispered. Giving the boy a nudge Khanna stooped down and Uhtred climbed atop her back. He gave a long loud sniffle "you're reaaally big for a magical dog." He said.
Khaana gave a smooth chuckled "or your terribly small for a mortal boy." She said. "Shall I call you runt then?" She asked. "No!" Uhtred gasped. Khaana chuckled some more and padded up to where Young Ragnar waited for her.
"No away from them! They-" Uhtred called to Khaana quietly. Khaana gave a soft whine "I am sorry - but I am theirs." She said. "Traitor!" Uhtred shouted. But he was more afraid of the great big Dane just ahead of them. And Khaana did say she would keep him safe. He had no one and wanted to trust her.
"Ubba wants the boy as his prisoner." Ragnarson said to Khaana. She growled and he cracked a smile "do not look at me like that - I said he wants him. My father and old Ravn won't allow it. Ravn has claimed him." Ragnarson said.
Khaana snorted "he is mine, you tell your father and grand father the pup is mine." She said.
"I would, but my father owns you, i doubt they'll listen to their slave's demands." Ragnarson muttered. Khaana leered at him "their Immortal slave. I may have been cast down and placed under watch of you dying humans but remember what I -can- do." Khaana snarled.
"I didn't mean -" Ragnarson fumbled over his words. "Mine" Khaana said slowly. "Yours. I will tell them." He sighed, with those words Ragnarson started his horse off and Khaana followed. "Where are we going?" Uhtred whispered to her. "To the mead hall." Khaana replied she gave a heavy sigh "They wish to celebrate, I warn you the things you will see they arent fit for a pup. Look away if you must, however you'll need to get used to it. This is what you will see often." Khaana warned.
"What will I see?" Uhtred asked.
A man hollered as he was being drug through the night by the wrists, wrist bound by a rope that was tied to a horse. A horse running wild. Uhtred cringed slightly at the mans yells of pain. But he wasn't yelling alone from inside the mead hall women were wailing and men shouting in victory.
Uhtred gripped Khaana's fur as he waljed next to her looking aroubd him as she and Ragnar the elder lead him to old Ravn on the second level loft.
"An old man?" Uhtred whispered to her. "Yes, but be careful - the old goat is sharp, but kind." Khaana spoke back to him. Khaana stopped just short of the fur ladden chair of which Ravn sat. "I know your there, I can smell dog. My grandson has told me your demand." Ravn said carefully.
He was one of the few who showed Khaana the respect entitled to her.
"I will think on it. For now - he is my prisoner. You may buy him from me if you wish." Ravn said. Khaana was less than pleased to hear this, she wasnt allowed enough free roam to make silver. She was barely permitted to walk around in her true form. Even if she could enter cities far off or work for Danes from other clans, it would hard to get paid or do any job as an animal.
"Leave us, I want to talk to the boy and I am sure young Ragnar wants your attention." Ravn said with a hidden chuckle. Khaana paused and looked towards Uhtred "dont let the old goat scare you runt." She said to him before decending down the steps.
"Cut me some chicken, put it on the plate." Ravn said. Uhtred paused and got a ggood look at Ravn's eyes. He carefully placed the chicken on the plate "Khaana says he is kind." Uhtred told himself slidding the plate acrosss the small table. "Your chicken is just there." He called. Ravn reached out and took the chicken from the plate stuffing a bit into his mouth.
Uhtred could feel his belly burning, he had not eaten since early that morning and now the stars were out.
"Have you always been blind?" Uhtred asked Ravn, it was loud in the mead hall with wails and screams, he wanted something to drown them out. From the corner of his eye he could Khaana. Sitting at a young Dane's side while he held a unenthusiastic conversation with an older dark haired Dane. who outsized him sideways.
"Please excuse me Guthrum, but I must see that the hound gets walked, she is only half tamed after all." Ragnarson said with a dry tone. Khaana gave a canine grin and went to lead the way out of the mead hall. "Are you her master? Or is she yours?" Guthrum mocked. Ragnarson rolled his eyes and chose not to answer.
The two walked far into the night, into the trees to higher hills until they reached the cliffs of the shore. Khaana took to her true form and looked out over the waves. "Are you fairing well?" Ragnarson asked after letting the silence linger aa bit.
"You don't like death...this was why you were cast down right? You displeased your masters. A war elf not built for war?" He questioned. Yes, that was the story she had fed him a year prior. Surely the truth he and his kin would have rejected.
One thing was true, while perfectly built for war - death was not her field.
"You misunderstand my silence. I am merely doing what I must to gain back my freedom and hunt down the bloodline of the man who took my wings from me." Khaana spoke out into the direction of the sea.
"I promised you and I mean it, we will find him-them." Ragnarson assured her. He took off his fur cloak and dropped it over her shoulders. "We will take England and then the gods will grant you back your full power and your wings - the ones that spineless king took from you." He added.
Khaana chuckled, Ragnarson had a way of talking that made her easily believe hia intentions were true. But she knew the actual task to be impossible. A pantheon she didnt serve couldn't help her. She was born fallen and would remain so, the one thing that could lift her near her true home , cut from her back. All the hope she had now was in vengence.
As khaana stood quietly, Ragnarson reached out and strokedd her hair. He shifted it to the side and nuzzled his nose to her cheek. Khaana hadn't realized he had walked so close to her. She smirked "you're such a child." She murmured as he cuddled her, hidding his face down in her neck as he held her.
"You've got my furs and I am cold. You're warm and this is comfortable." He said with a goofy smile. "And the runt thinks you a great big mean Dane." Khaana teased. "Is he wrong?" Ragnarson questioned.
Khaana pulled away from him and turned her head to look in his eyes. "I do not know - you're smaller than your father, Ubba and Guthrum, have less beard and have seen less war." She said.
Ragnarson scowled "Im not smaller, they're fat and Ubba is a giant. Im swifter...and I will see more war." He said. Khaana chuckled quietly "I need to check on my runt." She said shaking him free of her. "Dont I get my furs back?" Ragnarson called after her as she left "no I need them." She said.
On her return back to the mead hall Khaana walked in as a hound. Dragging with ger the fur cloak. She carefully avoided the boddies of dead prisoners that lay about and headed for the stairs to the loft. Ravn was below talking with Ragnar the elder.
"Youre back!" Uhtred gasped scuttling over to her. "I am indeed. See the old goat isn't so bad is he?" She said to him. Uhtred ahook his head. "He says im his prisoner and that he will let me live because because he needs to keep you from bitting at his ankles" Uhtred giggled.
Khaana gave a canine smirk "how true. But you are mine no matter what he says." She said. Uhtred tried to hide a yawn, he was the elderman on Northumbria now, he had to be tough infront of these Danes and that meant showing no weakness.
Khaana nudged the side of his head with her nose "hey thats cold!" Uhtred called. "Rest, there in that corner. Are some pillows and furs." She instructed. "I am fine" Uhtred protested. "you are exhuasted, and I wasn't asking runt." She said, after Uhtred refused to move Khana started to push him towards the small circular cluster of bedding with the flat top of her head.
"H-hey!" He called flopping down into the bedding. Khaana stood over him with a victorious glint in her eyes. "Thats a good runt" she said, she pulled the cloak over him. "Stay, I am going to check on some things" she said.
Her ears picked up on a soft grumble that came from Uhtred's belly. His ears turned pink with embarrassment and he hopped she did not hear. Khaana could see the boy was trying to be strong and avoided teasing him about it for now. She turned to leave "and gather some things." She sighed.
Uhtred watched her go, the bedding had a strange sent of fall leaves, burned fire wood and ash like Khaana's fur. The warmth and softness around him was quickly making his eyelids heavy. "Sleep" Khaana's voice echoed in his mind.
"Wwalking around as a godforsaken mut" Khaana muttered to herself as she padded through the Mead Hall. "At the very least it comes in handy for something." She sighed. Stopping before Guthrum she sat down and looked up at him. "What?" He asked her. Khaana's eye flickered to his plate of food, specificy the small leg of fowl.
"No." He said, Khaana tilted her head and perked up her ears. "I said no mut." He grumbled, she tilted her head the otherway "and throw him the confused puppy look." She thought to herself as she did it. Guthrum sighed and picked up the leg, Khaana wagged her tail and took it by the very tip of the bone and walked off.
Her eyes caught on a small little creature, covered in dirt and dust and dressed in rags. She was huddled alone in the corner. No older than 10 or 11 years old silently watching the celebrations calm down.
Setting it on a small cloth she managed to carry it there in and moved on to Storri, Ubba's sorcerer. He'd give her just about anything she wanted, believing she was the actual property and pet of the gods entrusted to them. "Hungry are you?" He asked her. Khaana wagged her tail. "Very well but shhh, dont tell Ubba." Storri said while dropping scraps of mutton and ham into her cloth carrier.
Khaana walked off pleased with herself. Ragnarson watched her from were he sat talking with a few other Danes. He laughed inwardly at her and shook his head, watching her head back up the steps.
Khanna dropped the cloth before were Uhtred slept and went to the railing of the loft, peeking through she spotted the girl. But she has since curleed into a ball and went to sleep. "Let her rest a moment" Khaana told herself. She lowered her body to the ground and laid there keeping an eye on the child below and ears on the child behind her.
Silence had fallen over the Hall, the fires faded out, the warriors passed out about the place. Khaana's ears perked as she got to her feet. Looking around carefully she took to her true form. Placing a handful of the food she had gathered on to a second cloth. Trying to stoop down so no one would see her.
"Bad idea old girl." She told herself reverting back to her hound form , cloth bag in tow as she padded down the steps.
The little girl was still in the corner, Khaana nudged her gently and she stirred.
The little girl gasped in fear and backed away from the large dog it easily made two of her. Khaana waged her tail slowly, it was always hard for humans to fear a swishing fluffy tail. Khaana dropped the cloth carrier revealing the food.
The little girl glanced at it and then back to Khaana. Little by little she inched closer. Once in reach she snatched up a few slices of ham and ate them hungrily. Khaana laid down on her side, her back to the child as she watch the rest of the room.
The little girl watched the large hound cautiously while she ate. Once the food was gone she inched her way back to Khaana and carefully patted the dogs head. "Good girl" Khaana thought but she did not speak to the girl, she was far to skittish and she didn't want to scare her more than she already was.
Uhtred stirred awake, his eyes landing unfocused on the food left on a piece of cloth, sitting up slowly he gathered it up in his hands and looked around. Seemed as though everyone had passed out in place, where was Khaana?
Uhtred made for the steps as quietly as he could. Spotting Khaana sitting with a little girl in the corner. "Over hear" Khaana spoke to him, without a word Uhtred went to them. The little girl was now huddled into Khaana's fur, Uhtred at at the girls side. As if by instinct the girl took his hand, Uhtred didn't mind, it was nice knowing he wasn't the only one caught up with these strange danes.
Uhtred ate with his free hand while he and the girl gazed out over the sea of Danes. "Her name is Brida. She - doesnt talk much, yet." Khaana spoke to Uhtred. Uhtred look over to Brida "my names Uhtred, Brida." He said, Brida turned to look at him confused. "How did you...know my name?" She whispered. Khaana chuckled inwardly. "Khaana told me." Said Uhtred.
Brida blinked a few times "Khaana?" She asked. Uhtred nodded towards the great hound. "She's magic - and will keep us safe." He said. Brida gave him a strange look, "maybe he got knocked on the head." She though to herself, either way being with Uhtred as better than being alone.