Night was soon to fall across the lands, the sky turned a bright orange and the stars started to wake as the sun slipped ever so slowly behind the horizon.
"Khaana the water is cold." Uhtred protested as he stood looking at the steady river. Khaana scowled "you need to bath Osbert, Brida is ...Brida and may not be a proper lady, but she is still a woman, boy- and you will not court her smelling like goat." Khaana said.
"I don't smell like goat, I've washed this morning." Uhtred muttered.
And before he could so much as breathe, a loud splash was muted by the sound of water rushing into his ears.
Uhtred quickly surfaced and scowled towards a large black steed who was shaking her head about in amusement.
"Khaana!" He barked. Khaana gave a long snort and pawed at the ground "you should know better than to defy what I tell you, pup." She spoke to his mind.
Uhtred narrowed his eyes "only a few more minutes, do not sulk. I will not have you meet her smelling like you did." Khaana said. Uhtred found that protesting was pointless, he was already in the water.
"Am not a boy anymore." He muttered. "You certainly still act like it though, don't you." Khaana replied in a bored tone. She turned her back to Uhtred and cantered away "you don't meet a woman unless you are at your best - remember that, Osbert." She called back behind her.
Noon had fallen and the cliffside shore was filled with a fluttering laughter that nearly drowned out the sound of crashing waves and the thunder of hooves. "Did you see the look of Eluf as we tore across his crops?" Thyra giggled.
Khaana's hoof lost its footting and she tumbled. Thyra screamed and giggled as she landed on a large furry hound. Khaana chuckled deeply as Thyra hid her face in the fur on her neck - in a fit of giggles.
Her laughter faded and she nuzzled her face into Khaana's neck. "I'll miss you once I leave." Thyra mummbled. Khaana shook her head "you will only be across the field." Khaana said.
"Its not the same. Who else will chase the wolves away, if you, Uhtred and Brida are gone?" Thyra asked Khaana. Khaana looked down at the redhaired woman with wild eyes.
From all directions came soft howls and barks, Thyra looked through the tree line feet away, eyes and shadows weaving through the trees. "You will find Thyra, wolves arent so different from hounds." Khaana said.
Thyra slowly found herself surrounded by canines who looked to share the same wolfish breeding as Khaana. Thyra reached out and pet one as they flocked to her. "Are these yours?" Thyra asked. Khaana gave a canine smile "no, these are yours." Khaana said to which Thyra beamed.
Night was aproaching swiftly across the quiet lands on England. Khaana had escorted Thyra back to Earl Ragnar's longhouse and went back into the forests. With Ragnar the younger gone, she was the main hunter and took up watch of the lands as there was less protection for the family.
Alone she took her true form, dark eyes peering through the darkening night, shadows falling around her like a curtain.
Her ears prickled at the sound of snapping twigs and the stumps if her wings twitched against her fur cloak. A grimace slipped arcross her face, soldiers and not of the Danish make were romping through Ravnson's woods.
Turning on her heel Khaana focused in the men's direction, ready to attack. "Stop!" Kjartan hissed, he reached out and tried to grasp Khaana from aroubd her back.
With a swift kick she knocked him to the ground. Khaana by instinct went to kick away his blade - however...
"I have not drawn it. I am here to buy time and protect my investment, not to fight with an immortal." Kjartan spoke quickly.
"Buy time, fool, what is it you are planning?" She asked. Kjartan smiled like a wily snakeand Khaana glared, leaving him were he lay she ran for apot od which Uhtred had planned on meeting qith Brida.
Kjartan waited a moment before getting to his feet, he chuckled silently. It had worked, now he'd only to meet with Lord Aelfric and hia men back at the Long house.
Khaana arrived at the site of the bonfire, it was dark and the two were nowhere to be found. "What?" Khaana whispered, kneeling before the doused fire she pressed a finger into the muddied ash.
Warm.
Khaana rose to her feet and spotted the horses had been left behind. Her pulse quickened, closing her eyes she tried to feel them, yet before she could focus a pain like a hot coal through her chest nearly knocked Khaana off her feet.
She gave a long stricken sigh as she clutched her chest. Her skin started to blacken, redden and blister. Khaana looked down upon herself in bewilderment, it was as if....
The faint but growing scent of smoke tickled her nose, turning she ran for Ravnson's lands. As she ran her body burned more, unseen flames wraping around her body. Her legs shook as if to give way from under her.
The a giant blaze taubting her between the trees as it grew closer pressed her rage and moved her forward. Reaching the treeline she could see them, English Soldiers squaring off with a man engulfed in flames.
Khaana broke through the trees, in doing so her great wolf form burst into flame, she bended the minds of the men and spread visions of a pack on fire. Fur and skin melting as they tore and scartched at steel armor that seemed like brittle rusty iron.
The men screamed and squealed at the sound of demented howls and the smell of scorched game . worms craweled out of the canines' burn wounds and the air held the stench if death.
As the burning man finally fell to the ground, hand still clutching to his blade, fingers melted shut and blackened around the hilt, Khaana stood over him. Still breathing, struggling through closed airways. Khaana gave a long low whine ann stretched her large Maw around Earl Ragnar's neck.
Shutting her eyes tight, she snapped her jaw closed and felt thick rancid liquid coat her mouth and hia breathing stopped.
Khaana tossed back her head and gave a howl that shook the trees. Brida grasped Uhtred's arm as they watched from the shadow of the woods. "No!" She called in a hushed panic, pulling a struggling Uhtred back to her.
Wraping her arms around his, Brida used her body weight to hold him in place. "She needs us!" Uhtred called. "Alive, she needa us alive - going now is stupid. Let her rage do the work." Brida advised, her voice cracking slightly
"You men of England?" Khaana growled, bensing their minds more she doubled the siE of her wolf form. The burning wolves turning into scortched hands reaching for the soldiers as if to drag thwm beneath the dirt.
"Your God hath forsaken you, and I am Hel and I shall take you!" Khaana roared, pillers of ice jutted out of the ground and flames slithered from the cracks in their wake.
The men saw each other impaled or burning, maby fled. Kjartan backed away slowly from were he stood. He'd not expected this - not this, Hel? Surely not the creature Khaana assumed many names - but he would not risk it.
"We need to go and return later." Kjartan whispered to lord Aelfric. With that thw two men fled to their horses.
Khaana watched as the men fell dead hearts giving way in their chests due to the horrifying nature of the visions. "Khaana!" Uhtred called to Khaana's mind. It was the first time he'd been able to reach her thoughts without her help.
Khaana looked up and towarda the trees, silver liquid streamed from her eyes. "Come on, its me. Me and Brida - come on we need to leave!" He called. Khaana looked back at the burning long house and with a. Howl she vanished.
Uhtred gasped and looked about, but saw nothing.
"Where did she go-"
Brida nearlt screamed as a scorched figure apeared beside her. "Lead the way." Khaana said, voice hoarse and crackling. "K-khaana?" Brida stammered reaching out to touch her red distorted arm. "Leave me ..it will heal, now move!" Khaana ordered. Uhtred gulped but nodded as he took lead.
Thrya's eyes scanned the blazing scene in panic, she bit the hand of her captor so that she might scream. "Khaana!" She called frantic, "Khaana! Come back! I am here!" She shouted. But the large wolf had not returned.
Across the sea Ragnar Ragnarsson awoke with a start as his bed chamber felt unnaturally warm, coughing lightly as if a film coated hia lungs. Getting up he wandered out into the main hall of the former lords home and drew water from the drinking trench they had built there.
Looking down at his arm a single bubble started to rise in his skin. Slightly alarmed Ragnarsson slapped at it, and it vanished.
He took his cup and poured out the water, filling it instead with ale as hr wandered outside. He cast his eyea up to the sky and grimaced. There was a sour feeling turning in his core and he did not like it.
Meanwhile" dawn would break soon in England. Khaana sat in the dirt, in the woods at the old fort where Thyra, Uhtred and Brida used to play as children. She closed her eyes and tried to rid her mind of racing thoughts while her burns healed slowly.
The silver streams from her eyes now properly hidden with a red hue. Uhtred and Brida kbelt vefore Khaana. Uhtred lightly touched her hand "they're real, like before." He said.
"I took some of the Burden from Earl Ragnar... And put it to good use. I will be fine - Osbert." Khaana said, her words labored and quiet. Brida silently look a piece of cloth from her bag and sprinkeled the cotenta from her waterskin onto it.
"Move." She told Uhtred, bruahing past him she startes to wipe away the blood teara from Khaana's face.
Had Khaana had the strength she might have smiled, if the burns on her cheeks would allow movement.
Brida sniffled as she wiped the last but of blood away. Uhtred sat at Khaana's side, reating his head on her shoulder, Brida timidly took to the otherside and did the same.
It was a heavy and bitter silence, even the nature of the foreat stood quiet. Uhtred gazed blankly at the trees before him. He gripped Khaana's healing hand in both of his hands before hiddingnhua face in her melted hair.
His shoulders shook lightly, Brida refused to weep, not yet. Ratger Brida rose Khaana's arm over her shoulders and huddled closer, reaching across Khaana to hold the hands which clutched Khaana's hand.
Vrida listened to the beating of Khaana's heart and felt like a small child all over again. "This is the final night you'll have to allow yourselves a moment of weakness. So let it take hold." Khaana advised softly. She gave Brida's head a pat and the girl started to cry.
For now all that could be done, was to wait for dawn to come.