Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 38

Winter turned to Spring, and Spring to summer, yet the Danes did not come. Uhtred, Leofric, and I were sent with many men to Hamtun, home of Alfred's not so secret fleet of twelve ships. We were in midsummer, yet the Danes still did not come. Uhtred suspected that Guthrum was biding his time, building an even greater army. "Guthrum is no fool," he told me one day as I walked him to the ships. "He will not come until his numbers are so great, no army can face them."

Despite my many protests, I was not allowed aboard. I was however, put in charge of running maneuvers on land with the men not presently sailing. The task in the beginning proved to be a challenge. The men were not pleased to hear that they were to be instructed by a woman. There was lots of grumbling and refusal to train.

One evening as Uhtred and his shipmates returned from their day of patrolling the coastline, I approached Leofric and told him that his men were lazy dogs. He scoffed at this and replied that they wouldn't take orders from a woman. I nicely asked him to order them to do so which he laughed at. He brushed me off and I scowled after him. Uhtred clapped me on the back, "having fun?"

"Don't make me kill you Uhtred," I growled.

"You have to earn their respect," he replied.

"Arseling!" Leofric called over his shoulder, his nickname for Uhtred.

"Like you have?" I chuckled.

Uhtred rolled his eyes at me and tore off after the impatient Leofric, leaving me standing there plotting how to earn respect. Respect huh? An evil plan popped into my head and a grin upon my lips. I knew what I was going to do.

~~~~~

The next morning during what the Saxons had named rollcall, I confronted Leofric. I demanded I be let on a ship. He attempted to brush me off, but I continued to pester him and jeer insults at him. Uhtred glanced at me, amused. The men all shifted about anticipating him to do something. Leofric continued to ignore me.

"Let me on the ship!"

"No."

"Why?"

"It isn't done."

"Don't tell me you great Saxon men are afraid of a woman."

"It's not you, it's the bad luck you bring."

"No, I think you're afraid of woman, cowardice dogs," I was now shouting at every man near enough to hear.

"Listen lady," Leofric turned to finally face me. "though whatever you are is somethin' far from a lady," he snickered. I glowered at him. "I and no man here is afraid of a woman."

"I think you're afraid of me Leofric." I had touched a nerve; I saw a vein in his brow move. "I think you are terrified that I am as strong and capable as you. I think you're afraid I could whip your arse and throw you on your backside."

Uhtred was hiding a smile behind his hand and everyone around was completely enthralled by my challenge and waited for Leofric's response.

"I don't have time for this," he snarled, attempting to return to rollcall, but I wasn't done with him just yet.

"Coward!" I hissed at his back.

He hurled himself round and towered over me, but I remained unmoved by his threateningly large physical presence. Afterall, as Ravn liked to say, the bigger they are the harder they fall.

"Nobody, calls me a coward."

"Coward," I half smiled at him.

That was the last straw. He called for staves and threatened to give me the beating of my life. I told him to go on and try.