Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 42

We rode to Winchester within the hour. A poor clueless pregnant Mildrith looked dotingly at Uhtred anytime he turned his eyes towards her. I couldn't help but wonder if she really loved him, or it was all a feeble attempt to be happy. Our journey was to my slight dismay, uneventful. 

We arrived in Winchester unaccosted by Danes or Saxon bandits. Upon our arrival we were made to wait for Alfred. "The Danes invade as we speak, and we are told to wait so Alfred can pray?" Uhtred complained bitterly.

"God is his strength Uhtred," Mildrith replied calmly in her soft voice.

I refrained from rolling my eyes at her statement. "What kind of god would ask his people to sit idly by and pray to him rather than defend themselves?" I asked.

"A good God," she replied.

"Alfred should be on horseback leading his army, not on his knees," Uhtred commented again, pacing the length of the room."

"I hate this place, it's so dark and gloomy," I complained.

"It gets worse," Leofric half chuckled, half moaned as he moved away from the entrance to the room. 

Rounding the corner came the squinty little face of Odda the Younger. His eyes opened wide as he caught sight of Mildrith. "Mildrith, I was not told you were here, how pleasing to see you," he remarked. 

Mildrith stood, smiling, and bowed her head to him, "Lord."

"And so much of you," Young Odda trailed off, his eyes darting towards Mildrith's stomach.

She continued to smile at him, and blushed slightly at his comment. She was about to respond when Uhtred cut her off. "Is he ready?"

"The king is ready, as is his counsel," Odda replied. "With me," he finished, taking one last glance at Mildrith before pushing past Uhtred and Leofric.

The three of us followed him, leaving Mildrith to sit in the room alone. We were led down a small hallway and into the throne room where Alfred and his right hand man The Ealdorman Odda waited. The other Ealdormen stood behind them. The priest Uhtred knew, Beocca, patiently waited off to the side.

Uhtred relayed what we'd seen and was met with a stony response from The Ealdorman. "You watched 300 or more Danes march across Wessex and did nothing to stop them?"

"I'm here," Uhtred replied.

"A messenger could've been sent in your place!" The Ealdorman shouted.

"Why did you not confront these Danes?" Alfred asked.

"With what army?" I asked, shocked that they had expected Uhtred to rush into a slaughter.

"Uhtred, you have men. That is your purpose, to create warriors," Alfred spoke as if I hadn't.

I scoffed at his comment and received a warning look from Uhtred.

"I've been given barely 20 men and their wives, most of who work the fields. It would've been a slaughter Lord," Uhtred replied calmly.

"But you chose not to fight, so we'll never know," Ealdorman Odda cut in.

"Would you have taken 20 men against 300 or more Danes?" I eyed him hard.

"Who said she could be here?" The Young Odda glared at me.

"I'm with Uhtred," I snapped back.

"Women aren't allowed in counsel," he protested.

"Who said I'm a woman," I smiled devilishly. Several of the men in the chamber made weird crossing motions over their chests.

"She is here by my invitation," Alfred responded to Young Odda. "Which can be revoked at any point," he warned me. "Answer the question Uhtred."

"A warrior can only die once. Why die in vain?" Uhtred responded to the Ealdorman, "The Danes came from either Lundene or East Anglia. Were they not being watched?"

"We've been watching the ships on the Tames. A mistake," Alfred replied, his face grim.

"If Werham is captured, the ships will follow, and with them more Danes. 300 men becomes 3,000. My advice is that we march without delay."

"I don't recall the King seeking your advice," The Young Odda shot at Uhtred, his beady eyes hard.

I felt my jaw tighten and bit my tongue to prevent the words that threatened to come out. I felt Leofric grip my arm slightly, warning me not to do anything stupid.

"Leofric, my trusted man, how many Danes did you witness?" Alfred asked, turning his attention towards Leofric.

"Easily more than 200 hundred. Werham will struggle to hold them back," he replied.

Alfred contemplated his man's words. He sighed heavily before speaking. "The peace is over. We have no choice but to march to Werham and pray to God that we arrive before the fortress falls."

"You believe it is an invasion Lord?"

"It could be the beginnings of a great Dane army, yes. Counsel is over. Ealdormen of Wessex, prepare your men," Alfred more stated than ordered as he turned away and exited the room, calling for Father Beocca to come with him to pray.

Beocca responded to Alfred and made to follow him. Uhtred quickly cut him off and murmured something to the priest who nodded his head and quickly departed after Alfred.

Uhtred seemed to think a moment before calling on Ealdorman Odda. The room grew tense and I wondered what Uhtred was up to.

"You owe my wife half of her bride price. I paid 33 pieces of silver. She received only 18. An honest mistake she assures me," Uhtred smiled at the Ealdorman.

Ealdorman Odda to my surprise, turned to his son. "Is this true?" he asked.

Young Odda adverted his father's gaze, and his jaw tightened. He slightly nodded his head, but his look said it all. He had stiffed Mildrith. His father's expression grew grim and he hissed at his son to pay Uhtred, before walking off. 

Odda the Younger hesitantly stepped towards Uhtred and began counting out the owed silver. Uhtred stepped in closer to him and began taunting him. "You know Mildrith is a joy to plough."

"You're a heathen," Odda replied, a quiver in his voice.

"And you're a virgin," Uhtred teased.

"No I'm not." Odda was quick to reply and practically run from the room.

"Yes he is," Leofric laughed, moving towards us.

"One can't help but feel a bit bad for him," I chuckled.

"And why's that?" Uhtred asked, amused.

"It's a shame he's going to die a virgin," I teased.

Leofric and Uhtred sniggered and we followed the rest of the counsel out and back to the courtyard where men were bustling about getting ready to march.