[ Book 1 of my "The Last Kingdom" Fanfiction series]
Khaana was a rare find and a wild prized gifted to Earl Ragnar as a slave from a wealthy ruler who once considered her a prized pet.
The Danes have never laid eyes upon a Black African, and figure...
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In a light cloud of dust and grass, Khaana fell back to the ground, her calves hook around a soldier's neck, he wheezed and hit the ground with his arm, signaling that he gave up. She smirked pleased with himself and freed him. "You're lucky the Danes don't fight this way often," she said getting to her feet.
Uhtred laughed from where he stood next to Leofric, "at least you aren't the only one to lose" he said. Leofric sniffed, I didn't lose, we tied." He corrected. "because that's any better?" Uhtred asked. "Are you saying you've bested her before?" Leofric questioned raising a brow. Uhtred laughed, "No, I doubt I ever could." He said watching Khaana spar with the men. "They're having fun," Uhtred said nodding towards them. The men were cheering and making bets, some had even broken out their travel flasks of ale.
"They should be training..." Leofric muttered. "They are, they are fighting and learning from their mistakes. Brida said that you were miserable people. Khaana is trying to show you that you can be serious without being too serious." Uhtred said. "It is the way of the Danes and from many other places. Great creatures like wolves or lions learn best how to fight, through play. She used to tell me this when I was small." Uhtred said with a fond smile.
"She and Ragnar used to play all the time, it looked so frightening like someone was going to get hurt, sometimes they did. But they would be laughing and each would be better for it later." Uhtred spoke with a distant wistfulness in his eyes. Leofric cleared his throat, "so, get in there and show them how it's done then." Leofric said. Uhtred glanced up at him with a smile before rushing towards Khaana as she got to her feet.
With a playful battle cry Uhtred lunged at her, Khaana dropped to the ground and Uhtred flew right over her head. she stood up and smirked, "Osbert, you know well that never works." she mused a faint chuckle in her voice. Uhtred got to his feet and took a defensive stance, "no but it's fun." He laughed before running towards her again.
Uhtred landed on his back in the grass, laughing almost like he had when he was a child. The warriors laughed as well, the scary pagan near giggling was infectious. Khaana held out her hand as she huffed and puffed, she might have put him on his back but it was getting harder to combat Uhtred as he grew stronger and her own strength weakened.
Taking her hand Uhtred allowed Khaana to pull him to his feet, "I'm getting better." He said with pride, Khaana gave a playful scowl, "or I'm getting older," she hummed plucking grass out of his hair.
Leofric dropped his weapons and stepped forward, "to tired for one more round?" He asked. Khaana peered past Uhtred to the overgrown saxon man and grimaced. She looked to Uhtred, he seemed to trust the man a great deal already and he was usually a good judge of character. Khaana sighed, "to put you on your arse? never too tired for that Urswine." She said walking towards him. Leofric managed a smile, "you're ambitious aren't you?" Leofric asked Khaana as they circled each other.
"and you are overly confident," said Khaana.
Leofric's eyes studied Khaana's steps, the way her feet and legs moved as they controlled most of her tactics. When she made the first move he found it easy enough to dodge, but it left him with a blind spot, she was faster and landed an attack at his back.
