Blasphemy [Finan the Agile]

CHAPTER ix. 'The Drum of a Thousand Feet'

ﾟ❁ུ۪ °ₒ 𓂂 ˚ 𓂂 ₒ ° ₒ 𓂂 ˚˖⋆

CHAPTER ix. 'The Drum of a Thousand Feet'

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             The winter air froze Freydis to the core, prompting her legs to quiver and arms to stiffen as she held onto the reins of her horse. After days of riding they finally stood outside of Beomfleot, commencing the first stage of their plan in overtaking the heavily fortified township. A fat Dane stood on top the ramparts with a shite-eating grin on his face, the seer Skade and several other men by his side,Uhtred spoke to him with a lightheartedness that would, in due time, commence the second stage of the Dane-Slayer's plan. Uhtred had around thirty men, in the farthest row where Freydis stood were around eight on horseback with bows. Freydis wasn't particularly trained in bow-skill but Uhtred had promised that she would not have to use them during the goading period.

When the goading was completed, Uhtred would challenge the Dane Hæsten to a full-fledged battle across the field and he and his men would await Hæsten's arrival upon said hill. Then, only then, would King Alfred's aethling Edward reveal his five hundred troops from the wood and officiate the exchange of power of Beomfleot from Hæsten to Alfred. Uhtred, in his own victory, would reclaim his seer Skade and break the curse that preyed on his soul.

"Lord Uhtred!" Called Hæsten, his voice feigning delight. He glanced at Uhtreds accumulation of thirty men, smirking at his view of an easy fight. "Such a frightening sight."

Uhtred scoffed, his demeaner laidback, "You are a coward, Hæsten. Hiding inside your fortress... When the priests of Eoferwic did rise, you fled? When Sigefrid attacked Alfred, you fled. And at the nunnery, again, you fled!

Hæsten spat off the ramparts, causing Freydis to grimace at the visible chunk. "I have your woman!" Hæsten declared, his feigned delight vanishing altogether.

Uhtred smirked unaffected, "And as long as I live and breathe, she is still my woman." The Dane-slayer continued to goad, bored and flashing a smirk to his right-hand Irishman, "Fight me! I will wait for you in the clearing there. Bring a guard and no more, let us make the square and let the two of us fight."

"That is what you want, Uhtred, to die?" Hæsten inquired, leaning against the railing.

Uhtred sighed, "What I want is an end to this," he informed, "What is most likely to happen is you will remain a coward. You will remain in your fortress," Finan and Sihtric ignited the cue to laugh, a bash intended to further anger the fat Dane of Beomfleot. "Songs will be sung about your cowardice," he continued, "I shall pay for them to be written!"

Visibly angered, Hæsten ungripped the railing and chauffeured his fist to the hilt of his sword. "I am no coward, Dane-slayer! If death is what you want, then you shall have it!" Akin to his childish fury, the great fat Dane marched away to the protection of the tower.