Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 49

As we drew nearer I grew more tense as all eyes fell on us. We were greeted by Alderman Odda with more surprise than an actual welcome. "Alderman Uhtred, we thought you'd been killed," he said. "That you were not is a miracle," he added on quickly.

"Or something worse," his cowardly son, Young Odda chimed in.

I growled at his remark and Uhtred looked as though he were ready to slash Young Odda to pieces. "Where are my wife and son?" Uhtred asked.

"Safe, on my lands with my wife," Odda the elder replied.

"Not that he could possibly care," Young Odda goaded.

Uhtred in one stride dismounted his horse and tackled Odda to the ground, pressing a dagger to his throat. "Say that again," Uhtred yelled at the now sniveling and silent coward.

"Stop it," Lord Odda pleaded.

Leofric came from nowhere and placed his drawn blade against Uhtred's neck. "Arseling put it down." Uhtred didn't move one way or another. Leofric tried again. "Remove your blade from my lord's neck." I pondered getting involved but decided to let things play out. I didn't have much of a chance against the crowd of Saxons that was amassing, and for some reason some part of me trusted Leofric to not run Uhtred through. After a tense moment more, Uhtred released Young Odda and stood by Leofric, handing him his dagger.

"Treason, but what can we expect," The stupid Young Odda goaded once more. Uhtred lurched at him again but was pushed back by Leofric.

"Enough! This infighting and argument!" Lord Odda shouted, taking control of the impending disaster. "Disperse all of you now!" He yelled at the crowd that was gathering. Ealdorman Odda spun on his heel to face Uhtred. "You will clear your head and then explain to me why you are still breathing and stupid!" He then promptly stormed off with his son in tow.

We watched after them before turning to face Leofric. "You are back from the dead and unchanged." Uhtred didn't reply so he continued, "All you had to do was get down from your horse and ask have you seen my wife and son and let the Young Odda be the child."

Where's the fun in that? I chuckled.

That would have been the better choice, yes," Uhtred replied. "But then Young Odda wouldn't had shit himself, Uhtred scoffed.

The two laughed and embraced, smacking one another on the back. "And you are alive as well?"

"Aye, glad somebody noticed," I smiled at him. Leofric chuckled and roughed up my hair. "Ey!" I protested, swatting at him.

"An improvement," Uhtred laughed. I glared at him.

"So, you've seen my wife?" Uhtred asked.

"Aye. She is well," Leofric replied.

"Good, that's good."

"The child however..."

"Sickly?"

"Ugly, like his father.

I let out a snort. Uhtred rolled his eyes and ended up laughing along with us. "If you want to see him, you better go the way you came. I'm serious. We're stuck on this hill and here we will die," Leofric suggested.

"Just another day in paradise," I mused.

"What does Odda say?" Uhtred asked.

"Odda is a decent man. But as a warrior, he has all the guile and menace of a sheep."

"Bah, Bah," I made a bad imitation of a sheep, but garnered laughter with the miserable thought of us all dying hanging over our heads. We didn't have much longer to joke for we, and by we, I mean, Uhtred and Leofric, were summoned to a war council meeting with the Aldermen. I tagged along as was customary when the men decided I was not worth a rat's arse to invite to these things.

I felt eyes on me as I stepped into the circle with the men, but not one person protested. I tried ever so hard to keep my mouth shut, but upon the Lord Odda commenting that because he is on the high ground he has an advantage over the Danes, I couldn't help mutter under my breath that his advantage is what was going to get them all killed.

"What did you say girl?" Alderman Odda gruffly asked.

"Girl?" I raised my eyebrows and felt my temper threatening to burst out. Uhtred must've sensed the offense I was taking and cut in before I could say something I'd regret. "What Tara means is you will be besieged if you stay on the high ground. All the Danes have to do is surround you."

"What if we run out food?" Leofric added on.

"We shall find food," The Lord Odda replied firmly.

"For how many days? Three? Four? Five?" Uhtred challenged.

"Enough for Alfred to arrive," Odda responded.

"If you wait for Alfred you're going to die," I said.

"Who invited her?" The Younger Odda snapped.

"I invited her here," The elder Odda replied to his son. "But I can just as easily uninvite you," he warned me. I nodded understanding.

"So, if we don't stay on this hill, what do you propose we do?"

"March out and meet them before they have time to amass larger numbers," I replied.

"That would be madness. What does a Danish woman know anyway?" Young Odda goaded once more.

"More than you baby Odda," I smiled, goading him into a small furry.

"Enough!" The elder Odda scowled at his son.

"Father, I think it's hardly appropriate for a woman to be in a war council," Young Odda tried.

"And I think it's hardly appropriate for a baby to be in a war council," I spat back.

"The difference between you and me? Nobody cares what you think," Young Odda replied.

"Right. Well, starve to death then. Or better yet, let Ubba chop your miserable heads from your cowardly shoulders! At least it'll be a handful less of stupid Saxons to deal with," I spat before storming off. "She didn't mean that," I heard Uhtred say.

"I think she did," Alderman Odda replied.

~~~~~

Fed up with not being listened to or valued, I found myself angrily swinging an axe into a tree. If I was with the Danes, I'd be respected. The Danes know how to treat their warrior women; to respect them. To the Saxons I was nothing more than a nuisance. Perhaps I should leave and join Ragnar, at least I'd be welcomed there. I took another hard swing at the trunk of the poor tree and let my rage seep into every hit.

"You're going to break your axe," A voice spoke softly from behind me.

"Good thing it's not mine then," I replied, smashing the tree with another blow.

"You shouldn't let Young Odda upset you so."

I wheeled around on my heal, brandishing my axe. "Oh, that is rich coming from you Uhtred!" I snarled.

He smiled at me and leaned against a tree with his arms crossed. I took another swing at the tree. "I'm going to negotiations tomorrow. I would like you to come."

"To get my head chopped off by Ubba? No thanks," I breathed heavily, growing slowly tired.

"I won't let him chop your head off," Uhtred chuckled.

I turned to look at him, "he wants your head and balls too you know."

"He won't do anything to me," Uhtred replied confidently.

"Your funeral pyre," I shrugged. "Do you want to be burned on the water or land?"

"He won't do anything," Uhtred insisted again, trying to not laugh at my proposal.

I thought a moment before swinging the axe once more into the tree and letting it stick where it hit. "I need a drink," I said, walking back towards the camp.

"What about your axe?" Uhtred called after me.

"Not mine!" I replied over my shoulder. I could hear him chuckling as he moved to catch up with me.