Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 53

The next day we rode back to Uhtred's homestead with Uhtred and I at the front and Mildreth moodily riding behind. I gathered they still had not spoken since the courtyard the previous day and had no intention of doing so.

When we arrived, I planned to put my horse in the stables and return to my residence in the woods. Before I could, Uhtred confronted the man who looked like a pig. After some questioning the man confessed to stealing timber from Uhtred who in a rage advanced after the pitiful man while Mildreth desperately pleaded for him to stop. "Uhtred stop! Uhtred! She pleaded. But he did not listen and continued to chase the man down with his horse. I watched, heart sunk, knowing Uhtred's earlier rage was informing his present decision.

"Tara please!" The Lady Mildreth took me by surprise as she pleaded with me. Her face was scared, and her eyes were filled with tears.  She clung tightly to the precious bundle in her arms. Something in me decided she did not need to see this, and I spurred my horse forward and swung down just in time to intercept Uhtred. He reared his horse backwards and away. The man looked at me, thankful. I pitied the fool.

"Tara stand aside."

"Uhtred, she doesn't need to see this," I tried.

"Stand aside, that's an order!" He bellowed at me.

I eyed him hard, relaying my disapproval, but I stood aside. "Sorry lady," I said to Mildreth and turned away right as Uhtred brought his horse stamping down on the man. Uhtred then dismounted and stabbed his blade into the man's gut, finishing him off more quickly.

"That was justice," Uhtred yelled back to Mildreth. She stared at him blankly, tears streaming down her face. His eyes met mine and I was unsure of who was looking back at me.

Mildreth spent the next few days ignoring Uhtred. I returned to my woodland sanctuary where Uhtred ended up spending most of his time. At first, I told him to get away, but eventually relented and we discussed Leofric's plan, the prospect of freedom igniting a fire in our souls. Time slowly mended Uhtred's heart and things were once again becoming normal. We spent the summer hunting and patrolling Uhtred's land. He spent more and more time with me as his and Mildreth's relationship slowly festered. While Uhtred picked up a new man, Haesten from some cruel fighting enslavement, the lady's unhappiness grew and shadowed her once innocent and care free soul. She went to find comfort in her church more every day. Though I did not believe in her god, her faith was admirable.

The seasons changed and a year passed before alarms went off near the river. Uhtred and I rode to see a ship approaching. Villagers were scattering with their families and livestock in a panicked frenzy. Uhtred laughed at their silliness. "There's nothing to fear, it's not the Danes," he half heartedly called after them, a large grin across his face.

"Pathetic fools," I noted.

"They're afraid," Uhtred chucked.

"No Dane would sail that clumsily, besides it's missing its beast's head."

Uhtred laughed and we watched as the ship grew larger. "It's Eftwyrd," he mused.

"One of Alfred's ships?"

"Aye," he replied, not taking his eyes off the river.

We tensely waited for it to draw closer, waiting to see who was manning the crew. A familiar face soon showed itself. "Arseling!" It called. "How deep is this mud?"

"It's nothing. Just a handful," Uhtred shouted back. I looked at him in disbelief. He knew as well as I that the mud was quite deep and Leofric would sink to his thighs in it. As predicted, Leofric did just that. Uhtred and the crew of Eftwyrd laughed hard, as Leofric stared daggers, cursing as he tried to free himself of the black slime. I hid a small laugh behind my tightly sealed lips.

After a while longer, Leofric managed to emerge from the muck and cursed some more at Uhtred. "You're an arseling."

"I'm a bored arseling," Uhtred replied smiling.

"You're bored?" So are we." Leofric indicated the crew behind him.

"But you are sailing?" I asked.

"Alfred ordered us to not disturb the peace. We only sail if Danish ships sail," he replied.

"Then what are you doing here?" Uhtred asked, rubbing his jaw.

"We're here to salvage that pile of shit," he nodded at the rotting wreckage that once was another ship in Alfred's fleet, Heahengel. "He wants twelve ships again."

"Why not build a new one?" I asked, frowning.

"The lumber for a new one was stolen, so we were ordered to sail and repair this wreck."

"How long is this repair to take?" Uhtred asked.

"A month, at the least," Leofric smiled.

"So you're just going to sit here?" I frowned. As interesting as it could be to have the wild Saxon for a month, I was skeptical of whether he'd been sent to spy on Uhtred or not. Perhaps the repairing of the ship was merely a cover.

"That's the plan," Leofric grinned. "I ain't as handy as these lads." He waved at a group of slightly shaking men. "Shipwrights," he explained, seeing I was eyeing the odd band of men.

"So you are going to eat my food and drink my ale for a month?" Uhtred questioned.

"You've got any better ideas?" Leofric chuckled. Uhtred gave Eftwyrd a look over. She was a decently made ship, larger than most Danish ones.

"What were you told to do?" Uhtred asked, raising his brow.

"Pray, and repair that pile of splinters," Leofric replied bitterly.

"We've heard that there's a new Earl in the Saefern Sea," Uhtred changed the subject. "A man called Svein, bringing men from Ireland. Is it true?"

Leofric affirmed that the rumors were true and looked at Uhtred knowingly. "If Alfred learns that we're fighting up there, he'll gut us."

"Are you going to tell him?" I replied, staring hard at Leofric. Uhtred seemed amused by my mistrust of the burly Saxon.

"As much as I grumble, I would prefer to remain on this earth a bit longer," he replied.

"Then it's settled. We should patrol the coast to ensure that the Danes don't try anything," Uhtred smiled.

"Of course," Leofric nodded in agreement.

"It'll be nice to not be so stagnant," I chimed in.

So it was settled, we were to patrol the coast, not as a Saxon ship, but as a Danish one. The men had fought with Uhtred at Cynuit and were willing followers. The promise of some extra silver didn't hurt sweeten the deal either. The greed of men continues to amaze me, though I do understand with wealth comes men, and with men comes power. That is how some are able to rule while others are not.

We found a dragon head and tail in the wreckage of some ships and continued on our way. Uhtred had recruited eleven more men from his estate and brought Haesten along. Leofric sat perched in the prow of the ship and called to the men to row us out to sea. Uhtred and I looked to where the sea meets the sky and prayed to Thor, Odin, Njord, and Hoder. My heart raced with excitement as the land grew smaller behind us. The wind pushed my loosely braided hair backwards and rejoiced at our new found freedom. I stole a glance at Uhtred who looked equally at peace and entranced by the journey ahead. Though we be with a band of Saxon men, we were living as Danes once again.