The Promises We Make- Uhtred of Bebbanburg

Chapter Seven

Everything was happening so fast, my mind barley had the time to process the event happening before my eyes. Sharp sounds of swords slicing and hitting against chain mail mixed with the screams of injured men over took my senses.

I began to feel dizzy with fear and anxiety from thinking about Leon's safety as well as Uhtreds.

Leon was all the family I had left.

"Leon!" I yelled the loudest I possibly could. I was about to run towards him but was held back by Lord Uhtreds sword pressed firmly against my stomach.

"My lady, we need to leave now."

"I am not leaving without my brother"

"Move!" Uhtred demanded.

"Excuse me-"

He pulled me aside, swinging his sword above his head and slicing the enemies head clean off their shoulders. Warm blood sprayed lightly across my face as the dead mans head rolled towards me until it stopped against my feet. His newly cold eyes stared blankly at mine.

However, the action did not surprise nor shock me. Instead, what frightened me most was that I felt nothing.

Uhtred noticed my trance like state and took my hand in his, forcing me to follow him to my brother.

On the way, Uhtred become occupied once more with an incoming soldier. I moved behind him as he swayed his sword, but was too distracted to watch him fully. Instead, my attention landed on a sword laying close to my feet. In an instant, I collected the sword from the floor and held it in front of me.

A loud cry was heard behind me. I turned on the spot, terrified as he charged towards me with anger.

With both hands, I held tightly on to the handle and stabbed the sword through his body. He he grabbed ahold of the blade with his hands and looked at me deeply with fear. Looking upon his face, guilt rushed over me and I tugged the sword out as quickly as I could. He fell to his knees, holding his wound, then falling forwards as he took his last breath.

The thick blood hung to the silver blade as I dropped it to the floor, stepping away from the weapon I had used to kill someone. Uhtred looked at me with wide eyes. A mixture of shock and sympathy.

He knew, deep down, that it was the right thing. But that didn't stop him from looking guilty.

He gave a small nod and charged towards another incoming enemy, leaving me with my thoughts.
He could of had a family. A wife and children. Yet I took away his life because he was lied to.

Now I am a murderer.

I stumbled towards the wall behind me and emptied the contents of my stomach. The nauseating feeling had finally caught up with me. The others were still too busy fighting to take any notice of me.

I wiped my mouth with my sleeve that was free blood and composed myself.

Getting to Leon was the only thing I could think of at that moment but I could hardly move. We was surrounded by the enemy with every space taken up by a fiercely armed solider forcing all of us all to be gathered tightly in the middle of the hall. We was outnumbered.

Uhtred and I still stood beside each other. Although I felt safer with him near, I could not stop thinking about what was going to happen. Many scenarios ran through my mind with only one standing out. If we are to lose, I am not leaving here alive.

"Uhtred?" I questioned nervously, trying not taking my eyes of the man holding a spear before me.

He did not move nor answer back, but I knew he had heard me calling his name by a small side glance.

The silence was deafening. That was until a large, bearded man behind me started to speak.

"You are surrounded my Lord, or should I say Duke." He giggled at himself.

"I will spare you." Leon tried to negotiate. "Take what you want and leave. You don't have to fight a fight that is not yours."

"Fine." The oaf smiled. "I will take Lady Delphine."

His face dropped, queuing for all men to attack.

Uhtred's men were the first to defend us all, taking down as many as they could.

Meanwhile, Leon found a quick chance to talk to Uhtred amongst the fighting.

"Lord Uhtred." He shouted over the noise. "I put all my trust in you to take Lady Delphine to Wessex."

"I said I'm not leaving without you." I interrupted.

"You have no choice Delphine. It is not safe for you here."

"Come with us." I desperately pleaded. "We can all leave a-and once I am married, we can ask for King Alfred's help. He could not turn us down."

Leon breathed out a heavy sigh and gently placed his hands on either side of my face.

"This is our family home."

"And you have your family waiting for you. Marie is waiting for her husband and your unborn child is waiting for their father."

"Don't- don't say that Delphine." I become visibly upset at the mention of his wife and child. "I am doing this for you and for my family."

"I-"

But my sentence was cut before I could begin. More men began to arrive.

"GO" Leon screamed. He was about to turn to fight but was stopped. He stood still, starting at me emotionless as he was beginning fall. That's when it become noticeable. A long, silver blade embedded in his stomach, through his back. Large droplets of blood escaped the side of his mouth as the sword was heaved out. Uhtred managed to cut down the killer before any more damage was made.

"AHHH"

Uhtred sized me, flung me over his shoulder and ran. Kicking and screaming, I started cry.

"LEON!"

But he ignored my screams.

"STOP!" I yelled through falling tears.

But it was no use. He was given a task and he promised my brother he would see it through.

Uhtred ran down corridor after corridor until I felt the cold winter air hit my feet and my home becoming smaller and smaller until I could barely see it through the dark night. This meant we made out of the castle safely. Luckily, no soldiers were outside waiting, giving us a chance to leave quickly.

Reaching towards a nearby forest, Uhtred placed me onto the ground. My legs were shaking but managed to keep balance with the help of Uhtred holding onto my arm.

"We are safe for now." Uhtred spoke while catching his breath and studying his surroundings.
"My lady, we need to keep moving."

I, however, could not move an inch. The scene of Leon's death, images of my mothers head and the face on the man I killed replayed in my heads until I found myself clutching onto my mothers necklace so tightly, my palms began to bleed. The sound of blood dripping on dead leaves were loud.

"My lady, I-"

"I don't need your apology my lord. An apology is not going to bring my family back." I snapped.

I had lost all the family I care about in one night. Now, I am alone. I tried to make myself warm by hugging myself, but it's did not work. My nightdress was still damp with blood making myself even colder.

Distance shouts echoed through the tress.

"Lady Delphine is missing!"

We both sharply turned towards the sounds to see a small group of men huddled together.

"Time to leave Normandy."