A Saint To A Sinner

3.23

The start of the journey to Ceaster did not go as smoothly as they had hoped. The children were bored and started to result into bickering, leaving the parents to ride further ahead as they let them sort it out themselves.
"How can children argue for a days ride." Finan grumbled. "They argue over who looked at who." Uhtred laughed at Finans words as they all looked back.
"They are tired and bored." Uhtred said with a smirk.
"I am tired and bored. Yu don't see me complaining." Finan huffed as he looked at his wife.
"What?" Y/N said harshly before turning to Sihtric. "Did you see the way he looked at me! I swear to the Gods when we stop, Finan" Y/N jested. Trying lighten the mood as she mimicked the children. Finan stuck his tongue at her as he crossed his arms as Sihtric laughed silently to himself.
"Did you ever bicker with Hild as a child?" Uhtred asked. Y/N tilted her head to the side as she tried to think whether she did or not.
"Yes and no. But not like that. It was more disputes. Towards me, that was. I never did as I was told in the Nunnery." Y/N said as she recalled the times she was sent to the Reading Room to recite the word of God.
"What of your parents?" Sihtric asked. Y/N looked at him, surprised. It was a topic she never mentioned nor really knew the answer of.
"Um. My mother and father died of the sickness, according to Hild. So I don't really know. Hild never spoke much of them, nor did I ever ask, I suppose." Y/N said as she looked at him, trying to recall a faint memory, but none of them would show themselves. She had no memory of her parents. Hild was the closest thing she had to as a memory.

Y/N shook the thought from her head and kicked the side of her horse to move faster in front. She could still hear the children bickering amongst themselves, and she wondered if her husbands really wanted more children. It was only when Y/N reached the clearing that she stopped the horse to look for another path. Finan and Sihtric followed her silently, looking around for anything out of the ordinary.
"Do we stop?" Uhtred asked as he looked back at the children. He knew they needed to stop.
"No. Edward and his men will be half a day behind us at most." Finan stated as he scanned the area in front of him.
"Father!" Cynlæf called out.
"We must move faster if we have any chance." Finan muttered.
"Father!" Cynlæf called again worriedly. Uhtred looked at his men with a confused look as to why Finan and Sihtric had not answered.
"Father, someone's coming!" Cynlæf shouted again, making them all turn around to see a woman riding towards them. Sihtric turned around quickly to ride up to where she came from, to see if they were being followed.
"I bring a message from Lady Æthelflaed." The red haired women said as she looked at Uhtred.
"Did your brother send you?" Finan and Y/N looked at each other with a confused look as to how Uhtred and this woman knew each other.
"No, he does not know I am here." She stated as a matter of fact. "He imprisoned Lady Æthelflaed, but I released her."
"Why should I believe you?" Uhtred questioned, but the woman looked at him with irritation.
"I do not lie."

Uhtred looked back at Finan, who crossed his arms with a frustrated expression. This woman was new to them, and they did not know her well enough to say whether she had put them in danger.
"How did you find us?" Uhtred asked.
"Lady Æthelflaed herself said you spoke of travelling to Ceaster." She stated as she looked at Y/N carefully and then to Sihtric, who rode towards them with Cynlæf on his horse.
"There's no one else, Lord." Sihtric stated as he placed himself next to Finan. Finan shook his sons head for reassurance as they eyed the woman carefully.
"You took this road alone?" Y/N asked, clearly not trusting the woman.
"Yes, Lady." The woman said as if she was irritated by the question. "And she wants Uhtred to meet her at the ruins of St. Milburg's Priory." Y/N stared blankly at the woman. She did not know where that place was.
"St. Milburg is on the road to Wenloca, and we have passed it." Young Uhtred spoke up as he recognised the place. Y/N looked at Finan for advice, but he shook his head.
"It might be a trick to divert us." Finan said, which aggravated the woman more.
"I've done what I promised. You can choose to believe it or not." The woman said as she twisted her neck round with defiance.
"And where do you go?" Uhtred asked in amusement.
"I do not care. I have family in Frankia." The woman huffed.
"That way is inland." Young Uhtred spoke up again. His words did not amuse this woman.
"Ships come in near Ceaster. Travel with us. We will show you." Uhtred offered as he ignored the faces pulled by his men. Y/N raised an eyebrow with a smirk as she looked at Finan.
"If she is lying, at least she is under our control." Uhtred assured as he looked back at them.
"I am sick of being controlled." Y/N clicked her tongue at her words as she looked at her husbands. Never in her life had she seen a woman with so much power and attitude.
"Three pieces of silver, I say Uhtred will fall for her." Y/N whispered to Finan, who chuckled under his breath, making Sihtric shake his head.
"Five pieces he doesn't. Uhtred likes women he can handle." Finan whispered as he nudged her arm, just as he looked at the woman.

The three of them sat up when they heard Uhtred tell the red-headed woman they would ride back to Wenloca.
"Uh, Lord, we should not do this." Finan said with irritation as he nodded his head towards his son. "If she found us, so will they." Sihtric agreed with Finan. They could not ride back with a group of children.
"Lady?" Y/N asked, riding forward to the two of them. She looked at Uhtred with a glare as she knew they would be returning back. "Are you good with children? Their parents need a break." Y/N said with sarcasm as she looked at the children.
"Not really." She said to Y/N with a confused look.
"Excellent, neither are we! Let's go!" Uhtred said with a laugh as he kicked his horse forward.
"What is your name, Lady?" Y/N said as she rode ahead.
"Eadith. And your name is Y/N, Lady!" Y/N snapped her head round, completely confused at Eadith's words. Only imagining the Lady Æthelflaed must have mentioned something to her.