A Saint To A Sinner

3.25

Surprisingly to them, the children were quiet on the journey. They all walked alongside each other in the woods as they walked over the rocks under the logs and around things. Not once stopping. Cynlæf held Finans' hand through the rocky path as he kept slipping and tripping over things as they were near a stream. Sihtric and Y/N carried Ælfwynn and Æthelstan on their backs for parts of the journey as they were becoming tired. Occasionally Æthelstan would wonder off to find frogs with Cynlæf before Finan scolded them to stay close.

They were all becoming tired and frustrated with the journey. Even though the children did not squabble, it was the parents of Cynlæf that did.
"You, Finan, are a hypochondriac!" Y/N shouted, becoming even more frustrated at him.
"That is a very big word for you, woman!" Finan answered back. "A. Very. Big. Word."
"She is right, Finan." Sihtric muttered, making Finan turn around.
"Stop it, the three of you! I would rather hear the children fight than you three." Uhtred scolded, shutting the three of them up for a while. It wasn't until Cynlæf and Æthelstan started to amuse themselves that Finan decided to tell the bored children off.
"Right yu. Go to yur father, yur doing my head in!" Finan said as he pushed a sad Cynlæf towards Sihtric.
"He's being mean." Cynlæf said as he walked slowly to Sihtric, who pulled him into a hug.
"He is tired. Do not worry, Cynlæf. Come here." Sihtric said as he pulled Cynlæf onto his shoulders.

Æthelstan looked at Finan, innocently wanting to climb on his shoulders. Finan agreed with a huff as he silently lifted him up.
"He's heavier than he looks." Finan grumbled, but no one said a word, leaving Finan to grumble on his own until Stiorra sneezed
"What's wrong with yu?" Finan turned right around to move away from her.
"Finan!" Y/N and Uhtred scolded.
"Ay! Ay! Don't start that." Sihtric scolded as he pulled his son out of his hair.
"Why do you have beads in your hair?" Cynlæf asked, finding another way to amuse himself. Eadith turned around to smile at them as she watched the two boys annoy the men.
"Are they twins, Lady, your sons?" Eadith asked, making the two men stop hastily.
"This is one is definitely not mine." Finan said as the boy pulled his hands over his eyes. "Who are yu anyway?"
"I am no one." Æthelstan said, making them laugh.
"Yur names Æthelstan isn't it?!" Finan said with a laugh.
"Where did he come from, though?" Osferth asked.
"He is Edwards' firstborn son." Uhtred answered.
"Welcome to the Bastard life boy!" Osferth called out, making them all laugh.
"What's a bastard?" Cynlæf asked as he pulled at his fathers hair.
"Something that you are not privileged for, like us." Osferth said with a laugh but stopped when Sihtric glared at him.
"It is when a child looses their father and is sent to a Monastery." Sihtric said as he looked at Osferth with an amused look.

Y/N looked at her son with a smile as she watched him ask Sihtric all the questions he could, while trying to take one of the metal beads out of his fathers hair. Y/N looked over at Finan with a worried look. She was starting to worry if he had the sickness or he was thinking about Iceland. He seemed tense about their journey and easily aggravated, that once they reached Wenloca, Finan wondered off alone, leaving Æthelstan with Stiorra.
"Maybe Finan has the sickness!" Stiorra grumbled as she placed herself by the rocks.
"No?!" Y/N said, "he is fine. He is just old, wise, and grumpy. Cynlæf go with Æthelstan to look over in the trees till that point over there. Stay there shortly and come straight back." Cynlæf nodded, felling proud that he got a small job assigned by his mother.
"I take it you want me to go and watch." Eadith asked, with humour in her eyes. Y/N nodded as she walked over to where Sihtric and Osferth were sat.

"What is he doing now!?" Y/N whispered as she sat next to Sihtric.
"I have no idea." Sihtric said as they watched him look through the grass.
"What are you looking for, Finan?!" Osferth called out. Finan mumbled something back.
"Ay?" Y/N called out, making him turn around with an angry look.
"Bodies! I know the sickness is close." Finan breathed out before going back to his body searching. Y/N looked at Sihtric, who shook his head in amusement.
"Why are you shitting yourself?" Sihtric asked as they all snickered at him.
" I have seen men as strong as bears at breakfast time. Gurgling. Blood and pus by supper time! Yu little runt!" Finan spat at Sihtric.
"Ooo.. h...oo." Y/N made a noise at Sihtric as they watched him pace back and forth. Y/N looked between Sihtric and Finan before looking back at Sihtric with a nervous look on her face.
"Is it a bad idea to tell you now that I'm pregnant." Y/N called out, making Finan turn around with a huff.
"Yes!"