A Saint To A Sinner

3.32

"Would you have another one?" Stiorra asked.
"No." Finan said quickly. Shaking his head as he drank his ale, making the two women laugh.
"He's right. I can not keep going through dangerous births. Could you imagine Finan and Sihtric as single fathers." Y/N said. A hint of humour in her voice as she looked at him. Finan shook his head, looking towards the door, hoping to see Uhtred walk through it, but instead, Osferth walked through the door.
"Osferth?" Finan and Y/N said. The poor monk shook his head tiredly as he sat down.
"Where's Sihtric and Cynlæf?" Y/N asked. She thought Osferth would have waited for them to arrive before returning to Aeglesburg.
"Ælfwynn is dying. Eadith has poisoned herself and Ælfwynn. I had to return them here."
"Eadith has done what?" Y/N said as she looked at Osferth, who explained what happened on the road. That Eadith believed by poisoning her it would kill the fever.
"That makes perfect sense." Y/N said as she looked at Finan before getting up to feed her daughter.

Y/N walked outside, hiding just in the corner so she could feed her child when she heard a noise.
"Uhtred." Y/N breathed out, covering her breast up.
"Do not stop on my account." Uhtred said as he placed his back against the wall, allowing Y/N to feed her daughter quietly.
"Have I ever said thank you to you, Y/N?" Y/N hummed at Uhtreds words, a smirk forming on her face, "Maybe only once?" Uhtred laughed at her as he scratched the scab that started to form on his face.
"I guess I have not, but I am grateful for you and not because you are the wife to my men." Uhtred said with a smirk, winking at her playfully. "But for your courage and your strength. You have, looked after my family when I could not. You have led when I could not. But most of all, you never hated me for what I made Sihtric do to you all those years ago. My men do not deserve you, and neither do I, and my debt is so high that I could never repay you."
"Uhtred!" She said. Calling his name like a scolding parent. "It has always been me, you and Hild. We are your best warriors, even though she retired." Uhtred laughed at her words, knowing there was a truth. "I know you are grateful without telling me, but I choose to stay because you saved my life, right back at the beginning at Cippenham. You could have protected Iseult, if i remember correctly, but you chose to keep me safe."
"If I would have known you were going to be this valuable, well, maybe I wouldn't have." Uhtred joked as he walked back inside.

Y/N stayed outside for a little while longer. Thinking silently to herself. Just as Y/N went to walk back inside, someone grabbed her by her arm and pulled her towards the alleyway. The figure pulled down their cloak, a guilty expression forming on their face as they looked at her. "Lady Ælswith?"
"Forgive me. I do not wish to frighten you. I merely wanted to express my sincerest gratitude to you." Lady Ælswith said nervously. "I am sure you are well informed that Æthelstan is my grandson..."
"Forgive me, Lady, but what is it that you want?" Y/N said warily. Lady Ælswith shook her head quickly, trying to make herself look less intimidating.
"I only wish to say my thanks for looking after Æthelstan as I could not..." Lady Ælswith trailed off slightly but held eye contact firmly. "He says you are like a mother to him when he grew up never having one... so I wanted to, um..." Lady Ælswith shuffled in her pockets to pull out a pouch to hand it to Y/N, who rolled her eyes.
"I do not want your charity."
"No. No. No. I am not... I did not mean no insult, by it. I only wish to show my thanks." Lady Ælswith assured as she placed the pouch in to the woman's hand, folding it over, before walking away quickly. Y/N stood their blankly as she placed the pouch under the blanket that held her child before walking back into the Alehouse.

Finan ran over to her, wrapping his arm around her excitedly as he kissed her lips.
"What have I missed?" Y/N said, as she could taste the strong ale on his lips.
"Can I not kiss my wife?" Finan said with a smirk before kissing Eir's head before dragging her to their table, "sit. Sit. Father, inform her while I get some more ale for my wife." Father Pyrlig laughed before leaning over to inform her of what she had missed.
"Ælfwynn is alive!" Y/N frowned at Father Pyrligs words. As much as she was happy for the young child, she could not understand Finans' excitement. "And Uhtred is the new Lord of Mercia." Father Pyrlig said with laughter. "And most importantly, I found you a little carrier for Eir!" Fathef Pyrlig reached under the table drunkenly as he showed the woven basket with a fluffy blanket inside.
"Here. Let her try it out." Uhtred said as he placed the basket on the barrel beside their table before placing Eir inside. "She fits!" Uhtred cheered out. Finan placed the cups on the table before falling onto his wife, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Finan smirked at her as he picked up the cup, forcing it into her mouth, holding it there until she downed it.
"You are an awful husband." Y/N croaked out, making them laugh. Finan winked at Y/N, almost slightly sitting on her. Y/N leaned in to Finans ear, whispering to Finan that Lady Ælswith gave her a load of silver. Finan put his jug down and ran towards his daughter, pulling out the bag of silver, before quickly putting it in his pocket. A shocked look on his face as he patted his pocket. Y/N watched in amusement telling him to be quiet.
"Do not tell anyone." Y/N whispered as Finan sat down, squeezing her leg slightly.
"Oh, I won't." Finan said as he bought her face close to her, nuzzling her nose against his.
"More ale!" Father Pyrlig shouted as he slapped the table, making a load of noise. Y/N laughed as she drank the rest of the ale out of Finans cup, as she nudged Stiorra, who was drinking a boring cup of water.
"Do not Y/N!" Uhtred said, making Y/N slowly pull her cup back. Stiorra frowned as she chugged her cup of water.

Once Finan sat back down him and Father Pyrlig started to sing, banging on the table in high spirits.
"Oh, oh! Eh, eh! To Eadith, for not killing the Lady Ælfwynn." Finan said as he raised his cup up.
"To Eadith!" They cheered, drinking there ale.
"To Sihtric, Cynlæf and Æthelflaed and Young Uhtred, too." Finan said sarcastically as he kissed his cross. "May they return to safely. But if there's still ale left when they get here, then we have let ourselves down." Finan said as they all cheered, while Finan held onto his wife's shoulder as he looked at Uhtred, lifting his jug up. "To the lands and to the silver. Uhtred of Mercia!" Finan shouted again before silencing them, "AND! MOST IMPORTANTLY!" Finan shouted at the top of his lungs as he shook his wife's shoulders. "To my wife! Who has ran from death many times." Finan chuckled. "And most of all, has given me a DAUGHTER!"
"TO Y/N" Uhtred shouted. Finan wrapped his arms around his shoulders as he kissed her neck.
"Father! Father! We are back!" Cynlæf shouted as he ran towards them. Making the drunk table come to a halt as they looked at a confused Sihtric and Young Uhtred.
"To Sihtric on being a new father." Father Pyrlig shouted quickly so he could drink some more ale.