A Saint To A Sinner

5.6

"You need to tell him now. He has a right to know. If we go back and she is gone, he will blame you." Y/N whispered as she secured the reigns of her horse. Y/N reached out and squeezed his arm. Telling him that it would be alright.
"Go to him." Y/N whipsered. Finan nodded and walked towards Uhtred with a heavy heart. Y/N turned her head around when she heard Æthelstan climb onto his horse with a grunt, "sleep well?"
"Yes, mother." Æthelstan grumbled. Y/N looked at Sihtric with a chuckle as she climbed onto her horse, watching Finan and Uhtred go into the building. Y/N knew everyone had  started to suspect something. Even Sihtric knew she was keeping something, but Y/N did not wish to share something without Uhtreds approval.
"Y/N?" Sihtric asked, moving his horse over to her. She could not lie to him.
"Æthelflaed is dying. Finan was sworn to secrecy on this." Y/N promised, "I only found out yesterday."  Sihtric breathed out, knowing the difficult task Finan must have faced. Sihtric squeezed her leg in reassurance before leaning over to kiss her head.
"Finan, what has happened?" Osferth asked. Finans' face dropped as he climbed onto his horse.
"Lady Æthelflaed is dying and we must reach her quickly." Finan spoke plainly. No one said anything, but everyone felt the exact same way, even if it wasn't spoken.
"We must ride now and quickly." Uhtred demanded.

They travelled as fast as they could towards Aeglesburg as quickly as they could. It was only a matter of time before God would take her from them. If Y/N was honest, she did feel slightly saddened at the news. When they reached Aeglesburg, Uhtred shot off his horse and ran towards, Æthelflaed. Y/N looked over at Finan sadly. There was too much sadness that reached them all.
"We will go to the Alehouse and wait for Uhtred. He will need us." Finan said. Y/N nodded and slid off her horse, looking at Æthelstan.
"Go to them. They are your family. You know where to find us." Y/N assured, giving his arm a squeeze.
"Ayy. If yu find that little runt, yu tell him his fathers will kill him." Finan grumbled, knowing Cynlæf was probably here.
"Come on, Finan." Sihric said as he wrapped his arm around his wife as they walked to the Alehouse with a heavy heart. The four of them sat in silence, drinking ale and eating when Æthelstan came back, telling them he could not find Cynlæf.
"How can a man go missing?" Finan grumbled as he reshuffled his cloak.
"Sihtric taught him how to hide." Y/N stated, as she looked at the men who were riding into the city. Y/N looked at Æthelstan who looked slightly uncomfortable. The last time he saw his father was nearly eleven years ago when his father took Wessex back. Edward made no effort to contact him after that.
"Don't worry about it! Yur taller than him anyway." Finan joked. To lighten the mood.
"You can pass off as Cynlæf if you need to." Osferth joked.
"It is all right. It is just hard to see him, that is all." Æthelstan whispered. Sihtric squeezed Æthelstans arm gently, knowing this death would bring them either all together or furher away.

It was only a matter of time before Uhtred carried Lady Æthelflaed through the main gate in his arms.
"Good Jesus." Finan said, getting up, making them all stop.
"Not yet, Finan. Let him be alone." Sihtric whispered. Y/N clutched Finans hand, giving it a squeeze. There was nothing they could say now, only they could wait. Wait for the words of Uhtred.
"There will probably be a witan, tomorrow." Æthelstan pointed out.
"That's it, I need a drink!" Finan said, grabbing the jug of ale. Æthelstan had a point. The witan would cause conflict between the Mercians along with Wessex.
"Look." Y/N said as she got up. "As much as myself and Æthelflaed have not seen eye to eye, but she was the best person for Mercia. And... she was a warrior! To Æthelflaed and may she rest peacefully."
"To Æthelflaed!" They agreed, paying their respects to her.
"And let us hope the Witan goes smoothly." Finan drunkenly said. Y/N and Sihtric looked at Finan. He had become incredibly drunk.
"Right, you time for bed." Y/N said as she got up to pull Finan up.
"No. I am fine!" Finan said.
"How did he get so drunk so quickly?" Sihtric questioned as he pulled Finan up. The two of them carried Finan towards a small lodge.
"Osferth, the door." Y/N grumbled. Osferth grabbed the door quickly. Y/N Sihtric put down a very drunk Finan to bed, throwing a blanket over him. Y/N flopped to the side, looking at him before looking at Sihtric, who shook his head. Sihtric walked over to her with a soft smile, bringing his hand up towards her face, leaning down to kiss her. Sihtric depended the kiss, sucking on her bottom gently, as his hands went towards her hair.
"I am still in the room." Osferth grumbled.
"Well, turn around then if you don't want to watch." Sihtric said. Y/N rolled her eyes before lying down next to Finan to go to sleep. Only to he woken up by Æthelstan keep looking out of the door.
"Shut that door. My balls are freezing. To nothing." Sihtric grumbled as he shuffled his cloak again, trying to keep the warmth over him and Y/Ns body. Y/N grunted and closed her eyes to go back to sleep when Æthelstan shook her, "mother wake up. There's something out there."
"No. No. It's the ale. Your eyes are playing tricks on you. Just..." Before Sihtric could finish his sentence Æthelstan was out the door.
"I will go and check." Sihtric whispered, quickly kissing his wife before tucking her in.

Y/N hummed slightly, cuddling up to Finan to find warmth, only to find Sihtric shuffling around to look for his sword.
"That's it. I'm up." Y/N grumbled.
"Sorry. Go back to sleep." Sihtric whispered, but Y/N shook her head and slowly got up with a grunt, quickly grabbing her sword and following him outside.
"Where is Æthelstan?" Y/N asked.
"Shit!" Sihtrics said as he looked at her. Y/Ns eyes widened in frustration as she started running around to look for him. The two of them checking the alleyways along the way, till they found him with Uhtred. Y/N walked over towards Æthelstan helping him up, "Are you alright." Y/N smacked him over the head, "do not be so stupid."
"Lord you need to see this." Sihtric called. Y/N frowned. Walking over to find the dead bodies of men.
"Who are they?" Sihtric questioned.
"The Ealdormen!" Uhtred stated.
"Why would the guards kill the Ealdormen of Mercia?" Y/N asked. Sihtric walked over, slapping the man, asking him, "who gave the orders."
"Uhtred I know him. I saw him last night, talking to the King." Æthelstan stated.
"Why would the King order a slaughter?" Y/N asked.
"Get the others and guard the gate. I will deal with this." Uhtred said. Y/N nodded and grabbed Athelstans shoulder gently. Y/N hugged the young man close to her, knowing he became conflicted with what he saw.
"We will talk later." Y/N promised as they went to wake the others.

The five of them stood at the gate tiredly as they watched the main gate. Finan was still slightly drunk and confused as to what was going on.
"Right, Finan. You stay guard until you are sober and hope no one kills your wife." Y/N said sarcastically.
"What?" Finan stated.
"Someone wants to kill our wife. She seems to make a lot of enemies." Sihtric scolded, making Æthelstan crack a small smile. Y/N walked over to Æthelstan reassuringly, "whatever you chose will always be supported. You were born into a very different life that you can not run from. There is no right or wrong, only what you feel deeply inside."
"Lads, be ready!" Finan stated. Y/N turned around to draw her sword when she saw King Alfred.
"My men are merely seeking their horses. There's no trouble here." Edward stated. Æthelstan stepped forward cautiously towards Edward, "you killed the Ealdormen?"
"It is only what needed to be done." Edward stated.
"They were old men! Defenseless." Æthelstan said.
"Y/N has taught you her strong sense of morality then." Edward said, stepping forward towards him. "Surely, those around you have also taught you it is better to strike first, if it might prevent more violence. Yet it was not my intention for you to be caught up in this. My men tells me you fought well." Y/N looked at her husbands, who too did not trust the situation.
"Not well enough, or he would not be here to tell you of it." Æthelstan stated, making Y/N bite her tongue.
"Your blood is strong." Edward said.
"My skill comes from my training." Æthelstan stated. Y/N watched Æthelstan unsurely stand up for himself. She knew he was conflicted between his family by blood and those who bought him up. Y/N knew it would be a matter of time before Æthelstan would be forced to choose, and Y/N hoped that out of all of this, Eir would not be dragged into this.