A Friend, A Warrior, A Lover

3.1

Life had changed for Y/N, more than she would have thought, let alone accepted. Never would she have ever thought she would have accepted living in the past. Without her family and friends, she had to. There was no way back for her, and she accepted that. Y/N had learned to enjoy her life a lot more when she let go of the fact she wasn't returning. Y/N had found things in Winchester a lot more enjoyable. She spent her days learning to make clothes by hand, and who would have thought she would ever be doing that? That wasn't the main reason she found things enjoyable and Uhtred noticed that. She finally admitted she developed feelings for Sihtric, but they were only small feelings. The ones where she would smile to herself alone at night or the ones where her ears would prick up at the sound of his name. She felt like a teenager having her first crush and she had plenty of them in the past, but for now, Uhtred was the only person who knew and it would stay that way.
"Y/N! Y/N! Are you listening to me?" Gisela called out to her.
"Yes, Gisela, what is it?" Y/N asked. Gisela smirked at her as she folded a towel down.
"Oh. I am so sorry Gisela." Y/N said as she realised she burnt the bread she made. Y/N pulled it out quickly and threw it on the table, "look, it's just extra crispy."
"Are you daydreaming about a certain someone again?" Thyra asked, a playful look on her face.
"Did you know he is her husband?" Gisela said as she smacked the woman with the towel playfully.
"I do not know what you are suggesting nor implying," Y/N said innocently as she started to cut up the bread. A small smile started to form on her face as she thought about the 'husband' comment. It still seemed to be a running joke, but neither of them put a stop to it. Thyra walked over towards Y/N with a giggle as she noticed her smiling to herself, making Y/N glare at the red-haired woman.

Y/N picked up the bread and neatly piled it onto the table, before giving Young Uhtred and Stiorra a bit of bread.
"Why is it hard?" Young Uhtred complained. Y/N picked up the middle bit and gave it to him, "Only the crust is burnt."
"What is this Gisela, we have servants for this, you should be resting." Uhtred said as he came in, taking a bit of bread off the table.
"That is what we said, but apparently me and Thyra are better servants." Y/N stated with a chuckle.
"You will make a good housewife then, Y/N, but first you need to ready the horses, we are riding into battle." Uhtred said.
"What battle?" Y/N asked as she grabbed another piece of bread, heading outside towards the horses. Y/N couldn't help but smile as she watched Sihtric untie the horses only for her face to frown when she saw the monk. The monk who had become a nuisance in their lives, was like an annoying needy brother who always needed someone to tell him what to do.
"Lady." Osferth greeted with a gummy smile.
"What is this battle we are heading to?" Y/N asked as she handed Sihtric the other bit of bread.
"The seer has attacked a village with a group of Danes from Denmark. His name is Bloodhair" Sihtric explained. They had heard for a while a group of Danes had gone around killing Saxons, but they had no idea why at the moment.
"Oh. Well, that is new." Y/N said as she climbed up on the horse.
"Did Seers die out then?" Sihtric asked with humour in his voice. Sihtric ended up finding out Y/N was from the future when she was drunk because Y/N could not keep secrets when she was drunk. Sihtric did not believe her at first but Uhtred had to explain it later on, but still, only a few of them knew. Hild, Gisela, Thyra, Beocca and Finan, although Osferth did know, he did not believe them. Thyra knew through her dreams but her dreams did not make sense so she couldn't advise Y/N of anything, but Y/N did not want to know anymore, she did not want to think about her old life anymore.
"Uh, I don't know. The Christians may have killed them all or they fled back to Norway. I have never met one... Except for Iseult and Thyra." Y/N stated with a smirk.
"Who is Iseult," Osferth asked.
"I don't know. I don't know anything." Y/N said with a smirk as she watched Uhtred get on his horse.
"I was only asking," Osferth muttered as he kicked his horse. Y/N looked at Sihtric with a smile before following behind him.

They rode towards Aweltun to meet Finan, who had gone out a day early to investigate what had been happening over the last few weeks. When they reached Finan he informed them that the seer, named Slade, had slaughtered the village and kidnapped the priests.
"What does she want the priests for?" Uhtred questioned as he got off his horse.
"She is looking for the wealth in the church, lord. I can hear them screaming, lord. She is torturing them." A village man said. He clutched his cross in fear as he looked the warriors.
"Well, she sounds fun," Y/N said sarcastically, as she looked at Sihtric who smirked at her. Finan rolled his eyes at the pair of them, "Not when she's killing a bunch of priests."
"Take us to her." Uhtred said. The villagers nodded and took them to the church that was situated in the middle of the woods or whatever was left of the woods. Everything was burned down to almost ash.
"She's in there, inside the church. Am I still needed?" The villager asked.
"Go find your family." Uhtred said.
"What's the plan, lord?" Y/N asked as she looked at the very bulky-looking Danes.
"Osferth." Uhtred said with a smirk, making the monk look up in fear and confusion, "You will distract them. Off you go."

Osferth stumbled over while the rest of them split up in different directions. Y/N and Sihtric headed towards the left as Uhtred and Finan stayed to the right, watching Osferth approach the Danes.
"I would like you all to surrender. Or I will smite you." Osferth called out. Smite? What does that mean? Sihtric looked at Y/N with the same thought, neither of them had heard the word before.
"It's a word, isn't it? A word from the Holy Book. It means to slay or kill... I will kill you." Osferth called out.
"I think they will smite you, Osferth, I'm afraid," Y/N whispered to herself. Sihtric chuckled at her, "Come on." Y/N ran forward and threw the axe at one of them as she headed for the church.
"Hæsten says she is of the devil." Uhtred warned.
"Then it might be an idea to bar the door and burn the place down." Finan breathed out.
"It's only a suspicion, right?" Y/N questioned.
"To Bloodhair, she will be priceless." Uhtred stated as opened the door. Y/N looked at Finan who shrugged his shoulders and walked in. Y/N followed in after him, holding her sword tightly as she looked at the dead priests.
"You! You will do nothing except go to your lord. You tell them that Uhtred of Bebbanburg has his witch." Uhtred demanded.
"I knew it was you!" The blonde woman said.
"There will be a ransom to pay." Uhtred breathed out. Y/N looked at him confused, it seemed as if Uhtred had become locked in a trance. This shit surely ain't real.
"No, you will go to my lord and you will tell him from this moment forth, that Uhtred of Bebbanburg is cursed. The witch holds his heart in her hands and she will squeeze it... And break it." Y/N looked at Finan who seemed rather spooked, even Sihtric seemed rather uncomfortable.
"It is you who is my prisoner now Uhtred." The woman walked towards Uhtred slowly, making Uhtred freakout, "seize her. I said seize her, Sihtric. Now, bind her hands." Sihtric moved quickly and tied her up, but the woman kept speaking, taunting Uhtred.
"Bind her mouth." Uhtred demanded. Finan ripped a cloth of the dead priest and forced it into the woman's mouth, tying it around the back of her head.
"Cover her eyes! We'll take her to Aescengum." Uhtred whispered. Now Y/N was kind of spooked.