Kingdom Come

XXIV. Smells Like Teen Spirit

I'm worse at what I do best

And for this gift, I feel blessed

Our little group has always been

And always will until the end

Jaehaera steadied Sihtric's horse while he used the horse as leverage to climb over the wall at Saltwic. He dropped down over the wall and once inside he opened the gate for the rest of them. Once inside they all walked to the hall and young Uhtred knocked on the door. "Stiorra!" her father called. "Open the doors!"

"Perhaps she is sleeping," Aethelflaed suggested when the doors didn't open.

"Stiorra, wake up," Uhtred instructed his youngest daughter. "It is your father."

"Stay back and name yourselves," Stiorra's soft, but brave voice answered from inside the hall. Jaehaera smiled at her sister's sense to not just open the door just because she thinks she might know the people behind it. "My father calls himself Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Who are you?"

Jaehaera and the other's smirked at Uhtred's reaction to his daughter's antics. You're the one who most likely taught her to be like this, why are you shocked? Jaehaera thought to herself.

"Stiorra, it is us," young Uhtred told his sister. "It really is." The door opened at her brother's voice, but only just a crack. A crack wide enough for her to see out of but nothing more than that. "Father has defeated the danes. We brought you, someone, you would like to see." The door began to open once more with caution, and Stiorra's apprehensive face turned to one of pure joy when she saw her sister.

"Jaehaera!" she exclaimed.

"Hello love," She answered her younger sister while walking quickly to her and wrapping her up in her arms. "We've come to take you home."

"You're lucky I didn't stab you and father through the door," Stiorra taunted. She had to be no more than fourteen now. The last time she had seen the girl had been when her father brought her here many years ago. Jaehaera and her father chuckled as they embraced as well after Jaehaera had let go of her baby sister. Together they all walked into the hall. Chairs were stacked everywhere like Stiorra had put them there to stop an attack if it were to come. Jaehaera smiled.

"The battle was never close," Uhtred told his youngest, "we would not have left you in danger," he explained as they walked.

"There have been rumors of retreating fighters," Stiorra explained to their father. He started to move the chairs back to their rightful place with the help of Jaehaera and the others. "We made a plan if we were attacked."

"Where is my daughter?" Aethelflaed asked.

"Aelfwynn!" Stiorra shouted, making Jaehaera jump slightly as she did not expect it. Sihtric and Rickon chuckled at her and she hit both of them on their shoulders. "Aelfwynn, your mother is here!" Jaehaera and the others then began to hear birds chirping in the distance. It sounded like the bird's song was coming from upstairs.

"Mother!" a young girl exclaimed as another door in the hall opened to the Great Hall with the tables. She was short and had long blonde hair. The girl couldn't be more than ten. "I've missed you." the mother and daughter pair hugged one another.

"Oh, I've missed you too!" Aethelflaed answered.

"Aethelstan! You can come out now!" Stiorra called to the boy somewhere in the hall. "Cnut has been sent to hell!" Jaehaeara looked at her sister with surprise at her bluntness, but then laughed. The three of them truly had no subtly whatsoever, huh, Jaehaera thought to herself. Truly, we are our father's children. A young boy about Aelfwynn's age came running into the hall as well and stopped by the wall. He stood cautiously away from everyone.