𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐑 <𝐬𝐢𝐡𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐤𝐣𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧>

1. 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌

Ghylena was exhausted. Her hunting had been poor that day, and with only a few measly rabbits to show for her efforts, she was in a surly mood. She had been up since dawn and riding for hours to find her desired prey, and yet still no sign of the elusive stag.

Sliding from her saddle, she dropped to the ground with aching joints and a tired bow arm. Patting her horse, she led him to the stables that sat behind the nunnery's hall.
"Alright Shaeda, let's get you some food and water, huh boy?"

Ghylena and her elder sister Gisela had been in hiding at the convent for months now, shielding themselves from their brother the King.
Some months ago he had sold their friend and ally Uhtred of Bebbanburg into slavery, leaving Gisela and Ghylena unprotected from being sold as brides against their wishes.

Not only had they left Eoferwic behind in the hopes that Uhtred would one day be found by Hild and return, but Ghylena had been separated from her friend Sihtric; ever since he had sworn himself to Uhtred, Ghylena had persuaded Sihtric into teaching her how to fight with a sword.
Each day, without fail, they had trained together- starting first with daggers and knife-throwing before moving on to swordplay.

At first he had seemed unsure of her, seeking Uhtred's permission on whether he was even allowed to be teaching her, but Gisela had already spoken with Uhtred about it, and Sihtric was reassured.
After that, a close friendship soon formed between them, one that led to knowing smiles between Uhtred and Gisela, and a constant stream of teasing from Hild and Halig.

"Ghylena!" One of the younger nuns came running towards her as she settled Shaeda into the stables, "My Lady, come quick! The Abbot- he has come for you and the Lady Gisela!"

Suddenly alert and afraid, Ghlyena took her bow in hand before moving to dash into the hall behind the nun. Her heart was thumping inside her chest, feet slamming against the ground as she desperately ran to save her sister.
Bursting through the side door to the hall, Ghylena notched an arrow and drew her bowstring, aiming for the Lord Abbot as she yelled her threat: "Stop! Abbot, you have no right!"

"Lena! Run!" Gisela was held tight by two men, thrashing in their arms to be free as she begged her sister to save herself, "Run!"

Unfazed by the young woman's threat, the weaselly holy-man simply sneering as he continued: "I hereby proclaim Lady Gisela of Cumbr-"

Ghylena let her arrow fly, hitting one of the holy men who held Gisela tight, before drawing another arrow, growling "A warning! Do not think I will not kill you Abbot! Let my sister go!"

The injured priest wailed in pain as he clutched his shoulder, Lena's arrow protruding from it as blood seeped into his robes, yet still the Abbot only spoke faster.
"-Gisela of Cumbraland, and Lord Aelfric of Bebbanburg to be man and wife!" His ratty voice rushed out, finishing the proclamation before the doors to the hall once again burst open and Uhtred and his men marched in.

Everything after that moved quickly, with Ghylena relaxing her bow and moving to pull Gisela to her side, standing behind Hild. When Uhtred killed the Abbot for his insistence that Gisela was indeed married, Ghylena felt only relief.
This disaster was over, Uhtred had returned, and Ghylena could finally return to Eoferwic to see Sihtric.

She had missed him fiercely in their time apart; longing for the feel of his calloused hands as he corrected her form in training, the admiring gleam in his mismatched eyes as she returned through the gates from a successful hunt, and the soft peace they shared during the evenings spent drinking ale with Hild, Clapa and Halig, (Uhtred and Gisela often being too busy with each other to join their companions).

When they finally did return to Eoferwic, with Uhtred now married to Gisela- and after far too many detours through Loidis, and Erik and Siegfried's camp- Ghylena was antsy.
Entering through the gates atop Shaeda, she couldn't seem to sit still in her saddle, her stomach twisting with nerves and excitement as she looked through the crowds gathering, searching for a certain Dane with braided hair and muscled arms.

Hild seemed all too entertained by Ghylena's obvious intentions, "He'll be here, Ghylena. He swore to stay in Eoferwic and keep an eye on the King until we returned. I'm sure you will be reunited with him soon enough."

Turning to look at her friend, Ghylena felt her face flush, "So long as he agrees to continue training me, then I will be happy, Hild. That's all I want from him."

Hild breathed a laugh, "Of course, My Lady. You want him to teach you. That is all, I'm sure."

Huffing at Hild's teasing, Ghylena pulled at Shaeda's reins, intent on leaving her horse at the stables as she searched for Sihtric. "I will hear no more of your taunting, Hild. I am going to find my friend. Make sure Uhtred doesn't start a war whilst I'm away."

"I make no promises."

<>

Later that evening, after jumping at Sihtric in a hug when she had found him at the blacksmith's, Ghylena was sat beside him at a table with Clapa and the Irishman, Finan. She found herself unable to focus on the debate of who should take Dunholm once they seized it, and of whether or not to kill Guthred, (she found herself uncaring at whether her shit stain of a brother lived or died).

Instead of listening to the conversations occurring around her, all Ghylena could focus on was the warm presence of Sihtric beside her, and the comforting feel of his bare arm pressed against hers. Each time she looked up from her food and ale, she would find herself stealing glances at him, and hiding a smile whenever she caught him doing the same.
Hild watched their childish antics from the other table, but shook her head and said nothing, content to let them enjoy their strange dance.

When the aforementioned arseling she defied to call brother called out to Uhtred, pleading to speak with him, Ghylena felt her back grow stiff, her jaw locking as she froze in anger.

She stood up suddenly, shaking Sihtric's hand from her arm and pacing over to the pair of men, unsure of what she was planning to do, only knowing that she needed to confront the man who had caused her so much pain.
"...in my defense, I was meant to kill you." Guthred continued talking to Uhtred as his eyes flicked over to Lena and back again, "I- I spared your life—"

A resounding slap echoed around the yard, and Ghylena's hand stung when she hissed at him, "You sold him as a slave, you killed Halig, and you hunted your own sisters down to be married against our wishes. You are no man, no brother of mine, and no King- only a milky turd who was squeezed out the arse of a goat."

Uhtred took his sister-in-law's hand once she was done speaking, the rest of their company shocked into silence at her display, and she settled back into her seat beside Sihtric. The Dane beside her was grinning- his shoulders shaking with barely suppressed laughter- and when he took her hand in his, she found herself feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.

Guthred seemed unable to look at her now, continuing instead to talk to Uhtred and the night soon passed once he left again.

Days later, Uhtred's company left for Dunholm, and with no regret at leaving her past life behind, Ghylena followed her new brother, Uhtred, to Dunholm. She would make herself useful as an archer for now, but her skill with a blade had greatly improved, and someday she swore she would become a warrior.

If her being a warrior and learning to fight meant more time spent with Sihtric, then more the better- a happy addition to her plan. And most definitely not one of her biggest motivations. Not at all.
Ghylena was tired of leaving her fate in the hands of a man, no— this, this was for her, and her alone. Her friendship with Sihtric must simply be the Gods' plan for her, and who was she to defy the Gods?

Word Count= 1409

up next: 'three years later'...