Always Be By My Side - Sequel to Always Return to Me (The Last Kingdom Fan Fic)

Chapter 26

Ragnar

As my brother had promised, we rode with him and his strange band deeper into Mercia. We soon found ourselves at Droitwich, the Lady Aethelflaed's estate. I watched as Kjartan's bastard scaled the wall and unceremoniously unbarred the gate, letting us in.

"No welcome party?" I chuckled at Uhtred. He offered a small shrug before following the Lady Aetheflaed in. I glanced around the small space. It was no fortress. The low walls which showed age hardly protected the small garden within. The lady's husband must really not care for her safety and well-being. If this were my wife's estate, the walls would be tripled in height and she'd have a household guard of forty if not more. I shrugged away my thoughts and I turned my attention forward to an ironwood door, no more than ten feet from the main gate. If it can be called that. We halted our horses and dismounted as Young Uhtred rushed forward, banging on the door. To my surprise, my wife allowed me to help her down. I felt her tired body lean against mine for support.

"Stiorra! Open the doors!" Uhtred called out.

The Lady Aethelflaed spoke gently, "Perhaps she's still asleep."

"Stiorra, wake up it's your father," Uhtred half yelled, rolling his eyes.

A small voice shouted through the door. "Stay back and name yourselves."

Uhtred glanced around at his men who were hiding smirks. He shrugged his shoulders at me. "Stiorra open the door," he tried again.

"My father calls himself Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who are you?" She replied.

"Stiorra, it's us," Young Uhtred calmly said. "Open the door."

Within moments we heard a bolt being pulled back and the door slowly cracked open. A young girl peered out at us. Her eyes and face matched those of her mother. Stiorra hesitated opening the door entirely until she saw her brother's face. "Father defeated the Danes," Young Uhtred said. Her eyes darted from him to her father.

"I've come to take you home," Uhtred beamed, passing his horse's reins to the Irishman.

"You're lucky I didn't stab you through the door," Stiorra replied playfully, a smile threatening to come loose on her face.

Uhtred embraced his daughter who stared over his shoulder at us. Nadia's face lit up as Stiorra came rushing over. I felt her warmth leave my side as she  hugged our niece. "How you've grown," she remarked, looking Stiorra over. "You look just like your mother."

"Thank you," Stiorra's face reddened slightly. "Uncle Ragnar," she greeted, with the tiniest bow of her head.

"Come here you," I said, pulling her close. I felt her arms wrap around me. Despite having only seen her a few times as a baby and then a young girl, it felt as if our family had only been separated for a moment rather than years. I watched Nadia and Stiorra, arm in arm, follow Uhtred and the Lady Aethelflaed in.

"So guess we're stuck with the horses then," The Irishman loudly, but playfully shouted. Osferth rolled his eyes. Kjartan's bastard chuckled at the joke. "Lord, please allow me," the bastard held out his hand for my and Nadia's horse's reins.

"Don't be a fool," I replied and I followed the three men to the side where the horses could be fed and watered.

I felt their eyes on me as I rubbed down my mare and adjusted her saddle. As much as I'd prefer to give her a break, we needed to be ready to ride at a moment's notice. "Say it," I said gruffly.

"Say what lord?" The Irishman asked. The bastard and Osferth pretended to busy themselves with a water bucket. The Irishman was either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.