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

Chapter 29

Nadia

The next morning we awoke with silent alarm. The space next to Stiorra was empty. Aelfwynn was nowhere to be seen. Uhtred silently ordered everyone to their feet and we spread out across the forest to search for her. We hadn't gone far when I spotted a band of horses. I felt Ragnar gently grab a hold of my wrist, stopping me from moving any further. I looked at him and saw where he was staring. Across the way from us we saw Aelfwynn on a ledge above a sleeping band of Mercians. My heart dropped like a stone before racing with panic. Instinctively I motioned for her to stay quiet. She nodded at me. I let out a breath as Uhtred silently crept up behind her. He covered her mouth as he grabbed a hold of her to stop her from screaming. He smiled at the child before indicating she should not make a sound. She nodded as he scooped her into his arms, signaling the rest of us to run. We stole away as quickly as we could without making lots of noise. After we put some distance between us and the slumbering Mercian's, Finan suggested that we should run.

Like deer running from a wolf we sped deeper into the woods, putting as much distance between us and the sleeping Mercians as we could. If I had been a dishonorable warrior, I would've suggested we slit all their throats while they slept.  We ran until our legs and lungs felt as though they were going to give out. We cleared the woods and most of us collapsed in a grassy field from exhaustion.

"Who were they?" Ragnar gasped out, resting his elbows on onto his knees so he did not collapse.

"My brother Eadwulf and the Mercian guard," the red-haired woman replied, her head down in a mix of exhaustion and shame.

"Brother?" I asked, feeling my chest tighten.

She nodded. Before I could follow up with more questions Sihtric cut in, panting heavily. "Lord we should keep moving."

"The children need a moment," I huffed out, looking at Aethelstan, Stiorra, and Young Uhtred who were laying on their backs breathing hard.

"They will be upon us in no time," Sihtric replied, appealing more to Uhtred than me.

Uhtred looked at the pale figure in his arms before nodding at Sihtric.

"We must keep moving," he said almost regretfully.

My breathing had not yet steadied, and I felt a wet patch at my side, but I nodded my ascent. I felt Ragnar helping me back to my feet and leaned into him as we continued our flight from the Mercian guard.

~~~

Ragnar

We ran for miles, stopping only long enough to take turns carrying the smaller children. As we halted so I could hand Aethelstan over to Kjartan's bastard, I noticed Nadia slumped against a tree. Her face a deathly pale. I rushed to her side to find her hand covered in blood.

"Nadia?"

"I'm ok," she mumbled, staring at her hand.

I looked down to see blood on her side where she had been shot by the Saxon bastard Wihtgar.

"You are not fine," I growled.

"What's wrong?" Osferth came over to us, his eyes widening as he saw the blood.

"I think my wound reopened," She bit her lip as she ripped part of her pant leg off and pressed it onto her side.

"Lord, we need to stop," Osferth called to Uhtred.

Uhtred looked from Kjartan's bastard to the Irishman then came over to where the three of us stood. His eyes looked heavy as he crouched down to look her in the eyes. "Can you make it a bit further? Finan found a stream downhill, we can rest there."