Blood Moon| The Last Kingdom| Sihtric Kjartansson

ELEVEN

A/N: I have finished writing Blood Moon entirely, so I will be releasing chapters daily from now on.

☾

"Are you okay, Lady?" Osferth whispered, sitting across from me in the small cart we had inhabited alongside Uhtred and Saga. 

I startled slightly, breaking my staring match with the fabric covering the cart, "Hm?"

Osferth smiled slightly, "I asked if you were okay. You look distracted."

Skade's death had taken its toll on me. It had been two days, and we now rode for Winchester, for some purpose Uhtred had. I had still not recovered, and I saw her in my dreams, killing Ragnar over and over again.

She had cursed me in her own way.

"I am well, Osferth," I whispered back, shifting to sit up into a more comfortable position.

Saga glanced at me from the corner of her eye, but she said nothing.

Osferth smiled gently, leaning closer to me, his fingers reaching out for my face, hovering over the three scratches covering my eye. "It is healing nicely."

I bowed my head, brushing the tip of my finger over the marks.

Henrick had not taken well to Skade's revenge. He and Olav had gone down the lake after Saga and I returned. They had pulled out her body and fed it to the wolves, declaring it was the appropriate punishment.

They had not asked me, though. That was why they were not allowed to come to Winchester with me; they would stay with the wolves until they had been cleansed of Skade. Only then could they follow.

"I will go ahead onto the castle," Uhtred mumbled, turning to look at us, "You three may roam the town. You women are unknown here. You do not have to be careful but keep Osferth safe while you explore."

I smiled at him slightly, nodding, "We will take the best care of him."

Uhtred then turned to Osferth alone, "Join Finan and Sihtric, I will go to Father Beocca,"

The cart stopped abruptly, voices talking a short distance away.

"Go now." Uhtred ordered us, holding up the tent flap.

Saga emerged first, helping out Osferth and then me. Uhtred continued onwards.

"Have you ever been to Winchester?" Osferth asked, lifting his hood so it covered his face.

"No," I mumbled, following after him as he began to walk, "I never had a reason to leave Daneland."

"It is nice here," Osferth told us, "there is lots to do."

"And we are to just do as we please until Uhtred returns?" Saga wondered, turning around in a circle to look at the buildings we passed.

"Try not to mention his name," Osferth muttered, "but yes. He will find us himself when he needs us."

I frowned, but I did not protest.

"I will go and find Finan, will you join me?" Osferth glanced back at us as we walked two steps behind him.

"Well, we don't know anything else here except you, so I think that is the best idea," Saga mused, pulling on the top of her dress. "Did we really have to wear these?"

Uhtred and Osferth had agreed that if we were to arrive in Winchester dressed in our Danish armour, it would cause problems. They forced us to take out our braids and brush our hair, wipe off our runes and adorn brightly coloured dresses, one red and one blue. They had once belonged to Uhtred's wife, Gisela.