Blood Moon| The Last Kingdom| Sihtric Kjartansson

FOURTEEN

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The Saxon warriors did not take well to Danes, much less a Danish witch.

Uhtred lead the group of warriors with the new King Edward, who was barely a man and per the new king's request, I rode at the back of the line, with Saga who refused to leave me alone.

"He is a turd," Saga declared, "a smaller turd than his father, but he will grow with time."

I snorted under my breath, caressing the mane of the horse I had been given; he did not compare to Helios. He was older and heavier, but he rode steadily, and that was good enough. Uhtred would not let Edward make us walk, which I was grateful for.

A few soldiers of Wessex glanced back at us wearily, but they turned back when Saga met their eyes, her war paint scaring them out of their wits.

I smiled, sitting up straighter on my horse, looking over the heads of the many soldiers, "I do not understand how their successions work."

Saga sniffed in disapproval, "They probably look at who is the most washed, most ugly and most ready to be humped by their God."

"Close," a voice joined us in the back, and I watched as Sihtric moved his horse around the men and joined my side, pushing me into the middle.

"What did I miss?" Saga smirked wickedly, letting go of the bridle of her horse and leaning forward on it instead. "Do they also have to look for who has the tiniest cock?"

Sihtric's lips twitched up, "Perhaps you were a Saxon king in another life, you know too much about them."

Saga leaned back swiftly, nearly startling her horse as she belted out a strong laugh that echoed through the woods around us.

I shook my head in amusement, turning to Sihtric, "How do they choose their kings? I want to know."

Sihtric glanced at me, his face softening a little out of the rigid look he held and he shrugged, "It is similar to the Danes. The oldest son takes over from the dead father."

I frowned, thinking back to the stories I had heard from Danes and their wives, who had survived the first winters in Northumbria when it was new and fresh to them. "But that was not the case for Alfred. Alfred took the throne from his brother."

"Alfred killed his brother for the throne?" Saga's face pinched in confusion.

"No," Sihtric quickly blurted as a few Saxon men turned to us again, "no, his brother fell in battle. Alfred took over for him then."

"Did the brother have no sons?" Saga raised her brow, "Did he forget to hump between all his praying?"

Sihtric could not help but smile at her, "No, he did not. He had a son, a stupid one."

"Oh!" Saga beamed, leaning to the side to nudge me, "The son and Daga would get along. Two stupid's might make a smart."

"You have a brother?" Sihtric looked to me, his eyes curious.

"I have four," I mumbled, my mood dulling at the mention of Daga, "and five sisters."

The happiness on Saga's face faded as well and she faced forward, grabbing her bridle again.

Sihtric sensed the shift in the mood, "You do not get along with them?"

My heart pinched a little and I offered him a small smile, "Most of them are dead."

Sihtric's face fell and he opened his mouth to apologise but I waved him away before he could.

"Do not worry, most did not live past a few days. I did not know them. Only Daga and Ellida live still."