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

Chapter 30

The next morning we shared a hasty breakfast of stale bread. Uhtred's men filled the water skins and we were on our way once more. We continued over endless hills, rocky paths, and smaller streams than the one where we had rested. We crossed a grassy field, feeling the tall dry blades poking our hands. Soon we found ourselves back in what felt like the endless woods. The terrain of Mercia that once was strange and a marvel to me had became mundane.

Upon finding ourselves in yet another field, we finally emerged to a well trodden path; a road. The spirits of our odd group lifted and Uhtred assured us that at the next village we could get horses to speed our journey up.

"The sickness can't get this far north," Sihtric assured Finan with a slap on the poor man's shoulder. Finan rolled his eyes at his companion's back and mocked him. I hid my laugh with my hand as the Irishman winked in my direction.

We hadn't gone more than a few steps when we heard horses neighing behind us. The ground began to tremble beneath our feet. We looked back to see armored riders barreling down the road; the men urging their horses forward with what felt like unnatural speed.

"It's the Mercians," Ragnar growled, as he scooped Aelfwynn up into his arms, taking off at a run past Sihtric and Osferth. Without hesitation we all took off running for our lives down the dirt road. Finan grabbed a hold of Aethelstan's hand and pulled the small boy along as Uhtred and Sihtric stood at our backs herding the rest of us forward. Uhtred shouted, "Head over that ridge! Help the children, don't look back."

"We're not going to outrun them father!" Stiorra yelled back, as I dragged her forward.

"Keep moving! Finan run faster!" Uhtred urged us on.

We clambered up the ridge and down the other side, momentum flinging us forward until we halted at a boggy dead end. I barely had time to stop Stiorra from dragging the two of us into the dirty water.

"It's the sickness, everyone back!" Finan shouted at us, waving his arms wildly.

"We could swim across," Sihtric offered.

"I'd rather die fighting them than shitting and coughing up blood in three days time," Finan growled.

"I'm in agreement with Finan," I replied, shuddering at the dead faces in the water, touching my charm of Freya.

"Agreed," Ragnar said, turning away from the bodies. Aelfwynn's fragile arms clinging tightly to his neck.

Our small band turned desperately searching for somewhere to run. We looked to the treeline to our side, but the Mercian guard was upon us.

"Seems hardly fair they have horses," Finan half joked.

"Give me lady Aelfwynn and you'll all be spared," A weasel-like man, and the leader of the Mercian band, Eadith's brother, Eardwulf called out to us. Without warning, his archers shot arrows at our feet, causing us to back up some. I felt Finan's arm steady me before I toppled into the bog behind us. We drew our weapons ready for the onslaught.

"Stay your weapons, my men won't miss next time," Eardwulf said in an almost bored manner.

"Shield the little ones," Uhtred ordered.

In response, Ragnar placed Aelfwynn next to to Eadith and drew his blade. Finan shoved Aethelstan behind him, and I shoved a begrudging Stiorra behind me.

"I'm not a child, I can fight," she snapped at me.

"Once one of those arrows pierces through me, you are all they will have," I replied looking to the small children. "You protect them with your life."