The Little Wolf || 𝐔𝐡𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧

003

The fire crackling with the burning wood, along with the waves crashing against the shore was the only sound that could be heard in the dead of night. They had made camp at the shore for the night Uhtred and Finan in no condition to travel.

It was obvious from the way the group sat around the campfire with the cooking stew that Ragnar, Hild, and Steppa did not know how to proceed, concerned about lacing their bones as they watched as Uhtred stared into the flames.

It was clear to everyone with his distant eyes that he was still in his mind and only the beings in the sky knew what was playing there.

Fiona sat on one of the logs, to her right was Aodhan, and to her left was her brother. Across from her sat the destroyed warrior, Uhtred. To his right was Ragnar, and to his left was Hild. Steppa sitting next to the nun.

It seemed that a distant owl's howl was what brought Uhtred back to reality. "Halig?" His voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke.

Fiona looked up from her bowled plate to the man across from her, then to Ragnar who stared at his brother with such concern.

"He has been taken down, wrapped, and buried." There was a pause between his words as his eyes met mine then moved back to his brother. "With shield and sword."

"You will say words for him, Hild?" At the sound of her name, the nun looked up to the male from the stew she watched.

"I have, I will, always."

A silence fell back over the group, and Hild looked back to the stew. Fiona glanced at her brother, taking in his side profile, and as if her brother knew she was staring at him he turned his gaze from the fire to his younger sister.

Finan gave her a small smile to reassure his worried sister that he was okay. Fiona returned the gesture, but she knew that from now on he was a changed man. That his smile now did not reach his eyes back in Ireland in their youth.

She could only hope and pray that one day her brother would gain that smile back.

Her gaze shifted from the Irishman to Ragnar who she could tell was getting antsy with the silence between him and his brother.

"Northumbria is torn. Aelfric did not come to Guthred's side. Erik and Siegfried and Kjartan; they do what they please."

Ragnar explains to an unfazed Uhtred, whose distant eyes never left the fire. His gaze got more worried as he was running out of ideas to get his brother to speak. He looked over to Hild who shifted in her seat next to Steppa.

Ragner's gaze shifted to Fiona whose eyes stayed on Uhtred. Seeing no help from the two women, he continued talking.

"You haven't asked how I come to be here."

That seems to get the warrior's attention as he slowly turns his head and rests his gaze upon his older brother.

"Alfred." Ragnar chuckles at the king's name as a way to lighten up the mood. "Alfred sent us. I believe the King of Wessex cares for you."

Uhtred's gaze slowly falls back down to the fire and ground in front of him. Fiona felt her brother shift next to her and her gaze looked to her brother. He had shifted in his seat to lean forward against his knee.

"You're Uhtred's brother?"

"I am," Ragnar answered swiftly and with certainty.

"You look nothing like each other." Finan was also quick to respond.

Fiona couldn't help but smile and chuckle at her brother's remark. There was the stupid Irishman she loved as a brother. Ragnar chuckles with Fiona. Aodhan, Hild, and Steppa couldn't help but smile.