𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ➻ 𝐚𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧

v. plans

"What's the plan?" Osferth asked, all peering at Uhtred on the other side of the table. They'd dined with comfortable and lighthearted chatter, though, Klara couldn't stomach another bite as she worried about her sisters health and well-being. She noticed that her father and Sigtryggr had also hardly touched their plates. They all sat in shared worry and anger, at Brida and what Stiorra might be facing. It was when her father was not able to reply where she'd grown more worried by the day. They had no plan, her father was still in the works of making one. If they were to face Brida and her newfound Dane army, they'd need more men. While their town is populated, they were no more a warrior as they were farmers.

"First my son, now my daughters," Uhtred breathed, it took everything in Klara not to embrace her father, but she knew most that what they needed was strength. There was not much sadness will do to them.

"My Lord," A man said, "We've heard of men heading towards us, men of Wessex. They're a few miles from here."

"Edward." Uhtred said, they'd informed her that the Lady of Mercia would not be offering much men to their aid, perhaps the men of Wessex would be able to help them. Klara thought it to have been a grave betrayal that the Lady only sent them so few men, Klara knew as Uhtred did, that it would be hardly enough to even fight Brida with.
"We meet them out, then we go to Eoferwic."

Klara was ready to face Brida, ready to face death. Valhalla or Glory. She'd taken her weapons, checked up on her horse, now all she waited for was her father and his men. Each time they spent waiting, was time wasted, potentially time in which they could have saved Stiorra. Klara, much like Sigtryggr, were both in a panick.

"Klara," Her father called, gathered with his men. Approaching him, he spoke, "Are you ready for this?"

"I wish to avenge my sister, father. We cannot leave her trapped like a rat!" Klara spat, there had been so much anger built up inside her.

"I ask you, that if danger comes. You and Aethelstan must ride away, do not think about us. Any of us. Just go. Will you be able to do that?" Uhtred asked, his hand now resting on the side of her face.

"Father, I can fight. I will fight. I am not afraid of death," Uhtred sighed at her response.

"Stubborn bastards you've bred," Finan whispered earning a chuckle from Sihtric. While her fathers question still lingered.

"I will fight father, for glory or Valhalla. For Stiorra," Klara reassured her father, now taking his hand into her own.

"You'll ride beside Aethelstan," He said, as they all began mounting their horses, "To Eoferwic!"

━━༺❀༻━━

They rode hard. While the injury on her side had begun to heal, it had still impacted her dearly, Klara had begun finding it difficult to keep up with their pace. With her father and Sigtryggr leading, she'd begun falling behind.

"Are you alright?" Aethelstan asked, slowing down slightly to keep with her pace. The pain she bore would be nothing compared to what Brida would be doing to their people, to Stiorra.

"I'll be alright," She said, forcing herself to hold out, to ride until she caught up to them. Yet, Aethelstan seemed to keep his pace with her just perfectly.

"You are wounded," He said to her, his voice growing stronger with each gallop they took.

"I may be wounded," Klara spat, "But think about how my sister may be suffering," Klara pushed herself to ride harder with those final words, Aethelstan said no more bud continued on beside her. She felt his eyes occasionally drifting onto her, though, she simply brushed it off. There would be no distractions so long as her sister remained trapped in Eoferwic. It was a long journey, though when they reached the priest of Wessex, a great betrayal had been announced.

"None? No one is to come to our aid?!" Klara had screamed, she'd so rarely raised her voice but during this time, she wanted to murder the King just as much as she wanted to murder Brida and her men.
When neither men said a word, Klara stormed away in frustration. It hadn't taken a second for Uhtred to send one of his men to follow her.

As she paced around at a nearby tree, she had taken out her sword and relentlessly sliced away at a nearby tree, letting her anger take control. Her father had given everything for Wessex, slice, her sister had kept the peace, slice, and so many other had given their lives for her father to do good by both Mercia and Wessex, slice slice slice.
Klara only halted her relentless pursuit against the tree when she felt arms wrap around her waist, pulling her away from the tree. Klara felt tears begin burning at her eyes, as the man behind her, forced her hand open. Klara knew exactly who was behind her simply from the smell. Klara was beginning to get tired of her father sticking him in all her business, though in the moment, she felt entirely helpless, screaming as tears welled in her eyes.

Klara heard footsteps coming towards her, she slumped against Aethelstan's chest, her legs giving in from the long and arduous ride. They both collapsed on the ground as she saw Sihtric gently approach her.

"We'll get her, and your people," Sihtric assured, his arms slightly open as she jumped into him. Klara hadn't held Sihtric in a long time, his hand caressed her head gently, she buried her face into his shoulder as she felt his large arms wrap around her tightly. Klara felt somehow embarrassed for showing how emotionally she felt about her sister, though, there had been many instances, she'd been told, where her father sought the comfort of his men. Klara had been so entirely wrapped up in Sihtric's arm that she hadn't realised Sihtric and her father were not beside them.

"We have a way in," Sigtryggr whispered. Klara wiped away the tears before more could be seen. It was a show of weakness, she decided, while she cared deeply for Stiorra, she would never allow herself to show that much emotion again. Especially around others. Taking a deep breath, Klara stood, taking Sihtric's hand as guidance and she walked silently, with Sigtryggr guiding her.

The way that Sigtryggr had suggested for us to enter Eoferwic was through a tunnel filled with sewage water that led away turds. It was a disgusting passage way, though the only way she kept going was the thought of her sister.

"I can't believe I'm walking in shit water," Klara said, almost slipping as she grabbed onto Osferth ahead of her, nearly taking her down with her.

"We're almost there," Sigtryggr assured her,

"Now we know what the turds go through," Finan joked as he patted her on the shoulder, earning a shiver in disgust.

Finally she'd seen the light that came through the door at the end of the long tunnel. Relief filled her to the bone, as much as she wanted to leave the dirty tunnel, she also wanted nothing more than to see Stiorra.

"We're here," Sigtryggr breathed.