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"Sihtric, you should not carry her shield." Finan rolled his eyes as they emerged onto the field.
"She is carrying her weapons, I can carry her shield." Sihtric rolled his eyes, setting the shield down behind Finan for Yrsa to sit on. She winked at him as his hand found the back of her neck, letting her rest on him. Finan sighed once more, before they turned back to watch Haesten appear on the parapet.
"He gets uglier every time I see him." The men around her nodded in truth.
"Lord Uhtred! Such a frightening sight!" Haesten cackled to himself.
"You are a coward, Haesten, hiding inside your fortress." Uhtred grinned, as Yrsa rolled her shoulders back, settling her hands on her armour. She was ready for a fight, ready to kill some men. "When the priests of Eoferwic did rise, you fled! When Sigefrid attacked Alfred, you fled and at the nunnery, once again, you fled!"
"I took your woman!" Yrsa began to laugh, seeing the way Haesten's shoulders tensed in annoyance.
"And as long as I live and breathe, she still is my woman." Uhtred grinned. "Fight me! I'll wait for you in the clearing there. Bring a guard and no more. Let us make the square and let the two of us fight."
"That is what you want, Uhtred, to die?"
"What I want is an end to this." Uhtred shouted back as Yrsa yawwned. "What is most likely to happen is you will remain a coward. You will remain inside your fortress. Songs will be sung about your cowardice. I will pay for them to be written."
The men around them all began to laugh, and Yrsa felt Sihtric's chest shake behind her as he joined in. She giggled, shaking her head.
"I am no coward, Dane-Slayer!" Haesten spat. "If death is what you want, then you shall have it."
"Someone did not wake up in a good mood this morning." Yrsa whistled, before letting Sihtric pick her shield back up as they turned around.
"Lord, the job is done." Finan nodded.
"Time to get our hands dirty." Yrsa agreed as they headed back towards their meeting place to wait out Haesten and the remainder of the army that Alfred had promised. Yrsa knew it would take a while.
The snow fell around them, piling up as Yrsa leant back against her shield, her eyes closed. Finan and Sihtric paced behind her, Osferth sitting a little to her left, his head against his staff.
"It has been half a day." Uhtred growled as Yrsa hummed in agreement. "Yrsa, you should be ready for anything."
"I am tired, leave me be." Yrsa groaned in annoyance, blinking blearily.
