Northwind

10

I ran in grabbed my blade, mounted my horse, and charged towards Winchester. It wasn't long till the others joined me, I stole a glance back it was Finan and Alfred galloping behind me. I was leading the charge, I could see Winchester burning. "Warrior, turn around!" Finan called. "There is no Winchester left to save!" I didn't listen, I continued to gallop forward. I slowly heard the rest of the horse's hooves fade away, I was alone. Till Uhtred rode in front of me.

"Freya, please we need to get Alfred and Aelswith away from here safely," he panted.

"No, we must fight!" I yelled.

"Freya, you're in no state," he said and tried to reach for the rope around my horse's neck, but my horse shied away. "You will only die."

"Uhtred, I must," I said.

"I know we promised to protect their home but Freya, they no longer have one. We have nothing to protect," he said, we were suddenly interrupted as more men rode towards Winchester but spotted us, and galloped over. "Get them to the harbor!" With Uhtred distracted I rode towards the riders and attempted to slaughter them all. Uhtred called after me but knew I was lost to him, he followed his men and made his escape. A Dane struck me in the back with the hilt of his blade.

"Not now!" I cried as pain slithered up my spinal cord, one man rode his horse into me and knocked me onto my knees.

"Surrender!" Another man yelled.

"Never!" I replied as I swung my blade into his chest, he fell from his horse. I was outnumbered by now, I hauled myself onto my horses back and headed towards the harbor. But I now had mounted archers firing at me, I had an arrow lodged into my shoulder and another in my side. The ship carrying Alfred, Aleswith, Uhtred, and the men had left, but I could still hear him calling for me from the back as he saw me on the beach.

I slipped from my horses back the arrows and pain becoming too much, finally, the riders caught up and fired an arrow into my back, I made no sound. Uhtred still called for me, Finan had to restrain him as he was ready to jump overboard for me. He called and called but I couldn't move, one of the archers dismounted snapped the arrow in my back, turned me over and knelt on my chest. Uhtreds calls also attracted their attention.

They drew their blade and buried it deep into my stomach. I couldn't keep quiet as they dragged the blade up I shrieked like a banshee, pleased with their work the archers headed back to Winchester, as my vision faded so did the ship, and it wasn't long till the darkness took me.

A few hours later...

The first thing I felt was pain, sheer agony. Then there was rocking, I thought Uhtred had come back for me, but as my eyes adjusted and I looked around, I was on a small rowing boat with monks. "W...Where am I?" I stuttered.

"Take it, easy child, you're safe," one said.

"We are heading to a land where we have received word that Alfred has landed," another said. "We can't treat your wounds we have nothing to heal you with."

"But you're lucky we found you when we did. You were out cold, but we heard your wheezing breaths," another said.

"U...Uhtred?" I asked.

"He bought our king to safety," another said. I found my eyes rolling and cried out in pain.

"Do not move, take it easy," another said doing his best to comfort me.

"I can't help b...but.." my fight for consciousness was a failing one. The next time I came around, I was finally off the ship, and being carried. I tried to bite my tongue but it was extremely difficult.

"Okay, okay," one monk said. We came to a camp, Alfred and Aelswith were under a shelter. His eyes met mine for a moment, not wearing my mask meant he didn't recognize me.

"Who's she?" he called.

"An injured Dane, we found her on the beach," one monk called back.

"She looks beyond saving," he said as I collapsed to my knees.

"W...Where's Uhtred?" I wheezed.

"He's visiting the town for supplies," Alfred told me. I said no more and allowed the monks to take me to a vacant tent, a few moments later and a woman joined them.

"W...Who are you?" I coughed.

"Iseult," she said, "I am here to heal you."

"I... ah....don't need healing," I said, coughing and realizing I was coughing blood.

"The tears in your eyes also say different," she said.

"Now are you going to hold still?" she asked. I huffed. She ripped the broken arrow shafts out of my body, and did all she could to remove the heads, I whimpered and cried. She placed honey on my wounds using it as an antibacterial to clean my wounds. "I'm surprised you're still conscious," she said as she pulled my shirt up to see to the wound on my stomach.

"I...I am the w...warrior of the North," I coughed.

"I have heard the rumours, you're not so invincible as I've been told," she said.

"No, but I have to keep up appearances," I replied.

"You know when Uhtred arrived he was in pieces, his eyes all glassy. When I wrapped my arms around him he broke down in tears. He kept saying your name. Freya, he thinks you're dead," she said.

"I don't blame him," I replied turning my gaze to the top of the tent.

"Lay still, this will hurt," she said as she began to clean the wound, I gripped the furs I laid on. "I can only heal this so far, but you will have an impressive scar to flaunt to the men." I chuckled which caused more pain to shoot through me. "Rest, you've lost a lot of blood." As she put the cloth down and placed one hand on my wound and one on my forehead, sleep slipped into my being, my eyes closed and all pain ceased.