Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 3

The next morning, I awoke to Ragnar the Younger staring at me. I jolted upwards but was still weighed down by Brida and Ivar and barely moved.

"Did you drink last night?" he teased.

"I'm ten," I retorted.

"I was drinking at nine," he laughed.

He scooped up Ivar into his arms and his mother came and collected a still terrified Brida. I stood and shook out my numb limbs. I followed Ragnar out of the hall, and we walked back towards Ivar and I's house, Ivar still fast asleep.

"I'm sorry about your father," Ragnar offered his condolences.

"Ta," I replied.

We walked along in silence for a bit. As we drew nearer the house, I found words slipping out of my mouth, "What's going to happen to the Saxon boy Uhtred?"

"My father's keeping him as a slave," Ragnar responded.

"Oh," I replied.

Ivar stirred in Ragnar's arms but did not seem to wake yet.

"You look disappointed?" Ragnar questioned.

"He's a Saxon. I know he's supposed to become a slave. He just seemed nice, that's all," I said.

"We take slaves, it's what we do," Ragnar said unmoving.

"I know," I replied, unlatching the gate in front of our house.

Ivar was now semi-awake, and Ragnar placed him down on his feet. Ivar leaned against me for support.

"Don't feel bad for the Saxons," Ragnar warned.

"I don't. They killed our father and I'll never forget it," I replied.

"Good," Ragnar smiled.

He tussled Ivar's hair before striking up a tune and whistled as he walked away, leaving us standing there watching.

~~~~~

Upon entering our house, Ivar fell into his bed and was promptly fast asleep once more. Lazy bones. I stared at the abandoned shirt I had been mending. I clutched it tightly to me and felt my tears fall. I crumbled to the floor and wondered why us? Why was it our father's time to go to Valhalla? I cried myself dry, using our father's half mended shirt to dry my tears. Feeling some of the pressure lift from my chest I stood and tossed the shirt into the fire. It was that day I vowed the Saxons would forever pay for taking our father from us.

My vengeance was sworn and with every passing day I trained harder and harder. I cared for my little brother and was appreciative he did not wish to go into battle like my father and me. We continued to live on our own in our little home. We harvested from the garden, fed, bred, and killed our livestock. We made money by selling products to other Danes, though we were not in want of money, for as it turned out, our father had accumulated quite a massive amount of wealth. In addition, we received his share from his last fight, and gifts from men he had earned the respect of, including Earl Ragnar who had sent us a new cow, more chickens, a basket of salted meat, and two pouches of silver.

Earl Ragnar visited us every day to ensure we were healthy, happy, and safe. He would insist every time we move into the hall with him and his family, but I would politely refuse. He would go away, but I knew he had a man hidden nearby watching us at all times. He wasn't going to leave for the wolves, even if I insisted that was what would be better.

One day I was tending the garden when I heard running feet coming down the path towards our house. I stood up, wiping the sweat off my brow and saw Uhtred running at us. It had been several months since I'd first met him and he looked taller, more built. To my surprise he also looked incredibly happy. His brown hair was shaggy and flopping around on his head as he sprinted towards me. I stopped in front of the gate and hung off the fence, watching me, watch him.

"Hello Uhtred," I said.

"Hello," Uhtred waved.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Earl Ragnar sent me to check on you and Ivar," he smiled at me, clearly proud he had been entrusted with such a task.

"Is that so?" I replied, brushing the dirt on my hands off onto the skirts of my dress.

"It is."

"Would you like to come in?"

"Very much please," Uhtred replied, grinning.

I unlatched the gate and welcomed him in. I called for Ivar and we went into the house. I sat Uhtred at the table and began laying out food and water for him. He stared at it, unsure whether he should eat or not. I insisted, if he was here on Earl Ragnar's behalf then he should eat and drink. He seemed to agree with this logic and began wolfing it down. Ivar joined us and he and Uhtred got along well, chatting about the happenings at the hall. I sat in the corner grinding flour, watching the pair of them. Soon it was time for Uhtred to depart, but he promised he would come back to visit as soon as Earl Ragnar let him. With that he took off running back up the path. I watched as he went and smiled after him.

"I like him," Ivar said, coming to stand beside me.

"I do too," I agreed.