A Whisper to the North

Chapter LI ✠ The Wolf's Den

Alaric and Una had finally made it to Jorvik, York. It was eerily quiet. They had made it just before sunset. There was a large fortress surrounding the castle in the distance. It was dark and gray. There was looming darkness around the entire place.

As they trotted through the town, there were only a few people out. Despite the grim feeling, the city was the cleanest Una had ever seen. She assumed the Danes and Vikings lived in filth and crumbling buildings. This place was almost pristine. The only mud present was on the road through the village. The grass was vibrant green and short around the buildings, and winter flowers were blooming around stones and the stone buildings.

Una turned to Alaric as she noticed him taking off the hood of his cloak. He had a soft smile on his face. His eyes were gleaming in the fading light.

"We're safe now. There's no reason to hide." He said happily.

"What makes you say that?" Una laughed.

"It smells like home. These are my people. You have nothing to fear so long as I am here with you." He reassured her.

"You're quite jovial for such a gloomy day," Una said.

"I suppose I should tell you then," Alaric said, grinning and looking down at his horse.

"Tell me what?" Una asked curiously.

Suddenly Una could see a man standing out in the street, his mouth was gaping open, and he started to shout.

"Let's go!" Alaric said.

Before they could canter forward, people started to storm out of taverns and their abodes. The man continued to shout. Their voices echoed together. Una was frightened. Were they going to kill her and Alaric?

"What's happening!?" Una shouted toward Alaric.

One of them looked up at her and started to shout at her aggressively.

"Stop!" Una shouted as they tried to wrangle the reins away from her. Her horse pawed and stomped backward.

"Alaric!" Una shouted.

Her horse reared up again, startled by the masses of people smacking him and grabbing at him. The horse began to kick and bite at people, but they would not stop. She felt someone grab her foot out of her stirrup.

"Una!" Alaric shouted from a distance.

His horse was startled too and had run up many more feet than Una's horse.

"Ahh!" Una screamed as the horse reared up.

She tried to hold on to the horse's mane, but she was already falling back. It was just out of reach. Una thought to herself. This was it. She had no weapons on her, she couldn't maneuver well in such a long dress, and the Danes were more robust than the Mercians. She felt their hands grab at her, pulling her around. She was about to punch one of the men in front of her when she noticed something. There was a smile on his face. He shook Una with his arms, but not in a violent way.

"What?" Una asked as her eyes widened.

Were they not going to kill her? What was happening, and why were they surrounding her like this. They kept shouting at her, phrases she couldn't understand. Suddenly out of the group, she heard a voice.

"You speak my language!?" Una heard a voice.

"Who said that!?" Una said looking around, as the crowd pressed closer to her.

Suddenly a woman jumped in front of Una, shouting at the crowd encroaching her.

"I know they frighten you. They won't hurt you." The woman said.