Danish Fate || the last kingdom

|FOUR|

2,591 words

CECE awoke to the sound of bells blasting through her dreams. Her eyes shot open and she found herself still in... the show... the past... she wasn't sure, but she knew she wasn't home. She had hoped that this would have been all a dream and that the moment she slept she'd wake back in her own bed, in her own time. Sadly, that was not the case.

Instead, she woke and found her body stiff and sore from the hard bed and there was tension in the air. Something was wrong, sounds of women crying could be heard and Cece knew that wasn't possible. She had been among one of the two only women here inside these walls; which meant something was wrong.

Throwing the cover off of her, she quickly raced out of the hut and into the center of the encampment. Men ran all around her, frantically gathering supplies with fear in their eyes. King Alfred had his group of men surrounding him and Sihtric was high up on the wall looking down towards the other side, Uthred was no where to be seen and she felt suddenly very frightened. Fear of the unknown. Cece had never been in a battle before and her worst fears of one playing out right here and right now could be coming true.

Having had enough of not knowing what was happening, she ran up the steps of the wall, placing herself behind Sihtric and looking down at the sight below. A loud gasp left her lips, ten women had been tied up and placed on their knees, men stood behind them ready to strike at any moment.

Sihtric turned at the sound of her and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to turn her away from the sight, "you should not be here my lady."

"Stop," she smacked his hands away, "I have a right to know what is happening. I refuse to sit around like an idiot."

Sighing heavily, he gave a hesitant nod and than turned back to the scene. They watched together at what was happening below them. Soon the King and his men had joined the two up on the wall and Sihtric tried shielding her from them, pushing her into the corner of the wall as much as he could.

"Uthred Ragnasson," Bloodhair down below yelled out into the air, "Alfred of Wessex. You have my woman."

Cece peeked out from behind Sihtric in horror as she watched the brute grab an elderly women by the hair and slit her throat as he warned them to return Skade or they would all die. She felt bile rise into her throat at the sight of the blood shed and she clung to Sihtric beside her; her nails digging into his arm. She believed that if she held onto him than she would be fine, nothing would become of her as long as she was around Uthred and his men. Sihtric stood in front of her, his arms blocking her, trying to protect her from the sight below.

"If it is your woman that you want," the Priest yelled from beside Alfred, "than let's us negotiate! We do not wish the death of another innocent!"

"I've said all that I will say," Bloodhair yelled back and moved to grab his next victim. Cece flinched as he grabbed the young girls hair, as if he had been grabbing her own, instantly fearing this man and how easily he killed women.

Her eyes snapped shut and she burried her face into the back of Sihtric, trying to erase the image of this man killing two more women. Slicing their throats as if he was cutting into bread. The sounds of their screams echoed inside of her ears, reminding her of the terrors that occurred down below. It didn't matter how tightly she squeezed her lids shut, it was still happening. She would not be able to block out what was occurring.

The sound of the gates opening, made her open her eyes. She flung herself forward towards the wall to make sure that Bloodhair and his men weren't entering. Instead she found Uthred strutting out before him with Skade being tugged behind him. The witches eyes were wide at the sight of her former Lord, pleased that he had shown.