Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 14

"Tara! Tara! Wake up!" I heard Ivar yelling in the distance.

I opened my eyes quick and sat up to find a panicked Ivar leaning over me. "We have to go now! The hall's on fire!" Ivar shouted over the screaming of others below.

I nodded my understanding and flew myself out of bed. I grabbed my battle axe and knife from beside the bed and strapped them on my belt as Ivar pulled me along. The smoke was thick, and I could barely see in front of me. Somehow Ivar got us down the stairs where we were greeted with an unwelcomed heat. People were scrambling and desperately trying to get out, but the back door appeared to be blocked. I joined the group of men trying to break it down and began axing at it when I felt myself being pulled away by Ivar towards the other door.

"Run!" he screamed as flaming beams began to fall.

We narrowly dodged one and were separated as another part of the roof came crashing down. Sparks flew and I called into the blaze for Ivar, but he did not respond. My heart stopped beating and everything around me began to fade. "Ivar!" I shouted, trying to climb into the burning wreckage.

A strong arm secured itself around my waist and pulled me kicking and screaming away.

"He's gone Tara, he's gone," Earl Ragnar shouted over the chaos.

"No! Ivar!" I continued to fight against Earl Ragnar.

He let me drop to the ground and knelt down, giving my face a good hard slap. Tears stung my eyes, but the world came back to me.

"He's gone, I'm so sorry," Earl Ragnar said before standing and taking his sword from his man.

I watched as Earl Ragnar bid farewell to Sigrid and Ravn. I wiped my eyes and went to his side. He looked at me. "Swear to me now, you will run, you will live, and you will be witness and avenger of this night."

"I..."

"Now!" He hollered loudly.

"I swear," I said quickly.

"Good girl," Ravn said sadly. I gave him a tight hug as tears streaked my face once more. "Don't be crying now," he chuckled, patting me on the back.

I pulled away from him and Earl Ragnar silently nodded and motioned for me to wait near the door. I sadly watched him kiss Sigrid one more time and plunge a knife into her so she would not suffer. He laid her on Ravn's lap and told him to bring her to Valhalla with him. Ravn nodded and held her tightly to himself. In his other hand he clutched a blade so that he too would travel to Valhalla. The next moments happened so very quickly, yet as I sit here thinking of them now, they play out more slowly.

Earl Ragnar the Fearless truly lived up to his name that night. The gods had not abandoned him, and they gave him the strength to break down the main door with a mighty roar. The wood splintered and he was on fire. He burned and screamed with what many would say was pain, but I believe it was great fury and the power of Thor. He ran out of the hall slicing many men in his path. "Run!" he roared and slashed at more men.

I snuck behind him and slipped along the wall of the hall. Every instinct told me to stay and fight, but I had sworn an oath to live and to avenge the many deaths. I slipped around the corner and cautiously stuck my head back to witness Kjartan emerge. Earl Ragnar was badly burned and losing momentum. A man attacked his back and knocked him to his knees. Earl Argnar made one last valiant kill as he grabbed the man behind him and hauled him over his shoulder. He then thrust his blade through the man's chest and roared once more. "TRAITOROUS BASTARD!" he bellowed, turning his wrath and blade on his former boatman.

Kjartan was clearly horrified at this spectacle and before Earl Ragnar could kill him too, plunged his sword through him. I covered my mouth and silently screamed into my hand in horror. Tears poured down my cheeks and I sunk to the cold dirt, leaning against the wall of the hall. Everyone was dead. My family and my Lord. I looked to the heavens and silently swore my revenge. Kjratan was going to suffer for this.

I heard Earl Ragnar's voice ringing in my head to run. I stood and obeyed, making for the stables and beyond them, the woods. My heart pounded as I blindly sprinted past the stables and into the dark safety of the woods. I listened for footsteps behind me and heard nothing. I crept along more silently and steadied my breathing. I inched myself to a good watching point and almost screamed as a hand clapped itself across my mouth.

My heart pounded so hard I was surprised it didn't explode. I silently struggled against whoever was holding me.

"Shh, Tara, it's me," the voice whispered, trying to prevent me from alerting Kjartan's men of our position.

"Uhtred?" I whispered, still muffled by his hand.

"Yeah," he replied, slowly removing his hand from my mouth.

I turned myself around and could barely make out his figure in the dim light. His eyes were glinting, and I gathered he'd been crying as well.

"Where's Brida?" I asked, not seeing her.

"Nearby," he replied.

We both turned our attention back to the burning hall as a loud shouting of orders broke the night air.

"Is everyone..." he began but was unable to finish saying.

"They're feasting in Valhalla tonight," I said feeling more tears wet my eyes.

"Ah," he replied, totally at a loss for words.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I held his waist as we both sat there a while watching our home burn. Uhtred fell asleep and I attempted to hold up his weight, but after a bit collapsed to our left. I listened for any approaching people, but there were none.

"Sorry,"he sleepily mumbled before falling back asleep on me. I carefully shifted myself in an attempt to lay more on my side. I felt him hug me tight to him and was too tired to fight him off. I listened around a bit longer before deciding we were far enough away that it was safe to sleep. Besides, as far as Kjartan knew, we all died in the fire.