Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 18

We rode onwards further south. The sun was setting as we looked over the kingdom of East Anglia burning in the cool evening air.

"Never fight Ubba. Looks like they made that mistake," Uhtred said.

"We should stay away," Brida replied.

"Really? I wanted to ride straight into that burning kingdom," I said sarcastically.

Brida rolled her eyes at me and went off to start making our camp.

"You should stop goading her," Uhtred said.

"Where's the fun in that?" I replied, winking at him.

"Tara," he said warningly.

"Uhtred," I replied in a goofy voice. "She needs to lighten up some," I shrugged. He looked at me with a raised brow. "Or we can all be miserable and serious all of the time," I suggested, thumping him on the chest and walking off.

We made camp for the night and Brida began planning how to speak to Ubba the next day. "How will you approach him?" she asked.

"Like a man," Uhtred replied, sitting down next to her.

I rolled my eyes. "No duh."

"But how," Brida insisted once more. "We need to guard your life."

"How?" Uhtred asked.

"I don't know," she replied.

"You could always take his sorcerer away," I suggested, lazily playing with my dagger. They both looked up at me like I had said something very strange. "What?" I asked.

"That could work," Brida said.

"Huh," Uhtred thought.

"Just a suggestion," I replied, standing.

"Where are you going?" Uhtred asked.

"Away from you two," I replied, taking my roll away. "I'll keep first watch," I winked.

Uhtred caught my meaning and threw a stick at me. I rolled my eyes and wandered off a good distance. Close enough to hear an intruder, far enough away to not hear them.

~~~~~

The next morning, we devised our plan to swipe Ubba's sorcerer. At first it was suggested that I play prisoner to which I was mightily against. "Besides, we don't know who's down there that might recognize me," I argued.

"Tara's right, she could be recognized," Uhtred agreed with me.

"Fine, I'll do it then," Brida scowled at me.

"Then it's decided," Uhtred smiled, making Brida's wrath greater.

We waited until evening time before approaching the remains of the village. Ubba's men had thoroughly burned and pillaged it to the ground. The smell of death and the screams of unfortunate souls still alive after the attack blew through the air. I kept my hood up and walked closely beside Uhtred, Brida trailing behind on the rope he'd attached to her hands.

As we drew nearer, Uhtred engaged a man standing idle. He was rugged and smelt of freshly spilt blood. His dark brown hair was a tangled mess that flopped about his shoulders. He eyed us with great suspicion. "Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked.

"I shouldn't think so, I'm new," Uhtred replied calmly.

"No, I swear I've seen your face before," he frowned, stroking his matching brown beard.

"We served Lord Ragnar," I said quickly. "Now we serve Earl Ubba."

"Hmm," he thought, turning his gaze at me.