Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 23

"Whoever it was that sent them, Ubba or your uncle, they won't rest. There'll be others," Brida said once we had ridden far away.

"I can't go home without help," Uhtred sighed, stopping his horse and climbing down.

"Uhtred, you should forget Bebbanburg," Brida insisted.

Uhtred looked distressed at this, "No. No, I won't vanish," he replied. "Nothing changes. Kjartan and my uncle will pay for Ragnar's death, and I will have those lands!"

"How? With whose help? You said it yourself, we only have Ubba," Brida said.

"I think those were a mix of your uncle's men and Ubba's," I interjected. Uhtred looked at me, confused. "Barth was there," I said.

"What did he want?" Uhtred asked.

"Ubba wants me to bring him your head," I replied calmly.

"I'll take your head before you take his," Brida said protectively.

I eyed her in amusement. Brida knew full well that I was the better warrior. "Calm yourself Brida," I laughed. "I would never kill Uhtred, he knows that."

"Aye," Uhtred agreed.

"Where are we to go?" Brida asked, breaking our silence.

"The English," Uhtred replied.

"The what?" Brida and I asked together, staring at Uhtred like he'd lost his mind.

"If we're dead to the Danes there's no other choice," he explained.

"There is no England! The Danes have England," Brida replied.

"No, there is one place south of here, it's Wessex," Uhtred returned.

"You're crazy if you think I'm marching into Wessex," I frowned.

"They'll take one look at you and kill you as a Dane," Brida protested.

"Ubba will kill me as an Englishman," Uhtred argued. "With King Aethelred, we have a chance."

"Of what? Killing Danes?" I asked, shocked at his suggestion.

"Of taking back Bebbanburg. Of staying alive."

"What of Ragnar?" I asked.

"He'll find us. You said he would," Uhtred replied. He turned to Brida, "What do you say? Will you come with me?" he asked her.

Brida looked from him to me, and hesitantly agreed. Uhtred smiled at her and then turned on me. "Will you come with me?" he asked.

I stared into his eyes and then adverted my attention anywhere but his face. I inhaled and let my head fall backwards as I exhaled. I started to speak several times and stopped short, conflicted. At last I sighed and looked him in the eyes. "I guess we ride for Wessex," I submitted.

Uhtred smiled at me and we remounted our horses and rode off towards the last standing English city.

~~~~~

We rode a couple days before we saw Wessex below us. We marched into the city unopposed and people stopped and stared.

"Why do they look at us?" Uhtred asked in Danish.

"They think you're pretty," Brida teased back.

"They're afraid of us," I smiled.

We rode on further and I saw more of those crosses they liked to worship. As we drew closer to the castle people began booing and a guard of Saxon men came rushing out and down the steps. A larger man with short brown hair lazily strolled out and looked us over.

"We have business with the King Aethelred," Uhtred said to him in English.

The man looked us over and remained silent. "I say we have business with the king. Do you not speak English?" Uhtred taunted him.

"Is that what you're speaking arseling? You sound like a Dane," the man replied calmly.

"Why do you dress as a warrior when you're clearly a farmer?" Uhtred sniped back.

"Farmer, am I? I'd wager this farmer against you anytime," the man replied, amused at Uhtred's insult.

"We are here to see the King peaceably. Uhtred, what are you doing?" Brida cut in.

"What is it farmer? First blood or to the death?" Uhtred ignored her and dismounted.

The crowd cheered at this and Brida scolded him, but he ignored her. I anxiously looked around us and figured we had a fairly slim chance at escaping if this went wrong. If we managed to beat the guards, we'd still have the angry mob to fight our way through.

"I'll be splitting your skull then boy," the man returned to Uhtred's challenge, walking down the steps towards him.

Uhtred smiled at the man as the man began to draw his sword. Brida and I dismounted as well and stood behind him. I watched the guards that had decided to circle behind Uhtred and hissed at them. They looked a bit frightened, but not nearly enough to my liking. The man Uhtred had taunted drew hid blade and Uhtred smiled. The crowd got rowdy, but before Uhtred could draw his own, a voice called out to him, "Uhtred."

We all turned our attentions to an almost bald man dressed in a long plain cotton dress. I vaguely recognized the man, though I couldn't place him.

"Father Beocca!" Uhtred exclaimed, moving to embrace the man.

"My goodness," Father Beocca said, taking a laughing Uhtred's face into his hands.

"You know this arseling Father?" the man asked, looking slightly disappointed he didn't get to fight.

"I do, yes, I do," Father Beocca replied to the man. "Uhtred you're...you're fully grown," the priest exclaimed, not believing his eyes.

"And you're old," Uhtred laughed.

"I am," Beocca laughed, hugging Uhtred close to him.

"He claims business with the king," the man cut in.

"Yes. Yes, that's true," Beocca agreed, not taking his eyes off of Uhtred. "But not with the king, it must be with Alfred."

"Do you vouch for him?" the man asked.

"I vouch for him," Beocca said without hesitating. "Yes, I will vouch for him." He turned back to Uhtred. "God surely sent you. You're a man."

"Father, this is Brida, my greatest friend," Uhtred said, holding his hand out to Brida, who stepped forward.

"A woman?" Father Beocca looked stunned.

"Yes," Uhtred smiled.

"I am," Brida assured him, when he said nothing.

"And this is Tara, my fiercest protector," Uhtred said introducing me. I stepped forward as well and held back my laugh at the priest's total shock.

"Another woman," he barely managed to get out.

"Aye," I replied.

"I see," Beocca finally said. "Have their horses fed and watered," he ordered. Then he turned back to Uhtred, "I'll inform Alfred of your arrival."

"Why not inform the king?" Uhtred asked in a lower voice.

"The king is busy," Father Beocca replied. "But you will like Alfred, he is an impressive man."

"We'll need their weapons father," the man interrupted, reminding me he was standing there.

"No problem," Father Beocca responded.

"Our weapons?" I asked, not wanting to turn mine over.

We were led into a narrow passageway where our weapons were promptly taken from us. I was reluctant to hand over mine, but at Uhtred's urging I relented, though unknown to them, I kept my concealed dagger on my person. Satisfied and wrongly comfortable that they had taken everything, we were led into a small courtyard with stone paths and small shrubbery. We walked around it, waiting for our audience with this man called Alfred.