Warriors at Heart (The Last Kingdom Fanfic)

Chapter 24

"Do you like it?" Uhtred asked, waving his arms in the air.

"I do," Brida replied. "It's beautiful."

"I hate it here," I grumbled.

"Cheer up Tara," Uhtred replied, throwing his arm around me.

I shoved him off. "It's too quiet here."

"It's peaceful," a voice said.

We all turned our heads to see a sickly pale looking man dressed in faded blue robes standing before us. I raised my eyebrow, unimpressed.

"The Romans built this courtyard for that purpose, tranquility," he continued on.

"You're Alfred?" Uhtred asked.

"I am."

"You are Uhtred?" the man asked.

"Aye."

"I hear you are a formidable warrior."

"Not yet. I have not been tested lord, not yet, and I've been lucky."

"Well, luck is good. Or so my own warriors say. Though, I myself have not worked out luck. Can there be luck if God disposes?"

"If your god is with you, you're a lucky man," Uhtred replied diplomatically.

"Yes, you're right," Alfred responded, after thinking a moment on Uhtred's words. "Well, with me, we shall talk inside briefly."

Alfred walked off, and we were expected to follow. Uhtred looked at Brida and I, smiling.

"I don't like him," I hissed.

"You don't like anyone," Uhtred laughed, following after Alfred.

We walked through a dimly lit hall and into a larger well-lit room full of men writing on paper. The words looked foreign and at the time, I could not read even one.

"Do you read Uhtred?" Alfred asked, as he sifted through a pile of scrolls.

"I was schooled as a child by Father Beocca, but I was not a good student," Uhtred replied.

"There is much to learn outside of letters," Brida said.

"Oh, I'm sure there is. But do not underestimate the power of the written word," Alfred said smugly. "When a man dies, if nothing is written then he is forgotten. For instance, who is remembering Earl Ragnar?"

"Lots of people," I replied, slightly offended by the Saxon's remark.

"You know of Ragnar?" Uhtred asked, interested in the conversation.

"Father Beocca has spoken of you a lot Uhtred. He believed you a prisoner, a slave to Earl Ragnar. Is that the case?" Alfred said.

"Ragnar was a father to me. I loved him," Uhtred said stepping towards Alfred and being stopped by the big man from outside.

"Yet in Eoferwic, they are saying you killed him," Alfred said.

"They lie," Brida said defensively.

"Cowardly filth killed Earl Ragnar," I added.

Alfred seemed to find amusement in our comments but carried on. I began to get the sense that he had somehow already seen our coming to him. His words felt carefully picked, and his knowledge of our plight too convenient. Alfred continued on to babble about Kjartan becoming Earl Kjartan and how it was in Kjartan's best interest to kill Uhtred. He droned on about our situation and Ubba's search for us. All of this was written on his little pathetic scroll. I frowned at how much he knew and grew weary of his intents. "How do you know all of this?" I interrupted.