A Friend, A Warrior, A Lover

3.21

"Who would have thought that you, Sihtric Kjartansson were a romantic man," Y/N said, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in the water, looking at him.
"Hmm!" Sihtric whispered as he wrapped his arms around her nakedness, as his lips reached for hers. "Only for you, my love. Only you have made me this way." After what had happened to Y/N, along with Thyra, there has been a lot more discontent on Winchester. The people of Winchester seemed threatened, especially after Sihtric and Father Beocca retaliated, as well as Y/N. The two men had become more protective of their women over the last upcoming days, and Sihtric fully refused to do anything that would draw the pair any attention. Hence why Sihtric decided to do a little romantic picnic outside of Winchester at the river where no one would see them.
"You should grow out your hair and I should cut mine," Y/N said as he jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Sihtric caught her with ease, looking at her, as he brushed a loose strand off of her shoulder.
"A woman has long hair. I like your hair long." Sihtric stated as he watched her frown.
"No. A woman can have whatever length they like, besides I love my hair short." Y/N said with a pout.
"If that's what you want. Then cut it off." Sihtric said as he placed her down, getting out of the water to reach for his knife, making Y/N laugh. She hadn't expected him to want to cut her hair off.
"Turn around," Sihtric said as he bunched her hair up into his hand. "How short is short?"
"Like shoulder short." Y/N laughed as she looked back at him to see him with a surprised look.

Sihtric got to work and sliced her hair off as best as he could, with only a knife. That was the funny thing about this era. Scissors were not a thing. They were more like two mini knifes stuck together. They were incredibly bulky and they did an even shitter job at cutting.
"It's not even, but I tried," Sihtric whispered as he wiped her fallen hair into the river. Y/N turned around with a smile, "you did your best." Sihtric nodded, kissing her lips before getting out of the water. Y/N followed and wiped the water off of her before putting on her dress. A dress she was not a fan of. It was a hideous beige colour that was stained at the hem, that was made out of some blanket, that Thyra made, because Y/N still could not sew or stitch, nor could she be bothered to learn. It was more the fact that Y/N did not have the slightest patience to learn it. She hated it at school and always broke the sewing machine, so there was no way she was learning with a needle and thread.
"Random question," Y/N asked making him look up.
"Random question?" Sihtric asked as he reached for some pastry he bought.
"Like a useless, strange question," Y/N explained. "If there was a possibility that I could return. Even though there isn't because I lost the chance, if there was, what would you do?" Sihtric frowned, slightly shocked at her question. It was something they hadn't spoken about.
"Then... I would come with you, into the future." Sihtric said. It was a question he did not like. He didn't want to think about a time without her.
"I don't think you would like the future anymore. There are too many anti-Gods in the world, along with other things." Y/N said with a laugh. Trying to lighten the mood slightly.
"I would learn. As you did here. I cannot leave you. You are my wife. My family." Sihtric's words made her heart sore. It slightly broke her in a way as she thought about his words. Wondering if it would even be possible for him to return with her. Did she even want to return, now?
"Why are you crying," Sihtric said softly. Getting up to hold her. "We do not have to think about it, because you are stuck here. With me."
"I know. It's just... It's just what if I disappeared without you." Y/N spluttered out.
"Do not think like that ever. I do not wish to think about you leaving. It would be as if you died and I cannot think about that either." Sihtric gritted his teeth. Y/Ns chest tightened as the thought played in her mind, making her slightly anxious at the thought. Her life has changed drastically now. She lived her life as a warrior and an outlaw in the space of four years, maybe five or three she could not remember. She had done things she would never have thought she would have done, let alone see.

When the sun started to set, the two headed back to Winchester before they would be accused of being traitors or criminals. There were always assumptions about the two, particularly as it came out, that Y/N and Sihtric abandoned Uhtred to live with Brida, which was partially true, but that did not matter to them. The only thing that mattered was the slurs about each other. One that seemed to grow over the past few days, even more, now that the King was now dead, as they found out. It surprised Sihtric and Y/N to hear that the King had died so quickly. It put the two on edge. More so for Sihtric, as he worried about the way Y/N could be treated, knowing the people of Winchester would have a boy as a King. A boy who was known to get sick rather easily. A boy who, too, could be dead in a blink of an eye.

Y/N climbed down from her horse and tied it up, alongside Sihtrics. Y/N manoeuvred the bucket so the horse could drink.
"Do you think Uhtred will be at the funeral?" Y/N asked as she stroked the horse.
"He may be expected too. Finan will probably be with him." Sihtric stated. Y/N looked back at him with a smile as she grabbed her sack, about to give him a kiss when some woman shouted in the streets about a fire, making the two look over. Sihtric moved, shouting for people to get water buckets. Y/N moved quickly and grabbed the bucket full of water, chucking it over, but it was no use. The fire was too strong.
"Sihtric," Y/N mumbled, but he did not hear her. "SIHTRIC... That's Beocca's house... That's Father Beocca's house!" Sihtric stopped for a brief second. Trying to comprehend what she had said.
"We need to stop the fire spreading! We need more water!" Sihtric shouted, panicking slightly.
"SIHTRIC; Y/N!" Finan called, making the two look back. "Thyra? Is she inside?"
"I thought she would be at the palace. For the funeral." Sihtric said worriedly as he looked at Y/N, sweat and water dripping down his face.
"No, no, she left. She walked out!" Finan said worriedly, making them all panic as they rushed to throw water on the thatched house. Y/N stopped, staring blankly as Sihtric and Finan tried to aim for the door, but Y/N knew it was too late. The fire had completely burned the place. The only thing they could do was stop it from spreading to the other houses. Y/N just hoped Thyra was not inside or at least wasn't suffering, but that was a lie. Being burned alive was a slow death.
"No! No! No!" Father Beocca ran straight for his house. Sihtric and Finan turned around to stop him, knowing his home would fall to pieces any second. All Y/N could do was watch the house burn to pieces, till there was nothing left until it turned to ash. Burning away all that they had. All of the joy. All of the security and comfort of a home. A family.