Soldier, Poet, King

Seven

As they were marching back to Winchester, Uhtred broke away from them, heading in the direction of Coccham, as she rode Arlo next to Finan, who stayed close with his wife, after losing Aethelflaed, Finan was adamant that he wouldn't leave Liv alone.

"Where are you going?" Beocca asked him, as Uhtred looked back, "I'm going home to Coccham, where Alfred has asked me to remain. And where I left my wife." He spoke, pointing at Athelred as he spoke the last comment, as Liv tried not to laugh, before they rode on.

They eventually made it to Coccham, after Uhtred had sent Sihtric and Rypere to spy on Erik and Sigefrid, Uhtred was led on the dock, his head in Gisela's lap, "What is on your mind?" He asked his wife, "I am thinking of Aethelflaed, if she lives, you will be her hope." Gisela spoke, as Uhtred nodded his head, they stayed for a while on the dock, before Gisela motioned for Uhtred to look behind him, as he did he saw Osferth. "Lord. You said I should find you." He spoke, as Gisela looked at him, "Who are you?" She asked him, as Liv spoke, "He is Alfred's bastard." She told her step-mother, who nodded, as they walked back to the burh.

Gisela cooked the fish, as she made it into some sort of soup, as Osferth devoured his, as Liv let out small, quiet laughs each time, "Every person in every town has been instructed to pray that she is alive and kept well." Osferth spoke up, about Aethelflaed's capture by the Norse brothers.

"Then she will surely be alive, kept well and will be free in no time." Uhtred teased, as Liv shook her head, "At least Alfred cares for his daughter." She spoke up, as Uhtred nodded, knowing that she was right.

"You wish to serve a heathen, Osferth?" Gisela asked, as Uhtred said goodnight to their children, "God is in all good men, lady. But my Uncle Leofric told me often that your husband is a good man. A great man." He said, causing Uhtred to look at him "He said that?" Uhtred asked, as Osferth looked up at him, "Yes, he did, lord." Osferth answered.

"And yes, this good man here will let you join for one reason only; to embarrass Alfred." Gisela said, as she settled back into her seat, as Osferth looked at her, before turning to face Uhtred who said it was true, "That may be the reason you allow me to join you, lord, but I will give you reason to let me stay." Osferth vowed, as Liv smiled, "Dawn. We train." She told him, as he nodded, as she wished her mother and father goodnight, before she left to the home she shared with Finan.

The weeks passed, until word reached them, in the form of Rypere, and they rode hard for Winchester, Liv in the early stages of a pregnancy that would be revealed soon.

They entered the witan, as Aelswith sent them a glare, as Uhtred spoke up, "My own spies sleep within the walls of Beamfleot, and have seen Aethelflaed with their own eyes." He informed Alfred, who looked at Liv, who nodded, "It is true, she is alive and well, but they are boasting about taking the daughter of Alfred hostage, and of the great army they will raise with the ransom you pay." She told the King, who nodded his head. It was decided that Uhtred would represent Alfred, and Aethelred would also go and negotiate for Aethelflaed's release.

Liv placed her sword back in its sheath, as she placed her chakram back onto its hook on her hip, as they left the palace grounds. "Alfred is doing what any father would do, find any way to get his child back, as would I, but I would spill the blood of a thousand men, who dared to keep me from our child." She said, as Finan nodded.

Liv rode with Uhtred and Aethelred and their men, as they were going to negotiate with the brothers Sigefrid and Erik, as Liv felt the mother in her rise, even though she was five years older than the Lady Aethelflaed. "Liv, what would you do if it was your siblings?" Aldhelm asked, as Liv looked at him, "I would rage a war so bloody that not even your God or my Gods could stop my vengeance, I wouldn't stop until my brother and sister were returned to me." She told Aethelred's man, who nodded his head.

"Well thankfully, it is not young Uhtred or Stiorra," Finan spoke as she nodded, "No, but it is my friend they have taken." She replied, her voice hard, and void of emotion.

Aethelred had heard the stories of the shieldmaiden, who had turned the field red at Ethandun, had slain many of her Danish kin, as she fought against them, Aldhelm had heard how she had been covered in the blood of her enemies, and both men knew that she could easily kill them if she so wished it.

They arrived in Beamfleot, and found Sigefrid and Erik holding Aethelflaed, as the brothers looked at Liv, whose gripped tightened on her chakram as she glared at the brothers, who looked at her, she saw fear in their eyes, as they looked upon the woman who had bested Sven.

"You will show us Aethelflaed, or we will leave." Aethelred spoke, before Liv rolled her eyes, as she looked at the brothers, "Ignore him, he's the pigs arse, and Lady Aethelflaed's husband. But he is right, you will show her to us." Liv spoke, as she held her chakram tightly, before Sigefrid nodded, and Aethelflaed was brought forward, as she looked at her husband, avoiding his gaze, and Liv knew. She knew that Aethelflaed had fallen for Erik and she couldn't fault her, Aethelred was not a loving man, even Liv knew that.

She watched as Aethelred spoke to his wife, as Liv felt her stomach knot, as she looked at Erik, and she sent him a look, he knew that she knew of what had transpired between him and Aethelflaed, and how she would help them to the best of her ability.

"As a sign of goodwill, we will let the shieldmaiden remain with Aethelflaed, until the ransom is paid." Sigefrid spoke, as Liv nodded, as she took her sheath off, which still held her sword, as well as chakram and handed them to Finan, before she unclipped her chest plate, and let it drop, as she was left in her leather under armour, before she looked at Aethelred who gripped her arm in his hand, "You will take great care of my wife, or else I will personally ensure that your brother and sister have no older sister." He threatened, as she looked at him, "Threaten my family Lord, and I'm sure King Alfred would like to know how you intended to abandon his daughter." She returned the threat, as she smirked, before she stepped towards Aethelflaed, before her hands were bound, before she and Aethelflaed were sent away.

A few days had passed since the negotiations and both Liv and Aethelflaed had been placed in cages, Sigefrid had learnt of what his brother planned to do, as Liv looked at him, before Finan, Sihtric, Uhtred and Erik barged into the hall, as Finan moved to get Liv down, she shook her head, "Throw the chakram." She told him, as he nodded, before doing so, it hit the lock and broke it, before Liv kicked the cage door open, before she looked at where she was, before sighing, as she jumped, grabbing the railing, as she climbed over, before running down the steps and taking the bag of her armour from Sihtric, as she quickly put it back on, she finished clipping her shoulder plate to her chest plate, before she put her sheath on her back, as well as her chakram, on its hook on her hip.

She looked at Aethelflaed, who was still stuck in her cage, before she unsheathed her sword, and hit it against the lock, and the padlock broke, dropping to the ground with a dull thud. As they helped her out, just as Sigefrid rammed the door down, Liv ran with Aethelflaed, as Erik fought his brother.

They soon left, as she helped Aethelflaed onto Arlo, as she vaulted on behind her, before she urged the horse to leave, as they headed for Alfred and his army, as Liv got off Arlo, she looked at Steapa, who led the horse to the camp, and defended Aethelflaed, as Sigefrid led his men against the saxons, as Liv began to kill Danes, before she groaned as Aethelred was knocked out by Sigefrid, before she tackled the man away from Aethelflaed's useless husband, as she blocked his sword and dodged the blade he wore in place of the hand that Uhtred had cut off three years prior.

Liv was soon under his large frame, as she blocked both his sword and his arm, before he was stabbed from behind, by Aethelflaed, who had snuck into the battle, and killed him, for what he did to Erik, as she pushed Sigefrid's limp form off of Liv, as she helped the shieldmaiden up.

Finan saw his wife being helped up, as he ran to her, and pulled her into a hug, as she let herself sink into his hold, as she smiled softly, before he gripped her face in his hands, as he took in her bloodied face, before Alfred walked over.

"I normally, do not condone pagan ways, but I believe that your people would say you looked like a Valkyrie come from the heavens?" He asked, as she nodded her head, "Yes, Lord, that is what my people would say." She answered, before adding, "Although they would say from Valhalla, not heaven." She spoke, before she sheathed her sword, and left, after being bid to do so by the King.

Little did she know that her fate had been written already, and that her death would be the worst thing to happen to Finan and to Uhtred.