amnesty | the last kingdom

four

"oh but you're so pretty the stars would cry"

ESTHER had been 'keeping watch' when a ship finally dragged itself through the water to dock, she'd been told to keep watch but found more interest in carving miniature animals into wood from fallen sticks. Something she did to entertain herself during her 'holy days' as Ragnar called them. The makeshift group had been waiting for this boat for far too long, thankfully the ginger woman hadn't thought about a nunnery since she'd been on a task to find the famed Bebbanburg orphan.

A delight to some perhaps.

"Hey, Rags, ships here," Esther said, smacking his arm since he was asleep just a little distance away from him, "reckon the man himself is on there?"

"I sure hope so," Ragnar groaned, though made no effort to get up. Esther rolled her eyes and smacked him again - repeatedly in fact until Ragnar got up, "you're as much a pain in my ass than Uhtred is,"

"Christ don't compare me to him, I'll be sick," she retorted, standing up and dusting off her skirt, "c'mon now," she said, clambering onto her horse, "Osferth you too, ain't letting you out of my sight,"

Osferth nodded, climbing onto his own horse. He'd not yet grown out of his shell despite the company of such a rowdy bunch. Once Hild and Steapa had also wakened and gathered herself, the four of them headed down to the shoreline. Once there however, they spotted a line of rather scruffy men and a one-eyed man - with what could only be assumed as his followers.

"Rags, these friends of yours?" Esther asked, voice a little quiet, "they don't seem friendly,"

"Well they aren't, that one is a bastard amongst men," Ragnar responded, pointed to Sven - the one eyed man.

"So is Osferth," Esther mumbled, earning an insulted 'hey' from her cousin. To which she simply grinned and ushered her horse further.

Once Sven had spotted the group however, he ordered his men to flea. Clearly some form of history between them that Esther didn't care enough about to ask. Climbing down from her horse, her eyes scanned the crowd to spot Uhtred; however, she was briefly distracted by a rather scraggly looking man, wavy and unruly hair with a large-ish beard. He almost appeared dazed, standing unsteadily with blurry vision. His gaze appeared to stumble, if that were possible, before landing on Esther. It was near impossible to actually read his expression, and the gingers attention was snatched up by a man's sobs.

Uhtred.

He'd crumpled into a heap and began crying, leaning into Ragnar with any remaining strength he had as his hands gripped at his 'brothers' arm. Esther stared at him a moment before her hands reached for her satchel of water, kneeling before the man.