Wolf Warrior (The Mórrigan's Wolf, Part 2) The Last Kingdom Fanfiction

16 - Negotiation

The trip to Beamfleot had been going smoothly, and the delegation would finally be reaching the fortress that afternoon. Osferth had been asking question after question, irritating Father Pyrlig, who had been sent to record the negotiations for Alfred. After another question about some mundane thing or other that Finan answered, Pyrlig had rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath. Faoladhean looked at him, a bemused expression on her face as she braided Airgid's mane for something to occupy herself with.

"Pyrlig, can ye really blame him for being so curious? He has spent his life in a monastery; you, at least, had the benefit of turning to the church after living among the real world. Do ye have to be so harsh with him?"

"You speak true, lady, but I do not deal well with young idiots. That is why I never had children. That I know of anyway. I haven't the patience for them."

"And yet people call ye 'Father.'"

"That is entirely different."

"Is it now?" She smirked at Pyrlig. "And how so?"

"Well, for one," Pyrlig raised a hand and lifted a finger, "I am not stuck raising anyone up from a child." He raised a second finger. "Second, 'father' is the title given by the church, because we are meant to guide people in spirit. And it sounds better than calling everyone 'Priest.' Priest Pyrlig, can you imagine? No, because it is awful." He lifted a third finger and paused. "And third..."

Faoladhean lifted an eyebrow as she waited for him to continue.

Pyrlig dropped his hand and sighed gruffly. "I guess I don't have a third point. Yet."

Faoladhean giggled at the priest and shook her head. "At least lighten up on the boy, hm?"

"I make no promises," was all he said, then turned his head to stare at the road before them, effectively ending the conversation.

Faoladhean chuckled softly to herself and looked at Finan to see him watching her with a smile. She returned his smile, suddenly feeling almost shy at the knowledge he had been watching her. Her eyes flicked down toward Airgid's mane for a moment before lifting back up to meet Finan's intense brown gaze again.

"Why are you smiling at me like that, love?" She asked quietly in Gaelic, not wanting everyone to hear.

"Because, my heart, I am happy to see you looking happy." He winked at her then, and Faoladhean chuckled lightly.

After a pensive silence had fallen over everyone for a while, Osferth had another question that he posed.

"What will happen when we reach Beamfleot? Will there be a ritual, a toast, a meal?"

"There will be a heathen sacrifice; the youngest member of the visiting party will be split with an axe." Pyrlig replied, deadpan.

Faoladhean rolled her eyes at Pyrlig's snark, but had to bite back a giggle at Osferth's momentary look of shock.

"They will want to humiliate us," Uhtred stated.

Aldhelm asked, "in what way?"

"An insult," said Uhtred. "A challenge."

Not satisfied with that answer, Aldhelm pressed further. "Why?"

Finan, with an irritable tone, answered him. "Because they can."

Faoladhean smirked while listening to the exchange. Æthelred and Aldhelm had certainly not made any friends among Uhtred's household guard, and none of them made any attempt to hide it. The whinnying of a horse from somewhere nearby caught everyone's attention, and Faoladhean's hand absently went to her sword as they were suddenly surrounded by a group of warriors, including the apparent leader of them sitting on horseback at the ridge above them.