A Whisper to the North

Chapter XXIV ✠ Abandon All Hope

Gareth and Una rode awhile longer until they could see the back doors of the castle. These doors were more heavily guarded than that of Una's own court.

Now that Gareth knows that Una is the north mountains' queen, he knows that he can't abandon her at the town healer's house. He has taken her straight to his first Cousin Llewelyn's castle for the best treatment. She lives in the lavish castle, which Una could not comprehend the size being so large.

"Queen...I mean, Una. It still vexes me how you have made it here when your journey is north? Do you not find it auspicious, especially being that my father is dying as we speak."

"Perhaps as you said before, it is the will of the Gods...your God." Una corrected herself.

"I seem to have forgotten that you Celts have not been completely converted to Christianity," Gareth said with a queer eye on Una.

"I hope I have not offended you," Una said bluntly.

"Not at all. So long as you are not sacrificing my men to your Gods, I see no harm in it. In fact, I find it quite intriguing that you have been untouched by the word of our Lord. It has been said that the quiet people in the northern mountains have stayed the same for a millennium while the outside world continues to progress. I have been converted from my pagan ways. Once you realize that all your Gods are a part of one entity, it will be so much easier to call upon divine intervention without the need for blood and alters." Gareth proposed, putting his hand on his heart.

"I appreciated the kind offer, but I am loyal to my Gods, and I will not turn my back on them for a false idol. And I do not sacrifice my people. Only barbarians believe that it is necessary to kill in the name of sacrifice. That was thousands of years ago when we didn't have anything else to offer up. We may be different than you, but I assure you that my people have changed."

"Do you not find it barbaric that we murder so many in battle?" Gareth said, his smile gone.

"I will say that I do not like bloodshed, but it is a necessary endeavor so that more lives will be spared in the long run than killed."

"So, you agree that killing is wrong?" Gareth said, dismounting the Mercian horse.

Una gathered her thoughts and had to think diplomatically, with her emotions aside. Una hated to kill more than anything, but she hated even more that if she didn't kill, her people would surely perish by the rape and plunder of the Mercians and Vikings.

"I disagree with it, no. It is necessary for some instances. If we did not kill, I would have had a sword through my neck for trespassing on Mercian land, being that I am from the west of Offa's dyke. If we don't kill, we will surely be killed, and along with everyone we ever loved." Una said.

Suddenly the large wooden doors, guarded by two very robust looking men, were opened. Out poured a tall and thin woman. She rushed over in a blink of an eye, even startling Gwen. She looked a bit like Marged with her large curly mop of red hair. Only she wore a veil tied around it.

"My liege, my liege! It is a sad hour. The boy doesn't look like he's going to make it. Ye need to hurry with the lady if this is her friend."

Before Una could react, Gareth rushed to her side and threw his arms up.

"Come on. We must go!" Gareth begged Una.

Una stared down at him, startled as much as Gwen. Was this woman talking about Frey? Una could feel herself grow cold with distraught.

"Quickly! Hurry!" Gareth beckoned Una.

Una hesitated, but she slung herself into Gareth's arms, hurting her neck again. The pain doesn't feel nearly as bad as if she let Frey die. Una knew this was her fault if they hadn't followed the river down to the Severn. If only they stayed north, but the fear of running into the kingdom that slaughtered Eurion still haunts Una. She won't let that happen again. As of now, she can see that it has snuck up again to reap again, and Una cannot outrun or avoid it as she thought she could.