The Last Kingdom One-Shots

Finan- First Meeting

WARNING: CONTAINS BRIEF MENTION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

Scene: Aria is the blood sister of Uhtred and Ragnar's adopted sister. This begins when Sven has just been prevented from killing Uhtred right after he lands back in Northumbria after being a slave. There are some other cute sibling moments with her Ragnar, and it includes a scene from season 2. Fluff with Finan. So much fluff with Finan.

Word Count: 2080

Aria dropped down from her horse and raced to her brother, Uhtred, who looked nothing like he had when they had last seen one another. He clung to her arms for a moment.

"It is Aria, Uhtred," she whispered, stroking his hair. "It is your sister."

She felt Ragnar kneel beside her, and he held them both until Aria could not hold him any longer as he wept. To see her once-strong brother on his knees in tears, she could not bear. Aria stood and looked over just as another slave put his sword to the slaver's neck and sliced through him, saying something that she could just barely hear over the wind.

The slave turned, stumbling slightly, and his eyes looked to Uhtred, and she watched as the two of them smiled at one another. They must have become brothers during their time together. She looked between them for a moment before the other man stumbled and collapsed to the ground, and she made her way over to him.

"Careful," she said, kneeling beside him and helping him to sit better on the grass.

She watched as he sat there for a moment, leaning against her, tears filling his eyes, but he did not speak, he simply closed his eyes.

"I will get you some water," she said, beginning to stand, but he stopped her.

"No, please," his rough and tired Irish accent surprised her. "Your touch is much gentler than the whips."

At that, Aria froze, looking into the deep brown eyes of the man she had never met before, and she tried to place a smile on her face, but the pain in her eyes only mirrored his own, and she soon looked away, looking around at the men clearing away the dead bodies, and Ragnar still holding her brother. She felt tears cloud her vision, and she blinked them back.

"I am so sorry," she whispered. "I am so sorry this has happened to you."

"It will only make me stronger," the man replied. "Do not worry, milady."

"Aria," she replied, wiping away her half-shed tears. "My name is Aria."

"Finan," he replied before turning away to cough.

Aria looked up to see her horse standing on the hill and she whistled, calling him to her, and she gently helped Finan to sit on his own as the horse approached. She stood and pulled her water pouch out from the saddlebag, and she returned to where Finan sat and helped him to drink.

Soon enough, he was well enough to stand, and so they moved to where Ragnar and the other soldiers were building a fire.

Hild and Aria made the soup quickly, and they passed it out quickly and quietly to the men before sitting themselves down around the fire. It was silent. The events from the day were sobering, and Aria kept looking to her brother's face, wanting him to look at her, but he had not once laid his eyes upon her face or looked her in the eyes.

"Halig," Uhtred's raspy voice finally spoke.

"He has been taken down, wrapped, and buried," Ragnar replied. "With shield and sword."

"You will say words for him, Hild?" Uhtred continued.

"I have. I will, always,"

"Northumbria is torn," Ragnar spoke, trying to fill the silence and catch Uhtred up to the present on what he had missed. "Aelfric did not come to Guthred's side. Erik and Sigefrid and Kjartan: they do what they please," Ragnar paused, looking to Aria and then to Hild as the silence continued. "You haven't asked how I come to be here."