[ Book 1 of my "The Last Kingdom" Fanfiction series]
Khaana was a rare find and a wild prized gifted to Earl Ragnar as a slave from a wealthy ruler who once considered her a prized pet.
The Danes have never laid eyes upon a Black African, and figure...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Uhtred's eyes opened from where he and Brida rested through the night, he could hear the thudding of hooves in the shallow grass. His eyes met with Khaana who lead a horse behind her as she walked. "Where did you get that?" Uhtred asked her, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I back tracked, I cannot enter Winchester as a horse, they will have me stabled and I may kick someone" Khaana said with a dry chuckle.
Uhtred smirked but could see Khaana's jesting was masking worry, "I'm not stable Uhtred, around Saxon royalty. I do not dare show myself, as my true self yet. So I go as a hound, I can protect you that way and You can reel me in should I....bite" Khaana reasoned. "As a hound I can follow you wherever you may need to go. people always trust a loyal dog." Khaana added.
Uhtred looked to the horse and gave its nose a pat "sounds like a good plan." Uhtred said. Khaana gave a short chuckle "good, because I was not asking, let Brida rest a while longer," she said, watching the girl as she slept peacefully "for she is not made for such places as we are bound to go." Khaana sighed.
Khaana's eyes lingered on Brida, in truth she had a prickle that ran through her skin, She would follow Uhtred anywhere, but unlike Uhtred, there was no more Saxon left in her blood, and she was no longer meant to be among them. Khaana sat at Brida's side and pet her head carefully, Uhtred looked over the horse she had brought.
"Did you steal it?" He asked amused, it was a fine horse. "No, of course not, it simply chose to follow me, and who was I to deny a cute little horse?" Khaana hummed, Uhtred chuckled. "Did it follow you because you yourself took the form of a horse?" He asked. Khaana gave a small smirk. "You are a witch Khaana and one day they will burn you." Uhtred said in playful reprimand. "Oh yes, a terrible witch who mothers lawless godless Danes, we'll all burn...should we not burn them first." Khaana replied.
Uhtred went to sit at her side and resting his head on Khaana's shoulder he sighed.
"You won't bite anyone as we come through the gates of Winchester will you?" Uhtred asked, to which Khaana matched his sigh and rested her head atop his "I make no promises." She said, at which Uhtred chuckled.
Thin clouds blanketed the sky as Uhtred and Brida rode through the gates of Winchester, Khaana following carefully at the side of the horses.
The people gawked and shied away from the Danes with large hound.
Noticing the gathering crowd Uhtred looked about. "Why are they all staring at us?" He asked.
Brida gave an amused smile, "They think you're pretty." She mocked, but her smile fell as she narrowed her eyes at the crowd "or maybe it is that they have never seen a Dane so close before." She said.
