The Last Kingdom One-Shots

Leofric- The Quiet Dane

Warning: Brief attempted assault

Description: Request by SarahSmiles912 I cover most introductory things, but for context, Elsif is the blood-sister of Uhtred. After the fire in season 1, she believes that everyone has died. She turns to the south, where she goes to Winchester and finds herself in the protection of Leofric and Father Beocca.

Word Count: 8185

Elisif was a not-so-ordinary girl, having grown up a Saxon and a Dane. When the Danes had attacked, she had been no more than 8 years old, and she, along with her brother, Uhtred, had been taken into the household of Ragnar the Elder.

He treated them both well, as they were his own children, and Elisif grew to love and respect the man and his family. She was close to another English girl, Brida, and the daughter of Ragnar, Thyra.

For years she loved them, cherished them, fought for them, and would have died for them. Except, it did not come to that. In only one horrible night, she was forced to grow up. Overnight she had lost her entire family. In the fire, Earl Ragnar was burned, his father, his wife, Thyra, Brida, and her blood-brother Uhtred.

She had been out in the woods late that night, having stolen her father's candle to go read. She had snuck out past the family, and into the woods, the small book she had kept from her childhood in hand when a fire sprang up from the house. She had raced towards it, only to realize that there would be nothing but death for her.

So she fled, quickly, in no particular direction. Elisif ran so far and so fast that the wind dried the tears from her face almost as quickly as they fell. The night became morning and the morning became the afternoon. It was nearly sunset when she collapsed finally on the doorsteps of a brightly-lit farmhouse.

At the sound of something outside on the front steps, the farmer hushed the woman and her son who lived with him before coming to the door with a pitchfork, and opening it slowly. At the sight of the pale, disheveled young woman on their front steps, the woman pushed away the farmer.

"Don't you just stand there looking foolish. Get some water!" She said, pulling Elisif into the house and propping her up in a little armchair.

After dribbling a little water onto Elisif's tongue, her eyes flickered open before becoming frozen in terror at the sight of waking up in an unfamiliar place.

"Don't you worry now, dear. Hush, you're safe here," the woman spoke to Elisif.

Elisif was still frozen, trying to process the events of the day. She looked away from them, her eyes wandering around the small home. As she scanned the place, her eyes landed on none other than a small boy, no more than four years of age.

"Go, go! Fetch some water, Osferth," the woman said.

The little boy ran and got a small pail of water, bringing it over to Elisif. He reached out to her, pail in hand, and she took it gratefully, drinking deeply without saying another word.

After she had drank her fill, the woman handed her a small piece of bread, which Elisif scarfed down ravenously.

"Now, what's your name, girl?" The farmer's wife asked.

"Elisif," she said quietly.

"Elisif? That's a Danish name. We don't want any Danes or their problems around here," The farmer spoke.

"Hush now," The woman spoke. "Let her speak. What happened to you, Elisif?"

"Not sure. There was fighting and a fire. I escaped into the woods. I've been running since the moon was still high in the sky," Elisif replied.