Northwind

21

Both men reclined by the fire, but I was away from them I was near the river. I stood naked in the middle of it. My mask covered my face. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned my head. It was Finan. "You shouldn't be risking revealing who you are too many men," he said.

"I can think in the water," I replied.

"I know," he said and sat down on the bank watching me. I was shrouded in darkness my silhouette only meeting his eyes. "Improving your gift?"

"I am yes. The night speaks to me, the water shows me all I need to know," I said. I looked up to the starry sky, the moon bathed me in her silver rays. The trees rustled as an owl landed on the branches.

"What does it say of tomorrow?" He asked.

"It has not shown me yet," I replied looking at him with glowing ice blue eyes.

"Just don't tire yourself out, I will not have you drown on me," he said.

"I won't, I promise," I said.

"Make sure you keep to your word," he replied, I giggled and walked to the shore where Finan wrapped me in an animal fur and led me back to the fire.

"Do we have news warrior?" Sihtric asked.

"Not yet, the gods have shown me nothing," I replied sliding my mask over my face a little more. "If you both don't mind, it's late and I need my rest," I laid back on the animal skins absorbing the sounds of the night till my eyes were heavy. But as morn broke it was cold, steam rose from our sleeping forms as we breathed and frost-covered every inch of the forest.

I heard hoof beats galloping towards us, it was a skeletal horse with a decapitated figure strapped to its back. Four more galloped past, following behind was Uhtred with a bloodied blade, he kept advancing and sliced my head from my shoulders as he galloped past. My eyes opened and I sat up immediately placing a hand to my throat. "It was a dream," I panted, "nothing more than a dream."

It wasn't long till Finan and Sihtric woke up, breathing into the cold crisp morn. "We need to move!" I exclaimed.

"You've had a dream haven't you?" Finan asked.

"Yes, death is on our tail we need to move now, "I told them. We packed up as quickly as we could and left the spot. We kept travelling further and further from home, but my bond with Uhtred only strengthened. We were to expect him in a few days' time, Finan and Sihtric kept as close as they could. I hated being escorted, they knew I could take care of myself. But I was too big a risk to be left unguarded.

"Can we stop please?" Sihtric begged.

"What's wrong now?" Finan and I asked turning in our saddles on excitable mounts.

"My legs are sore, I need to stretch them," he said.

"Okay, we'll rest for only a moment," we agreed and all dismounted. We all ate, drank and stretched, but before we could depart, we heard the stretching of bowstrings. We turned, we were surrounded by many arrowheads pointing at us.

"We're not getting out of this one," Sihtric gulped.