The Last Kingdom: Bastard of BebbanBurg: The ‘wolf’

A.D. 876 Island of Ireland, Dubhlin

/pov Ragnar/

This will be my last day staying on this ass backwards damn Island known as Ireland.. these fucks are relentless.. Danes kill the natives.. more natives show up to be killed.. but not before making us lose soldiers.. good thing there is an never-ending stream of fresh Danes sailing to the harbor of the settlement of Dubhlin..

The largest of all the settlements on the east coast of the island.. they come from all over.. Northumbria, Mercia, Danish controlled lands of Brittania.. and ofcourse the endless supply of norse-men coming from their tribes they call home on the Scandinavian peninsula.. or the home of the danish people Denmark..

More than a year has passed since I first starting hearing of a warrior they have monikered the 'wolf'.. a name worthy of a warrior.. it was some time later.. I pieced the bits of news together.. as it would be recieved as more men come to these shores flooding in.. looking for wealth, slaves, and of course their fair share of glory killing natives by the hundreds.. and then I realized this 'wolf' is actually Aethred..

I heard Uhtred had pledged his sword to the new king of Wessex.. not long after I learned of it as more information came from the men.. busy getting 'schloss'd' as Aethred would call it.. revealing the fact that Aethred had already conquered the lands of Oxford.. which used to belong to Mercia before it was under control of Danes..

Now it's Aethred's and only Aethred's.. I hear good things of him and Uhtred non stop.. "Ragnar!" I hear a familiar voice calling my name bringing me to a stop of my thoughts as I turned around in the direction of the shout..

"Brida..? By the Gods.. Brida your grown.. and beautiful.." was all I could utter as I realize the girl standing before me had grown into a fine young woman.. very fine.. wonder if her and Uhtred ever tied the knot.. heard he was married to a Christian and already had a son named after him..

"Ragnar it's so good to finally see you.. we told Ubba and Guthrum to give you a message.. did they?" She asked me causing me to be confused for a second.. Ubba and Guthrum had given me no message since I decided to not join them in East Anglia.. which was obviously a wise decision on my part.. beings that they are dead.. I am not..

"No they have not.. what was the message?" I asked her.

She frowned for a second before continuing to say "Aethred avenged your family and Thyra is still alive.. she's safe with Uhtred.. I've brought your families silver.. that was the message.. we've been waiting to hear from you.. when we didn't.. Aethred had me a ship built for my name-day he calls a 'schooner'.. it's not meant for battle but it can cut through the waves like cutlery slicing through butter..

I mean it's fast.. we can almost fly on the seas.. it took less than a weeks sail to come here from the mouth of the Thames on the east coast of Brittania.. from the east coast of Brittania to the east coast of Ireland.. Can you just imagine what we could achieve with ships like this.. trade would quadruple…."

I stopped her before she could continue to speak "Brida.. ow.. don't use words like 'quadruple' please.. I don't know what it means.. makes my head hurt.. but come on a week to make it here.. thats wonderful.. come let's head to the tavern and get some mead in us.. you've had a long trip and you can tell me all about everyone's adventures since I've left home.."

************

/pov Brida/

It's amazing.. Ragnar agreed to follow me back to Oxford.. and then on to visit Uhtred's lands to re-unite with his only living sibling.. he couldn't believe the news that she lived..

He thanked all the gods.. even the Christian's god and his son named 'Jesus'.. how they claim there is only one god to next second.. claim he has a son.. obviously if he had a son.. said son would then be a god.. right?

He had to be atleast half-god.. as I smell the sea and taste the salt in the air I turn to look at my 'quartermaster' to say "Harund.. where are we?"

"We are a quarter-days sail from the settlement Cornwellan.. m'lord" he informed.. to which I smile..

I like having my men call me 'm'lord' instead of 'm'lady'.. must be a funny picture seeing grizzled, hardened, large men doing everything a wee woman like me tells them to.. they do it exactly how I tell them too.. Aethred taught me how to go 'straight boss status' he says.. I enjoyed his lessons..

He taught me how to use my gender to my advantage.. in all ways.. whether it's using my light-weight, light-footedness, and flexibility in battle to confuse.. then pierce my enemies from all strange indefendible angles.. use my looks and body to lure enemies into underestimating me and letting their guards down.. only to receive a blade to a major artery in one of the legs.. or just swift castration followed by a spike to back of the skull right where the spine connects to the skull.. Aethred taught me every vital part a human has on their body..

He taught me about their insides as well.. taught me how to clean and stitch up wounds.. even intrails on the underside of said wounds.. all to be stuffed back and the outer flesh to be sewn covering them back where they belong.. it's amazing.. you can be cut open and have your insides spill out.. then be stuffed back into you like the dolls Aethred would make me when I was younger.. to miraculously heal and live on..

He says humans are unwilling to die.. no matter if they say they want to die.. when it comes to the last second.. they beg and plead with the gods.. it's too late to beg then.. atleast thats what Aethred tells me..

Anywho.. let's see this 'shadow-queen' I've been sent to 'rescue' from a toad calling himself a king.. hah king of what?..king of the swamps of Briton?.. I see nothing else here.. shitty place to be.. there's no way Aethred's second wife-to-be could come from a desolate pigsty like this.. but he says different.. we shall see..