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Chapter Two: A Flask of Ale

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Eawynn lost track of time during their travel to Winchester. The night fell upon them swiftly and when the Irishman helped her down from the horse, she almost had to grab onto him to steady herself. Her backside was numb and the pain of having her feet on solid ground shot up her lower back causing her to hunch over with a groan.

"Are ya' alrigh', my lady?" Finan questioned, reaching over to help steady her once she stood up straight.

"I have not traveled this far on horseback for quite some time, that is all." Eawynn forced a smile up to the Irishman in response to his quizzical look before she strode past him to greet Gisela.

She felt his eyes, as well as Ragnar's, piercing the back of her head as she tugged the thin blue veil around her face in hopes that the chintzy material would help keep the cool night air from burning her delicate skin.

"Lord?" Eawynn spoke up, hoping she was not interrupting an important conversation between the two lovers.

Gisela turned around and smiled, her hand sliding down to lace itself firmly in Uhtred's.

"Yes, my lady?"

"I just want to thank you again for letting me come with you. And for your offer of protection. Unfortunately, in all of years of life I have never known kindness like this." Eawynn bowed her head slightly and tried to keep the tears at bay. She was embarrassed about her fragility - just thinking about the possibility of a better life made her want to cry. She reached up and held onto the cross around her neck, the necklace from her mother.

"You are welcome. I hope you can prove your worth around our home." Uhtred was stern. He enjoyed his fair share of fun and games just like the next man, but he was serious about being able to provide some sort of worth around Coccham.

Eawynn knew if she wanted to be in this family, live on his ground, and dine in his hall, she would need to prove she was worth the trouble.

"I'm a fast learner, my lord." She told him with a weak smile. It was true, after all. She had taught herself everything she knew because her father was typically not around. Instead of taking care of his only daughter Lord Alfric whored and gambled, most likely fathering bastard sons and daughters that she did not know about.

"Uhtred, she's just a girl. Be gentle." Hild spoke up once she finished stoking the fire with Ragnar by her side. The pair were an odd sight to witness.

"Abbess Hild," Ragnar cut in, "you are forgetting that in our culture young girls are never just that. They are hunters, mothers...whores."

"Ragnar!" Gisela warned.

"I am not a whore." Eawynn gasped, her hands grabbing the necklace once more.

"I do not think he was calling you a whore, my lady." Finan spoke up. Eawynn ignore the weird sensation tingling in her fingertips at the way the word whore sounded with his thick Irish accent.

With whatever animals they could catch, Gisela made sure Eawynn got her fill before she retired to the little tent Uhtred built for the two of them.

"My lord has not had a woman's touch in quite some time. I don't know if any of us will get much sleep tonight." Finan joked exuberantly, his elbow nudging Ragnar in the side as they both laughed around the fire.

Hild rolled her eyes but found herself also retiring for the night.

Eawynn blushed at Finan's insinuation. She was glad the fire was as warm as it was because it was the closest, and most believable, excuse for her to use in case either of the men called her out for the redness in her cheeks.

It wasn't long before Ragnar also retired for the night, stumbling off after consuming what looked to be his body weight in ale. She had no idea where they had been hiding the bitter liquid but didn't care to ask.

Without the loud laughter and storytelling from Ragnar, which Eawynn enjoyed listening to because it was fun to hear about Uhtred as a child, she could know hear the sounds of intense lovemaking coming from Uhtred and Gisela's tent.

Again, with red cheeks, she stared into the fire and hoped she would be able to fall asleep.

"Are you cold?"

The intrusion brought her out of her thoughts, which if she were being honest were not very ladylike, and so she turned to face the direction from where the voice came from.

The Irishman was lounging back against the nearest tree, legs spread wide and a flask of ale in his hands. His face was entirely lit up from the fire and after spending most of the day staring at the back of his head and neck, she realized he was not bad looking. In fact, she found that he was quite attractive and that she wouldn't mind getting to stare at his face more often.

"My lady?" He called when he did not receive a response from the girl.

Embarrassed that it seemed he had caught her in a daydream, staring at him, Eawynn shook her head and tightened the veil around her head. "No, my lord, I am alright."

"I'm no lord, Lady Eawynn." Finan smirked, taking another swift chug of his flask before now moving to sit closer to her. He offered her the flask and the girl knew she shouldn't accept his offer but maybe one, or two, sips would help her sleep through the sounds of Gisela and Uhtred's lovemaking.

"I shouldn't." She admitted sheepishly, clearing her throat as she pulled her eyes from his face. He had scars that she could see, alongside fresher wounds that did not scab over just yet.

"It may help ya sleep." He nodded towards the tent with a smirk.

"I hope they're not always like this. I do not think I will be able to stand it. The whores I've met do not even sound this loud." Eawynn teased, finding herself comfortable with the Irishman to joke of such things. If only her father could see her now.

To that, Finan let out a loud laugh. His hand rested on his stomach as he did so, and his head tilted back with his eyes directed towards the sky.

They set up camp by the edge of the forest and even with the line of trees above them, a few sparkling stars could be seen if you looked hard enough.

"Alright, fine. I will take one sip." Eawynn sighed, leaning closer as she held her hand out to him asking for the flask.

Handing it over to her with a smirk, Finan crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her.

She had barely even taken a real sip of the ale when she started coughing hoarsely. A grimace taking over her face as she shoved the flash into his chest, forcing him to take it back.

"Was that your first drink, my lady?" Finan snorted.

Eawynn groaned, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No!" She croaked. Her eyes, once clear from the tears, narrowed in annoyance at the Irishman beside her. "That... is not ale! What did you give me? Are you trying to kill me?" Although she may have been joking, she knew she would have to worry about her father finding someone to kill her. Why not a handsome, rogue Irishman?

Finan could not stop laughing. The boisterous noise escaping his from his mouth was now loud enough to distract her from the moans escaping breathlessly from both Gisela and Uhtred.

"Do not laugh at me, Irishman." Eawynn sighed, though soon found herself laughing along with him. "That tasted horrid. What is it?"

"Aye, it is ale my lady. Just not the good kind." He admitted with a smirk.

"And you let me taste that vile drink?" She gasped, her dark eyes piercing his own before she, once again, broke out into laughter.

"Will you two shut your traps before I do it for you?" Ragnar snapped from the spot he lay, not far off from the fire, before rolling to face the trees.

Eawynn giggled, one hand moving to cover her mouth as she glared playfully at Finan. "I have not known you for longer than a day and you are already a bad influence. Maybe I should not come to live with you heathens after all."

"I'm no heathen, lady," Finan became serious. He reached into the top of his tunic and showed her his cross.

"I meant no offense." She told him with a frown. "I offer you my apologies if I offended you. Truly. I did not mean to."

She looked away, the lighthearted feeling she was experiencing slipped away through her fingertips as she heard Finan shuffle to get comfortable for sleep.

She did much the same, though Eawynn had nothing to her name, so she simply curled into herself on the dirt floor of the forest and let out a sigh.

Without a word to the girl below him, Finan got up and laid his furs on top of her. She looked up to thank him, but he refused to make eye contact as he shuffled back to his makeshift sleeping spot.

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Winchester was dirty. Much dirtier than Eawynn could have ever imagined. She kept close to Gisela as they wandered the streets. Uhtred and his men were meeting with King Alfred and Eawynn found peace knowing she would not have to come face to face with the man himself.

She had met him once more as a girl, and knowing that she looked just like her father, she knew that anyone who knew the foul man would know she was his daughter. No matter the consequences, she could not risk anyone telling her father where she was.

"Uhtred and I are to marry, Wynn." Gisela clasped her friends hands in her own, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Oh! That is wonderful news, Gisela. How long do we have to prepare? Does Uhtred even know where...home will be?"

"We are going to ask his Father Beocca to marry us. Here. Today."

"T-today?!" Eawynn gasped, clutching her friends hands tighter. "But you look like..."

"A pig rolled in shit?" Gisela laughed.

"Yes, exactly. I mean, you are not alone. We all look like that. We must find somewhere to bathe you and find a dress. Something that does not scream that you are not about to marry God himself."

Eawynn and Gisela ventured deeper into Winchester, finding a dressmaker, purchasing something for Gisela, before they were met by Uhtred, Finan, and whom Eawynn assumed was Father Beocca.

"What is with that face, my love?" Gisela frowned. The look on Uhtred's face was a solemn one.

"He is King Alfred's man, again." Finan spoke up from behind his lord, giving him an apologetic look as Uhtred turned to glare at him.

Uhtred took Gisela by the hand and directed her to the side. Eawynn was sure he was discussing what had transpired during his meeting with King Alfred.

"I do not believe we have met. You are not from Winchester, my lady." Father Beocca stepped forward to gently take Eawynn's hand in his. He bowed forward and gentle pressed a swift kiss to her knuckles.

"You are too kind, father. But I do not feel as though I deserve this kind of greeting. Please call me Eawynn." The young girl smiles softly at the older, balding gentleman before glancing at Finan. "But you, Irishman, can keep calling me Lady Eawynn."

She turned and joined Gisela once she heard her name being called. Father Beocca arranged for the women to bathe and dress in private - agreeing to marry Uhtred and Gisela at sunset.

"You must have done something to anger the lady, Finan." Father Beocca couldn't help but smile at the exchange between the two.

"Gave her some cheap ale on the road here to Winchester. She was not happy. 'Spose she is used to the finer things in life. She is a rude little girl, really."

"Oh, I don't think so." Father Beocca shook his head. His hands were laced together against his stomach, a grin spreading across his features as he watched the women walk off and Uhtred rejoining the men. They had a wedding to prepare for.

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Eawynn witnessed the love upon the altar of marriage between Gisela and Uhtred and could not help but start to cry.

She had known Gisela only but so little compared to how many years she lived with her father. With her birth came her mothers death and because of this, Eawynn had never been able to witness the love between her parents. She knew it must have existed at some point in their marriage. She was the only seed planted, none came before her, or perhaps there was, and they did not make it. Her father never spoke of life before her birth, and a part of her did not blame him.

She could not imagine having the person you loved ripped from your arms. She had never been in love before. There were a few boys she fancied enough to kiss their cheeks and spend time with growing up, but as she blossomed into a mature, young woman, her fathers whoring ways got worse. They lost a lot, money, and jewels and such, but we're fortunate enough that her father had atleast some sense in his brain to not lose the walls around them and the roof over their heads.

This is precisely the reason why Eawynn started learning how to take care of herself. She knew she was destined for a different kind of life, much different than the life she was living with her father and as she thought back on her time in the nunnery, she realized she would have never imagined that she'd be part of a family with people who did not believe in God. Finan did, but the Irishman annoyed her with his smug grin and nasty, rotten so-called ale, that she found she'd rather talk with Uhtred's brutish Dane brother, Ragnar.

"We spend the night here. And tomorrow, tomorrow we head home." Uhtred spoke up after they had parted ways with Father Beocca.

The group was seated outside of an ale house. Eawynn refused the ale but did find herself feeling a bit ravenous. She tried her best to eat as she was raised to, dainty fingertips ripping the soft, warm inside of the bread on her plate and gentle tossing it between her lips.

"Do you always eat like that?"

That damn Irishman.

"Like what, Finan?"

"Like a damn bird, lass." Finan paused before quickly adding in, "and I mean no offense by that, either."

Uhtred and Gisela were wrapped up in each other's arms across the table from them, giggling and kissing whatever bare skin they could reach, all while remaining as publicly decent as possible.

"Finan, you must not do or say anything to piss off Wynn, she knows how to hold a grudge!"

Gisela grinned at her friend over the rim of her cup of ale.

"Gisela!" Eawynn laughed as well, shaking her head.

"What? It's true! You once did not speak to sister Agatha for three full moons because she disliked your bread. Do you not remember that?"

Blushing at the story, Eawynn shrugged her shoulders. She sipped some water, licking her lips once the cup was back on the table before turning to Gisela. "Well, frankly, sister Agatha went about it the wrong way. She was rather rude, and I guess if I inherited one thing from my father it is his temper."

"Nothin' wrong with that, Lady Eawynn. I like a girl with a temper." Finan smirked.

"I dare say I did not ask for your opinion, Irishman." She retorted, one eyebrow raised as she glanced over at him before turning her attention back to the couple before her as they stood up and Uhtred announced that he was finally taking his wife to their marriage bed.

"You are not lodging close by to my room, are you?" She sighed, though a hint of playfulness hidden in her voice. "Because I would like to get some sleep tonight and I do not think I can if I have to listen to your wild lovemaking again."

Gisela giggled with a roll of her eyes, "you will sleep just fine. Finan will be with you, to keep an eye out. Won't you, Finan?"

Uhtred stood behind his new bride with a smirk plastered wide on his lips. His hands were roaming Gisela's sides before landing on her hips.

"Aye." The Irishman responded almost reluctantly.

Once the married couple parted ways, Eawynn turned to look at Finan. "I hope you're fine with sleeping on the floor, Irishman. I will not share my bed with any man."

"You're a bright ball of sunshine, aye lass?" He teased, chugging down the rest of his ale.

"Yes, in fact I am." Eawynn stood up, grabbed the bread with a huff and made her way into the ale house and up the stairs to the room they had been able to secure for a decent price.

She closed the door firmly behind her and took the room in. It was much better than sleeping out in the open floor of the forest, so she was glad about whatever she could get here in the dingy alehouse.

At some point after tossing and turning on the tops of the furs on the bed, Eawynn fell asleep but had been awoken by the sound of the door opening and closing. She sat up quickly, chest heaving rapidly up and down since the noise had scared her awake.

"Finan?" she called throughout the dark room.

"Aye." He responded, even with his one-word response she could tell that he was drunk. He stumbled at the table that was in the far end of the room and Eawynn watched him fight with the chair until he sank down and kicked his boots off and collapsed forward on the table.

With a sigh, Eawynn sat up some more to get a better look at him. With heavy snores escaping between his lips, she assumed he had already fallen asleep, so she slipped back down into the furs to do the same.