CHAPTER SIXTEEN ─── mercians

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There was something different about being able to call Sihtric her husband, Yrsa decided. It brought a new sense of giddiness to her, as she and Sihtric sent each other warm smiles as they waited for Aethelred to grace them with his presence.

Their wedding had been blissful, with the pair exchanging family swords as Yrsa was brought under Sihtric's protection. The feast had been magnificence, and it was far better than what Yrsa had believed. She thought that it would just be her, Sihtric and their close friends, but Uhtred had made sure that most of the town was there and anyone who knew them, was close to them. It was sweet.

Finally, the doors swung open and the man appeared, along with a face that Yrsa did not want to see. Her features dropped, as Sihtric turned to see what she was looking at. Aethelwold came prancing towards them, though Sihtric reached out to draw his wife closer to his side, pressing a kiss to her head.

"If he does anything, I will kill him. Consequences be damned." Sihtric muttered, as Aethelwold came to sit next to them. Yrsa scowled over her husband's shoulder, before turning as Aldhelm began to speak.

"I have not seen the inside of a pagan hall." 

"Yrsa, come." Finan grabbed the woman by the arm, sending her a quick shove towards Thyra and Giesla. "Uhtred wants you present and speaking for these communications."

"Why?"

"Should I know? Ask him."

"No." Yrsa shook him off of her, sending her husband an apologetic look as she joined Lady Giesla. "I'm to sit and involve myself, apparently."

"Uhtred wants you to learn, that is all."

"I do not want to learn. That is for old people." Yrsa muttered, as Lady Giesla rolled her eyes and patted the seat in front of her. Yrsa obliged, setting her hatchets down on the table as Thyra turned to her with a smile.

"I heard that you and Sihtric were married." That drew a grin to Yrsa's face. "We will speak on it later."

"Of course." Yrsa nodded.

"Should she be travelling at all to battle?" Yrsa turned, looking back at Athelered and Giesla as her eyebrows furrowed.

"It was her wish to accompany her husband." Aldhelm spoke. "I'm sure that you would do the same."

"Only warriors travel to battle." Yrsa spoke, shrugging her shoulders. "That is tradition. To bring the women means that there are more possibilities for things to go wrong."

"So you stay here?" Aldhelm asked, as Yrsa cocked an eyebrow.

"Of course not. I am a warrior. I fight with the other soldiers."

"She will be kept out of harm's way." Aethelred spoke up, causing Thyra to stand and rush off. Yrsa watched her go with narrowed eyes, before finding Aldhelm was now hovering behind her like a persistent fly. She huffed, not liking having her back towards a supposed enemy, though Sihtric caught her gaze soon after. His look was clear;

He had her back.

"Uhtred, has the King written that when the siege of Lunden begins, I am to be first up the ladder?" Aethelwold's annoying voice rang out, as Yrsa felt the urge to cut her own ears off. "It is after all something that I would do."

"We can but hope." Yrsa sighed, twirling her wedding band around her finger.

"Yrsa." Giesla sent her a reprimanding look, before her eyes softened. "That would be a warrior's death. Something far more than he deserves."

Yrsa's grin grew.

"You accept that I am in charge of all men?" Aethelred spoke, a sickening grin on his face as Uhtred finally joined them.

"It's the king's wish." Uhtred threw the scroll down, brushing past the two women to the sword rack.

"It is."

"That is a pity." Yrsa huffed, shaking her head.

"You are with us?"

"Why would I not be? I am an Ealdorman of Wessex." Uhtred shrugged, as Yrsa shared an exasperated glance with Finan.

"Alfred has decided to give you this one last chance." Sihtric's look of annoyance was one that Yrsa shared. This man spoke like he knew the politics of Wessex, when in fact, he knew nothing.

"Do you have a plan?" Uhtred questioned.

"Together we will travel down river, meet with the armies of Mercia and Wessex, make camp a short distance from Lunden." It all sounded good so far.

"Do you have a plan of attack?" Uhtred specified, sounding fed up.

"Yes." Aethelred spat out. "It is not too dissimilar from your plan. You will attack the North Gate with your own men. Once the assault is underway, I shall attack from the marshes with the main army."

The plan sounded a bit under-planned.

"And how will you know my assault is underway?" Uhtred leant past Yrsa, placing the sword down and grabbing hers to check for weaknesses.

"I will know."

"You will know?" Yrsa scoffed at the incredulity of it all.

"Uhtred, do not doubt me." Aethelred huffed. "I want this victory. Lunden belongs to Mercia and I am Lord of Mercia. I will go with every man at my disposal to claim what is mine."

"Good."

"If it belongs to Mercia, how did you manage to lose it in the first place?" Yrsa muttered, though her words were ignored.

"I am with Uhtred." Steapa finally spoke, looking over at Aethelred and then back to the Danes. 

"No, Steapa, you're with me."

"I am with Uhtred." Steapa reaffirmed. "The king says."

"Very well."

"I am with Steapa...Behind Steapa." Aethelwold spoke.

"Gods above, no." Yrsa whined, turning to look at Uhtred and shaking her head. "No."

"Yrsa. Yes."

"Your bravery knows no beginning, Aethelwold. A toast!" That was a very tactical change of subject from Aldhelm. "To the Mercians who died for Wessex at Ethandun. and to the men of Wessex who will fight for Mercia at Lunden. To allies."

"To allies." Uhtred downed his drink, before turning away as Yrsa stood once more to join her husband.

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Yrsa turned Beastie in a circle, coming to settle in between Finan and Sihtric. Her armour was snug against her body, as it always was, her hatchets and sword at her hips, and her bow, slung across her back. She was enjoying their walk to war, but she hated that she could still hear Aethelwold's voice in the distance.

Father Beocca was in front, with Uhtred, and Yrsa had not seen him at the meeting, so her eyebrows furrowed. What had he been up to?

"You're quiet today, Father Beocca." Uhtred noted.

"A sleepless night."

"Should I speak with Thyra? Tell her you need your rest?" Yrsa giggled at that, causing Sihtric to send her an adoring look that she missed. Finan, however, picked up on it and pulled a face.

"You shall do no such thing. You will talk of no such matters."

"And what matters are those, Father?" Finan called. Beocca turned around to glare at the trio.

"I've said enough." Beocca snapped, glaring at them. "You've all said enough." 

That drew chuckles from everyone.

"Ignore them, Father." Yrsa called, riding up to join Uhtred's side. "Finan is just jealous that he still has to pay someone before he can get into bed with them."

"You know what, Yrsa?"

"What?"

"I'll start telling people you cried when you wed Sihtric." Yrsa scrunched her nose. So, perhaps she had let her feelings get the best of her when Sihtric and her finally exchanged swords, and rings, but it was an overwhelming day.

"Out of happiness. But you wouldn't know that feeling because you keep mistaking women for goats!"

"Yrsa!" Sihtric laughed hysterically as the pair continued to bicker over Finan's poor eye sight, as Uhtred rode off, not wanting to pay them any attention. This was not what they should have been taking about as they prepared for battle.

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