CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR ─── apologies

The journey to Wessex had been near enough silent, though there was a lessening of tension between the group. Sihtric had been accepted back into the fold by Finan and Osferth, though Yrsa remained cold towards him. Hild had joined them on their trip, meaning that Yrsa remained glued to her side, still glaring at her husband whenever she felt as if she needed to remind him that she was annoyed. 

It had not scared her husband away from her, for Sihtric was quick to fall in ahead of her, twisting to look at her every once in a while to make sure that she and the baby were alright. 

"Finan, look!" Sihtric nodded his head as Yrsa followed his gaze, stopping herself from glaring at him for the moment. There was a travelling troop mere yards away, music streaming from their encampment and laughter echoing too. The smell of food made Yrsa's stomach grumble, though she ignored it. She would eat when they reached Winchester.

"Should you investigate?" The bishop turned to Yrsa, who merely hummed and shook her head. The troop of musicians did not pose a threat, and what would they truly be able to to her or others in their party? Yrsa would strike them down with ease. 

"Any spare coins, Lord? Any spare food?" The man came rushing over as Yrsa's horse snorted, ears flattening for a moment in a warning. "God would bless you, I'm sure."

"Are you traveling to Winchester?" 

"We are, Lord. For the wedding." Yrsa looked up, catching eyes with Sihtric, before turning away once more. She met Hild's eyes instead as the abbess cocked an eyebrow. Yrsa knew that the Abbess wished for Yrsa to speak with her husband instead of glaring at him, but Yrsa knew that if she spoke to her husband, she would continue to curse him for his actions.

"We shall see you there then." Finan nodded, as Sihtric lead the others up and behind the encampment. Yrsa stuck close to Finan's side, chuckling when she heard the man call him a miserable bastard.

"You are doing so well, charming the people." Yrsa teased, patting her horse gently as she took another glance at the group of musicians.

"Stop it." Finan laughed, before they joined back up with their caravan of people for the remaining few miles to Winchester. 

The final part of the trip was simple enough though the gates were closed when they reached the city. Both Finan and Sihtric were looking dutifully at the ground and away from the other soldiers, whilst Yrsa remained beside Hild. They could not do anything to the abbess, therefore, she too was safe.

"Steapa!" The bishop's voice was remarkably grating, and it had grown more and more on Yrsa's nerves as they travelled to Winchester. "Steapa!"

Steapa made an appearance, staring down over the parapet with a foul look on his face. Yrsa licked her lips, pulling her cloak further over her hatchets as if that would help to hide them and protect her stomach from view.

"Do you not recognise me, Steapa? Why have the gates not opened?" He sounded like a petulant child.

"Bishop Erkenwald, you have guests." Steapa looked between the trio of Danes, with a sneer on his face.

"They did ride with us from Coccham." Yrsa cracked her neck, watching the soldier on the battlements. No one had drawn weapons yet, so that was a good sign.

"Where Uhtred remains." Finan called, providing the soldiers with the location of their lord. "He'll be going directly to Mercia."

"Steapa, he had hoped to visit his children there." Hild agreed with Finan, and the mention of children had Yrsa's own child twisting inside of her, as if to remind the woman that it was there and that she'd also have to start thinking of where she wished to live with her child. Her future was always so uncertain, and she did not wish for her child to have that same uncertainty.

"This is true, Lord?"

"You do not believe me?" Hild's eyes had narrowed, incredulous at the statement. Yrsa looked back over at Finan's slightly nervous face, fighting a laugh, before shooting her husband another cold look. He smiled gently back, only causing Yrsa to scowl further as she looked back at the gates.

"It is true that Uhtred Ragnarson remains at Coccham." Erkenwald agreed. "That is all I know to be true."

"It is Uhtred's intention to return to Mercia." Hild sighed, sounding as fed up with this farce as Yrsa felt. "He asked me to petition the king to let his children follow. Now, open the gates and let us rest."

Steapa took another bite of his food, which just seemed to add insult to injury, watching them all with narrow eyes. Yrsa's stomach grumbled again, and she ground her teeth together in annoyance.

"Hey, big man. We're guilty of being hungry and tired, my friend." Finan piped up. "That is all."

After a moment's deliberation, the gates were opened and Yrsa let the rest of Bishop Erkenwalkd's party pass, rejoining Sihtric and Finan as they hurried inside. The road twisted in familiar patterns, before they came to a stop at their regular inn, tying the horses up outside of it. 

It seemed that as soon as Yrsa's foot touched Wessex soil, trouble was upon them in the form of a man that Yrsa wished to gut.

"Is that Aethelwold the sword-Dane I see?" Finan's voice had Yrsa's mood worsening. Sihtric reappeared, standing beside her steadfast. His hands hovered near her, though he did not dare touch, merely glaring at Aethelwold, who looked worse for wear. Yrsa was unsurprised to see that he'd lost an eye. It was merely a matter of time before someone did that to him. Yrsa's only regret was that it was not her who had done that. "Looks like you've mislaid an eye."

"All that scheming finally caught up to you." Yrsa called, as Aethelwold scowled. Sihtric's hand touched her back, the man straightening up to glare down at the Saxons beside them. Sihtric and Yrsa might not have been on the best terms, but both would ignore their own issues to ensure the other's safety.

"I can see the two of you perfectly. Though I do not see your master." Aethelwold looked between them, ignoring Sihtric, who often times refused to acknowledge his existence. "Uhtred, where is he?"

"Standing at your blind side, perhaps?" Finan joked, and Yrsa could feel her husband's chest shake behind her in laughter. Aethelwold struggled to retort, spinning on his heel and disappearing as Sihtric and Finan followed to make sure that he was truly gone. Yrsa returned to her horse, grabbing her belongings quickly before she found Hild to say her goodbyes.

"I will come and visit." Yrsa promised, twisting her hair behind her, as Hild hummed.

"At least consider forgiving him, Yrsa." Hild addressed the younger woman, who was quick to turn away and hide her expression. "I hate seeing you unhappy."

"It is his own doing that I am ignoring him."

"I never said Sihtric was clever." Hild shook her head, before squeezing Yrsa's hand. "That boy is a little slow at points, but he had adored you since he met you."

Yrsa huffed, signifying the end of the conversation.

"Keep me updated on the child. I will travel to wherever you are when it is time for labour so you are not alone." Yrsa nodded at Hild's offer, hugging her tightly. "Do not worry too much."

"Of course." Hild patted her cheek, smiling as she looked past Yrsa. The woman spun around, finding that Sihtric was walking towards her, a bouquet of white flowers in his hands. "Yes?"

"For you." He placed the flowers into her hands gently, as Yrsa narrowed her eyes at him. "Come now. I saw that food that you liked, and I know you are hungry. Let us go and get it."

"Perhaps I do not wish to go with you."

"Yrsa." Sihtric sighed, watching her with wide eyes. "I know you are annoyed, and I understand that and normally, I would leave you be if that was what you wished of me, but we are in Winchester, with people who do not like us and Aethelwold, so I cannot leave your side. You or the baby's."

"You did wh-"

"Please, Yrsa." Sihtric cut his wife off before she could grow too spiteful, shooting her a pleading look. The woman huffed, still looking annoyed, before she began to storm off. "Yrsa?"

"You wished to find me food." She spat back at him, her stomach grumbling once more. Sihtric struggled to catch up, joining her side swiftly as he hovered beside her. "You are not forgiven for this alone."

"I know."

"And getting me the food will not help matters."

"I understand."

"I am still annoyed at you."

"I will do anything to gain your forgiveness." Sihtric grabbed her hand swiftly, placing a kiss to the ring that he had gifted her. "I swore it once, I can and will swear it again."

༓࿇༓

Hiya,

So, once again, Sihtric is apologising to his wife and Yrsa holds grudges so love that for her. The baby is gonna be so sweet and I love Hild and Yrsa's mother-daughter relationship of a sort. They're both so cute. I'm just excited to be honest.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx