Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

As a storm rolled in, a dane ship stalled on the waters, preparing against the rocking waves. Forest land filled beyond the beach they waited by. The land before them dark and quiet, birds and squirrels sleeping among the incoming threat. As the wind picked up and the first drops of rain fell, the waves pushed against the anchored ship, rocking it to and fro. The water black and cold and unforgiving to any who went in it. And as the first lightning roared across the sky, a figure jumped from the ship into the icy water below. 

Men yelled from the ship, at themselves and at the person who swam quickly to shore. Life boats were dropped, men filing in and chasing after the person who stepped onto the sand. A woman in tattered clothes and bleeding from her arm was escaping. Looking back at the men approaching, the woman took off into the forest, disturbing the undergrowth and startling the burrowing animals. Branches and leaves cracked under her feet, a signal to their position in the darkness. She ran, stumbling over tree roots and bushes. The woman did not falter for a second, not when the rain grew heavy nor with the thorns and pebbles made her feet bleed.

With the Danes on her trail she wouldn't give up. It was now life or death for the woman. And she knew it. Mud splashed along her legs as puddles were formed below. Her footing slipping among the dead leaves and slowing her down. Picking herself up from the wet ground once more, she ran until a dip in the ground caused her to slip on her back, mud and leaves sticking to her clothing and skin. And as she slid down the small dip, the dip turned to a hill that quickly turned into a cliff, one that sent the sliding woman down and off with a yell.

And as she hit the ground, two men on the trail below noticed her crashing impact. One a priest, and one a Dane. Winded from her fall, she watched from her stomach, helplessly, giving in to the black abyss as the two rushed at her. 

—

Coccham bustled with excitement and anticipation. The little town was holding a competition for potential archers. Men from around Coccham were called to test their skills at the tournament. With the promise of coin and joining the many men among Uhtred's army, many showed up. Uhtred had set a place aside the hall, a small arena for the competitors to use. Wooden boards scattered along the vegetation that grew in the walls. Rings had been painted on the boards, a certain amount of points going to each colored ring. 

The boards were scattered from fifty feet to two hundred fifty feet. The farthest the board, the more points. Each archer had only five arrows to collect their points. Men came and went, trying their luck before being bumped out by another. Amidst the competition, a figure dressed in a long cloak from head to toe stood in the back, waiting to take a turn. Their face was obscured with a clay mask, ears on the top and red paint underlining the eyes of the mask.

The person was catching the people's attention, they had never seen someone dress like that. Uhtred had Sihtric watch the person, reports of the figure brought to attention long before they arrived to the arena. Sihtric blended in with the onlookers, keeping close by in case the person tried anything, a hand on his sword. In the final bracket of the competition, a man who towered over most, was winning so far. The last two who stood to try, giving up and leaving. Only the person in the cloak remained, a laugh escaping the man at the sight. He felt he had already won and voiced his proclaimed victory.

Despite the cocky man's attitude, the person took the arrows from the archery table, slipping an arrow into their bow before pulling it back and aiming at the boards. Drawing for what seemed like an eternity, the person released the bow, the sound of it whooshing through the air before landing in the furthest one in the back. Right in the middle. A bullseye. Without waiting, they shot another arrow at the same board, a barely audible crack being heard from where the board was. The second arrow split the first arrow right down the middle. And again it happened, the third, fourth and fifth arrow cracking down the middle of the last arrows.

Slinging their bow back over their shoulder the person walked away, disappearing from the crowded streets and leaving behind the people who were stunned. Sihtric went after them, calling to the person he pursued. The person waited for the man to catch up, aware he had been sent to keep an eye on her. They had long noticed him staring, looking to the man they came for, a glance to see if he needed to move in.

"You won, aren't you going to collect your prize?" 

The person didn't reply to the man's question. Their attention drawn to Uhtred who was walking with Finan to the hall. Sihtric glanced at what she looked at, a small suspicion planted in his mind. The person had seemed interested in the man, but for what, he wasnt sure. It made him unsettled. The person, if an enemy, could've taken a shot at Uhtred as he walked away. They showed they were more then capable of doing so.

"Do you wish to meet him? You can now that you won. Come." Waving to the figure, Sihtric led them to the hall where Uhtred waited.

The men knew that the person would follow. It seemed the only target the person was interested in was the one on Uhtred's back. They used that to their advantage. At the doors of the hall, Sihtric waved the person in first, hand falling to his sword once more as he closed the door behind him.

The hall was dimly lit inside, light from the windows streamed in and where the sun didn't reach, a candle was used instead. Weapon racks lined the wall on the side of a large table where Uhtred and Finan sat, waiting. Stopping at the end of the table, the figure looked back at the man behind them. Sihtric exchanged a look with Uhtred before passing the person to sit at the table.

"You may take a seat." Uhtred gestured to the empty seats along the table, a gesture that was ignore.

Sihtric leaned across the table to whisper at Finan. A bet that the person couldn't speak. Finan shook his head, retorting that the person was probably not used to their language. The men pulled out silver, placing their wagers in the middle of the table. 

"What is your name? Where do you come from?" Uhtred ignored his men, a displeased look at their childish wager made his brows draw together.

Looking at the hall, the person seemed to ignore the men. Instead they studied their surroundings, jumping at shadows that were cast from outside. They were on edge. The sight made the men suspicious of this new figure. 

"If you are to join my ranks you will have to talk to me." Frustrated, Uhtred captured the person's attention with a sigh.

Looking away once more, the person reached up, the men gripped their weapons in anticipation for a fight. Instead the figure placed a hand over the mask, the other going inside the hood and behind their head, working at a string that held it on. As the mask was released the person placed it on the table, face drawn down to hide their appearance. Their hands shook slightly as they pulled the hood down releasing long dark brown hair from the confines. 

"Excuse me for interfering." Bowing their upper body down, the person stood up after their greeting.

Shock rippling through the men at the sight of a young woman, tears swimming in their dark eyes as they held themselves back. What shocked the men the most was the looks of the person. It was clear that they were not from their land. Almond eyes and heart shaped face made it clear they were a foreigner from the far east. A sight that was extremely rare to see.

"Was not expecting that, to be honest." Sihtric mumbled and flicked a coin closest to him.

"I know the tournament was for men of your town. And I disrespected that. I am willing to receive any punishment necessary, I just want to thank you for saving me first." Formally bowing once more, the woman spoke with a shaky voice, hands clasped in front of her stomach tightly enough to make her knuckles white.

"Save you?" Sihtric, now confused at the situation looked to the older men for guidance.

"Punishment?" Finan looked to Uhtred, confused at to what the woman went on about.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Why am I punishing you and when exactly did I meet you? I don't recall saving you." 

"Women are punished for laying hands on weapons. It is dirty and disrespectful to the soldier who wield them is it not?" Her voice faltered as she went on her rant, the men's confused looks making her feel awkward.

Clearing her throat she shook her head and pinned her gaze on Uhtred. "In any case...You are Uhtred of Bebbanburg? You know Beocca, right?"

At the name of the fallen priest, Uhtred frowned. The woman seemed to know quite a lot for a foreigner. Nodding his head he confirmed her words. A sigh of relief escaping her. She found the person she had searched for.

"Beocca told me where to find you...if I needed to. Um, you rescued me a while ago. I can't recall much but I know I was being chased by traffickers after I escaped. I fell from a cliff in the process, you were there?" Ranting, the woman held a hand to her fast beating heart. 

Anxieties clawed at her as she tried to recall that night. After her fall she had forgotten most of her escape. Only remembering pieces of what happened. She had blacked out after Beocca had gotten to her side, she only remembered a Dane looking man behind him. Beocca described him to her once, something she took note of in order to find him.

"Yes, you were sent back to Wessex with Beocca. He said he would have you looked at. The traffickers weren't too happy about losing you though. It took a bit of convincing you weren't there." Remembering the night he saw the woman fly down the cliff and hitting her head on the ground, he nodded along to her retell of the events.

"I'm sorry. I caused trouble." Shamed at putting others at risk, she looked away.

"It is fine, Beocca informed me you had a wound infected. He said you would've died from it in a week if it was left untreated."

Beocca had only told her of them seeing her fall. He did not mention the traffickers finding the men and woman, who was hidden behind Beocca's horse and shrubs. Thanking the man once more, she swore to serve him as best as she could. Sighing, Uhtred shook his head before calmly denying her access to his army. She was too young for him.

"Demo ne I can shoot!" Startled, the woman took a step forward.

She had traveled a long way to join his army. She trained day and night, teaching herself to shoot and become better. Her only chance was in Uhtred's army, becoming a warrior in Wessex's troops were difficult. Even more so for a woman.

"Uhtred. Are you sure? She is a good shot." Sihtric frowned, not seeing the issue with hiring her in.

"You can shoot, and I know you will be better with age but I can not send a child into war." 

"Ko?" Shocked, she touched her face in a frown before glaring at the man. "I am anything but! I might not look it but I am older than most!"

"Who are you trying to fool? You are clearly the same age as Uhtred's oldest, maybe younger." Finan snorted at the woman, amused.

"Beocca told me I am older than the King of Wessex by twelve years! If he can fight then so can I!" 

"You are...there is no way." Finan frowned, the woman embodied the looks of a young girl, not one of an adult.

"Are you a witch?" Sihtric received a frown from the woman, him whispering to Uhtred to be careful of the woman.

"Majo?! No, no! My family has always been blessed to have a young appearance!" The woman thought it was more of a curse than a blessing sometimes, especially now.

"If you are old enough then I don't have a issue with hiring. But you will be in a war where you might die." The man warned the young woman once more.

Nodding she smiled triumphantly before boldly stating "Senshi wa meiyo o motte shinu!". Her hand turning to a fist and hitting where her heart lay in a formal salute. 

"I don't understand but welcome?" Sihtric was the first of the men to welcome the woman.

With a nod she relaxed slightly, setting in a chair when Uhtred insisted they talked of her arrangements. The men he had called for were close or in Coccham. They wouldn't need sleeping arrangements, therefor he had not prepared any. 

"Before we start, what is your name?"

"Akira. You can call me Akira." A little hesitant, the woman spoke her name for the men to understand the pronunciation.

"Akira, nice to meet you. This is Sihtric and Finan. Seeing as you came from Wessex I'd assume you are sleeping in the tavern?" Akira nodded to the men as they were introduced, a custom she was used to.

"Actually I have shelter with the tree, by the outskirts." 

"That big old rotting thing?" Sihtric knew what she talked of, the tree was the only one in the grassland.

The tree was old but still sturdy despite the countless storms that tried to knock it over. It sat on a small hill overlooking a stream and tall grass outside Coccham. Farther down was the river and even further was mountain ranges. The oak tree was a perfect spot to view the surrounding areas.

"Yes. I've been sleeping in it." Akira smiled and nodded, grateful she didn't have to describe the tree.

"In it? You mean under it." Uhtred corrected her words, it seemed she was still not used to their language.

"No, in it. On the branches. You know where the leaves come in." Shaking her head, Akira stretched her arms out in a gesture to show the branch.

"You sleep in it? How is that even possible?" Sihtric frowned at the information, the woman stopping and thinking before replying.

"I don't understand?" Tilting her head, she laid her hands in front of her to wait for an explanation.

"How are you able to sleep in a tree without falling?" Finan tried his best to translate for the woman, adding more context for her.

"Oh, its easy. I stay between two branches. Though the small angry bushed tailed animals weren't so friendly at first." She shivered at the thought of the squirrels that threw their food at her and tried to attack her.

"You mean the squirrels?" Sihtric laughed, he had heard they were territorial but never seen it.

"Squirrels...?" She tried the word, a slight question becoming from it.

"In any case, you shouldn't be sleeping there. It's not safe. You can sleep in the tavern until a home is built for you." Uhtred stopped their idle chit chat, a headache coming on from the situation before him.

"Um...sorry to impose, but, I don't have any money and I doubt I can sleep there for free." 

"I can arrange a room for you." 

"No, that's-" Shaking her head vigorously caused her hair to fall in her face, a sense of guilt taking someone's money consuming her.

Before the woman can argue more, the doors to the hall were slammed open by Hild who carried a few scrolls under her arms. Her blonde hair covering her shoulders where a cloak lay. She boldly walked in, drawing the attention at the table to her.

"Uhtred, I brought the...Akira?" Slowing her steps she stopped at the end of the table, a surprised smile on her face at the woman there.

"Sensei!" Equally surprised, Akira stood from her seat and went to Hild.

"What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?" Placing her hands on the young woman's cheeks, cupping her in affection.

"I came to stay here." 

"Hild, you know her?" Uhtred interrupted the two woman's reunion.

"Of course. When I visited Wessex last time she was there working for Beocca in the church." Smiling, the woman released Akira and placed the scrolls on the table.

Akira nodded and sat back down, relaxed at the sight of a friend. Hild chose to stay standing, a question about the woman's appearance unsettled her. She was skinnier, dark circles lined under her eyes from the lack of sleep and she seemed to be jumpy.

"Akira, if you are here then that means you've left the church? Beocca worked hard to get you that job. Don't tell me you forgot?" 

"No...I..." The woman's smile quickly turned to a sad frown. 

She had left Wessex on her own accord but it was pushed by others. She didn't want to tell Hild about the issue that arose for her. Especially the problems that increased after Beocca's death. Hild knew there were issues before, the people of Wessex weren't very kind to outsiders.

"Akira. What happened? Did you get in trouble?" 

"It wasn't anything...I didn't do anything. They just didn't want me anymore." The woman shrugged, the room looking at her made her conscious. 

"Who is they?" Uhtred prodded, he could remember his sister facing discrimination even after she became a christian.

"The people. The church...they said I can't stay anymore." Akira sighed, she could remember being kicked from the church, a place she found safety in.

"I will have a few words with them. They shouldn't have done that to you." Hild voiced her displeasure, Akira telling her that it was alright.

She would rather leave the situation as is, she was far from Wessex and didn't need to cause trifle from far away. In the end she took Beocca's advice and ran to Coccham. A place he told her to go to for safety if a time came for her to flee. Ask for Uhtred, he'd always tell the woman. To her, Coccham was a safe haven where she would be able to live freely. Not confined to walls and judgmental stares. She hoped it lived to her expectations.

"In any case she will stay in the tavern, I will arrange a room, not arguable. Tomorrow you will be shown around."

"Uhtred, if you don't mind I think she should stay with me. I have a spare room and it would be more comfortable than a tavern." Pointing out the fact the tavern wasn't a place for a young woman to stay by themselves, Hild offered for her to stay in the house she had behind the church.

Akira hesitated, worried she would be a nuisance to the older woman. With some reassurance the women left the table to set Akira in the room. The woman commented she only had the clothes she wore and her bow, Hild scolding her as they disappeared. Finan and Sihtric looked back to the table where their coin still lay afterwards. The two looked at each other, deciding.

"So who gets the silver?" Sihtric glanced between the silver and Finan.

"I say I do, she seems to not know some of the language we speak, therefore I was more right." Finan reached forward to grab the small pile.

"Now wait a minute, you weren't right at all!" Sihtric swatted him away, not willing to lose his coin.

"You both lost so its mine now." Uhtred took the coin, smirking as the men bickered about him not even being in the bet.

—

True to his word, Uhtred sent Sihtric and Finan to guide Akira around Coccham. The two were patrolling inside the town that day. A perfect way for her to learn the ropes. As the morning sun rose over the mountains bringing in the golden shades among the houses and fields, the men fetched Akira from Hild's.

The people of Coccham exited their homes, yawning and scrubbing the sleep from their faces as the sun shifted up in the sky. Finan and Sihtric, calling to fellow comrades and friends along their patrol. Akira noted their interactions with each other, casual and full of jokes and laughter. A different atmosphere from Wessex. The marketplace was setting up as they passed, Akira recalling the markets she had back home.

She watched as the people opened their stalls, passing coins to others in exchange for goods. Finan pointed out their exchange currency, silver and gold, sometimes goods exchanged for goods. Akira listened to the man explain things as they walked through, Sihtric adding to the conversation every once in a while. Towards midday they crossed paths with Osferth, the monk being called over by Sihtric.

"Akira, this is our baby monk, Osferth." Finan cuffed him around the head, ruffling his hair as the young man complained.

"Nice to meet you." Akira bowed to the man earning a small chuckle from Sihtric.

"No need to be formal, he's a bastard." Finan smiling at her formality.

"That's very rude to say!" Shocked at the word the man used, she stood up straight with a frown.

"No, it's alright I am a bastard son." Osferth calmed the woman before she became too angry. 

Reluctantly, she nodded and talked with the man. He had never met Akira before, always staying in Coccham or by Uhtred's side. The woman kept to the church and didn't tend to wander, the people in Wessex scared her. They were more wild and free then her home land. And they weren't afraid to go after her, especially the men who either hated her or tried to use her. Osferth was a nervous man from what she could tell, soft spoken and gentle. It made her less tense, so used to the men being forceful and loud, it was a nice change of pace for her.

With a rushed goodbye, Osferth ran off towards the church. The group of three moving along in their patrol. Finan and Sihtric introduced her to her new comrades. Some archers gave her a look upon hearing she was the winner. They doubted she was the actual person but kept their comments to themselves. Coming back around the homes they passed before, Finan pointed out the tavern along the way. The men insisted they stop for a pint and food. Akira had never been in a tavern, she had heard that it was were people went to get drunk and act reckless. A place she did not want to be a part of. Akira made an excuse of getting in trouble by relaxing during work, hoping to continue on.

"It's fine, we can get some lunch and continue." Sihtric led the woman to the tavern, her feet dragging her.

"I...I have never been inside a tavern. I do not wish to be apart of that madness." She stopped at the outside of the tavern, clearly uncomfortable with going inside.

"Madness? You mean the drunk rowdy men and whores? They mostly come out during the night. It's mild during the day." Finan chuckled at her description.

"Besides we'll be with you. You'll be fine. We can seat outside if you wish." Sihtric waved to the outside tables where a few men were drinking.

With a nod she followed the men to a table outside. A wooden table that splintered at the ends of the wood, the benches creaking as they sat down. The wood had long been worn down but it was still used. Up until it collapsed, only then would it be replaced. Sihtric and Finan talked with the bar maiden, ordering food and drinks. Akira had no clue what they ordered, staying quiet as she allowed the men to do the talking. The men talked and joked, obviously close with each other during their wait.

When the bar maiden came back she carried a few plates of food stacked up high. Roast, potatoes, and vegetables filled the plates she put in front of them. The men thanked the woman, passing a plate to Akira who looked at it weird. She was used to other things in her home. The vegetables looked funny to her, misshaped and flimsy. She watched the men eat first before picking at her own plate.

"You not hungry?" Sihtric raised a brow at the woman.

"Its not that...I don't know what it is." Admittedly, Akira was a picky eater back home, her preferences for sweets and salty foods ruined her appetite for anything less.

"It won't kill you, we have the same thing."

A little hesitant she took a tiny piece on her fork, eating it with a light frown. It was bland. The roast had barely any seasonings, much different from the ones her grandmother made. Toughing it up, she ate slowly at the meat, repeating to herself it was already paid for. 

"You don't like it?" Finan mused at the slow movements.

"It's...different." Not wanting to sound childish she chose her words carefully.

Looking at her plate, she realized she didn't know what else was there. She made a point to ask them what they were before eating them. And she did once she finished her meat. Not knowing, she asked what the round brown thing was, Sihtric choking on his drink when she asked. Finan snorted before telling her about the potato she was suppose to eat.

"Potato?" Confused, she cut it in half with her fork, curious as to what it was.

She had never seen or tasted one before. The home she lived in did not get any imports of them and the people did not grow them. The butter on the outside of it had long ago melted, leaving a smooth and milky taste. 

"Ah...oishi." Surprised at it, the woman ate more heartily.

"I'm guessing you like it?" Sihtric laughed as the woman shoved a big piece in her mouth, straining to chew it.

She nodded, humming in agreement. The taste was something she had never had. And surprisingly, it was good. She was used to the bland foods in Wessex, the lack of salt and seasoning and good food practically starved her. It also seemed the people didn't know about the sweets she asked for. The food difference was completely mind blowing for the woman. 

Finishing their lunch, the men asked Akira questions, curious as to where the woman came from. She had the looks and attitude of an Eastern woman. She held herself diligently, elegantly and formally. A trait they had heard of from those countries, the woman in Coccham and Wessex were completely different, wild and unruly. 

"Woman aren't allowed to fight, right? So how did you learn to use a bow?" Getting up from the table and saying their goodbye's to the woman cleaning up, Sihtric took the lead back to the road.

"I taught myself in Wessex. Well, outside the walls of Wessex. I think I would've got in trouble if I practiced inside." 

"You taught yourself?" In disbelief, Sihtric turned to face her, not even he could use a bow.

Only a few men would be able to use the weapon, and yet she claimed to have taught herself. It was rare to find good archers, talented ones came even less, gifted ones unheard of. With a shrug she didn't know what else to say. She had practiced for months, a year at most, blindly shooting and aiming at a crack in the gate wall until she was better.

"She's a witch." Finan teased, nudging Sihtric on the side with his elbow.

Sihtric breathed a laugh, half believing him at this point. The woman frowned and denied the claim. She believed she had just practiced hard enough to be good. To her, she was lacking compared to the archers around her. The ones she had seen were much better, more sure of themselves and their shots. Voicing her thoughts, the men thought she was insane, she was the best archer they had, ever. Her arrows had landed on top of each other, something they had never seen before.

With the men, the day passed by with teasing jokes and laughter. The sun dipped down to the far mountains, the moon just peaking over the others. Akira became more comfortable around the men as they lead her around. She made note that Sihtric was more talkative then Finan. At times she would lean in when Finan talked, his accent drew her attention to him. It was unique to her, and it was difficult to understand sometimes. But she was slowly getting used to it. 

When they reached back to the hall, Uhtred and some men were already inside. The men talked of patrols and issues with imports. Menial things. The table had some food on it, an indication they were there for a bit and got hungry discussing. Sihtric and Finan took a seat, joining the conversation, Akira tentatively following. Sihtric told her she could eat the food that was left, grabbing himself some from the trays in the middle. The woman denied at first until she became hungry enough to grab a small bite. 

Finally getting a headache from his work, Uhtred called for a closure to the meeting. He relaxed as some of the men left, a few staying to drink and chat with Sihtric and Finan. Absently looking around, Akira took in the hall. It was lit up with candled chandeliers and torches which created a soft glow in the big room. The light kept the almost pitch black night away completely. 

"How was your day in Coccham?" Uhtred caught the woman's attention, getting up to refill the ale pitcher.

"It was good. I think I learned a lot." She nodded, putting her fork down on her empty plate.

"That's good. Hopefully you'll settle in quickly and get used to life here. It's much quieter than Wessex." The woman nodded as Uhtred talked, agreeing with the man.

It was indeed quieter. It was also not uncomfortable. She had gotten used to the stares and the harsh comments from the people when she did leave the church. Their disdain were evident in the way they treated her, the ones who didn't say anything showed it by rushing away or hiding their valuables. So far in Coccham she hadn't run into any discrimination. But it was only her first day, not many would know of her yet.

"That's all your going to eat?" Sihtric pointed to the pile of food still left on the table, a gesture she could still have more.

"I am not hungry anymore." She shook her head, stomach already full and at the edge of bursting.

"Not hungry? You barely touched a thing!" One of the men at the table laughed, the woman didn't even leave a dent in the chicken they had.

Embarrassed, she looked away. In Wessex she ate well, piles of food were always eaten by her. However, because of that she almost starved on the trek to Coccham. She didn't have ready available food and didn't know the land. She had been lucky enough to cross a merchant along the way that shared food with her, she most likely would have died if he hadn't. Because of the starvation, her stomach was smaller. She couldn't eat as much as before, quickly becoming full at meals in just a few bites.

As the night drew on, Akira became tired. The yawn she tried to stifle caught Finan's attention. With watery eyes she stood up from her spot, telling the men she was going home when asked. Still not used to the path home, she had to ask how to get there, only for Finan to offer to walk her there. Asking if that was alright, she allowed him to walk her home, slightly embarrassed at inconveniencing him. The man paid no mind though, walking by her side at her pace through the dark town that was settled down. 

"There are hardly any light..." Unconsciously, the woman scooted closer to the man, her side pressed against his, hand finding the end of his shirt to hold on to, a habit from childhood.

"Are you not used to the dark?" He noticed her frightened look as they ventured further in the dark alleys, the sounds of cats scurrying away or a closing door making her jump.

"It...it's usually lit up where I am from. Even in Wessex..." 

"Unlike Wessex, we tend to go dark. It helps keep us hidden from a night attack." 

"Nadohoudo.." Mumbling, she nodded in understanding. 

Her home was behind castle walls strong enough to withstand an attack. Coccham did not. While most of the town was protected with walls, it was mostly made from wood and rocks and rope. Not stone. As they walked, the man told her of her schedule the next day, a request by Uhtred. She hummed and nodded, a confirmation she understood before they went silent once more. Finan led her home, the town familiar to him by heart, leading her through alleyways that made the trip shorter. Keeping close to the man during the journey, she finally arrived at the home where Hild kept a candle lit for her. The woman knew all too well of Akira's unfamiliarity with the dark. As he stopped at the front door, Akira still held onto him, not moving.

"You can let go now." The man teased the woman making her realize just how close he was.

With a small gasp, she pulled away, apologizing profusely and bowing multiple times. He laughed at her then, shrugging and telling her it was alright. He didn't mind her using him as a guide in the dark, he was there to take her home anyways. Apologizing in embarrassment once more she scampered inside, peeking her head out a moment later to call out a thank you to the man as he left, receiving a wave from the man before she shut the door.

—

The next day was cloudy and cold. A small breeze created a chill along the plains. Rain clouds were overheard, a promise of a storm. Outside the main gates, Akira stood, waiting for what, she did not know. Finan had told her to go there during their walk. Now she waited, watching the men at the docks work. Fisherman and merchants slid up to the planked wood, tying ropes to the wooden poles that jutted out. It was still early morning when Finan finally arrived, he called to the distracted woman as he did. 

With a flick of his head, he turned and walked away, Akira following the man. She hadn't been told what they were doing, just that Finan would lead her. Nerves wracked in her as the two climbed a few hills, going farther away from the town that was waking up. 

"Where are we going?"

Curiosity reached it's peak as he led her along another trail that forked away from the first, the ground beneath them becoming softer. From the forest on their right, animals ran away from the trail, twigs snapped and bushes rustled from the panic. A few on the trail left their unfinished breakfast in a rush, fleeing into the overgrowth. Coming up another small hill, the ground became firm and packed together. The soft dirt and grass left behind as a small area full of harden clay and dirt lay. A tree stump from a chopped tree stuck in the clay before the forest beyond. An indication for patrols that their border stopped there. 

"We are practicing." Finan, finally answering the woman, led her into the clearing.

The man went to the stump, taking his sword and stabbing it into the hardened ground for it to stand up. Akira flinched at the sight, a thought crossing her mind of how much pain the sword can inflict. Especially with Finan using it. Not noticing, the man picked up the long smooth sticks by the stump, going back to Akira who was on the outer edge.

"Practicing...with koeda?" Confused, she took the stick he gave to her, twirling it around until the end was holding her up like a cane.

"Does that mean stick?" The man called from over his shoulder as he walked into the middle of the clearing.

"Stick? I think so?" Copying his word in a mumble she cataloged it for future use.

"I am to teach you to fight using a sword." Turning to face her once more, he rested the stick against his shoulders.

"But I am a archer. I do not use a sword." 

"You will still need to learn to defend yourself in close quarter combat. A bow is only useful for long distance. Come on. I won't be too tough on you." Coxing her, he smiled to show she would be ok.

With a look of doubt she entered the clearing and stood in front of him, waiting for instructions. She was used to being taught with words rather than experience. Her teachers before would explain and show her before passing the reins, she expected Finan to do the same. However the man didn't, instead he lunged at her and hit her with the stick. He was quick, by the time she realized what was happening she could feel the whack to her arm. A gentle one but hard enough for her to feel a slight sting. 

"What was that for?" Stepping away from the man, she rubbed the spot he hit.

"You didn't dodge." He crossed the clearing once more to put distance for the next attack.

"You didn't tell me to!" Finan laughed at her, a sound that caused her pout to grow.

"What? Whats so funny?" 

"Do you think an enemy will tell you to dodge in battle?"

"Then it's a good thing we aren't in battle." Her retort made him laugh again, her mood souring from the sound.

"I thought you were suppose to teach me." Voicing over his laughter, she brought it to his attention she expected something else.

"I am teaching you."

"How? You do not tell me what to do or how to do it. Instead you go straight to beating me up!" With a smile, he listened and nodded.

She wasn't used to his method. Finan recalled she hadn't been taught to use a bow, she learned herself. She knew the gist of it enough to pick the bow up and shoot. Recalling that information he put the stick he held under his arm and stepped towards her, only for her to step back in wariness.

"Relax. I am not going to hit you. Not now, anyways."

"So reassuring." She eyed him as he stepped closer, amusement on his face as he reached out to grab her hands.

"I'm only going to show you how to hold properly, then we will practice." Moving her hands on the stick, he voiced how to hold it properly.

The positioning was awkward for her, as expected since it was more squished together than a bow. Her arms were practically together with the positioning, Finan telling her to relax when she couldn't, made it all too much harder to hold. Finally with a bit of maneuvering she was holding the stick like a sword, with the sight he nodded and made distance for them once more.

"There is no way to tell you how to fight, you figure it out as you go. All you have to remember is to dodge and strike. You fight, that's it. There is no right or wrong way to it." With that, he went at her again.

And the two practiced. If one could call it that. Akira was hit repeatedly during their session, her movements slow and choppy during it all. She didn't realize how much moving would be involved and soon her legs were collapsing under her in exhaustion. She was using more energy then she should in an attempt to dodge the attack Finan gave out. 

"Dead." Finan pointed his stick at her head as she sat on the ground.

"Then so be it." Pushing it away she flopped on her back, taking deep breaths to relax.

"How are you tired already? Didn't you cross the land to reach Coccham just a few days ago?" The man sat next to her, a look between disappointment and skeptical.

"It took me almost a month to reach Coccham. I almost starved to death. Seriously, how come there isn't much to eat out there?" She lazily waved to the forest before propping herself on her elbows to look at him. "Besides, I never did much traveling to begin with. I was always kept inside."

"So you have no leg strength is what you are telling me?" 

"Mm. Sure." Flopping back down, she agreed.

"Then you'll start patrolling on your days off. I'll have Sihtric take you on his, he does the outskirts." He received a groan from her, one of dread.

He nudged her, a light warning to not complain. The woman chuckled, looking at the sky above that was heavy with rain. The clouds had become darker, their light gray now almost black. Finan looked up as well, calculating when the first rain will come. Their training would have to be postponed once it started. The ground beneath them would become too unstable and difficult to practice for her. 

"Come on, we don't have much time." Nudging her, he got off the ground and held a hand for her to take.

Akira looked at it before placing hers in his. With a gentle tug, she got off the floor. He gave her a moment to shake the dirt out of her long hair and clothes before they practiced once more. And they practiced for another few hours before thunder roared and a small drizzle came down. Only then did the two put the sticks back and run back to Coccham for shelter.

The two took refuge under the shelter of the gate entrance as it started to pour down. The ground beneath turning into a torrent of rushing water and dirt, washing away down the dips in the town and filling holes. As they sat on a crate, watching as the water swirled around them, a thought crossed the woman's memory.

"Ne, how did you learn to fight?" With knees drawn to her chest, she looked at Finan who was slightly wet.

"I learned a long time ago. Younger then you when I did." He teased causing her to give him a look of disapproval.

"And the sword? It came from Uhtred?" Brushing the comment off, she motioned to the sword he had picked up before they left.

"No. It came from Ireland. My home land."

"Ai re lan?" She frowned, the word awkwardly placed on her tongue as she tried to say it.

He chuckled at her attempt, it was close enough. With a nod they sat in silence once more. Akira thought to the places she had heard of. Not once did she ever hear of his home, curiosity ate her up. 

"Where is it? Your home?" Breaking the silence she asked him, a glimmer in her eyes.

"Far but not far. A few months from here." 

"Far but not far? That does not help me in the lightest to narrow it down." She teased him, knowing she wasn't going to get a precise location from him.

He laughed at her, telling her that she didn't need to worry unless she planned to take a trip there. With that, she asked for tales of the land he grew up in. She asked of the land and the animals and the food. And he told her, vaguely enough of his life there. Of the land he lived in and the food he ate. But he did not tell her of his status nor his family when she first asked. And she did not ask again, knowing all to well of wanting to keep that a secret. And so they sat there until the rain passed, Finan, grateful she didn't ask for more, and Akira listening to him explain his land.

—

"I'm guessing you are tired?" Sihtric mused at the woman whose head was on the table.

In the hall she sat alone, Finan going on patrol after their practice. He left her at the hall, her collapsing in a chair by the head of the table. She tried to keep awake, tried to walk it off but couldn't. And that's where Sihtric and Uhtred found her when they came back for lunch. Exhausted, sore, and hungry. The only response they got from her was a hum.

"Finan didn't go easy on you?" Uhtred patted the woman's head in sympathy as he passed to get food, her humming in agreement once more.

"I'm glad I knew how to fight before meeting him. I don't think I would've been able to listen to him gloating and dodging all my attacks." Sihtric sat across from her, digging into his food.

She closed her eyes, sleep drifting her away very slowly. With the sight, the man made her a piece of bread and jam, placing the plate by her nose. One thing they had noticed the last two days of eating with her, was her sweet tooth. And sure enough, she sprang to life at the smell of the strawberry jam, devouring the piece in seconds.

"Good?" Sihtric mumbled around his own food, amused and horrified at how easily she could inhale so much food.

Nodding she reached over and grabbed another piece Uhtred handed to her, gulping it down again. She hummed in satisfaction from the taste. The night before she had been wary of the reddish jelly substance. A complete 180 to her reaction now. The jam was quickly a favorite of hers, it satisfied her needs for sweets, something she hadn't fulfilled since living there.

As she ate a fifth piece her movements slowed down, her stomach becoming full from the previous four. With the sight, Uhtred knew she wouldn't be able to eat a sixth piece and ate it instead. A look of sadness crossing her features at the sight before she finished her own piece. She had hoped to have room for one more, but now she was bursting. Sitting in her seat she relaxed and sighed in content before looking at Uhtred once more.

"You'll be training with Finan for the next few months. You'd best learn from him." Uhtred could see her quizzical looks and decided to answer her.

"Can I ask. Why am I learning to fight with a sword though? I'm an archer." Still confused, she asked the man before her.

"I thought I already told you why." Finan's voice made the woman practically jump from her skin.

He had came into the hall a bit ago, walking along the edge until he reached the table. She had not noticed him, her attention to much on eating. As her heart raced from the scare, he took a seat next to her, grabbing at the plate of food Uhtred set out for him. He had known he would show up at one point to eat. 

"You practically scared me to death!" She resisted the urge to smack him upside the head once she settled her heart rate.

The men chuckled at her, teasing her about her being so jumpy. Becoming serious once more, Finan glanced at her.

"Let's say you do go into battle. If someone comes at you in close quarters, what would you do then?" Uhtred tried to break it down for the woman.

"Use my bow against them so they don't get close enough?" His question was answered as if he was dumb for asking.

"And if a whole army came at you? You can't use a bow against them." Finan emphasized the last sentence, aware she might say she could use a bow still.

"Neither a sword. Might as well run." She shrugged, naive to the aspect of war.

Sihtric snorted in amusement. The table turned to him at the sound. Uhtred raised a eyebrow at him and asked if he had something to say. Now nervous at the thought of being in trouble, he shook his head no.

"But I can understand where she is coming from. She would be on the back. By the time anyone gets to her she'd have time to run or shoot them."

"Exactly." The woman nodded in triumph, glad to have someone understand her thinking.

"However, it is best you learned in case that doesn't happen. If they flanked from the back without us knowing, you will be useless with a bow." Sihtric earned a look of betrayal from the woman.

She had figured he was on her side during the argument. She thought of what he said, a frown on her face. She was reluctant to touch a sword, using it was out of the question.

"Do you have a problem with swords?" Uhtred noticed her water eyes aimed at the weapon rack behind Sihtric.

"Not...in particular." She lied, blinking back the tears of hate.

"Then why do you refuse to learn?" Sihtric had noticed the look she gave the objects behind him.

Pain. Hatred. Sadness. It swam in her eyes like a whirlpool. A fierce storm that threatened to sweep away anyone who got caught in it. With a forced smile she said she didn't like to be near death, half a lie. She had seen too much already.

"There will always be death in battle." Uhtred reminded the woman, a nod from her making him wary.

Akira told him she'll learn if she has to, a reassurance she wouldn't disappoint. But the group knew she was hiding something from them. Not dwelling on her reluctance of swords, Sihtric moved.

"Maybe I should teach her instead?" 

"Do you have a problem with how I teach?" Finan challenged the man to say something, half teasing and half serious.

"No, but maybe she needs a less of a hard ass to teach her?" He teased.

"No offence, Sihtric, but id rather stay with Finan." Akira stepped in the conversation, the men looking to her instead.

"See? She is fine with my teachings." Finan smirked at Sihtric making him roll his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't be complaining when you pull a hip old man." Sihtric's tease made Akira cover her mouth to hide the laughter that bubbled inside. 

Finan, less than amused, threw a carrot at him. Akira and Uhtred watched the two men banter in good fun. The mood now lively as lunch continued.

—

In a flash, a week had gone by. Akira's schedule was packed between training and patrols and helping Hild. Today she had a day away from helping the men, now running errands for Hild at the church. Hild was organizing their stock when she had asked Akira to go buy things for her. And unknowing of what that meant, Akira took the money pouch Hild gave her for errands. Now she was in the marketplace, lost and confused. The sunny sky had brought more people out of their houses to sell and buy, a week of rainy weather had made it difficult to do so before. It created a flood of people she had to move around.

She was starting to regret denying Osferth's help in getting the supplies when he offered. She was turned around in the mass of people, the chatter loud and obnoxious to her. It was all too confusing and she was unable to find what Hild wanted. Going back the way she came, or so she hoped, she saw Finan talking with a woman and child. Æthelstan. 

They had met briefly, the boy was in trouble when she had gotten back from practice one day. Uhtred had been talking with him when she came in, him running out as he was released from his scolding. With the sight, she decided to not bother the group. The three looked very much close. Almost like a family. Turning around she went deeper in the market, determined to find what she needed by herself.

But that determination soon fizzled out. It was noon when she sat on the ground in an alleyway. Vendors beside her yelled to people about their wares. She could hear children laughing and playing, their parents lightly calling to them. It was lively and brimming with people. 

And despite that fact, Akira felt alone. The sounds of the people soon drowned out as she covered her ears. She wanted it to stop. The voices felt like they were teasing her. She was alone and they weren't. She felt like an abandoned child in a faceless crowd. The pain of being alone squeezed her heart so hard she curled into a ball, hoping to escape the feeling. She wanted to go home. Wanted to wake up and be back in her bed, to have her brother waking her up from the nightmare she was having.

And for a moment she believed that happened. Her shoulder was grabbed and shaken so suddenly she gasped and pulled back. Her eyes darting up to not find her brothers face, but Finan's instead. A look of worry on his features. He was squatted in front of her in the alleyway bringing himself to her level. Or so he tried, he was still towering over her a bit.

"What are you doing here?" She pulled her hands from her ears, listening to the man in front of her.

"I...I got lost." Admitting to him, she looked away to the ground between them.

She felt ashamed for causing trouble once more. It was suppose to be an easy task, find the items, buy and return to the church. Hild was probably worried about her and now Finan. 

"Were you here for something?" 

"Hild sent me to collect things...but I don't know where they are at." Finan nodded in understanding before standing up.

"It can be quite confusing the first time. I'll help you find what you need. Come on." Reaching down, he helped her off the floor, her legs a little numb from her position.

"Thank you." She whispered to him as he led her out to the market area.

"What did she need?" Keeping close to her, he listened to the items she memorized.

The vendor she had gone to was all out of stock, and she couldn't find the back up vendor. With the list he took off into the labyrinth of shops, Akira following closely behind, scared of being left alone again. The loneliness bit at her still, but now it was a small sting. Not the heart wrenching pain like before.

With Finan leading her around she managed to get the items before dark. The vendor she needed to go to was passed three times by her, she was oblivious to its wares. Now, with arms full of items, Finan safely led her back to the church.

"In the alley, you seemed like you were crying. Why?" 

"I wasn't crying!" She blushed, embarrassed he had seen her on the verge of doing it.

"Ok, you weren't crying. But you were going to." He shrugged off her denial, very aware of her emotions.

A silence passed through them as she thought. With an embarrassed look, she refused to confirm that assumption. She didn't want to be vulnerable. 

"I don't like being alone. I...I get scared when I'm alone. Before, I always had someone by my side but now..." Trailing off she frowned and shook her head, "Sorry. Its childish."

"No, it's understandable. You are somewhere completely new and don't know any of us. It's reasonable to be scared." Her heart fluttered at his kindness.

With a small thank you, they continued to go to the church. Finan had become a good friend over the week, they practically spent hours together every day. She had learned a lot about him, all except one thing that now bugged her. His relationship status. Seeing him with the woman earlier she couldn't help but think he was married, her suspicions being denied when she couldn't find a ring on him. 

"What's the matter?" Catching the woman looking at him, he asked her when she frowned at his hand holding his share of the wares.

"Nothing!" Feeling embarrassed of being caught staring, she looked at her feet, the heat on her cheeks making her feel too stuffy.

Finan was attractive, that much was for certain. The woman hadn't met someone like him in a long time. It made her heart dance whenever he was nice to her, only for that dance to be replaced with dread when she recalled the first man she loved. She was wary of falling once more and pushed the attractiveness of the Irish-man to the back of her mind. As much as she had grown to love his accent and humor, she refused to see him more than a friend. 

But for some reason it bugged her. Not knowing if he was taken. And when she was finally dropped off at the church, she couldn't contain her curiosity anymore. Her question of the man had startled Hild into dropping the items Finan had handed over before taking off. Seeing the look the woman had, Hild knew she had feelings for the man. And so she told her everything she knew of the man as they worked.

—

Another day came and with it more chores. That day Akira was sent to sweep the dirt that had been tracked onto the steps of the church and inside. Of course as she took care of the church, Hild was off cleaning and watching the orphanage. She didn't mind, the sun was shining and the clouds were scarce, a great day for cleaning outside. 

"What do you want?" Long before the boy said anything, Akira called to him, his presence well known as he watched her.

"How did you know I was here?" Confused, he stopped hiding behind the door of the church.

"You aren't as sneaky as you think. Besides I grew up with a little brother who loved to sneak up on me." Finally turning to look at the boy, she noticed he was frowning.

From the lack of scaring her or for another reason, she couldn't tell. But he seemed upset. Seeing it made her question what he was doing there. 

"Is Finan here?" Not noticing the man inside, Æthelstan seemed to get more upset.

With the thought of the man her heart raced. She chastised herself for the reaction before facing away from the boy, aware of her blushing. Finally done sweeping, she placed the broom in it's closet in the back, grabbing a wet cloth next. Æthelstan was waiting for her to reply, he knew the two frequently hung out, mostly the reason he came to ask her where the man was.

"Finan isn't here, why do you ask anyways?" Wiping off the dust collected on the benches, she looked over to the boy.

"He promised we could play today. Now he's no where to be found!" Disappointment and slight anger was in his tone.

"Souka..." Nodding, she understood where the boy came from.

The man made a promise and broke it. To a child that was unforgivable. Looking around the church she sighed. She still had to do a bit of cleaning before she was free. But seeing the boy brought back a fondness she had long forgotten about.

"Tell you what, once I finish here we can go play." 

"Really?" Now happy, the boy eagerly perked up.

"Yes, but I have to finish cleaning first. It might take a while with just me though, so you'll have to be patient." She reminded the boy of the dust and dirt around them.

All the boy heard was that the faster she got finished, the faster they could play. He eagerly offered to help her clean, being tasked to get fresh water for the dirty rags and to wipe off benches. Akira cleaned the windows and altar, grimacing at the amount of dust that was collected. It was obviously not cleaned in a long time. But despite the pile of dirt, she finished well before she thought with Athelstan's help.

And as she stored away the last cleaning equipment, the boy raced around her excitedly. She laugh at his behavior, leading him out of the church before he broke something. Not that there was much to break. Now full of energy, the two raced around Coccham, playing tag and pranking passerby's. And for the first hour all was well, they played whatever Æthelstan suggested, she allowed him to do as he pleased, weak to the sad eyes when she tried to tell him no.

And as time went on, the games he pulled were more reckless. Running through the market, pranking the vendors and causing people to drop items to avoid hitting the boy. It was mayhem around the area. And word quickly spread of the two playing there. Luckily, the boy, finally satisfied with his rampage, lead them back around to a quieter area where a few guards walked.

Some returning home, done with their shifts and others going to work. None of the men she knew. She was almost grateful for that for once. Æthelstan and her would be in trouble if anyone found out about the madhouse they created. Now calmed down, she figured the boy tired himself out but he quickly raced after a lone guard heading home. Seeing him go for the sword on his hip, Akira grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt, yanking him back.

"Oh come on! Akira, it's just a game!"

"That is too dangerous. We should find someone else." She tried to steer the boy away from the road the man went down, oblivious to the two.

"Find someone else for what?" The voice made the two freeze.

Caught. Finan had heard of the ruckus and searched for the two. He knew Æthelstan was the one causing trouble, it was known the boy had a tendency to do so. Looking behind them they found the man wearing a displeased frown, arms folded over his chest as he stared them down.

"Nothing!" Quickly turning to the defence, Akira tried to wave off their conversation.

It didn't work.

"It's funny I find you two here after getting reports of a woman and child causing problems in the market." He stepped closer, Akira and Æthelstan taking two back.

"That is funny..." She looked to Æthelstan who looked at her, silently pleading for her to make an excuse.

"I know it was you two, people have identified you."

Defeated, they both looked down in shame and apologized. Finan sighed and uncrossed his arms, finally loosening his death stare just a bit. The look he gave had made them nervous. They were starting to fidget under the immense pressure he put on them.

"I don't mind you playing, but do it where it won't get in the way of others." He corrected their behavior before turning on Akira. "And you should know better. You are older then he is and should know what is right and wrong."

Being scolded made her reel back to being a child once more. She nodded and apologized once more, the stern talking to hit way to close to home. After scolding them, Æthelstan, finally finding his voice, spoke up.

"It wouldn't have happened if you didn't lie to me!" 

"What are you talking about?" Now confused, he turned to the boy.

"You promised we could go to the stream today and didn't show!" The boys accusing tone made Finan think to his promise the day before.

Apologizing to the boy, he ruffled his hair and explained he had to work. Not accepting the excuse, Æthelstan was still upset at him. Not wanting an upset child, Finan thought up of a way to make him happy again.

"How about we go to the docks, the stream is too far but you'll still get to play." 

The boy debated his choices before running for the gates, Finan chasing after him. Worried he would get in trouble again, Akira raced after the two. Luckily, Æthelstan didn't go far, just down to the docks like Finan suggested. He wandered a ways from the docks, wanting to have space from the workers that unloaded a merchant ship. The peace lasted for but a moment before Æthelstan was taking his shoes and socks off.

"What do you think you are doing?" Finan grabbed the boy before he could dive in the water.

"I want to play!" Pushing against the man, he pointed at the water where a few fish could be seen.

"You don't know how to swim." Finan reminded him of the consequences lest he fell in the deeper part.

"I know! I won't go that far!" Finally free from the man's hold, he raced into the water, splashing and scaring the fish from his intrusion.

Finan collected his shoes in a pile, complaining he was nothing but trouble. But he still had a warm smile on his face. His words meant nothing with that look, he adored the kid despite the trouble. The sight of him looking after Æthelstan warmed her heart. Usually the men in her home didn't take care of their children, it was the mother's job. Sitting down next to the pile he glanced at Akira who watched Æthelstan.

"He won't fall, and if he does he'll be fine." Finan chuckled when she forced herself to stay in her spot at the sight of Athelstan losing balance among the rocky bottom.

Nodding, she reluctantly sat with him, her worries still evident on her face. He apologized then for being too harsh on her. It was easy to get washed up in Æthelstan's playful ways. Shaking her head she told him it was alright, she had caused trouble with the boy and deserved to be scolded. With a shout, Akira and Finan turned to find Athelstan splashing water where a fish darted away.

"What do you think you are doing?" Finan frowned at the boy's shouting, he had been scared he had actually fell.

"I want a fish!" Now completely wet, the boy stood up and waved to the water.

"For what?" 

Æthelstan shrugged, not really knowing why before continuing to chase another school of fish. Finan groaned in annoyance, the kid was getting his clothes soaked. Akira laughed and called for the child to stay still, his movements were scaring the fish he chased.

"He won't be able to catch one you know?" Laying down, he propped himself on an elbow, looking to the woman with a light smile.

"I think he can, just needs to stop thrashing so much." 

"Why do you think he can? It's practically impossible without equipment." Shaking her head, she disagreed with Finan.

She told him of the ways the villagers in her land caught fish. Of course, most the time they used equipment but when fish had wandered into the rice, they caught them by hand to avoid ruining the growing crops. Her grandfather had been the one to show her when she visited as a child, putting her in the murky water where the fish hid among the reeds and dirt. He was more skilled then her, always able to catch one and throw it to her grandmother who put them in a bucket of water. They'd later cook the fish for the village to have a feast together.

She was not so lucky, always missing and sometimes tripping over the crops until she was caked with mud and water. The one she had managed to catch had thrashed so much it flew from her hands, tail slapping her in the face as it dove to the safety of the water below. To say she was teased would be an understatement. The villagers and her grandparents relentlessly teased her during her stays about the incident for years. Eventually she learned to hold it when it thrashed, always reeling back when it got to close to comfort. Finan wasn't told that of course, too afraid of being teased once more.

Seeing Æthelstan struggle made her remember those memories fondly. Getting to wear her grandfathers straw hat as they worked in the fields, her tasked with the smallest things that made her happy to do. Her grandmother prepping what they brought home every time. The memories made her heart squeeze in longing. She longed to be back there as a child, running along the mountain trails and eating the food that grew as her grandfather worked. 

As Æthelstan grew tired and bored, Akira left Finan's side, wading into the water with the boy. She didn't mind the water as it soaked into the dress she wore, dragging the cloth down in its heavy weight. At the boy's side, Akira gently explained what to do, holding the boy still while they waited. It seemed like hours with them standing still, Akira hunched over, ready to strike when one came close. And when one did, she pounced. Her hands clasped into the fish and yanked it out of the water, the boy cheering at the sight. Finan was left speechless, he had thought her tales where a joke, one where she made them up to tease him. But it wasn't.

With the thrashing fish in hand, she brought it back to the water, holding it under before releasing the fish to swim for safety. Æthelstan was saddened by that, Akira telling him to not kill something if he wasn't going to eat it. She knew dinner was already being made, there was no need for the fish. It would live another day among it's family thanks to her. Now determined at the sight, Æthelstan bugged the woman to teach him. So she did. 

The three stayed there, Finan watching the two play in the water, until the dark started to enclose around them and the water turned cold. Now cold and wet, the boy raced ahead of them to head home, eager to tell everyone of Akira's catch as well as change. The two adults were left to walk home, one now shivering from the cold material hugging their legs. 

"You really are something." Breathing a laugh, the man looked over the woman next to him.

She didn't understand him, tilting her head in confusion and questioning him. The woman was full of surprises, just earlier that week she had helped a farmer with the crops and the healer with using new herbs. Now he learned she was able to catch a fish bare handed. It seemed everyday he learned something new about the woman.

"What else are you hiding?" His teasing comment made her nervous.

"Hiding?" Now scared, she made some distance between them, an act to cover herself.

"Don't worry, I'll eventually find out." His reply did nothing to calm her fast heart rate.

For once if wasn't due to her attraction but due to fear. She refused to let him find out anymore about her. Her panic was noticeable but not brought up. Instead she rushed off when they reached the church, excusing herself to change into fresh clothes and escape the peering eyes of the man.

—

"Damn!"

"Language." Akira scolded the man beside her.

It was another day, one where Akira and Sihtric had patrolled earlier in the morning. Now the two sat at the table in the hall, Sihtric playing a game against a fellow warrior. He had won the last round which made him cocky and double for the next round. A poor choice in her opinion. And now he was losing. Soon he'd have lost his earned profit and more.

She bit back a 'I told you so'. Her warning for him had fallen on deaf ears when he bit more than he could chew. Sihtric knew what she was thinking, the raised eyebrow and smug look told him all he needed to know. She was waiting to rub it in his face. 

With annoyance, Sihtric continued his game, placing a piece in what he hoped would secure his victory. His frustrated groan was overridden by the sound of men filing into the hall. A patrol had returned. Finan and Uhtred along with it. They were covered in mud and scratches and cuts. Most headed back to the healers after putting their weapons away, Uhtred left to the back to change and Finan joined the table.

"You roll around in the pig pen?" Sihtric teased the man when he sat down next to Akira.

He was filthy. Mud caked his clothes and boots, a trail of dirt had followed him in from outside, the floors becoming stained with it. It bothered Akira how they didn't take their shoes off at the door with that much mud on them. 

"Ran into a few danes." The man explained, reaching for the bowl of fruit Hild had brought for Akira and Sihtric earlier.

Akira swatted his dirty hand away from the washed fruit, her anxiety peaking at the sight. There was no way he was going to dirty the clean fruit on her watch. Noticing the displeased look on his face she told him he needed to wash up before eating. The man groaned in annoyance and flopped back in his seat.

"I wonder if the seamstress is back yet." Uhtred had reappeared, clean clothes fitted on and a damp rag being scrubbed against his arms where mud had caked on.

"I doubt it, it's only been a month." Sihtric responded, not looking away from the pieces on the table.

"We need her to get back to work, my clothes are starting to look like rags." Finan pulled at the shirt under his armor, a few tears in the cloth could be seen as he did.

"Why isn't there one?" Akira hadn't seen a seamstress since she arrived.

She figured they didn't have one. There were no shops with a label for it and no one spoke of one. It had been thought that Coccham made their own clothes or imported them, but that wasn't the case most the time.

"She had a child, she's taking a break for now." Uhtred, now satisfied with his cleanliness, sat next to Sihtric, grabbing an orange.

"And you don't have another?"

"No, we just suffer until she's well once more to handle our clothes." Finan joked, giving Uhtred a look for him to toss an apple over.

"If they are small tears they are quite easy to fix. I can do it for you if you need, though I won't be able to do a lot by myself." Before Finan could catch the apple tossed to him, Akira grabbed it, giving him a stern look.

She was refusing him to eat until he at least washed his hands. Now annoyed, the man tried to grab it from her only for her to reel back away from his outstretched hands. She scolded him, pointing to the wash bucket not more than a few feet away. Finally with the pressure of the woman he dragged himself to it and washed his hands before returning. Only after she made sure there was no dirt did she allow him to have the apple she held.

"You know how to sew?" Uhtred finished the fruit he ate, now going back to her offer.

"Only lightly." 

"So you can fix our clothes?" Finan was the one to grumble, still annoyed.

"Yes. But, I wont be able to do a lot. I still have my own work." She reminded them once more.

"So then who gets to have their clothes fixed first?" Uhtred looked to the man in front of him.

Out of the three men, Finan and Uhtred were more reckless. Their clothing were full of holes and tears. Their armor, if it wasn't sturdy, would be practically useless from their constant rough handling. With a shrug, Finan couldn't decide. 

"Roll for it." Sihtric tossed a dice piece to them, the wooden piece rolling across the small space before Uhtred grabbed it.

"Highest or lowest?" Finan sat up now, anticipating his turn.

"Highest." Uhtred rolled the dice across the table until it stopped.

A three. Not a bad number but still low. With his turn, Finan rolled it once more across the table. A six. With a frustrated sigh, Uhtred blamed his Irish luck. Finan smirked at the comment, boasting about it. Standing up from her chair, she told the man to meet her back at Hild's where she had her sewing equipment. Finan finished up his food as he left to go home, collecting a few shirts and pants that needed repairs.

Akira called for him to come inside the house when he knocked, her equipment set up on the table in the dining room. He was cleaned up, thankfully, wearing new clothes and shoes. Akira would have yelled at him if he tracked mud inside the freshly cleaned house. Handing the pieces of clothing over, he stayed to watch her. Small chat was made as she worked, her movements quickly fixing the first set of pants before moving to the next.

"You sure do know a lot." Leaning closer, he watched her tie the thread to secure the stitch.

"I don't think I do. For instance, I don't know how to use a sword." She teased making the man laugh.

The sound brought a smile to her face. She enjoyed the sound of his laugh.

"You'll learn eventually. Just have to stay focused." He teased her, he had long noticed her starting to zone out during their practice, unvoiced thoughts he'd never learn.

"Nonsense, with you beating me up? I think i'd just learn how to take a beating." She reminded the man their practice literally consisted of her being hit.

He laughed again, denying the fact. She had gotten a little better. Though not all that better. She was still sluggish in moving and burned out pretty quickly. But she was learning and that's all that mattered. Noticing the man watching her sewing, she slowed her movements, silently teaching him how to patch the small holes. The two stayed there, Akira teaching him and chatting with the man, until the last cloth was finished. Thanking her he took his clothing back home, leaving the woman to feel her racing heart.

—

"You aren't dodging." With a hit to her leg, Akira collapsed on the ground.

Once more they were practicing in the clearing. The two had finished their patrol early noon, stopping on the way to get some training in. Akira had gained more stamina since their first session four weeks ago. It almost seemed as if it was just yesterday she was being taught to hold the stick. Heaving herself off the ground she apologized to the man, wiping at the sweat dripping down her forehead. Despite her not becoming better he was patient, waiting and guiding her even when she failed over and over. Not once did he raise his voice in frustration and anger at her. She was grateful for it, almost shocked.

But he noticed the behavior she exhibited. Every time she failed, she flinched and tensed, waiting with her head bowed. An act of submission. It was evident that before him, her previous teachers were harsher. They obviously voiced and showed their displeasure when she failed from her behavior.

Reassuring her, he was always helping her up on her feet when she failed, giving her praise for trying and improving in the slightest. It made her sadder. He was too nice to her.

"I'm wasting your time." She sighed and hung her head, a frown evident on her face.

"Who said that? Because I sure didn't." He reminded her he was doing it because he wanted to.

At any point he could've handed her training to Sihtric or Uhtred or some random warrior. But he felt she needed someone that wouldn't give up so easily. One who wouldn't grow flustered from her terrible fighting skills. And while it did frustrate him at times, he forced it down, reminding himself she wasn't around swords before. Never had fought nor been shown to.

"I'm not improving at all! I'm useless." She huffed, kicking the stick she had.

"You've improved since our last time. You have more stamina and are becoming quicker. If you keep training I bet you'll be able to beat Sihtric at-"

"Sh." Stepping to him, she covered his mouth with her hand, eyes darting to the forest behind him.

Confused, he pushed the woman's hand away and looked behind him. There wasn't anyone there. No soul breathed where she looked and yet she continued to watch. His question fell on deaf ears as she went to the tree stump and picked up her bow. She waited for a minute, watching before stepping back to the man's side.

"There's someone in there." She whispered low enough for him to hear.

Now more confused, Finan searched the forest. He felt like she was pranking him when he didn't see anything after a few minutes. But eventually he saw what she did. A shadow figure running from one shadowed tree to another. No one ventured that far from Coccham and if they did they wouldn't hide. Not unless they were up to something.

"Go get Uhtred." Losing sight of the figure, Finan grabbed his weapon, heading in the dark forest to chase after.

With a nod she raced down the pathway towards Coccham, suddenly stopping as she felt her stomach churn. A feeling of dread shook her. It was the feeling she got before something terrible happened. Realizing what that feeling meant, she raced back to the area Finan disappeared to. She tripped and fell into the sudden dip that was covered by a bush, cursing at herself for being clumsy in a dire situation. 

The forest was quiet. Not even the birds made a sound. The floor beneath her was muddy in some places, the rain from the night before had washed away the previous footsteps that trailed there. The woman stalked in the shadows, heading in the direction of where the two vanished. Her hair and clothing were snagged on branches and shrubbery, an annoyance. 

It wasn't long before she stumbled across Finan. He was leaning over a man who was long gone. With the threat gone, Finan put his sword away, not realizing the woman coming out from the bushes. At the sight of him not hurt she cursed herself for worrying. Her curses soon faltered as she noticed a second man sneaking up behind Finan, sword raised to impale the unaware man.

Finan finally noticed the man as the sword swung down at him, he rolled away from the attack, hand grabbing his sword too late to block the attack. But instead of being injured, the man before him was impaled with a arrow. The sudden attack made the man stumble, his arm dropping in pain as the arrow landed in his shoulder. Taking that chance, Finan stabbed the man as he tried to attack again.

As the forest grew silent once more, Finan turned to see Akira still holding her bow up. The wooden material shook under her hands. Eyes widened in shock at the action that happened in front of her. That she had caused. Stepping to her, he took the shaking bow from her hands, calling to her softly.

"I...he's..." Blinking, she swallowed heavily at the sight of the two men dead on the ground.

She wasn't naive to the aspect of battles. She had seen bloodshed before. War and crimes raged on in her home, her family always talked of it. She knew the consequences of raising a weapon to someone. The life that would be taken. She had seen many die before her, unreasonable deaths that haunted her dreams. But now, now, she had been the one to partake. That thought scared her. Her past self would have never hurt someone. 

"It's alright. Akira, look at me. You did what you had to. You did good." He tried to lift the woman's head up, her eyes still lingering on the bloody scene behind him.

"But I...I killed him." She whimpered, scared of the consequences of her actions, her shaking hands held onto his wrist that held her chin up.

"No, he died because of me. I'm the one who killed him, you just wounded him. And if you didn't he would've killed me. You protected me, don't doubt that. Okay?" His words made her nod, reasoning with the attacking man was well out the window when she arrived.

And she knew it had been either Finan or that man. Yet for some reason she still felt sick. Sick of knowing she had caused him to die. The thoughts of whether the man was threatened or had some reason to attack lingered on her mind. And what killed her more was the question of who was waiting for him back home? 

The thought of the man having children waiting for his return made her yank away from Finan, stomach lurching at the sick thought. The man watched as she gasped for breath, hands to her stomach, heaving, yet nothing came out. He rubbed her back in comfort, reassuring her once more it was what had to be done. Hild had been the same way before, he could remember how the woman had vomited after brutalizing her victim.

Shaky, Akira thanked him, her composure finally coming back after a while. Seeing her get off the ground from where she was, he gave her weapon back, her hesitating to take it showed she was scared. Scared of using it once more. The man rushed her out of the clearing, telling her to get Uhtred like he asked, staying behind to look through the mens pockets.

With the feeling of danger long gone and replaced with dread, Akira took to Coccham to find Uhtred. Her steps shaky and breath uneven along the way. She was scared of what Uhtred would do when he found out she and Finan had killed a man. 

She expected him to lock her up, take her weapons or ban her. Instead he comforted her, clearly seeing her distraught before sending Sihtric and a few men to the place Akira described. Uhtred stayed with the woman, reassuring her and giving her advice he had gotten through experience. Her mood was slightly better after talking with him, she wasn't going to be punished, but the man was still dead.

Hild was the one to take her home, letting her rest in bed under the covers. She left the woman alone, allowing her space from the hectic world outside. Only then did Akira cry. She didn't cry for the man though. She cried because of her actions. She had caused another person to die. Something that haunted her to that day, her past self had foolishly killed the only family that took to her.

And as she sat there crying silently into the pillow. She could only think one thing.

"Okāsan, watashi wa norowa rete imasu.."

—

Later that night the streets became quiet. The tavern noise almost snuffed out due to the attack earlier that day. Uhtred had set a curfew until they found out who the men belonged to. He was afraid of a night attack. Guards patrolled heavily along the town, waiting for the inevitable attack.

Akira didn't sleep. Hild had assumed she was when she last checked on her for she had stayed silent when she came in the room, hoping to not talk of the matter once more. She had heard Hild sigh and close her door, her footsteps carrying down the hall to her own room before her door was shut. With puffy and bloodshot eyes, Akira got out of bed, dragging her blanket with her, sneaking out the front door and heading to the one place she could find some peace. The old oak tree.

Managing to avoid the guards, she set up for the night in the tree. It wasn't as comfortable as her bed. But she felt closer to the stars that twinkled above. Curled up in the tree with her blanket around her, she watched the sky in silence. Her peace lasted for only a few minutes before Finan showed up, frowning at the sight.

"What are you doing?"  Stepping beneath where she laid, he looked up at her with a confused frown.

"Sleeping." She lied, she knew well she wouldn't sleep.

She was afraid of the nightmares that would start the minute she did. Of the present and past deaths that occurred. Finan called her out on her lie, her huffing in response and curling further in on herself.

"Get down, you are going to get hurt." 

"No." With the extra material of the blanket, she pulled it over her head to avoid looking at him.

"Akira." His tone was now turning to a low warning.

He was not in the mood to mess around. The danger of an attack made his mood even more sour. Her refusal added to that and made him finally angered. She was too stubborn sometimes.

"No." 

"You are being childish!"

"No." Her voice wavered. 

She was being childish. She knew it. But for once she just wanted to be left alone. Now frustrated, Finan headed to the trunk of the tree, reaching and pulling himself into a lower branch. Hearing the rustling she peeked her head out of the blanket to yell at him.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"If you wont come down I'm going to force you to." Warning her once more, he climbed to sit on the branch.

"You are going to get hurt!" She warned him, the branch he sat on wobbled under his weight.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't be up here!" He snapped, voice raising in annoyance as he held onto the tree in fear of falling.

"I've done this a hundred times. You don't need to worry about me!" 

"That does not matter, we could be under attack any minute and you'll be the first to be killed out here with no protection."

"If, and if they did attack, why do it when we are now aware of them?" She questioned his logic.

If there were more men it would take a while for them to find out what happened to the men. It would take even longer to make a plan to invade. And now with Uhtred on high alert, it would be suicide to rush in. She doubted anyone would be stupid enough to risk an attack during that time.

Finan sighed as he thought about it. It was logical enough, but they knew nothing of the men. Their armor and weapons were not one of Danes nor Saxons. The items they carried were little to none and the only thing to identify them was a stone they both carried.

"Those men...did you find what you were looking for?" 

"Maybe. Only found a smooth stone with an imprint on it." Recalling his findings, it made Akira's heart falter.

"Imprint?" Now curious, she turned to look at Finan.

"Yes. It was carved into the stone. Why do you have that look?"

"What did it look like?" The blanket suddenly felt too hot among her skin, it was pushed off as sweat formed on her hairline.

"A ring with two lines down it." The color drained from her face.

She felt nausea and dizzy, hands dug into the branch as she swayed from the revelation. Finan reached out, hoping to somehow prevent her falling from the tree. She shook her head violently in denial.

"What? Whats wrong?" His concerned question almost hid the quiet whisper she made.

She knew that symbol.

—

"Akira. Tell me, who are they?" Uhtred was staring into her soul, an uncomfortable thing for her.

She had tried to deny knowing, even saying Finan had gone mad and lied. But it was all for nothing. She had been brought to see Uhtred when the sun rose, Finan had clearly heard her whisper in the tree. She had promptly ran back to Hild's, barricading herself inside until morning when Finan came banging on the door. Now in the sun lit hall, she shifted uncomfortably in front of Uhtred and Finan who wanted answers.

"It...it isn't anything." Sweat trailed down her neck as she realized her predicament.

She could try to lie, though it would soon be seen through. Running wasn't an option, Sihtric barricaded the door behind her among Uhtred's request. Contemplating the only options she had, she gave in and told them what she knew, skipping around the parts that meant more to her.

"They are a group used by...people who request their help. It's a militia type group, they mostly hunt and kill. Rare occasions they will find escapees and bring them back. Most criminals are put to death immediately by them."

"So why are they here?" Finan frowned at the thought.

The men were nimble during their fight, they had sneaked around him and caught him off guard. Something that was rare. But these men specialized in it, they grew up learning to be one with the shadows.

"They are here...for me." She hung her head in shame, she had once again brought trouble.

"You? Why?" Now more confused, Uhtred couldn't find a reason why she would be hunted.

The woman was practically a small pup. Naive and all bark but no bite. This was the same woman who was terrified of bugs, nearly jumping from her skin at the sight of them. She had freaked out when a fly had landed in her hair, the men having to wave it away before she had cried in anguish. To say she was the least threatening was an understatement. So what could she have possibly done to cause a militia to hunt her?

"My family must have hired them. I doubt they are here to kill me."

"Then why attack?" Finan pointed out the men's hunger for blood.

He had been pounced on instantly in the fight. The men hadn't tried to talk with him or explain why they were there. If they weren't there to kill, then they didn't seem to get the memo.

"Because you got in the way of their mission." 

"To get you." Uhtred received a nod.

She now knew it was all a plan to lure her away. The men had tried to lead her into the forest, gambling on the fact she was only with one person. They didn't know of her new found skills, a surprise to them.

"So what should we do?" Turning to Uhtred, he left the man to decide on the situation.

"We should find where they are camped first. Find out how many are there. You should start where you last saw them, they shouldn't have camped far."

And so Finan took Akira with him, heading into the cold cloudy weather outside. Coccham was waking up, greetings passed around as people saw their neighbors emerge from their warm homes. Akira was underdressed in the weather, the clothing was cut through by the wind leaving her body to shiver. Finan was well prepared for it though. Sweater and armor packed under his wool gray cloak. It was a smaller cloak, one that had a hood to keep his ears warm, the material stopping at his thighs, the rest exposed to the elements. The cloak she had worn weeks before were long ago sent back to Wessex. An apology letter to the person she had taken it from sent along with it.

The two didn't make it very far before she was dragging behind, arms tucked into her chest against the freezing cold wind and cheeks turning red. With the lack of warm clothing she wouldn't be able to keep up. Once they reached the clearing, the man stopped to untie his cloak. Akira was breathing warm air into her hands, an attempt to feel warmth among the freezing wind. Her hair was pushed about creating a torrent of hair around her. With cloak in hand he approached her, slinging it over her shoulders and moving her hands away to tie it in the front.

Akira was stunned from the act, a refusal on her tongue quickly disappearing at the warmth that swept through her. It was warm. Accepting the cloak with a soft thank you, she kept her hands under it to warm the numbing skin. With it securely tied, he flipped the hood over her hair to cover her reddened ears before continuing. It kept her warm during the walk, ears and cheeks finally regaining feeling.

"Aren't you going to get cold without this?" She finally found her voice as they stepped into the forest.

"I'll be fine. We should head up, they seemed to be heading that way when I went after them." Pointing to a hill further in, the man changed the subject, very well aware of how she looked.

Like a child playing as a ghost under the sheets. The cloak was too big, the hood falling over her eyes and the bottom almost touching the floor. A reminder of how smaller she was compared to the man. Finan ignored the sight, laughter being stifled, leading them in the forest until eventually they stumbled upon a tent with the same symbol on it. 

He went first, of course, searching for any signs of more men before giving her permission to follow him. The area was deserted, the pit where a fire was most likely at was long filled with mud and water, a sign of it not being recently used. The tent that sat near the fire was small, the two having to cram inside to search it's belongings.

Inside the tent lay two straw beds, a lantern in between them and a small chest to the side. Finan searched the chest leaving Akira to sit on one of the beds. The ground under the bed next to her was darker. A sign of being dug up recently. Looking to Finan, she watched him dig through the chest, pulling and examining objects. With his back turned he didn't notice the woman start to dig up the ground under the bed.

Not buried very far, a small bottle with a small scroll inside was hidden. Taking the bottle she stuffed it into her pocket before reburying the hole. Curling her knees up to her chest she pulled the cloak over her, letting the material completely engulf her as she waited in guilt.

"Find anything?" Sihtric startled the two as he poked his head through the flap of the tent.

Finan had withdrew his word halfway out of its sheathe, ready to fight back at the sudden appearance. He gave Sihtric a stern look and told him to never do that again.

"What are you doing here?" Akira wondered if he saw what she did.

"I figured I'd check on you. Especially after last time you were alone." Looking at the tent inside he nodded before frowning, "Wasn't hard to find this place, huh?"

"No, that bothers me. They set up too close for comfort." Finan voiced his worries, they hadn't trekked very far in before the tent was found.

"Could be a decoy." Akira disagreed, they had obviously felt comfortable enough to stay there.

It didn't make sense to toy with the men when they weren't there for them. They were there for her. Of course they wouldn't take more precautions, she was suppose to be easy to catch. 

"By the way, why are you wearing...Oh." Sihtric's gaze lingered on the woman curled up on the straw bed, his quizzical expression turning to a knowing smirk.

Looking at the woman as well, Finan could see what he thought. Her hair was messy from the wind before, sitting curled up on a bed with his cloak covering her completely. One would think she was naked under the cloak from the way she looked.

"It's not like that!" The man snapped at Sihtric who wasn't listening.

"It's alright, it's natural. Though I didn't think you'd chase someone so young, you dog! Just make sure she comes back walking. Though I doubt she'll have a problem with you." With a tease, he left the tent, Finan calling a warning to him.

The woman was innocently unaware of their conversations meaning. She didn't understand the teasing and words very well. All she knew was that Finan became flustered afterwards, his movements slightly clumsy in grabbing things. He even scooted away from the woman when she crawled over to look in the chest with him. Her sudden closeness made him practically jump away, very much aware of the small space between them. She didn't seem to mind, taking items from his hand, observing them and explaining what they were from time to time.

A few knives, whetstones, scrolls, coins. It was all piled up inside. A cluttered mess. At the bottom was a scroll tucked in cloth and securely tied in place with thread. Finan was the one to unscroll it, showing Akira the words on the paper. However it wasn't words like he had seen before, it looked like scribbles and lines slashed around on it. Like someone was learning to write.

Finan started to roll it back up when Akira took it, eyes scanning the paper intensely. Finan teased her, telling her she wouldn't be able to read it without her magical eyesight. And yet she surprised him when she did. The writing was worse then what she was used to, only a few sentences were made out here and there in the chicken scratch writing. But she could recall the words.

"You can actually read this?" Now shocked, he looked at the paper to see what she saw.

"A little. The handwriting is sloppy." She translated the words out loud, stopping abruptly.

It wasn't any documents, just a letter to one of the man's family. Akira scrolled it back up as she learned of the people waiting for the dead man. She couldn't bear to read the rest, scared of knowing. Finan understood, taking the scroll and dumping it into the chest once more. He would have men sent later to clean up the area. She was grateful he didn't force her to read it all.

After the tent was thoroughly looked through, the two left the warmth of it, bracing against the cold wind outside. Akira was uneasy, a feeling of danger creeping slowly up her spine. She found the tent strange for some reason, just couldn't put her finger on it. So they continued to wonder around the forest a bit, scouting for any more settlements. They did not find any. However they found a merchant, lost in those woods. His horse had spooked and ran into the forest, him chasing after it. Now with his horse back, he had gotten turned around and didn't know how to reach Coccham.

Finan was more than happy to help, showing the man the way back to the trail that would take him the rest of the way. Not wanting to lose where they were, she stayed behind to wait for Finan to return. She sat there, patiently waiting on a boulder as she thought to the tent. The sight of Finan and the old man disappearing unnerved her even more. She just couldn't understand why there were two beds. Not one. 

And then it clicked. There weren't two men. There were three, and they hadn't found him yet.

The danger she felt shot through every nerve in her body. Fight or flight response kicked in not a moment later, her feet slamming into the ground as she ran after Finan, yelling his name into the eerily quiet forest. Finan could hear the woman screaming for him in the distance from where he stood. He went after it, hoping he wouldn't be too late for whatever happened. But the voice that called for him stopped. The forest grew silent and the only thing he could hear was his racing heart as he blindly charged into the forest.

Despite not knowing where she was, he kept running back to where he left her. But before making it there he heard struggling. And he followed the sound until he found her, on her back, arms covering her face and gasping for breath while a man stood above her, sword raised before he swung down. Not wasting time, Finan raced forward, slamming his own sword into the man's, the sound of metal ringing through the air as they collided. With the sudden appearance the man was thrown off, his surprise cut short as Finan slid the sword away and into his chest, pushing the man from where Akira laid. The man fell to the ground with a limp thud.

"Are you okay?" Drawing his sword back to it's sheathe, he crouched down to check on the quivering woman.

"I'm fine...there was three. I should've known..." With his help she was able to get off the floor.

"It's alright, I didn't realize it either." He brushed off the dirt that had gathered on the cloak she wore.

Her apology for getting it dirty made him chuckle. She was attacked and the first thing she worried about was his cloak becoming dirty. He reassured her it was alright, leading her back to where the merchant was waiting. With the last man gone, they decided to head back to Coccham with the merchant. Akira had tried to pass the cloak over to Finan as they approached, him denying to take it back until she got one of her own. And so she took it home, heart fluttering at the warmth and faint smell of him that the cloak brought.

—

"So you can read?" 

Sitting under the oak tree once more, Akira had been peacefully looking at the clouds form into shapes. Finan had joined her, his patrol had ran into her along the way back. Even though the three men were gone, he still felt paranoid another would show. But Akira was adamant on there not being anymore.

Now he lay on the grass under the tree, elbow propping himself up to face her. It was a nice day, a little cold but the sun was warm enough to keep it comfortable. A small yes came before she explained. Her mother taught her. 

"She says a lady should know to read and write."

"The...lines and scribbles. Those are words?" Recalling the weird looking symbols made her laugh.

"It is. Though I have to agree that the man who wrote it did not have neat handwriting. Not even I could fully make out what it said."

"Did your mother also teach you english?" Curious, the man couldn't help but wonder if her mother was the reason she knew a lot.

"No, I learned in spare time. If my mother found out I think she would have locked me up until I couldn't talk at all!" The woman tried to tease but the shiver that ran down her back said it was true.

Her mother was strict. A traditional woman who believed in the ideals before her. And she had tried to push that on Akira ever since she was young. But with two brothers, Akira didn't find most things fair and wanted more, she wanted to live like they did. To have freedom.

"What else did she teach you?" Arm going numb, he sat up, moving back until he could lean against the trunk of the tree like she did.

"A lot. How to talk, walk, eat." The woman teased with a small smile, Finan chuckling and nudged her with his elbow.

"Besides the basics." 

"To be honest, she didn't teach me much besides being...proper?" Searching for the word, she hesitated before continuing, "She taught me to do things like Ikebana. Its flower arranging, we use them as offerings in altars and shrines."

"So you make offerings with flowers?" He was used to more gruesome offerings, Uhtred had slaughtered animals for offerings before.

"I could never tell if that was the case. My grandmother used to tell me it was a gift to show the spirits we still respect and care for them. My mother said it was to keep the spirits peaceful after death, that way they don't come back as evil yokai...uh spirits? Spirits." She explained to the man as he became confused with her language, her own words confusing her.

"Never heard that one before." He laughed with her, looking to her hands on instinct.

For some reason he could see her doing flower arrangements. Whenever they patrolled she would always stop to examine the plant life, mostly the flowers. He had chalked it up to her being a woman and liking those things but it was just her imagining an arrangement with them. 

He also noticed she had a faint floral scent. A scent that was a mix of flowers that were light scented. A rich, yet soft smell like the jasmine flowers that bloomed along the roads. He found the smell to fit her. While it was sweet and soft, the rough muskiness of it sent an animalistic instinct through him. It was alluring and drew him in, much like the woman. Unknowingly he had leaned closer, the wind helped in carrying her scent to him. But she didn't realize the man leaning down, continuing to nod and talk of the things she learned.

"You probably don't know of Sadō then. It's a tea ceremony where we offer tea to others. We drink the tea after eating a meal and sweets." Her stomach growled at the thought.

She had been run dry of her favorite sweets, wagashi. The little candied pieces were always her favorite part of the ceremony, even though she was only allowed one. But, now far from home, the woman couldn't get her hands on it.

"What causes those to happen?" Clearing his throat he realized he had leaned towards her during their talk, a little too close.

"We just used them at th-my house." She cleared her throat, awkwardly shifting against the tree, "Some priests receive the tea for medicinal purposes. I enjoyed the light fragranced teas, jasmine-cha is soothing and calming and has a light smell and taste. I don't enjoy the matcha or kocha as much, its quite bitter and strong tasting but I will drink it once in a while." Akira's eyes lit up as she talked of the different teas, clearly enthusiastic of the subject.

Finan chuckled at her, she obviously loved tea and knew the ins and outs of each one. He watched her as she explained how the ceremony went. She had even decided to describe the art of calligraphy and how her grandparents made the paper and utensils with items they grew themselves and got in trades.

As the wind shifted he was able to relax, her scent being carried away from him. Yet he also started to miss it. He wondered if she had placed a spell on him. After all, she could be a witch. He shook the thought from his mind, she was far from the likes of Skade. Too pure.

"So you are a country girl?" He smirked at the thought, it explained a lot about her.

"So-so. My father and mother lived in a city, much bigger than Wessex. But I would visit my grandparents in the mountains as a child. I learned a lot from them when I did. So I guess I'm both?" She shrugged and looked to the man on her right.

He was smiling as he listened, a small content one. He now knew more about her, about why she knew so much. She was constantly learning. A smart woman who also knew how to care for herself, it made him recall memories of living in Ireland. 

"So then, what about you? Were you a country boy?" She teased him, smiling as he laughed at her question.

"No, not in the slightest." 

"Oh, a city boy. That's surprising, I thought city folk were weaker." Looking at him, she raised a eyebrow with a smirk.

"I can say the same about you. How can you hoe a field but not fight?" He recalled seeing her helping the farmers a few days ago, hoe in hand and digging up the earth.

"So unfair!" She laughed with him, shoving at his arm.

The two teased one another, both learning of the other slowly. For once, Finan was grateful to have been outside the town. It was relaxing, peaceful, on that hill. And with Akira there it was warm and full of laughter. 

With only a few hours of rest, Finan took off to the town to finish some chores. Akira opted to stay behind, settling back into the quiet. The birds above chirped and cooed, rabbits could be seen by the stream, pushing at the tall grass and drinking from the stream. It made her feel like she was home. The only thing missing was the rhythmic thunk of a bamboo cup dumping water. 

—

The hall had been filled with people that night, mostly warriors and archers and shield-maidens. Laughter and wrestling preoccupied the space, a disturbance to Akira. She was still not used to how the Danes acted. While it was more lively, it was also more reckless and rowdy. Men were drinking like it was water and bar-maidens came to flirt with the men. 

The only reason for them to be there was to listen to Uhtred's report about the incoming threat they would later face. More Danes. Akira had been excited in the day, shifting constantly in her seat as she thought of the possibilities. She would be going to war, would actually be apart of a battle. Sihtric and Finan had to constantly remind her to stay still, her restlessness had been noted by others in the hall. 

Once Uhtred had finished the meeting she expected them to leave, instead the hall remained crowded. And now it turned much into what she thought the tavern would resemble. She stuck close to Sihtric and Finan, very aware of what happened to woman around drunk men. Food was passed around among them, Sihtric pulling his food away from Akira's outreached hands. She had a tendency to snatch food from his plate, more than once she had done it. 

Finan had compromised before, giving her his plate of potatoes or more bread and jam. But sometimes she was still hungry and Sihtric's plate was in reach. It took a while before the man learned to keep his distance when he had food, especially potatoes. He had even complained to Finan about how they created a monster when she stole his whole potato, days earlier.

"How come she doesn't snatch food from you?" Sihtric complained as he saw Akira patiently wait until Finan handed her a piece of bread, tons of jelly on top.

"Don't know, maybe cause she knows she will get food from me?" He shrugged, also confused as to the woman's behavior.

She gave a thank you to the man before taking a big bite, chewing in delight at the sweet taste. Hearing their talk, she chewed a little faster to reply.

"Because you won't share if I ask!" Swallowing the bite she took, she pouted at Sihtric who gave her a look.

"Well of course! It's my food!"

Without hesitation she fired back a "Sharing is caring!".

"Finan, stop her!" Now in a corner, the man turned to his friend who was making another piece for her.

"Do I look like her master?" Placing the piece on her plate, the older man gave his friend a smirk.

He knew exactly what he was doing. Sihtric barely squirmed, and right now he was squirming. Akira had him pinned in, ready to pounce as soon as he gave in. And Finan was waiting for it, to watch it unfold. It had happened before at breakfast, Sihtric caving and allowing her to eat his bread, she was incredibly stubborn when it came to food.

And yet if Sihtric tried to do the same to her it quickly resulted in her trying to stab him with her silver ware. A death glare being sent as a promise instead of a threat. He blamed Finan and himself for allowing her to become so fixed with food, especially potatoes and bread. They had been the ones to push her to try it in the first place.

"Uhtred, help me!" As the man sat next to Sihtric, he was quickly roped in the situation.

Uhtred had stayed out of it for the most part, Akira seemed uninterested in his plate. The only time she asked for food from him was when Finan wasn't around. And even then she never grabbed off his plate. 

"You are a grown man, handle her yourself." With so much as a glance he dug into his food, ignoring the pleas of the man.

Osferth joined them with Uhtred, sitting on the other side of Sihtric. He quietly watched the exchange as he ate. Akira had slowly became used to his quiet presence, at first he had always startled her when he'd start to talk. It was easy to forget the man was in the room sometimes.

"Akira, eat this instead." Finally done teasing him, Finan placed a plate of potatoes in front of the woman receiving a thank you.

While she ate, Sihtric took that chance to scarf his own food down, afraid she'd ask for it afterwards. Uhtred snorted at the sight, a woman smaller and weaker than Sihtric somehow scared him. 

"Am I going to be in this war when it happens?" Now turning to Uhtred, the woman wondered if he would keep his word and allowed her to go fight.

"That is a plan, you'll be on the back lines with the rest of the archers. How is the training going?" Turning from the woman, he looked to Finan for the answer.

"Good. Though I doubt she'll be useful at this rate." He laughed as Akira hit his arm, his tease hit to close for comfort.

She still was terrible in their training. The stick she had was basically extra weight as she was constantly smacked around. Though Finan could tell she had improved even if she didn't think so. She was getting more stamina and moving a lot quicker. 

"Should we do a mock battle to see where she is at then?" Sihtric interjected, he hoped to see how she fought with a sword.

Of course he wanted to be there to tease her when she failed. A little revenge for the food he lost around her. But also curious to see if she was any good. After all she had taught herself to be an archer.

"Good idea, we can pair you with Sihtric. Tomorrow we will go see where your skills are at." Uhtred smirked at Sihtric's complaint.

His suggestion made Sihtric dread the next day. But he quickly stopped once he found he could wack her with a stick. He seemed happy all of a sudden, the sight sent dread through the woman.

"A mock battle? Mind if I watch?" As the men decided Akira's plan, Eadith joined them as well.

Finan sent a smile to her, pulling the seat out next to him, inviting the woman to sit. Eadith took it with a small thank you. Sihtric nudged Osferth who was drinking, spilling water onto his robes at the action. The men resisted the urge to tease him, quickly stuffing their faces to avoid saying anything, though their looks betrayed them. Akira though quickly lost her appetite. 

She had ran into Eadith a few times, and while the woman seemed nice she always made Akira uncomfortable. Alarm bells would ring in her head at the sight of the older woman. Her sudden mood change was noticed by the men, all but Finan who was engaging talk with Eadith. They presumed Akira was shy, she tended to coward away from strangers, especially men, a visible scar from the trafficking ship.

Agreeing to the mock battle, Akira left the hall with an excuse, uncomfortable sitting there. And as she left she could finally breathe again. The woman affected her, not in a good way, one that caused her to be on edge and wary of her movements. Only one thing could be said about the two.

A snake stalked a poor rabbit in the grass. And Akira was the rabbit.