Vol. 2 Chapter 33 - What Happened In Mercia?

A.D. 877 Kingdom of Wessex, Winchester Palace

/pov Leofric/

God.. another day of standing my.. just standing.. it's what I do all day.. everyday.. just fucking standing guard.. watching over meetings.. following around a king.. just watching.. listening.. whilst days steadily pass by.. Christ what I would give for a 'proper' brawl.. I'd give my left nut.. this is boring as hell.. Im gonna die of old age.. at this rate..

"What of the ships I've ordered built?.. Odda?.." I hear the king ask..

"Ahem.. cough.." the elderly man starts to answer.. but has to cough a couple times.. before continuing..

"Sire.. as of a fortnight ago.. ten.. hundred-men.. 'long-ships' have been completed.. these are atleast twice.. the size of the ships.. the Danes currently use.. we have put all ten.. out to sea.. cough.. cough.. damnit all.. water.." Odda the 'elder.. manages to spit out before.. almost coughing up a lung.. after he finished almost 'dying'..

"Sorry your grace.. continuing on.. all ten have been tested.. In the channel.. we've sailed them all the way.. to your aunt's castle in Flanders.. across the channel.. and back.. they'll sink any Danes.. they see at sea sire.. you have my word.." Odda finished answering Alfred.. the ships hes talking about.. were only built.. because of the 'Galleon's the 'wolf.. has sailing his seas around his harbor at the mouth of the Thames.. choking the rivers throat.. trade has started to dry up.. especially in areas around Lundene.. which is 'up-river'.. some eighty.. kilometers.. or so.. west of Oxford.. there's Wessex.. East Anglia.. and Wales.. all south of the Thames.. there's Oxford 'iso-lating' an almost perfect eight-teen circular patch of land.. at the mouth of the Thames..

Then you have starting east going west.. parts of southern Northumbria.. south-eastern Mercia.. then there's the north-eastern border Wales.. also the location

of the Wales-Mercian-Wessex border..

Going further north.. if you keep going north on the Island of 'Britannia'.. past the northern border of Northumbria.. there you would be crossing into Scotland..

Our 'ship-wrights'.. haven't been able to.. build ships like the 'Galleon's'.. so they just settled for building.. bigger 'long-ships' instead.. they are big fuckers.. not big as the 'Galleon's' though.. crazy thing about those 'giant' ships.. they sail was faster.. than any 'long-ships'.. could possibly sail.. or sailed while rowing at the same time.. our ships still wouldn't be able to.. keep up with those 'monsters' of ships..

"Have we heard word from.. King Hywal.. of Wales..?" Alfred asks his council..

"We have sire.. he has left his kingdom.. to go on a 'pilgrimage'.. to the 'holy-land'.. his twin brother.. Duke Hywael of Strathclyde.. is currently 'watching' over.. lands til his return.. sire.." Odda the 'younger'.. the little 'cunt' answers the king.. with his shit-eating smirk.. on his face.. makes me want to give him a swift punch.. right to his throat.. killing him..

Little fucker.. don't know why.. but I just don't like him.. I think it's his face.. something's wrong with his face.. makes me 'inherently' dis-like the 'boy'..

"Leofric.. Leofric!.." I snap out of my daze.. as my 'sire'.. yells my name.. twice..

"Sorry.. your grace.. was lost in thought.. what ya need your grace?.." I asked

"Thats quite alright.. these meetings can drag on.. I want you to fetch.. Aethelwold.. find him.. bring him before me.. I wish to learn what he learned.. In Oxford.. and of what happened.. with the Mercian Ealdorman.. we need to know why.. why they lost so easily.. the 'wolf' barely lost men.. the Mercians lost their entire army.. there must be some 'inside' information we are missing.. let's find it out.. shall we?.." Alfred asks everyone at the table..

"Aye.. your 'grace'.. I'll fetch the 'arse-ling'.. right away m'lord.. by your leave 'sire'.." I turn and head out the 'palace' to the fetch the 'arse-ling'.. sad that this is the part of my day.. Im starting to look forward.. what is my life becoming?..

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Kingdom of Wessex, Winchester, The 'eatery' named 'The Den of the 'wolf''

/pov Aethelwold/

"Hahaha Im telling you.. Piper.. my less than intelligent friend.. the women of Oxford.. are like nothing you'll ever see.. especially if you never leave Winchester.. there's so much of this world to see.. we can't let ourselves 'iso-late'.. ourselves to this 'dot' on the map.. you should come with us on our next visit.. back to see my Riantha.. the fairest maiden of the city.. I 'swear' to it.. ask James.. he can tell you.. he was there with me.. right.. James?.." I say to my comrades.. as we are 'relaxing'.. at the 'den'.. as we have started calling our favorite place to eat.. as of late.. this 'establishment' we are currently.. 'conversating' around a table..

"She was the fairest wench.. I've ever laid eyes on.. he 'speak'eth' the truth.. he does I say.." 'Scar-Face' James answers.. backing up my claims.. which are true for once..

"I've learnt much over my travels.. back and forth.. to and from Oxford.. there and back.. I've seen so much.. I feel as if I have 'broken' from my 'coccoon'.. and grown into a man I say.. god damn it Im already missing Oxford.. and I just got back home.. it's a shame.." I continue talking about Oxford..

"Hahaha.. I just remembered.. you ate that 'sausage'.. right out of that tavern-whore's butt-hole.. next day you had those red nasty sores on your top lip.. hahahahah I can't help.. it hahahah.. it doesn't look so bad anymore.. swear it.. hahaha.. it almost looks 'healed' now.. hahahah.." James can't help busting out laughing.. pointing out the 'recovering'.. 'Bo-bo's' on my lip.. the fucker.. the audacity to 'make' fun of his 'liege-lord'.. hmm..

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/pov Aelswith/

It's been two moons turn.. since I've last seen.. the 'wolf'.. Im assuming it's because I was so close to giving birth.. but thats over now.. I gave birth a 'moon' ago.. I've been having 'cravings'.. nights like these.. I just toss.. and turn all night..

I try 'playing' with my 'lady' parts.. but it's just not the same.. Alfred is no help.. he just can't do it.. it's like nothings in their when we 'copulate'.. his dick doesn't touch any of my 'walls'.. when it's inside my 'cave'.. I hope the 'wolf' comes back soon..