The Last Kingdom: Bastard of BebbanBurg: The ‘wolf’

A.D. 877 Island of Ireland, settlement of Dubhlin

/pov Haesten/

Summers upon us now.. the time for raiding.. the time for seperating men from the boys.. the time for gaining riches and wealth.. Im following the brothers Siegfred and Eric for now.. 10 ships of crews have come together here in Dubhlin under the command of the brothers and me.. for now Im third-in-command.. but there's always chances to rise above one's current station these days.. In these times.. across these lands.. "Haesten! What are you thinking about..? Looking off at the sea lost in thought in a daze.. what could have you thinking so hard friend..?" I hear Eric ask me as I turn my head to look at him..

"Just thinking Eric.. thinking in general.. where's the best target to raid.. what said target might contain.. how we should use the wealth we will take.. many things must be thought upon my friends.." I say to the men surrounding the fire..

"Fuck thinking Haesten.. I say fuck thinking.. I say we just do.. we just go wherever we want.. we fight whoever we want.. we fuck whatever woman we want to fuck.. we fuck however many of them we want.. that sounds like a true glory-seeker's plan to me.." I hear Siegfred say..

"Haesten is right Eric.. that sounds good and all but we must have a plan.. Loki always has a plan for creating mischief.. before creating mischief.. not after but before.." said Siegfred the smarter of the two brothers.. one of the few Danes who could actually use his brain for more than being confused..

"Where should we head first?.. there's Eoforwich in Northumbria.. maybe Aglesburg in Mercia?" I asked almost to my self not expecting the brothers to have any sage-like advice for me..

"Frankia.. I heard there's a wedding for a French noble.. in Normandy.. there's supposed to be a grand wedding there will be many riches for the taking.. maybe I can even take the bride-to-be and make her my wife.." says Eric to which I just ignored.. like I said hes the dumb brother.. obviously..

"We don't have enough men to do that.. atleast not without losing almost all of our forces.. it's not worth it.. we should focus on parts of Mercia not already under rule of 'Dane-Land.." Siegfred said.. which was much better advice than the advice his brother gave..

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/pov Sygtryggr/

My lord has sent me to Ireland.. to check amongst the Danes and learn of the whereabouts and moves the different groups may be planning to make for the 'raiding' season this year.. my lords upcoming wedding with his 'Shadow-Queen' will be happening soon after I return to Oxford.. he wants to know what the Danes might do this summer.. he also wants the names of the Danes who will be among the groups of Danes who will be raiding this summer instead of staying on Ireland..

I've donned my disguises and mingled with the fools.. they'd never know it.. the last week I've spent here I've gathered all the information required for my lord.. I know their names.. I know their plans.. the 'wolf' shall know as well.. once he does.. what he does after knowing this information.. thats an entire story in itself.. just waiting to be written..

"Did you hear the last on the 'wolf'?.. I heard the Ealdorman who had his daughter taken as collateral for his gambling debts raised his 'Fyrd'.. he has called for his relatives and allied Ealdorman.. they will march on Oxford with their combined forces to demand the release and safe return.. of the Lady Gisela of 'Runcoffa'.. fools don't stand a bloody chance in hell.. the 'hounds' chew up and spit out.. men like them.. for their morning's fast.. it would take ten times the numbers of the 'hounds' to have the slightest of chances in putting them down.. it would take that many just to be able to survive a skirmish with 'hounds' of Oxford.."

I listen to one of the drunks say..

"I heard people say he not only fucks the Queen Aelswith.. he does it in the 'Royal palace' once every other fortnight.. no one can stop him either.. no matter how many guards are standing guard outside her bed chambers.. the morning after the 'wolf' visits the night before.. the maids enter her chambers to find her naked and covered with semen like a back street alley whore.. they say Princess Aethelflaed is actually the daughter of the 'wolf'.. I know ol Alfred has to hear of these rumors spreading across his lands reaching shores like these we find ourselves standing on.. I bet his council brings it up at meetings.. I wonder what he thinks about it.. I could picture his sickly face when his advisors ask him.. what should be done about his wife.. being plowed like a personal fuck-toy of the 'wolf'.." I hear one of the men saying before breaking into a fit of laughs..

Leading me thinking.. did my lord spread these rumors himself.. or does someone else know about m'lord's excursions into 'Royal palace' of Wessex.. hmm.. something to look into indeed..

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/pov Eric/

Fucking cowards.. always scared of true battles.. what glory is there find fighting peasants and the weak.. Ill never make it to Valhalla to feast and fight and fuck in the feast-halls of my peoples 'heaven'.. following these cowards.. I don't understand why my brother doesn't see that..

why he doesn't yearn to taste try glory like our ancestors have died trying to taste for generations.. I'll never recieve a moniker like the 'wolf' or the 'fearless'.. right now I am Eric the 'depressed' or Eric the 'bored-to-almost-death'.. this is so disappointing..

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/pov Siegfred/

I grow weary.. the 'wolf' has it right.. start a family.. settle lands.. build.. grow strong.. let the family grow strong.. full of life and activity.. have a place of your own to call home.. thats what I want to fight for..

But no.. a true warrior wants glory Eric says.. fuck glory.. what does glory do for me.. I heard about the new religion the 'wolf' worships.. it sounds a hundred times better than whatever my people believe in.. I don't even know what my people believe in anymore..

All I see is death.. every where.. no matter what shores me and my brother come across.. always just death and sickness and starvation.. everywhere my eyes seem to see.. I grow weary of this.. so very weary..