𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 | 𝐨𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐡

𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

"You didn't sleep, did you?" The question had Bryn jolting upright and the violent overcorrection would have sent her careening to the ground had Leofric not dropped the reins to wrap both of his arms around her. "My God, Bryn."

"I'm fine," she blurted, patting his arms so that he would loosen his hold on her.

"You're not fine, you're exhausted," he corrected.

There was no point denying it, so she didn't. She only had herself to blame, after all. If she hadn't been so stubborn, if she had just spoken to Mildrith and perhaps even apologized for how she behaved while they were all in Winchester, then Bryn would have slept in her own bed. But she had been stubborn, and she certainly hadn't apologized, so she decided to spend the night in the stables out of spite.

Leofric, Vikar, and Orri stayed with her, of course, but sleep had found them far more easier than it had her, thus leaving her awake until the early hours of the morning. When the sun began to rise, and the men that Leofric had recruited from Winchester began to arrive, she gave up on trying to sleep and helped Leofric greet the newcomers instead.

Now, they were all waiting for Uhtred to say goodbye to Mildrith and the baby so that they could head off to Cornwalum.

"Uhtred mentioned stopping for the night once we cross the border," Vikar informed. "She'll be able to sleep then."

"Please, I wager she'll be asleep as soon as we leave," Orri said.

"Do not speak of me as if I am not here," Bryn said, retrieving the reins for Leofric. He took them with one hand, keeping his other arm secured around her lest she fall asleep again.

"But you're not here, are you? You're drifting away," Orri lulled, watching as her eyes fluttered shut once more. "And... She's asleep again."

"Am not," Bryn grumbled, kicking her leg out at him like a child. When her foot met no mark, she leaned back and settled herself against Leofric's chest. "But I will be if we don't get a move on."

"Uhtred!" Leofric suddenly shouted. It probably would have scared Bryn had she not felt him heave in a deep breath before calling out for her brother. "Uhtred!"

"Let him say goodbye," Bryn scolded, swatting at Leofric's arm.

"Did you not just say that we'd better get a move on?"

"Fair enough," she conceded, waving for him to continue. "Carry on."

"Arseling!"

The faint sound of tiny twigs and rocks being crunched and kicked was the only indication Bryn had of Uhtred's approach. "Did you hump her goodbye, then?" Bryn asked. When all she received was a grunt in response from Uhtred, she peeked at him and grinned at the baleful look he shot at her as he mounted his horse. "Sorry."

"I want to have left Wessex by tonight," Uhtred announced to no one in particular, gently tapping his heels against his horse to get him moving.

"You're gonna have to ride faster than that, arseling!" Leofric goaded, spurring his horse to overtake Uhtred's.

Sure enough, as Orri had predicted, once the company made it to level ground and a steady pace was set, Bryn had fallen asleep. It was a wonder to everyone, except those who knew her well enough, how she managed it, especially with how much she was being jostled around. Leofric, Uhtred, and the boys knew, however, that if Bryn was truly exhausted enough, she could and would fall asleep practically anywhere.

When Leofric roused her from sleep so that they could dismount later that day, Bryn was not only surprised that she had allowed herself to fall asleep in the first place, but she was also surprised to learn that they had reached the Wessex-Cornwalum border long before night had even fallen.