Uhtred "the Godless" of Bebbanburg (born 856), born Osbert, was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman of Northumbrian origin who served as Lord of Coccham from 880. Uhtred was raised by the Danish Viking leader Earl Ragnar after being orphaned and captured at the Siege of York as a child. Despite his pagan upbringing, he was ostracized from the Danes after he was framed for the murder of his adoptive father Earl Ragnar and was forced to fight the Danes as an ealdorman loyal to King Alfred the Great. Alfred made many promises to one day release Uhtred from his service, but Alfred was able to consistently entrap Uhtred into continuing his obligations due to Uhtred's hot temper and rash decisions. Ultimately, Uhtred was given an estate at Coccham, where he raised his family, and Uhtred continued to serve the Anglo-Saxons even after Alfred's death, having become the lover and protector of Alfred's daughter Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, and becoming the regent of Mercia in 911.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Uhtred's baptism
Uhtred was born "Osbert" in 856 in Bebbanburg, Northumbria, the son of Ealdorman Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his Mercian wife Aethelgifu (the sister of Ealdorman Aethelwulf of Berkshire and Aethelred Mucel) and the younger half-brother of Uhtred. His father was a powerful nobleman who ruled the lands south of the Tweed and north of the Tyne, and he played the role of kingmaker in the struggles between King Osberht and Aella. As the second child, Osbert was raised with the intention of becoming a Catholic priest, and he was educated by the priest Beocca. In 866, Osbert's older brother Uhtred was beheaded by invading Vikings under Earl Ragnar, and Osbert was rebaptized as "Uhtred", continuing a family tradition of the oldest son being named Uhtred; he was made his father's new heir. Days later, his father left with a force of local men to join Kings Aella and Osberht in recapturing the city of York from the Vikings; Uhtred's uncle Aelfric was left with 30 men to protect Uhtred. Aelfric despised Uhtred, and he ordered Scallion to murder Uhtred if the older Uhtred died in battle.
Capture[]
Uhtred's capture
Uhtred snuck out of Bebbanburg in battle armor and rode to York to rejoin his father, and he arrived just in time to witness his father's death in battle. He then charged from his cover and vainly attempted to attack Earl Ragnar, who knocked him out and took him captive. Uhtred was made the slave of Ragnar's blind father Ravn, who used Uhtred as his "eyes", and his new masters took a liking to him. Uhtred was taken back to Ragnar's new home at Syningthwaite, where he was raised by the Danes. He rescued Ragnar's daughter and his friend Thyra from a stronger boy, Sven Kjartansson, who had stripped her half-naked in a rape attempt, and Ragnar became proud of Uhtred, giving him an amulet of Thor's hammer; Uhtred's acceptance of the amulet meant his embracing of Germanic paganism, which he had already become interested in due to his conversations with the pagan Ealdwulf the Smith back in Bebbanburg. Unfortunately, Sven's father Kjartan fled to Bebbanburg and informed Aelfric that his nephew was alive and able to be ransomed; both men wanted Uhtred dead. At a meeting between the Viking leaders and Aelfric, the priest Beocca reunited with Uhtred; he quietly warned the boy that his uncle Aelfric wanted to kill him and become the new Ealdorman. Ragnar ultimately arranged for Ravn to sell Uhtred to him instead, and Ragnar said that Aelfric would have to deal with him now; an intimidated Alferic allowed for Uhtred to be in Ragnar's care, and returned to Bebbanburg empty-handed.
Uhtred Ragnarsson[]
Uhtred with Earl Ragnar
Uhtred was raised as Ragnar's son, adopting the name "Uhtred Ragnarsson" and being loved the same as Ragnar Ragnarsson, his older adoptive brother, and his sickly younger adoptive brother Rorik. He found living with the Danes freer than living with the pious Christians, and he embraced the Norse gods of Thor, Odin, and Hoder. Uhtred went on to accompany his adoptive father on his campaigns against the remaining Saxon kingdoms, and he volunteered to spy on the Saxons during the Siege of Nottingham in 868. After sneaking into the Saxon camp under the pretense of being a "Beocca's" servant, he hid in the grass and overheard Prince Alfred of Wessex praying to God for forgiveness over his womanizing. He was then surprised to see Beocca emerge from a tent to comfort Alfred, and Beocca told Alfred that God had sent him temptations so that he could have the opportunity to resist them. Alfred then told Beocca that, since God was on his side, he wished to attack the Danes, but Beocca reminded Alfred that King Burghred of Mercia had already ordered that the Danes be starved out. Having discovered the Saxon plan, Uhtred returned to the Danish city and told Ragnarr that the Saxons were not planning an assault. This allowed for the Danes to harass the Saxons into initiating peace talks, and, during these talks, Uhtred chanced upon Beocca. Beocca gave Uhtred the documentation to prove that he was the rightful ealdorman of Bebbanburg, and he told Uhtred that he would try to ransom him; Uhtred lied and said that the Danes had been beating him and that he wanted to go home. Beocca then took Uhtred to meet Alfred, believing that the experience would be good for him, and Alfred asked Uhtred if he had been a good boy. Uhtred said that he resisted temptations and thanked God for sending them his way; Alfred and Beocca, unaware that Uhtred had eavesdropped on them earlier, saw Uhtred's advice as a sign from God, and Alfred offered to make Uhtred a courtier of his if he was to be ransomed. Ultimately, the peace talks resulted in Burghred becoming a Danish vassal, and Uhtred remained by Ragnar's side during his invasion of East Anglia.
During this campaign, Ragnar captured 16 young women from a burned-down village, and he gave one of them, the young Brida, to Uhtred as a companion. Brida and Uhtred were originally just friends, but they soon developed a youthful romance while they were in their preteens. Brida later helped Uhtred survive an assassination attempt from Weland Godfredsson, who revealed to Uhtred that Aelfric had hired him to kill Uhtred. The two then accompanied Ragnar at the Battle of the Wash in 869, during which they helped to put out fires on the Danish ships. After the end of the campaign in East Anglia, the family returned north to quell a Saxon revolt in Northumbria, and, when the group came to Lindisfarne to search for rebellious monks, Uhtred found that the monks had been giving sanctuary to Weland. After Ragnar massacred the monks, Uhtred confronted a badly wounded Weland and hacked him to death, eventually severing his head. Uhtred and Brida then rode to Bebbanburg, where Uhtred threw down Weland's head and Weland's payment at the foot of the city gates in full view of Aelfric and his bowmen, swearing vengeance against his uncle. Ealdwulf the Smith then rushed out to join Uhtred, having lost his wife to disease and his son to drowning, and the trio then returned to Ragnar's side. Ealdwulf would forge Uhtred's first sword, "Serpent-Breath", and Uhtred went on to join Ragnar's side at the Battle of Reading. There, he and Brida secretly took part in the shield wall, and Uhtred killed a Mercian nobleman as he made the sign of the cross; Ragnar later identified the dead nobleman as Aethelwulf, and Uhtred realized that he had killed his own relative. However, he realized that, by now, he only saw Ragnar, Ravn, Rorik, and Brida as his family.
Kjartan's betrayal[]
One night, after the Danes returned to Leeds in Yorkshire, Ragnar decided to hold a festival for Thyra's planned wedding, and he convinced Uhtred to meet Brida in the woods with the hope of encouraging them to marry. However, as Uhtred met with Brida at the blacksmith's fire in the forest that night, the vengeful Kjartan and his son Sven returned to have their vengeance against Ragnar for his earlier insults. They set the Great Hall on fire, killing Ragnar and several other people; only Thyra survived. Kjartan initially believed that Uhtred was killed, but Uhtred later surfaced while attempting to regain the title "Ealdorman of Bebbanburg" from his uncle, a Danish puppet; he also killed his spymaster Scallion the morning after Ragnar's death.
Flight[]
Uhtred in Bury St. Edmunds
Uhtred rode to Bebbanburg and threw Scallion's head onto the bridge, telling Alferic that Bebbanburg was rightfully his; Uhtred and Brida then escaped into the woods, and Alferic sent out horsemen to find them. Kjartan then framed Uhtred for Ragnar's murder, saying that he had led a Saxon uprising against the Danes and killed Ragnar in the process. They then took Ubbe's sorcerer Storri as a hostage in order to gain safe passage to the Viking leaders, where they hoped to convince them of their innocence. Uhtred attempted to convince Ubbe of the truth about Ragnar's death, but Ubbe and Guthrum did not believe him due to his Anglo-Saxon heritage; Uhtred instead witnessed Eadmund of East Anglia's martyrdom and would have also been shot full of arrows had he not shown proof that he had Storri as a hostage. Before Uhtred left, Ubbe told him that, one day, he would kill him. Uhtred then returned to the woods, where they had Storri sent back, with Brida sending him naked, tied to a horse, and with a branch in his anus. Uhtred and Brida then moved on to Oxford, where Uhtred had the blacksmith Badulf Smith forge a warrior's sword with his family's jewel necklace embedded into it. When the sword was complete, Uhtred gave the blacksmith more than his due because of the sword's high quality, and Smith warned him that five Saxons and Danes had been asking about him; he then told him to take the sword and "make her sing". Uhtred killed all five of the assassins, and he and Brida left the town and decided to head to the last kingdom, Wessex.
Arrival in Wessex[]
Uhtred meeting with Alfred
Uhtred and Brida entered the West Saxon capital of Winchester, where they were halted by guards believing them to be Danes. Before Uhtred could get into a fight with their captain Leofric, Father Beocca recognized Uhtred, and the two happily reunited. Beocca vouched for Uhtred, and took Uhtred and Brida to meet Prince Alfred, as the King was busy. Alfred revealed that he had extensive knowledge about Uhtred's situation, as he had spies in each of the kingdoms. He also said that the idea of a single kingdom of England would have to start in Wessex, as it was the last kingdom which still held out against the Vikings. Alfred summarized the situation by saying that Ubbe had sent spies to Mercia to search for Uhtred's whereabouts, while Guthrum was preparing an invasion of Wessex. Alfred saw in Uhtred a Dane who cared for no one but himself, unlike Beocca, who saw a potential ally. Uhtred and Brida decided not to go to prayers with Alfred, and Alfred entrusted Beocca with keeping them in Winchester. Beocca showed Uhtred documents which proved that he was the rightful Ealdorman of Bebbanburg, saying that Alfred knew of his legitimacy, and he told him to behave like an ealdorman. Uhtred then asked about the Danish army, and, when Beocca told him that they intended to attack in the spring as usual, Uhtred decided to head to Readingum to warn the Anglo-Saxons there, ignoring Beocca's advice to be cautious.
Uhtred being escorted by the guards
Uhtred found that the Danes had already made their pre-battle sacrifices, seeing a jackdaw's foot hanging from a tree, and he returned to Winchester to meet with the King and with Alfred. He told the King of the Danes' plan to launch a surprise attack, and that they would likely seize a grain-rich town such as Abbendum; he advised the King to meet them in battle on the road to Abbendum near Asec's Hill, where the Danes would have to fight uphill. Alfred and Odda the Younger voiced concerns that Uhtred could be Guthrum's spy, that he could be setting a trap, and that he was prematurely claiming to be loyal to Wessex, and, when Alfred agreed to the plan, he decided to have Uhtred and Brida imprisoned pending the coming battle's result.
Uhtred, Alfred, and Brida watching the Viking fleet retreat
They were released a day later, and Alfred apologized and asked if his apology was enough; Uhtred rudely said that it was not, and that he wanted to be recognized as an Ealdorman. Alfred said that Uhtred was a Northumbrian, not a West Saxon, but Uhtred said that he was an Englishman, recalling Alfred's earlier dream of a single England. Alfred said that he would decide the issue another time; Beocca was upset about Uhtred's rash behavior, while Brida was upset that Uhtred was seeking to become a West Saxon and that he was only seeking wealth. Brida decided that she would leave to meet with the younger Ragnar by herself, angry that Uhtred had made a promise to Alfred. Coincidentally, they both went on to attend Alfred's coronation, and Uhtred and Brida made love in a secluded balcony as Alfred was crowned, with Uhtred saying that he could not imagine being without her.
Bound to Alfred[]
Uhtred training soldiers in Danish tactics
Uhtred then accompanied Alfred to the peace talks with Ubbe and Guthrum at Wilton, where Ubbe caused a scene by demanding Uhtred's head and nearly starting a brawl. However, Alfred negotiated that the Danes would merely be paid in gold and silver; he refused to let them occupy any West Saxon fortresses, as they had not taken any to date; he also refused to let them stay in Wessex, saying that they would starve, and he used Uhtred's advice that Danes were afraid of using men by saying that Guthrum would lose several men to starvation. Ultimately, the Viking longships departed. Uhtred then accepted Alfred's offer to swear to serve him for a year in exchange for the title of Ealdorman.
Uhtred with Brida after her miscarriage
Uhtred was sent to train the West Saxon soldiers in Danish tactics, competing against Leofric's team of soldiers. One of the tactics taught was the three-layer shield wall, which had been used by the Vikings for their victory at York. While Uhtred trained the soldiers at Wilton, Brida grew sick and unhappy, and she had a miscarriage in the forest; Uhtred later found her bleeding and discovered this, having not known that she had been pregnant.
Uhtred and Ragnar Ragnarsson's reunion
While Uhtred was training his men, Brida met Ragnar, who had rode to meet her while cloaked and alone. One night, he met Uhtred as well, and Ragnar asked if Uhtred had killed his father; Ragnar refused to answer the question, telling Ragnar that, if he thought he had killed their father, he could come and take his revenge. Ragnar then confirmed his suspicions of Uhtred's innocence and embraced his brother, and they discussed the need to kill Kjartan and avenge their father. However, when Brida volunteered to join Ragnar's fleet, Uhtred said that he had promised a year of service to King Alfred, and Ragnar told him to keep his promises.
Uhtred talking with Mildrith
Uhtred then took up Alfred's offer of marrying into the nobility, marrying Mildrith of Liscumb, whom he later discovered was heavily indebted; it was a part of a ploy by Alfred to lure Uhtred into serving him longer than originally agreed upon. Mildrith took him to his new home of Liscumb, saying that, while the land was good, the buildings were in need of repair. He also met Oswald, the estate's steward, and he grew suspicious of his portly physique despite the town's poverty. The wedding day ended in disappointment for both Uhtred and Mildrith, as Uhtred was overly concerned about the money. The next morning, however, he came to Mildrith and said that he did not blame Mildrith for her debt, and said that she had a good heart; he invited her to eat with him, and they would later consummate their marriage, come to love each other, and, soon, expect a child.
Uhtred meeting with Alfred at his camp
Uhtred and Leofric (now his right-hand man) spotted a foraging party of Danes near Liscumb one day, and, days later, they spotted over 300 of them marching; unbeknownst to them, they were commanded by Ragnar. Uhtred personally returned to Winchester to warn the King, and, when Odda criticized him for not engaging, he said that he had only 20 men under his command, and it would have been a slaughter. Convinced that they were marching on the fortress of Wareham as the prelude to a great Danish invasion, Alfred had all of his ealdormen raise their armies and march on Wareham. It was at the West Saxon camp that Uhtred met King Alfred, intent on asking him about his debts. However, he instead learned from Alfred that Ivar the Boneless had been killed in Ireland, and that his brother Ubbe wished to avenge him personally, meaning that he would possibly have to abandon Guthrum. With Ubbe in Ireland, Guthrum would have to decide if he would fight alone, and Alfred estimated that he would fear losing too many of his own men, and would not fight.
Wareham[]
Brida, Ragnar, and Uhtred's reunion at Wareham
The Anglo-Saxon army then marched to Wareham, besieging the castle. After Guthrum agreed to withdraw in a month, Uhtred was offered as one of ten hostages to the Danes, and Alfred asked him to be his eyes and ears. Uhtred and the hostages were to be given beds in the church, and Uhtred also reunited with Brida and Ragnar, who were now together. They had a merry night until Uhtred told Brida that he had married and had a child; she suspected that he might be a spy, as Alfred's many provisions for him did not resonate with the fact that he was a hostage. Ragnar also grew upset that Uhtred did not join him many months before, saying that he should have joined him and been a Dane rather than being a Saxon under Alfred.
Uhtred lighting the brazier
The next morning, Uhtred heard a messenger arrive at the castle, so he hid next to the church. Guthrum then received news that Ubbe had arrived, and he stabbed the cheerful priest Father Selbix in the chest before ordering his men to kill the other hostages and prepare for battle. Uhtred heard from Selbix that Ubbe's fleet had arrived, and he tried to fight his way out of the castle, killing a few men. However, it was ultimately Ragnar who saved him, telling Guthrum that he would have to kill him as well if he wanted to harm Uhtred, warning that his men would not fight for him. Guthrum performed one last charity for Ragnar, allowing for Uhtred to leave. Uhtred bade farewell to his brother and his former lover, and he proceeded to head to a riverside hill to light the warning brazier, spreading word to Wessex that the invasion fleet had arrived.
Battle of Cynwit[]
Ubbe shouting at Uhtred
Uhtred fled from Wareham and to Liscombe, where he found Oswald having sex with a prostitute in his bed. Uhtred found out from Oswald that Mildrith and Uhtred's son had been taken by Odda the Younger during the Danish advance into Wessex, and Uhtred then threatened to kill Oswald if he transgressed again. Uhtred rode to Ealdorman Odda's camp along the Severn River, where he caused a scene by tackling Odda the Younger, holding a knife to his throat, and asking where his wife and child were, and for an assurance that Young Odda did not touch her. Uhtred was ultimately forced to back down by Leofric, and Odda the Elder assured Uhtred that they were safe at his home, where Mildrith had happily stayed earlier in her life. After Odda and his son left, Leofric told Uhtred that he could have simply asked Young Odda his wife's whereabouts, but Uhtred said that, if that was the case, he wouldn't have seen Young Odda soil himself.
Uhtred planning with Odda
Uhtred then invited himself to attend the negotiations between Odda and Ubbe, whose army had landed near the Severn at Arx Cynuit. Ubbe demanded Odda's surrender, knowing that his army was weak after reading Storri's runes. However, Uhtred told Ubbe that he would be the next to die, angering Ubbe and causing the negotiations to end. In private conversation with Odda, Uhtred revealed that he had angered Ubbe to cause him to instill doubt in Ubbe, buying time for the West Saxons to attack. Uhtred then told Odda all that he knew about Ubbe, and came up with a plan to defeat him; rather than let the Danes outflank the West Saxos, Uhtred alone would burn the Danish ships and cause the Danes to become disorganized, allowing for the West Saxons to attack. Odda gave his word that he would attack once he saw flames rising from the Danish ships.
Uhtred setting fire to the ships
Uhtred snuck into the Danish camp at night, and he waited until Ubbe and a few of his men were distracted and taken to their tents by prostitutes. He then assassinated the guard Sinfiotli Otkelsson, took his torch, and lit several pouches of flammable materials on fire before hurling them onto the Danish ships. Uhtred then pretended to be a Danish soldier, alerting the men to the fires and calling for help. When the Danes attempted to douse the fires, they only spread, and the Danish camp was thrown into confusion. Before Uhtred could leave, he was confronted by the undergarment-clad Ubbe, who challenged him to a fight to the death. Uhtred fought with a shield and sword against the axe-wielding Ubba, who nearly killed Uhtred. However, Uhtred - while on the ground - managed to cut Ubbe's heels half-open before cutting him across the chest. When Ubbe lay on the ground, mortally wounded, Uhtred told him to go to Valhalla, and he then plunged his sword into his chest, killing him. Before the other Vikings could harm Uhtred, the rest of the West Saxon army appeared and won the day.
Uhtred with a wounded Odda
The next morning, Leofric brought bread and water to Uhtred, and he told him that Odda had been badly wounded. He also advised him to quickly go to Winchester, kneel before King Alfred, and be hailed as the savior of Wessex, warning him that, if he did not go, someone else would. Uhtred, however, was intent on seeing his wife, and he naively claimed that his men would vouch for him. Uhtred then visited Odda, who said that he had served Alfred well that day; Uhtred then told Odda that he was headed to his estate to see his wife and child.
Uhtred interrupting the prayers
Uhtred reunited with his wife and child before heading to Winchester to meet with King Alfred. However, the family noticed that prayer celebrations were being held at the Great Hall, and, when Uhtred saw Father Beocca, Beocca thought that he had died; Uhtred realized that nobody knew that he was at Cynwit, so he decided to find Alfred. Beocca told him not to interrupt prayers, and not to bring his sword, but Uhtred barged into the Great Hall and again made a scene, asking Alfred if anyone had told him that he was at Cynwit. Alfred was angered by Uhtred's unseemly behavior, especially after Uhtred drew his sword to illustrate how he slew Ubbe. The guards aimed their spears at Uhtred, and Alfred confronted Uhtred, rebuking him for disturbing his peaceful prayers, and ordering him to wait outside before he passed judgment on him. The ealdorman Wulfhere brought Alfred's troublesome nephew Aethelwold Aetheling into the courtyard, and Wulfhere informed Uhtred that he would have to grovel in front of Alfred and be humiliated alongside Aethelwold.
Uhtred and Aethelwold grovelling
The two of them were ordered to crawl in the mud towards the palace steps, where they would apologize before Alfred, fall flat on their faces, and kiss the cross. They were pelted with rotten fruit until Alfred ordered the crowd to stop, upon which Aethelwold whispered to Uhtred that he would go first, and that Uhtred owed him. Aethelwold sarcastically apologized for the countless women he had suckled and lain with, amusing the crowd and angering Alfred, who left. Uhtred then got up, and, when Beocca asked him to kiss the cross, Uhtred insulted God in front of Beocca and Mildrith, and he walked away. Mildrith followed him, begging him not to leave, as their son was to be baptized; however, Uhtred said that he did not want his son to be baptized, as he did not want his head filled with Christianity. Uhtred then decided to go drinking and whoring, leaving Mildrith behind. That night, Leofric joined Uhtred at the brothel, where he pitched him the idea of gathering the men they had schooled and the men from Cynwit and leading them to plunder Cornwall, as Leofric was also angry that Odda, but neither Uhtred nor Leofric, had gotten credit for the victory at Cynwit. Uhtred then returned to Liscumb with his wife and child, and, upon seeing Oswald hauling one of Uhtred's property's trees for sale, Uhtred made good on his promise and killed him, trampling him with his horse before stabbing him, to Mildrith's horror.
Uhtred, Leofric, and Mildrith having dinner
Uhtred threw a rock at one of Oswald's children when the three of them were sent by their mother to stare at Uhtred to shame him, and he then agreed with Leofric to raid Cornwall, despite Cornwall and Wessex being at peace. That night, Leofric, Uhtred, and Mildrith had an uncomfortable dinner where Leofric repeatedly excused himself due to tensions between Uhtred and Mildrith. Mildrith chastised Uhtred for killing a family friend without giving recompense to his family (the wergild), and Uhtred told her that he would not keep paying the town's debts to the bishop; he then said that he was leaving for a few weeks, and told Mildrith to inform the collectors that he would not pay. She threatened to have their son baptized if Uhtred left, but Uhtred said that he would disown him if he became a Christian, as he was forced to crawl in the mud; when Mildrith said that Uhtred had crawled before God, Uhtred then said that he rejected the Christian God.
Raid on Cornwallum[]
Uhtred at the brigand camp
Uhtred departed after telling Mildrith that he would pay off the town's debts with his plunder, even if the town would not accept him as Ealdorman. He then rode out of town with his bandit gang, and, before entering Cornwall, Leofric realized that Aethelwold had secretly joined the gang; Leofric wanted to kill him to prevent him from being loud-mouthed, but Uhtred remembered that he owned Aethelwold for sparing him the humiliation of the grovelling. Uhtred and his men removed their crucifixes at the Tamar River border and dressed in Dane clothing with Dane makeup, and they then crossed into Cornwall.
Uhtred and his brigands riding in Cornwall
For five days, the brigands attacked local towns and villages in search of silver, but instead found that the towns were impoverished due to previous Viking raids. Leofric advised that the bandits head further west, where they met Brother Asser and an entoruage of four horsemen. Asser gave Uhtred a gift from King Peredur, saying that it was a token of peace, and he sough tto enlist Uhtred's help in fighting off the rival Cornish king Callyn, whose forces seized the fort guarding Peredur's land. Uhtred was introduced to King Callyn, who lived in an unimpressive home, and Callyn initially refused to speak to the pagan Uhtred, instead relying on Asser to communicate; Uhtred bluntly asked Callyn to speak. Callyn said that the fort was guarded by no more than 50 men, while the Cornish had 30 fighting men, to which Uhtred responded by saying that he had 20 men. Uhtred then demanded 400 silver pieces, which the King agreed to after having his shadow queen Iseult of Cornwall inspect him.
The brigands in front of the castle
When the Cornish and brigand forces approached the castle, Uhtred discovered that he had been lied to, and that the defenders were not Britons, but Danes under Skorpa of the White Horse. Uhtred parleyed with Skorpa and agreed to betray the Cornish in exchange for half of the silver, and Skorpa had Uhtred play along when he punched him in the face. Uhtred went back to his battle lines and instructed his cavalry to charge the Danes, but, as the two sides were about to meet in battle, Uhtred had his men turn around and encircle the Cornish warriors. The Cornish warriors were slaughtered down to the last man, and Peredur was forced to give up the location of the silver, which was buried in the hole under his throne. While Skorpa promised to spare Peredur if he gave up the silver's location, Skorpa stabbed him in the heart.
Skorpa's betrayal
Skorpa and Uhtred headed back to Peredur's home, where Iseult voluntarily told them the location of the treasure, having anticipated Uhtred's arrival. However, Skorpa betrayed Uhtred, taking all of the treasure and leaving Iseult behind. Iseult then guided Uhtred to another secred treasure, buried in a dungheap outside of the king's home; the men dug through it and found the large chest of silver. Uhtred decided to give the large cross to the Church to settle his debt to Bishop Aelwold in Exeter (Aelwold also agreed to settle the wergild debt with Oswald's family), and he divided up the rest of the silver among his men. Uhtred then returned to Liscumb with Iseult, worrying Mildrith that he was cheating on her with a pagan; Mildrith also announced that she had baptized their son. Mildrith then told Uhtred that he could either sleep with Iseult among the livestock or sleep in the home by her and their son's side, and Uhtred - angered by Mildrith's piety - decided to instead sleep (nothing more) with Iseult. Mildrith then decided to leave for Odda's estate with her handmaiden and child, abandoning Uhtred.
Trial[]
Iseult and Uhtred arriving at the Witan
Uhtred arrived in Winchester with Iseult to attend the Witenagemot, and King Alfred had the Witan interrupt a priest's proposal to have a royal bridge-building official to move on to the more important case - Cornwall. Odda presided over the issue, saying that Uhtred had taken part in the killing and plundering of King Peredur and the Christian Cornish, and that he had used royal troops to ally with Skorpa, a Viking. He then brought up a witness, Brother Asser, who falsely claimed that Uhtred had accompanied Skorpa to Cynwit to sack a new church, kill 15 monks, and steal the golden altar. Uhtred angrily rebuked Asser, calling him a liar, and asking for Iseult to testify; however, Odda said that she was a pagan, and that her word was invalid. Odda then had a second witness, Leofric, brought in as a prisoner. Leofric admitted to the crimes and said that he head donated his plunder to the Church and begged forgiveness, but Odda refused to accept Leofric's claim that he had voluntarily gone to Cornwall rather than followed Uhtred. Uhtred refused to beg for mercy, instead saying that he would never kneel before a king or the Christian God, and he was restrained by armed men, while Alfred ordered that he was to be executed.
Uhtred being restrained at the Witan
Leofric then requested that he be able to fight Uhtred to the death, as he was confident that he would win due to God's favor. Aethelwold then pleaded for God to decide the victor, and the audience clamored in favor. Alfred decided to allow for the duel, and, that night, Uhtred and Leofric had a sad conversation, with Uhtred trying to forget that Leofric was his friend, but still occasionally joking with him. They knew that they had to kill each other in order to be free, so they decided to prepare for battle.
The next morning, Beocca took Uhtred to meet with King Alfred at his chambers. Alfred told Uhtred that his fight with Leofric would be on the feast day of Saint Cedd, an Anglo-Saxon priest who had preached throughout all of England, and he was loathe to shed Saxon blood on that day. He then told Uhtred that he would be spared if he resumed his debt to the Church and had Iseult returned to Cornwall, but Uhtred refused to return Iseult, saying that she would be killed if she returned. Alfred said that Uhtred was a fool, and that he had lost his patience with him; he decided that the fight would go ahead.
Fall of Winchester[]
Uhtred at the duel
The next morning, on Saint Cedd's Day, Uhtred and Leofric duelled in an open area in front of the Palace; the King left early, unable to watch his two best warriors try to kill each other. Uhtred and Leofric had a long battle, and it was interrupted when a man announced that the Danes had breached the city's walls. Uhtred, Leofric, and Iseult attempted to flee together, but they could not find any horses; they instead hid in an attic. They overheard the nun Hild being raped below, so Iseult jumped down and stabbed the rapist, forcing Uhtred and Leofric to kill the other Vikings. The four of them then dressed up as captors and hostages, and, before they reached the city walls, Uhtred again saw Brida. Brida was indifferent to Uhtred, telling him not to come closer, and, when Uhtred told her to tell Ragnar (who was headed north to face Kjartan) that he was still his brother, Brida told him that she would say that he was there at Winchester and left. Brida then told him that the guards at the gates were drunk, allowing for the four Saxons to escape.
The boat on the River Severn
While in the marshlands, the four of them saved a man dressed as a priest from some Vikings, and, when they began to row into the Severn on a boat, they discovered that the cloaked figure was Alfred, who had escaped from Winchester. Uhtred criticized Alfred, saying that Wessex had fallen and that Alfred was a king of nothing, insulting the king. They then rowed to a sanctuary at Athelney, where Alfred's family and other survivors had built homes. During a private moment, Uhtred urged Alfred to call for soldiers to form an army for one last, defining battle. Uhtred advised that he send out his priests to rally men from across the land, and they would meet at Egbert's Stone. Days later, Iseult succeeded in curing Alfred's sickly infant, the future King Edward the Elder, with Uhtred convincing him that God could work in many ways, including through pagans like Iseult. Edward's survival was taken by Alfred as meaning Wessex's survival, and Alfred was motivated to fight, especially after Wulfhere and Father Beocca arrived with soldiers. Shortly after the arrival of the troops, Uhtred and Leofric led a raid on Skorpa's fleet near Athelney, burning their ships and stranding Skorpa's army on English soil.
Road to Edington[]
Wulfhere speaking with Uhtred
The next day, Alfred decided to leave Athelney to rally more of Wessex's loyal soldiers for a defining battle against the Danes, although both Queen Ealhswith and Ealdorman Wulfhere were skeptical of the possibility of victory. Uhtred spoke with Father Beocca, and Uhtred said that Alfred needed to go to Odda the Younger's estate, as Odda commanded the largest fyrd. Beocca promised to be by Uhtred's side, and he said that his father would be proud of the younger Uhtred, just as he was. Shortly after, Wulfhere asked Uhtred if the Danes could be defeated, but Uhtred only said that he would see him across the water. Uhtred and the rest of the company entered the woods, where they found Wulfhere's soldier Halig, who told them that Wulfhere had left without explanation.
Uhtred walking through a burned Liscumb
Halig then joined the party as they headed through Liscumb and the covered roads towards Odda's estate at Exeter, and the party walked through Liscumb, finding it burned down with its tenants slaughtered. Uhtred looked at his home and noticed that his son had been buried, and he realized that Iseult's spell had taken his son's life in exchange for healing Alfred's son Edward. That evening, Iseult told Uhtred that she no longer wanted her powers, and the two made love, breaking Iseult's spell. The next morning, Alfred announced that Brother Asser, Hild, and Halig would serve as messengers to rally troops to Alfred's cause, asking them to assemble at Egbert's Stone.
Alfred speaking to the court at Exeter
While en route to Egbert's Stone, the party found two men employed by Young Odda bringing horses to sell to the Danes, and they discovered that Odda had made a separate peace with the Danes. They headed to confront Young Odda at his estate, and Leofric and Uhtred entered his hall at Exeter, where they brought him the order by the King to raise the Somerset fyrd and bring it to Egbert's Stone. However, Young Odda said that there were several kings in Wessex, claimed that Alfred had betrayed Wessex, and ordered Leofric to execute Uhtred. As Young Odda was insulting Alfred, Odda the Elder noticed that Alfred was in the audience, and he stabbed his son dead in front of the crowd, disgusted by his treason. Alfred then had the devastated Odda the Elder raise the Somerset fyrd, and he refused to forgive his son. Uhtred then found Mildrith and apologized for leaving her to face their son's death alone, and for giving her a life which led to her becoming a nun. Mildrith told Uhtred to never speak to her again, and to find peace.
Alfred and his retinue
The next day, Alfred and his retinue met Skorpa and his retinue on the road. Skorpa asked to see Odda, but Uhtred announced that Odda had been executed for treachery, and that Skorpa should prepare to die the next day, when the truce would end. Skorpa taunted Uhtred by asking if he knew that his sister Thyra was being raped daily by Sven, and Beocca responded by asking Skorpa if he knew that his mother wished she had kept her legs closed, a deep insult. Skorpa declared that he would look for Beocca first on the battlefield, and he and his men left. They then rode to Egbert's Stone, with Alfred halting the rest of his 400 men before the stone and peering over the hill. Alfred saw nobody, so the party camped until Alfred saw several thousand men march through the woods, and he rejoiced at the arrival of the men of Wessex. His army then arrayed themselves on a hill near Ethandun, where he gave a rousing speech and ordered that no mercy was to be given.
Battle of Edington[]
Uhtred commanded the first row of West Saxon soldiers, forming a shield wall and advancing against the enemy; Aethelwold, Halig, and Leofric were by his side. When the two shield walls met, Leofric killed the traitor Wulfhere, only to himself by mortally wounded with an axe wound to the neck. After the Danes began to retreat, Uhtred ordered his men to move a few feet back, creating a space between the armies. Skorpa then rode into the middle ground and presented Uhtred with the head of his queen Iseult to taunt him, so Uhtred broke from his shield wall, climbed over the Danish shields, and killed Skorpa with a javelin thrown to him by Father Beocca. The West Saxon soldiers pressed forwards as well, and Guthrum ordered a retreat. The West Saxons won the day, ensuring Wessex's independence and the survival of Christian Anglo-Saxon England. Uhtred had Leofric buried with the honors of an ealdorman, while he had Iseult cremated with a pagan funeral pyre. King Alfred thanked Uhtred, saying that both he and Wessex were indebted to him. Uhtred, Hild, and Halig then decided to ride north to Bebbanburg so that Uhtred could reclaim his lands and free Thyra from the Danes.
Journey to Eoforwic[]
Uhtred, Hild, and Halig on horseback
Uhtred became a drunkard to forget about Iseult's death, leading to Hild criticizing him, and Halig suggesting that they return to Winchester. However, the two companions ultimately convinced Uhtred to continue on their quest. As they approached Eoferwic, they noticed smoke, and that Father Hrothweard had led an uprising against the Danes. Uhtred rescued the commander of the Viking garrison, Hastein, who was being tied up and forced to fight the townspeople. Uhtred then paid Hastein's his captor to release him. Father Hrothweard, aware of Uhtred's feats, praised him and had him welcomed. Uhtred then found Father Beocca speaking with Brother Trew, and he was warmly greeted by Beocca before being told by the two priests that they were in search of a slave named Guthred, whom Abbot Eadred Lulisc prophesied would become King of the Danes and the Saxons. In addition, they mentioned that Uhtred would be able to have his revenge on Kjartan, who ruled the village of Dunholm nearby, and who had enslaved Guthred. Meanwhile, Hild resisted Uhtred's advances, but he agreed to teach her how to fight as a warrior.
Uhtred, Halig, Hild, the priests, and a cart of lepers they used as protection walked through the woods and towards thhe camp of the slaver Gelgill, who held Guthred in captivity. Uhtred knew that Gelgill would not negotiate a price, so he came up with a plan. The priests, Halig, and Hild arrived at the camp that night and spoke with Gelgill to negotiate Guthred's purchase. The priests then related how they had come across supernatural horsemen earlier that day, and, just then, a masked Uhtred and the lepers charged into the camp on horseback, intimidating the Vikings. Sven, Kjartan's son, was among the Vikings, and Uhtred struck fear into his heart, convincing him that he had been sent by Odin to smite him and his father. The Danes began to flee, and Hild killed Gelgill in retribution for his demand that she be a part of the payment for Guthred. Uhtred spared Sven in order to instill fear in Kjartan, and Sven was blindfolded and released into the forest. Father Trew then found Guthred and freed him, and the party left the camp.
Uhtred riding with Guthred
Guthred instantly took a liking to Uhtred, having heard of his courage at Edington from recently-arrived slaves. The party rode into Cumberland, where Eadred mistakenly greeted Uhtred as Eadred; this showed that he had made up the Saint Cuthbert vision, as he failed to recognize the same likeness shown to him in the dream. However, he explained that he had poor eyesight, and then praised the real Guthred. Eadred had Guthred be crowned King of Cumberland in the church, and Guthred appointed Uhtred to be his commander and right-hand man, having Uhtred kneel next to him as Guthred swore an oath while holding the decayed hand of Cuthbert's body. Secretly, Eadred grew suspicious of Uhtred, and he ordered Trew to have Uhtred watched.
Betrayal by Guthred[]
Uhtred training with Clapa
Uhtred later trained Guthred's soldiers, duelling the Danish warrior Clapa and teaching soldiers how to fight. The fight was interrupted when Tekil and a group of Vikings claiming to be loyal to Earl Brynjar arrived, offering their services to Guthred, which Guthred happily accepted. Walking alone, Guthred told Uhtred that he was going to be baptized and would marry a Saxon woman to unite his subjects; he then suggested that Uhtred marry his sister Gisela, and Uhtred would secretly speak with Gisela at the church, finding her to be an independent woman who would choose her own husband. Their conversation was overheard by Brother Trew, who grew suspicious of their growing ties. The meeting was interrupted by a messenger who warned Uhtred that his horse had taken ill, so Uhtred hurried over to the stables. There, he was attacked by Tekil and his men, and he was ultimately subdued and asked by Tekil which eye he would lose. He was nearly taken away by the Vikings, but Clapa, Hild, and Halig rescued him and killed all but one of Kjartan's men, whom they spared in order to discover a weakness in Dunholm. Uhtred had his friends decapitate the bodies and send them back to Kjartan, and Guthred celebrated this as Northumbria's first victory. Uhtred later spared Sihtric, Kjartan's illegitimate son and the last captive, after he took Halig hostage and demanded to join Uhtred's service. Eadred, whose demands to execute Sihtric were ignored, said that Uhtred believed himself to be a king and better than both the church and God. That same night, Uhtred entered Gisela's tent and made love to her, and Brother Trew listened in until Hild caught him, upong which Trew awkwardly left.
The procession with Saint Cuthbert's body
King Guthred assembled his earls and declared that a holy army would assemble and march on York with the body of Saint Cuthbert. Jarl Ulf objected to this, saying that the Northumbrians had no business in York, but Uhtred advised Guthred that York was wealthy, and Eadred told Guthred that the city needed to be cleansed of sinners; Guthred ultimately decided to march. Shortly after, Sigefrid and his army returned from the Tweed River, blocking the road to the city; Uhtred, Guthred, and Halig spotted the small force, a third of Guthred's army. Guthred decided to negotiate instead, hoping to recruit the soldiers for his war with Kjartan. Guthred offered the brothers the earldom of Dunholm if they helped him seize the city from Kjartan, and they agreed to join Guthred, although they rejected Uhtred's advice on storming the city rather than besieging it. Meanwhile, Eadred secretly sent Brother Trew to meet with Aelfric, who promised to support Guthred with 200 troops against Kjartan in exchange for Uhtred's head.
Fiske's body
Upset by Sihtric's claim that Dunholm had no weaknesses, Uhtred himself secretly reconnoitered Dunholm, placing the heads of the killed assassins (including Tekil) onto posts in front of the fortress. As Kjartan's retainer Fiske inspected the heads, Kjartan noticed that one was missing, and he asked where Tekil's head was. When Fiske found the head, Uhtred rode out of the woods, masked and on horseback, and he sliced off Fiske's head as Kjartan watched. Kjartan deduced that Uhtred was the undead warrior that his son had told him of, and he grew angry when Uhtred rode off rather than fight him.
The slave ship sailing from Northumbria
After returning to Guthred, Uhtred asked that he be treated the same as Sigefrid and Erik - as an ealdorman. Uhtred said that he, like the brothers, was a lord of the north who could easily become Guthred's rival. Uhtred also asked for Gisela's hand in marriage to "make peace", making diplomatic jokes; however, haunted by Eadred's advice about Uhtred, Guthred took the jokes seriously. Guthred then said that he officially saw Uhtred as a rival, which Uhtred interpreted as a joke. However, the next morning, Uhtred and Halig were pulled out of their beds by Eadred's men and taken to Guthred, who informed them that they would be sold as slaves. Guthred explained that Uhtred commanded the loyalty of his men, making him a threat, and mentioned that Uhtred's demise would mean that his uncle would send 200 Christian soldiers from Bebbanburg to join his army. Uhtred and Halig were delivered to Sverri, and they became oarsmen aboard a slave vessel. Halig nearly lost his mind, but Uhtred calmed him down, and began plotting with Halig and fellow oarsman Finan the Agile to escape once their time came. Soon, they arrived at Husavik, Iceland, where they were forced to perform manual labor such as cutting down trees.
Ragnar rescuing Uhtred
One day, Uhtred and the others slaves rebelled against their overseer Hakka and killed him and another guard before fleeing into the woods. Uhtred, Halig, and Finan fled to the beach, where they found a boat; however, a group of Danish soldiers with hunting dogs pursued them, and, when Finan was wounded in the leg by an arrow, Uhtred refused to abandon his friend. The slaves were recaptured, and Halig was tied to the prow of the ship, with Sverri forcing Uhtred to row harder in order to make his friend drown quicker and end his suffering. Later, the ship came ashore at a beach where Sven and his men met Sverri and his slavers, and Sven demanded to duel a weak Uhtred. Uhtred was unable to fight back, collapsing of fatigue after a failed swing. Before Sven could kill Uhtred, Ragnar, Hild, and their men arrived and attacked the slavers, slaughtering them. Sven succeeded in escaping, and Finan approached Sverri and stabbed him through the neck before he could escape. Ragnar embraced a weak Uhtred, who wept after seeing his brother and his friends return for him. Hild later cured Uhtred's injuries and gave him back his sword.
Revenge[]
Uhtred renewing his vows to Alfred
That night, Uhtred was told that he would have to be brought back to Winchester on Alfred's orders. He also learned that Gisela was waiting for him at the nunnery of Epchester, but, soon after, she was captured by Eadred, who intended to marry her by proxy to Aelfric by Brother Aidan. Uhtred interrupted the marriage, rescuing Gisela and declaring the unconsummated marriage to be invalid, angering Eadred. When Eadred repeatedly taunted Uhtred about Gisela being married in God's eyes and Uhtred being a heathen, Uhtred stabbed the abbot in the chest with a knife, horrifying Hild and the priests present at the scene, as a holy man was killed at a holy site. Uhtred then returned with Ragnar to Winchester, where King Alfred told him that Ragnar would be blamed for Eadred's killing unless Uhtred pledged his sword to Alfred. Uhtred was forced to renew his service to Wessex, and Ragnar criticized Uhtred for remaining a slave (this time to Alfred) and for seeking to once again ally with Guthred and use his troops (when Ragnar already had troops). Despite this, Uhtred agreed that Kjartan would fall by Ragnar's sword, and Uhtred promised to meet Ragnar's army at Leeds.
Uhtred and Gisela's marriage
Uhtred had Father Beocca marry him and Gisela in secret before heading north, and King Alfred sent Aethelwold to accompany Uhtred as his representative to Guthred. Secretly, Alfred ordered Steapa to kill Uhtred if he broke his oath to Alfred and focused on Bebbanburg. They marched to Leeds, where they met Ragnar's 50-man army. Beocca was angered that Uhtred wanted to focus on his personal feud in addition to Alfred's mission, but Uhtred decided to do Alfred's work first. The West Saxons ambushed Sigefrid and Eric's army as they were encamped in the forest, and Uhtred cut off Sigefrid's sword hand after a brutal fistfight in his tent. Uhtred was forced to spare Sigefrid to prevent Erik and his men from killing them, and Erik agreed to take one ship and leave Northumbria with his men. The West Saxons then entered into York, having forced the brothers to evacuate the north. Uhtred confronted Guthred at his palace, where he intimidated Guthred into giving him men to attack Dunholm.
Uhtred fighting at the Battle of Dunholm
Uhtred took the combined army to attack Dunholm, noting that he had seen a back door near a spring through which he could infiltrate the castle. Uhtred, Aethelwold, Hild, Finan, Beocca, and Steapa killed several soldiers when they came out of the back door to escort some women drawing water from the spring, and they then charged into the fortress. Steapa opened the gates to the fortress, allowing for Ragnar's main force to assault the fortress and overwhelm Kjartan's men. Uhtred watched as Ragnar killed Kjartan in single combat, avenging their adopted father. With Kjartan and Sven dead (killed by Thyra's hounds), Uhtred left Ragnar in control of Dunholm, as it was on their father's old lands; Ragnar and Brida stayed at the fortress, and Uhtred, a traumatized Thyra (who was being consoled by Beocca), and the rest of the entourage returned to Wessex to tell Alfred of their success.
The Brothers' Invasion[]
Alfred meeting with Uhtred at his great hall
Uhtred became the ruler of Cookham, where he, his wife, and his children settled into an estate. Three years after the battle, at Datchet in Mercia, Uhtred killed 30 Danish raiders loyal to Guthrum and freed their captives, hanging three Danish soldiers. He then warned the surviving Danes that, beyond London, the River Thames beloved to Alfred, and it belonged to Uhtred. Uhtred then returned to his estate, where he met with Aethelwold. Aethelwold told Uhtred that a corpse named Bjorn spoke to him and said that he should be King of Wessex, and that Uhtred should be King of Mercia.
Later that day, Alfred visited Uhtred at his hall to discuss Uhtred's summary execution of a three-time thief The merchant Godwine arrived with a delivery axe heads, and Uhtred told him that his men had spotted warriors aboard his ship. Godwine told him that three Northmen had been aboard, and that Erik wanted to speak with Uhtred. Uhtred met Eirik aboard the ship and discovered that Erik, too, wanted to speak to Bjorn, and wanted passage through to Mercia. Erik told Uhtred that, since leaving Northumbria, his and Sigefrid's fleet had grown to 19 ships, and that they would soon leave Francia if the ghost said so; he also asked Uhtred to meet with the ghost. 200 of Guthrum's raiders gathered down the Thames at Beamfleot, so Uhtred advised Alfred to send ships and men to Beamfleot; Alfred intended on maintaining the peace. Uhtred later returned to Winchester for the week of Aethelflaed's wedding, and he gave Sihtric permission to marry an alehouse whore. Aethelwold then persuaded Uhtred to come with him to meet Eirik the Skald, saying that he and Uhtred were both ealdormen who should be kings, and that Aethelred of Mercia should not be king. When they arrived at the Danish camp, Hastein greeted Uhtred and informed him that Sigefrid and Erik had moved their fleet to Beamfleot, where they expected Uhtred to join them. Alfred grw suspicious when Odda informed him that Uhtred and Aethelwold had left for Mercia, so Alfred had Steapa keep watch over Gisela.
Bjorn telling Uhtred of his "destiny"
Uhtred then met with the Skald over dinner, and Eirik, Hastein, Uhtred, Clapa, and Finan went to a gravesite where Bjorn was said to rest; Uhtred had Sihtric hide in the woods and watch to see what happened after the old man returned to the grave. Hastein slit the throat of a two-time thief over the grave, and an old man rose from the grave, terrifying Uhtred's men. The man told Uhtred that he would one day become King of Mercia and a King over Kings, and that Sigefrid and Eric were attacking London, before collapsing and apparently dying. Uhtred and his retinue then left, and, back at camp, they all agreed that they believed the event to be real. However, Sihtric had spotted the old man rise out of his grave and gasp for air without having received a man's blood, exposing the fraud.
One day, as Uhtred and Gisela were leaving a river where they had been bathing, Aethelred and a hunting party followed them, and Uhtred insulted Aethelred by saying that he had come back from sticking his head up Alfred's arse. Aethelred then insulted Uhtred for associating with heathens such as his wife, and Uhtred nearly killed Aethelred before Aldhelm calmed him down. Upon returning to Winchester, Uhtred presided over the wedding of Father Beocca and Thyra, having previously advised Beocca to pursue his love for her and propose to her. Uhtred later attended Aethelflaed's wedding to Aethelred, where he accepted Leofric's nephew Osferth into his service. Uhtred then reported to King Alfred that Sigefrid and Erik had a fleet and army at Beamfleot and had taken London. When Aldhelm asked why he had crossed Watling Street and into the Danelaw, Uhtred revealed that he had been offered the throne of Mercia by the brothers, but that he had refused. Odda remained convinced of Uhtred's loyalty, so Alfred sent him along with Aethelred to assess the defenses of London. Secretly, Alfred doubted Uhtred's loyalty, as he was suspicious of the fact that Uhtred had only told him of the Danes' offer when Alfred asked, not voluntarily.
Uhtred arriving in London on a boat
Uhtred, Finan, Sihtric, Clapa, Aethelred, and Aldhelm entered into London with a handful of men to scout out its defenses. They walked past a man crucified by Hastein, and they then met with Sigefrid and Eric. Uhtred refused to decide on their offer to become King of Mercia, and Aethelred failed to ransom them to leave London. However, Uhtred watched Father Pyrlig defeat the Viking warrior Boltan to earn his freedom, and Pyrlig joined Uhtred as he left London. Uhted and Aethelred met with Alfred, telling him that Pyrlig reported 1,000 warriors in London; Aethelred made a poor plan of launching a seaborne attack on the Ludd gate under the cover of darkness, a plan which Uhtred opposed. However, Alfred lashed out at Uhtred for his secrecy and paganism, as he was worried that his Danish enemies called him King. Uhtred was then cut out of the decision-making process for the attack, so he headed to the Two Cranes Inn instead. Against Odda's advice, Alfred had Uhtred return to Coccham, so Odda headed to the inn to tell Uhtred himself. Odda, lamenting his lack of a son, asked Uhtred to promise that he would continue serving Alfred, but Uhtred was angered that the king never trusted him, and said that he was beginning to despise Alfred.
The aftermath of the camp attack
When Aethelred arrived at Coccham, he told Uhtred that he would be invited to take part in the attack. Uhtred and Aethelred's men entered the city center, facing no resistance, and they noticed the Dane Tofi lighting a signal fire. At the same time, the Danish army attacked the Anglo-Saxon main camp and captured Aethelflaed, who was taken to Beamfleot as a captive. As the Anglo-Saxon army returned to Winchester, Uhtred decided to head to Coccham with his retinue, as he could not stand the whispering court. Uhtred sent Sihtric and Rypere to scout out Beamfleot's defenses, planning to rescue Aethelflaed. After Rypere returned with news, Uhtred headed to Beamfleot and was invited into the Witan by Odda. He gave Alfred news that Aethelflaed was alive, and he asked that Alfred not be present at the negotiations for her release, as this would mean the upping of the price. Instead, Aethelred was sent to Beamfleot to represent Mercia, while Odda suggested that Uhtred represent Wessex, with Aethelwold agreeing, and Alfred ultimately consenting.
The ransom delegation being taken to Beamfleot
The party arrived at Beamfleot, where Haastein brought them to the brothers. The brothers forced Aethelred to kneel before showing him Aethelflaed. The brothers had Weland punch Aethelred after he only offered 100 pounds' weight in silver as a ransom, and Uhtred offered 300 pounds' weight in silver as the ransom. However, Sigefrid did not believe it to be a good price, and Sigefrid felt insulted and was angered by the offer. Sigefrid then demanded 10,000 pounds' weight of silver and 1,000 pounds' weight of gold, but Uhtred insulted this as exceedingly irrational. Later, Uhtred privately spoke with Erik, who boasted 26 ships. They then talked about Aethelflaed, and Erik said that he couldn't let her go. Shortly after, Uhtred visited Aethelflaed in her cell and told her that she was soon to be released. He advised her against forming dreams of a life with Erik, but she sought to make a family with him; when Uhtred warned her that she could die in fire or by the sword, she said that she would die happily. Aethelflaed then asked Uhtred if he could help her and Erik escape, saying that she was asking Uhtred to save both her and the nations of Wessex and Mercia.
Uhtred and his men then returned to Winchester, telling Alfred that the Vikings demanded 3,000 pounds of silver and 500 pounds of gold. Alfred refused to let his daughter be whored to the highest bidder, and he was ready to let thousands of men die by paying the ransom. Odda, who was opposed to his, met with Uhtred at a tavern, having himself become a drinker. A drunk Odda said that he would raise the Devonshire fyrd and march on Beamfleot to drive out the Vikings, and Uhtred had his men escort Odda to a bed so that he could sleep off his drunkenness; he also sent Father Pyrlig to ensure that he didn't do anything rash. Uhtred then planned his own rescue mission, in which he and his 10 men would kill the guards at the docks and help Erik and Aethelflaed with their escape.
The fight at the docks
In the ensuing battle, Uhtred and his men killed the guards at the docks, but, after waiting a while without any sign of Erik, Uhtred decided to head into the fortress. His men set fire to the fortress, distracting Sigefrid's men, and Uhtred and his men charged into the keep as the Vikings put out the fires. There, Clapa cut down the cage where Aethelflaed was imprisoned, and, before the group could escape, Sigefrid arrived, and he felt betrayed that Erik was helping Aethelflaed escape, Uhtred challenged Sigefrid, but Erik felt that he must be the man to do so. Uhtred, Aethelflaed, and company escaped as Sigefrid killed Erik after an intense duel, and Uhtred and the others mounted horses and rode out of the area as Clapa, wounded in battle, nobly sacrificed himself to hold off the pursuers.
Uhtred, Aethelflaed, and their companions found King Alfred and Aethelred of Mercia's 50 household soldiers confronting Odda in front of his Devonshire fyrd, and Alfred was relieved to see Aethelflaed, whom he sent to the back of the army to guarantee her safety. Uhtred then warned Alfred that the Danes were pursuing him, so Alfred ordered both armies to form a united shield wall. Sigefrid, resolving to die in battle, led a cavalry charge, and Uhtred was trampled and badly wounded, as the shield wall was not formed in time to hold back the attack. A wounded Uhtred challenged Sigefrid to battle, and he fought against Sigefrid with a shield alone. Sigefrid nearly killed Uhtred, but Aethelflaed stabbed Sigefrid through the back, killing him.
With the Danish threat vanquished, a pregnant Aethelflaed (bearing Erik's posthumous child) asked Uhtred if she could call on him when she needed him, and he agreed. After Aethelflaed left, Alfred stepped into the room, joking that Uhtred often saved Wessex. However, when Uhtred asked about Odda, Alfred said that Odda would stand trial as a traitor and would likely be executed, and Alfred ignored Uhtred's pleas to spare Odda. Alfred then told Uhtred that he was free to go, but reminded him that he was his "oath man".
Bloodhair's invasion[]
Uhtred training Edward
During the 890s, Uhtred would continue being the lord of Coccham, and he trained the future Edward the Elder, Alfred's son and heir, in combat. One day, Alfred brought Uhtred to a meeting with Hastein, who warned them about the Viking earl Sigurd Bloodhair's invasion. Hastein said that his wife and son would become Christians, and he then revealed that he had refused to join Bloodhair's army. Alfred decided to attack Sigurd's army before winter, and he sent Beocca to rally Wessex's allies and meet Bloodhair at Aescengum. Hastein then warned Uhtred about Bloodhair's seer Skade, saying that she had blinding beauty, but was full of darkness. Hastein and Uhtred had a tense moment when he taunted Uhtred about Aethelflaed's daughter (knowing that she was illegitimate) and promised that he would have his revenge on her. Uhtred, having noticed Alfred vomit earlier at the dinner, warned Beocca that Alfred's health was declining, but Beocca reminded Uhtred that he had to continue serving Alfred.
The Battle of Alton
Uhtred decided to head to his wife at Coccham before meeting Bloodhair himself. Meanwhile, Bloodhair's men attacked Alton, burning the town to the ground and slaughtering its inhabitants. Uhtred then told his retainers to prepare for battle, and he visited his pregnant wife, promising that he would return in time to see his wife give birth to their son, which she said would be their last child. After bidding his wife farewell, Uhtred and his men then departed Coccham on horseback, and he was guided to Alton by a refugee, planning to meet with Skade. Osferth distracted the Viking guards by warning them that he would smite them all, and, when the Vikings charged to attack, Uhtred and his men ambushed and massacred them. Upon entering the church, Uhtred found the disemboweled body of Brother Hubert and saw Skade holding his heart. Uhtred had his men capture her, but she warned him that she was really in control of Uhtred, and that Uhtred was her prisoner and was cursed.
Uhtred arriving at Aescengum
When Uhtred and his men arrived at Aescengum, they met with Alfred, who decided that his men should remain in the fort and wait for Bloodhair's army. Uhtred counselled him that Bloodhair would not waste his men by attacking Alfred at the fort, but would instead attack Winchester in Alfred's absence; Beocca then said that Bloodhair did not have enough men to hold London. Uhtred then handed over Skade to Alfred, as she was of value to Bloodhair. Ultimately, Alfred decided to wait for battle, saying that, without his seer, Bloodhair could not decide to do battle. Alfred demanded to look at Skade, so Uhtred took him to the jail. They found her whispering an incantation in her cell, and Alfred had Uhtred leave as they spoke. The next morning, Uhtred delivered food to Skade, who failed to seduce him. He then left after hearing warning bells, and he saw Bloodhair approach the fort with hostages. Bloodhair killed several of the women before Uhtred brought out Skade, and he demanded that Bloodhair release his hostages by sunset, or Skade would be raped by all of Uhtred's men. Bloodhair then returned to his base and wanred that Uhtred would not reach Valhalla.
The melee at the Battle of Farnham
Uhtred planned to meet Aethelred at Farnham and draw Bloodhair into battle, sending Finan to find the Mercians and bring them to meet up with the West Saxon army. Uhtred and his men escaped the fortress with a cart, causing Bloodhair to give pursuit; Uhtred left behind some silver when the cart was stuck, holding back the Vikings. Bloodhair and his men halted, and Alfred's men charged from behind, hoping to follow them to Farnham. When Uhtred and his men arrived at Farnham, they did not find anyone waiting there, and they initially believed that Finan did not survive. Later, Finan arrived on the hill on a horse, bringing with him the Mercians. The Mercians formed a shield wall, and Bloodhair led a charge against them. Alfred's men arrived and formed another shield wall, charging the Vikings from behind. When Uhtred returned to Winchester days later, he found Hild with a baby, and Hild sadly informed him that his wife had died in childbirth. Uhtred went to his wife's grave, where he realized that Skade's prediction that his wife would die became true.
Uhtred then went to the cemetery with Finan and Hild and gave Gisela a pagan pyre for cremation, and Aethelwold witnessed the exhuming, so he went to Brother Godwin and gave him a woman in exchange for the Brother sabotaging Uhtred's reputation with the King and Bishop Erkenwald. Uhtred later met Alfred and discovered that Hastein had guaranteed that Bloodhair would leave, and Alfred then sent his sympathies for Gisela's death. Ealhswith them brought up that a "desecration" was seen, and she said that he willfully disturbed the peace of the dead. Brother Godwin said that, by removing Gisela from the ground, Uhtred had done the cemetery a favor, saying that, as a pagan, she had poisoned the grounds, and that she was a whore and her children bastards. After Godwin repeatedly insulted Gisela, Uhted slapped Godwin across the face, but Godwin fell dead front of the court, as his affliction had already impaired him; this shocked the court, and Queen Ealhswith was outraged, calling for Uhtred to be arrested immediately.
Uhtred escaped from the guards after Alfred told his men to seize him, and Uhtred fled to his Winchester home, where the house was surrounded by soldiers. Hild entered the house to ask Uhtred to speak with Beocca, and Uhtred agreed. Skade, who was at Uhtred's house, told Hild that killing the monk was fate, but Hild told Uhtred to cut her throat. Skade then told Uhtred to break his oath to Alfred and have a new beginning, but Uhtred told her that, if she spoke another word of Uhtred's life, he would kill her, blaming his misfortunes on her. Beocca and Aethelwold then entered the house and spoke with Uhtred, demanding 100 pieces of silver and Uhtred's oath in exchange for the absence of a trial and for forgiveness. Uhtred was incensed that Alfred wanted him to swear an oath to his son Edward, too, as Uhtred did not want to owe his entirely life to the King of Wessex. Beocca grew angry and frustrated when Uhtred insulted Alfred, and Beocca left, having failed to convince Uhtred.
Uhtred speaking with Alfred before betraying him
Uhtred ultimately decided that there would be no killing of anyone, and he decided to agree to the King's terms. Steapa was pleased to hear Uhtred say that there would be no fighting, and he escorted Uhtred to the King. Uhtred agreed to pay the wergild, but said that he could not swear an oath to Edward. Alfred said that Uhtred had worth which had meeting, and he asked that Uhtred be at his son's right hand, while Steapa would also continue to serve him. Uhtred's self-pity failed to convince Alfred to spare him his service, and Uhtred took Alfred as a hostage, holding a knife to his throat. Beocca told no man to move and endanger the King, and Alfred warned Uthred that his act meant death for him. Uhtred ignored Beocca's pleas, telling him to ensure that noone followed. Beocca said that, if Uhtred killed the King, he would harm the King himself. Uhtred kicked the king when he said that his gods were a lie, and Uhtred told Alfred to consider his oath broken. Alfred ordered his guards to find and kill Uhtred, and Uhtred knocked out several guards before running off. Steapa wounded Uhtred by throwing a spaer past his arm, grazing him. Uhtred escaped to a stable, wher ehe met with Finan, who helped him to escape. Uhtred rode to Ragnar and the Danes with Finan and Sihtric, escaping Winchester.
While riding with his men. Uhtred was caught up to by Skade, who told him that they could either be lovers or enemies. Uhtred latre fell from his horse while riding, and he said that Skade was squeezing the life from him. He then ordered Finan to find him a cart and haul him to Brida at Dunholm. During his ride, a delirious Uhtred hallucinated about Leofric chastising him for his betrayal. Uhtred and his men encamped a day's ride from Dunholm, where Finan told him that he was afraid that he was going to die, but he failed to convince Uhtred to let him kill Skade. He later had another illusion of Leofric, who was angry that he had made his nephew Osferth a traitor as well. Uhtred passed out as Brida arrived at the camp, having been told of his arrival. Uhtred was brought to Dunholm, and Brida placed a Nithstong in front of Skade's cell.
Uhtred reunited with his adopted brother, who warmly greeted him, and made him say that he was a Dane for life. Uhtred said it again after Ragnar told him to mean it, and the brothers embraced. Uhtred formed a rivalry with Ragnar's arrogant cousin Cnut, who called him a "Dane-slayer" and was rude to him. Ragnar then said that he grew too comfortable in his fortress and that he wanted to seize the jewel of Wessex now that Alfred was weak, but Finan and Uhtred were both concerned about their friends back in Wessex. Finan said that he had come to find a woman and to rest, but not to fight against Alfred, and he decided to go outside and drink ale, leaving Uhtred at a table with Brida. Brida told Uhtred that he could harness Skade's powers, but that he would have to be her man; Uhtred said that he did not want to, so Brida decided to talk to Skade instead. Uhtred and Brida shared a tender moment when they held hands, and Uhtred reminded her of the past. Brida then shared that she was unable to have children, but she metaphorically said that Ragnar was her child, saying that she would kill Uhtred if he betrayed him. She then said that he had to undo the past by destroying Alfred.
After witnessing a game of tug and war between the Saxons and Danes in the fortress, Uhtred and Ragnar were alerted to the arrival of 50 riders. Skade predicted that it was Bloodhair, and that she would refuse him. Hastein and Bloodhair were greeted by Ragnar, Brida, and Uhtred, as they came to have a peaceful discussion. Uhtred was shocked to see Aethelwold with them, and he privately encountered him. Aethelwold told Uhtred that he was seizing a chance to take what was his, and Uhtred told him that his rightful place was the alehouse in Winchester. Aethelwold then told Uhtred that both of them were usurped by their uncles and were similar, but Uhtred said that Aethelwold did not belong with the Danes. Aethelwold then told Uhtred that they were the same, apparent traitors to Wessex, but for good cause. However, Uhtred said that they were not the same and never would be, but Aethelwold said that kings would be made and kings would die because of him.
During Uhtred's absence, Alfred revoked Coccham from Uhtred and had Beocca bring his children to Winchester so that they could be given a Christian education. Uhtred later spoke with Ragnar, who dreamt of taking the land along the River Thames, which his grandfather Ravn had seen as Valhalla on earth. Ragnar said that, by abandoning Alfred, he had made it possible to take Wessex. Uhtred visited Skade that night, and she said that Wessex would become just another song, and that the Danes would rule. She then said that Uhtred would have to take Alfred's place and rule over both the Danes and the Saxons. She said that she wanted to be Uhtred's queen, but their conversation was interrupted by Bloodhair. Bloodhair challenged Uhtred to a duel over Skade, but Uhtred spared him, although he warned that he would feed his guts to the pigs if he threatened him again.
At a meeting the next morning, Hastein planned to lead the fleet to the River Ouse and attack Mercia before attacking Wessex and killing Alfred. Uhtred then warned Hastein that, after Wessex's fall, the sword-Danes would fight each other for the spoils. The Danish leaders began to argue over the leadership of the army, but Uhtred recommended Ragnar, the only man everyone could trust, and they agreed. The next day, Thyra and Beocca arrived at Dunholm, and Ragnar had a happy reunion with Thyra. Uhtred also warmly greeted Thyra, but he said that he would talk with Beocca later. Beocca later spoke with Uhtred as he was preparing for battle, asking him about his intentions. Beocca told Uhtred that he was not there to chide or save him, and that he was also not there for Alfred. He told Uhtred that Aethelflaed was hiding from her husband at the Wincelcumb nunnery, and that Aethelflaed had asked for him; he also mentioned that Aethelwold had come to Dunholm from Aethelred's court. Beocca reminded a reluctant Uhtred had sworn to aid her if her husband threatened her, and Beocca told Uhtred that Aethelflaed released Uhtred from the oath. He then left, but he said that Uhtred was free to choose his own path. Finan then begged Uhtred to not join the Danes, saying that they should instead look north towards Bebbanburg, and that he had to abandon his brother.
At dinner, Uhtred confronted Aethelwold about his visit to Aethelred, and Aethelwold confessed that he wanted Aethelflaed dead. Uhtred warned Aethelwold not to sleep at night, because he might not wake up. Aethelwold and Uhtred had an argument and deduced that Aethelflaed had called for him, and Aethelwold said that Uhtred was torn between Saxon and Dane, and that he planned to desert the Danes. When Ragnar asked Uhtred what he planned, he said that the army could never hold, as the army was made up of enemies bound by greed. Uhtred then said that he would be leaving, but he would not return to Wessex, as he was needed; Brida deduced that he was needed by a princess. Brida said that he was a whore to the crown of Alred, and Ragnar felt betrayed that Uhtred was again betraying him. Ragnar said that, what his father gave to Uhtred, he took back, saying that he was no longer his brother, despite Thyra's pleas. Ragnar told Uhtred to leave before he killed him, and he said that Uhtred could fight Bloodhair to the death for Skade. Uhtred then agreed to the duel.
Uhtred and Bloodhair's duel
After a tense duel in which Uhtred was forced to fight with two shields (after his sword was stolen), Ragnar interrupted and told Uhtred to leave with his witch and his companions, and Ragnar said that he might face him and kill him on the battlefield. Before she left, Skade said that she belonged to Uhtred. Brida then threw a spear at the gate, saying that, next time, she wouldn't miss Uhtred. When Aethelwold angrily confronted Ragnar about letting Uhtred leave, Ragnar blamed the whole situation on him and savagely beat him.
Beocca told Uhtred to try to not get himself killed until Aethelflaed was safe, as Beocca would catch a ship from York. Thyra remindeed Uhtred that he would always be her brother, and she then left with Beocca. Uhtred and his men rode to the Wincelcumb monastery and met with Aethelflaed, where he had dinner with Aethelflaed and the nuns; the abbess expressed her dislike for Uhtred and especially Skade. That night, he privately met with Aethelflaed, and he briefly kissed her before she walked off, showing her lack of romantic interest in Uhtred. Days later, Hastein and his men arrived at the monastery with Mercian soldiers as hostages, so Uhtred sent out the abbess to tell them that Aethelflaed was not there. However, Hastein had the hostages' throats slit as the abbess continued to deny Aethelflaed's presence, and she ultimately decided to pick up an axe and tell the Vikings that, if they wanted the nuns at the abbey, they could kill her first. Dagfinn threw a javelin at her, killing her, and Hastein had his men search the abbey for Aethelflaed. Uhtred and his men ambushed and killed 13 of Hastein's men inside the abbey, forcing Hastein and Dagfinn to leave and wait outside. Aethelflaed suggested that she give herself over, but Uhtred told her to never say again that Hastein was telling the truth. That night, Uhtred had his men prepare a shield wall in front of the door, and he then had Osferth open the door. Uhtred promised Skade that he would return to find her, but that she had to do as he asked. Uhtred offered Skade in place of Aethelflaed, saying that she had "seen" Alfred's death; Hastein agreed to the trade, and Hastein left with Skade, who restored Uhtred's curse before leaving.
The next day, he again met with Aethelflaed at the stable, where they nearly kissed, although Uhtred warned that he did not want to see her hurt again, as she, like Erik, was someone that she could not be with; he ultimately withdrew from the kiss. He then told her that he had to recover Skade, but Aethelflaed said that Uhtred needed an army. She said that she would join King Alfred and the Mercians' army at Aylesbury, and that she would tell her father that Hastein had attempted to kill her, making him an enemy of Wessex. She also convinced a reluctant Uhtred to use Alfred's army to attack Beamfleot and end the curse. Later thta day, Brida rode alone to Uhtred and told him that Ragnar was dead, and that he died an honorless death and was buried under stones near Loidis, going to Niflheim instead of Valhalla. Brida decided to let Uhtred live with the pain of his brother's death, and Uhtred decided to go to Alfred and beg for an army.
Uhtred and Aethelflaed at the Witenagemot meeting
Uhtred and his men were allowed into Aylesbury by Steapa and Aethelred, but they found that Edward represented the King at the Witan meeting. Aethelhelm of Wiltshire raised the doubt that Uhtred was a spy, and Aehtelred supported the idea, but Edward said that Uhtred was under guard. Alfred then entered and asked why Uhtred was there. Uhtred warned Alfred that Hastein had betayed him, but Alfred said that he had never trusted Hastein, and that Aethelflaed's presence was the only reason that Uhted was alive. Uhtred then asked for 1,000 men to take Beamfleot to fight Hastein and defeat Bloodhair as well, and, when Alfred asked about Ragnar, Uhtred revealed that Ragnar was dead. Uhtred then again asked for the men to attack Beamfleot, but Alfred refused, and said that Uhtred remained an outlaw of Wessex. That night, Edward decided to speak to Uhtred, hoping to give him 500 men to attack Beamfleot and weaken the Danes before a great battle. Beocca then told Edward that he had the wisdom of a king, and Beocca took Uhtred to meet with Edward the next morning, meeting over a breakfast table with Beocca, Pyrlig, and Uhtred's men.
Uhtred meeting with Edward
Edward asked how many men Hastein had, and Uhtred estimated that he had up to 1,000 men at Beamfleot. Uhtred said that besieging the fortress would take 3,000 men and be costly, but he believed that he could lure Hastein out of Beamfleot and onto a battlefield where he could be defeated. Edward decided to give Uhtred 500 men to set a trap in the forest around Beamfleot, and Uhtred allowed for Hastein's spies to see him marching with 30 men. Hastein's men charged out of the fortress and at Uhtred's men, who formed a circular shield wall; however, Alfred had his men hold their positions in the woods, hoping that his enemies would kill each other. At the last minute, Edward decided to make a kingly decision by leading a cavalry charge, assisting in the slaughter of Hastein's army. Uhtred attempted to recapture Skade, but Hastein knocked her out and placed her on his horse, escaping with her.
Uhtred shouting after Skade's recapture
After the battle, Uhtred was brought to King Alfred, who asked about why Uhtred was there. Alfred thanked Uhtred for the victory, but said that he had considered abandoning Uhtred, and that Uhtred owed his thanks to Edward. Alfred then shared Skade's prophecy with Uhtred, saying that he would die in a few months. Uhtred complimented Edward for his bravery, and Alfred shared that Uhtred had earned Edward's favor. Alfred then said that Uhtred was free to go anywhere but Wessex, but that Bebbanburg might be distant; Uhtred retorted that England was distant as well, and that the Danes would not leave. Uhtred then took his leave of the King, returning to his men. Uhtred and his men headed to Aethelflaed's estate at Droitwich to rest and recover, and Aethelflaed invited him and his men to make their homes in Mercia. While eating with his men, Uhtred was insulted by Sihtric, who blamed Uhtred for cursing him and the others. Uhtred told Sihtric that he could leave if he wanted to, and Sihtric demanded that they duel. Uhtred told Sihtric that he would head to Ragnar's gravesite and, if Sihtric was still there when he returned, Uhtred would kill him.
Uhtred was surprised to see Brida waiting for him at the grave, and she refused to forgive him, putting out their fire so that they would suffer as Ragnar suffered in Niflheim. After Brida went to sleep, Uhtred asked Ragnar for his strength, heart, and mind, and he buried his Mjolnir amulet with Ragnar. The next morning, Uhtred told Brida that he would not continue his own life until he got Ragnar out of Niflheim, and they rode towards Leagaceaster to meet with Storri, who might be able to help. On the way, three Danes attempted to kill Uhtred and claim his bounty, but Brida told them that Uhtred was under her protection. That night, they reminisced about their pasts, again being friendly just as they had been decades before.
Uhtred and Brida with Storri
The next day, they stalked Storri from the village of Salford to his cave dwelling, where they convinced him to help them save Ragnar. They prevented him from escaping, and they then promised to pay him if he helped them. Storri prayed to the goddess Hel and said that a person of Ragnar's blood (which Uhtred deduced meant Thyra) had to kill Ragnar's murderer with Ragnar's sword. Brida surprised Ragnar by strangling Storri to death, saying that his curse on her had caused her to be barren, and had caused Ragnar's death. kill the sorcerer without breaking the skin and without shedding one drop of blood, and Brida told him that he would have to do the same with Skade or make her his woman. Brida explained that Storri had cursed her on the day when she took him hostage, Brida then told Uhtred that her love for him had passed, and that she would not hesitate to kill Uhtred on the battlefield, but they agreed to find the man who killed Ragnar.
Uhtred speaking to his men
Uhtred then returned to Droitwich, embracing Finan and Osferth. Finan then told Uhtred that Sihtric had left with the prisoners, but Uhtred showed no reaction. He then told his companions that he needed to find Skade, although Finan warned that she was guarded by 2,000 Danes or more. Aethelflaed then demanded that Uhtred walk with her when he was done, and, before doing so, Finan warned Uhtred that many of his men did not want to look for Skade again, as they blamed her for Sihtric's departure. While Uhtred spoke with Aethelflaed, he noticed armed men approaching, and they hid, intending to fight. Uhtred and Aethelflaed ambushed and killed all but two of the men, and Uhtred captured their leader Offa. Uhtred remembered Offa from Dunholm as Aethelwold's man, and Offa confessed that Aethelwold had sent Offa to kill him. Offa confessed that he did not know that Aethelwold would ally with the Danes, and he confessed that Aethelwold had sent him to kill Alfred's sword and shield. Uhtred then sent Offa as a messenger to the Danes, telling them that Uhtred was coming as a shadow walker, and that they would die as his brother died. Uhtred then spoke to his men, saying that he could not offer them silver or a fortress, and that they would go down a hard, brutal path, although it would lead to them gaining something that every true warrior desired: reputation. Uhtred swore that he would die to protect each and every one of his men, and told them that he could not continue his quest without his men. All of his men stood out of loyalty to him, and Uhtred was reassured of their support. He then rode out with his men, including Osferth, who had recovered from his wounds.
Uhtred and his men entered Crowland, where the thegn Guthlac of Crowland asked for him to give over his and his men's swords, but Uhtred instead gave him his word that his men would not be troublesome. That night, Guthlac and his men surrounded the alehouse and asked for Uhtred, and Uhtred deduced that he was with the Danes. Uhtred left the roof and began to throw torches at the houses of the village, distracting Guthlac's men by burning the village. Uhtred then killed Guthlac in front of the village, warning the people that they owed all of their loyalty to Aethelflaed.
Uhtred and his men then headed to the Danes' camp at Hunstanton, where he warmly reunited with Shitric, who revealed to the others that his defection had been a part of a ruse. Sihtric freed Skade and took her to Uhtred, but Dagfinn witnessed her escape and warned Hastein. Uhtred and his men fled on ships at the docks, escaping Hastein's men. Uhtred and his men returned to Coccham, where they found that Bishop Erkenwald had been stealing the village's food to supply the army and for his and the other priests' personal consumption. He threatened Erkenwald with death if he did not remove a large wooden cross from Uhtred's old hall, and Skade ultimately cut down the cross. Hild then entered and revealed that she had placed the cross there, and she informed Uhtred that his children had been placed under the care of priests and nuns in Winchester and were baptized as Christians. Uhtred was infuriated, saying that Alfred had done it to damn him. Hild was also shocked that Uhtred had replaced Gisela with Skade, and Uhtred said that she had no business as an abbess asking him about who he bedded; Hild felt upset and began to leave, but Uhtred then asked for her help, and she agreed, realizing that Uhtred was back to his original self. Uhtred then told the priests that they could only take half of their grain with them, and he sent Finan to accompany the priests to Winchester.
Skade's body
Remembering Brida's instructions, Uhtred led Skade to the river, where she told Uhtred that she owned him as they made out. However, Uhtred proceeded to place his shirt over her head and hold her underwater, drowning her. When Uhtred returned to his hall, he found Osferth stoking a fire and preparing him food. The two of them ate together, and Osferth assured Uhtred that he had done the right thing. They then both rode to Winchester to join with the rest of their men. Uhtred was smuggled into the city in a circus cart, although he knew that he might be executed if caught in Winchester. Uhtred snuck into Thyra's home, where she warmly greeted him, although not before holding out a knife to face any intruder, as many Saxons came to believe that she did not belong among them. He then convinced her to give him a cupful of blood to save Ragnar from Niflheim, and, when Beocca walked in, he was angry to see them performing a pagan ritual. Beocca briefly waited outside before returning inside to ask Uhtred to speak with Alfred if he could arrange it safely, as death was near, and there were things unsaid. Later
Alfred speaking with Uhtred
Uhtred snuck into the palace with Beocca, dressed as a mkn, and he mused over illustrated pages on Alfred's desk. Alfred explained that Uhtred's advice, bravery, and exploits would not be written into history, but Uhtred said that kings always wrote songs about themselves. However, Alfred confessed that he had often stood on Uhtred's shoulders, and that he owed Uhtred, finally confessing his gratitude. He also expressed regret over his spiting of Uhtred by baptizing his children, and over his banishment of Uhtred, which did not give Uhtred the respect or trust he deserved. Alfred confessed that he was afraid of losing everything that Wessex had become, and said that his work had to continue. Ealhswith then barged in and criticized Alfred for speaking with Uhtred and for possibly inviting him to stand at Edward's side, but Alfred had her leave. Alfred then told Uhtred that his last act would be to ensure that good men held power. Alfred recalled how Uhtred and Iseult had saved Edward when he was an infant, and he asked Uhtred to ensure that his son lived; he also asked that he remain in Winchester until he was crowned king, after which Uhtred could reclaim his hands. Alfred then gave Uhtred a notice which pardoned him, ending his outlawry. Alfred then toasted Uhtred as the true Lord of Bebbanburg.
Death of Kings[]
Hild speaking with Uhtred
The next day, Thyra came to Beocca's house crying, and she told him that the Saxon man Tidman had insulted her by calling her a "Dane whore". Beocca, Uhtred, and their companions searched out Tidman, and they found Aethelwold at the same house. Beocca beat Tidman for insulting his wife, and he then left, although Aethelwold convinced Uhtred to stay and speak with him. He was taken indoors, where he met with Aethelwold and his ally Sigebriht. Aethelwold told Uhtred that Edward was not a man to follow, and Sigebriht asked where Uhtred stood. Uhtred decided not to reply, leaving with Finan. Erkenwald later told Uhtred that he would do his best to keep him away from Edward, but Uhtred retorted, and Erkenwald left. Hild then spoke with Uhtred, who felt that he had no place. However, Hild said that she was everything he was called, especially the outlaw, and that he was a good man for being himself. Uhtred reminded her that she was his greatest friend, and she said that Winchester was much better when he was there. Uhtred then visited Alfred's sickbed and promised to remain in Winchester until Edward was crowned king, swearing to him. Later that night, 20 October 899, Alfred passed away.
Uhtred and Beocca sharing their grief
The next evening, Beocca told Uhtred that Ealhswith had rescinded his pardon. Beocca asked Uhtred to stay and wait for Edward to become King, as Edward could help him. Uhtred attended Alfred's funeral until Steapa told him to leave the hall quietly, saying that he had orders to kill him if he did not. Uhtred was forced into a prison cell by the guards, and he told Finan to do nothing. The next day, Aethelflaed told Uhtred that her mother ordered him banished instead of killed. Beocca then came to speak to Uhtred, and he told him to accept a trial and speak out. Uhtred detected a change in Beocca, and Beocca told Uhtred that Thyra had died in a fire. The two of them then shared a moment of sadness.
Edward hearing Uhtred's explanation in public
Steapa later released Uhtred from the dungeon, telling him that he was to be released at the Mercian border and watched as he left Wessex for good. Edward had Uhtred unhanded and allowed to speak in front of the people of Wessex, including Aethelwold and Beocca. Uhtred shared how, despite his strained realtionship with Alfred, it was nothing less than an honor to serve him, that he was his king, and that Alfred had chosen not to announce the pardon so that King Edward would be able to dispense justice. Edward said that his father had trusted and respected Uhtred the most, and that he found his father's letter to be true, meaning that Alfred's pardon stood. The crowd cheered at Edward's decision, and, when Beocca asked Uhtred where his path led, Uhtred said that he hoped that his path would eventually lead north to Bebbanburg, but that he would follow Edward.
Uhtred at a Witenagemot meeting
At a Witan meeting, Uhtred counselled Edward that it was wise for the Mercians to withdraw, and the ealdormen assured Aethelred of their loyalty to Edward. Aethelred expressed his doubts that Wessex would have great numbers, but Uhtred said that the Danes would take everything from Mercia. Uhtred then reassured the ealdormen that the Saxons could still win, and Edward declared that God was with the Saxons. Aethelred decided to return to Mercia, but he warned that he would not fight a losing battle. After the ealdormen had left, Edward worried that he was not his father, but Uhtred reassured him, mentioning Alfred's own flight to Somerset in 878. Uhtred and Finan advised Edward to fight the Danes at Bedanford, and Edward agreed to - with Uhtred's help - find the words to rally the thegns and ealdormen to fight. Uhtred then noticed Sigebriht leaving, and Sigebriht assured Uhtred that he would fight for Wessex. Aethelwold then confirmed that Sigebriht was to fight for Wessex, and he said that Uhtred was nothing but a sword and a lump of mettle, that he would die forgotten unwritten, and that he would go to neither Heaven nor Valhalla.
Aethelwold's death
Uhtred and his companions encamped at High Wycombe, planning to join the army at Bedanford. Uhtred told Beocca that he had to kill Ragnar's murderer with Ragnar's (Thyra's) blood, but he did not know who the murderer was. Brida sent a messenger, Jackdaw to Uhtred after confirming that Aethelwold was the murderer, and he also warned that the Danes were near. Uhtred then joined the West Saxons and, as the Danish rear under Hastein passed by, Uhtred led his men in an ambush. They initially had the upper hand, but the rest of the Danish army charged them, beginning to overwhelm them. Just then, Aethelflaed herself led the Mercian army into battle, and they were soon followed by Sigebriht's Kentish soldiers, who ultimately chose to be loyal to Edward rather than Aethelwold. As the Saxon armies began to defeat the Danes, Uhtred pursued Aethelwold, who began to flee. Brida saved Uhtred from a Dane who tried to kill him, as she also sought vengeance for Ragnar. Uhtred then stole a horse and chased down Aethelflaed, who fell from his horse, broke his arm, and tumbled off the road after his head hit a branch. Uhtred then dismounted his horse and confronted Aethelwold, who begged for mercy and promised to go as far away as Uhtred wished. Uhtred threw him a bag, saying that it was a pouch of silver for his travels, but he instead ran his sword through the bag and into Aethelwold's chest. The pouch was full of Thyra's (Ragnar's) blood, thereby carrying out Storri's steps to ensure that Ragnar left Niflheim and entered Valhalla.
Uhtred at Ragnar's grave
Brida then arrived and saw a ray of light shining on Aethelwold's body, saying that it was a bridge for Ragnar's spirit to head to Valhalla, and Uhtred and Brida briefly embraced before she broke off, remembering that they were on opposite sides of the battle. Uhtred later returned to Ragnar's grave, where he recovered his Mjolnir necklace from the grave and wore it, having fulfilled his promise to Ragnar.
Quest for Bebbanburg[]
By 910, Uhtred and Aethelflaed had become lovers, and, one night, Aldhelm came from Aethelred's court and knocked on Uhtred's door after he had finished having intercourse with Aethelflaed to warn him that Aethelflaed's absence had been noted, and that she should come back to her husband. Uhtred told Aethelflaed that he would be prepared to fight if Aethelred sent men to take Aethelflaed back to him, but Aethelflaed convinced him not to waste lives on their love, and she also told him that his men Finan and Osric would return from their spying mission in Bebbanburg soon. The next day, his men returned and reported that Bebbanburg had been weakened by a Scottish invasion, and that Aelfric had lost half of his men and had barely 40 men. Osric then informed him that he could not raise a fyrd, as the local lords despised him, and Finan advised him to go without delay. Uhtred resolved to ride to Winchester and raise an army, seeing it as repayment for his service to Wessex.
Uhtred meeting with Hild and Beocca
Uhtred visited Beocca and Hild at Hild's nunnery, where he told them that he had great news, and asked them to sit and have wine as he told them. They celebrated the news that Bebbanburg was vulnerable, but, when Uhtred asked them to join him, Hild said that here fighting days were over, while Beocca said that he had devoted his life to Hild's nunnery and to writing the biography of Saint Cuthbert. However, Beocca promised to join Uhtred once the hard work was done, and Uhtred said that a large feast would be held in his honor. He then asked for news about Wessex, and Beocca said that Wessex was thriving, as it was fortified against Viking attack, although he and Hild warned Uhtred of the ambitions of Ealdorman Aethelhelm of Wiltshire, Edward's father-in-law.
Uhtred meeting King Edward
Uhtred then reunited with Father Pyrlig, Steapa, and King Edward the Elder, and, when Edward asked him if he had heard that Cnut was preparing to campaign in Ireland, Uhtred warned Edward that Cnut had sent for his sons to come to England, meaning that he had ambitions there. He then told Edward of the true nature of his visit, pledging to help him unite England in exchange for help with taking Bebbanburg. Pyrlig supported the idea, as it would provide Edward with a northern foothold and would hold the invading Scots back. However, Aethelhelm politely protested, asking if it was wise to send 200 men to the frozen north to settle a family feud while the Danes threatened the south, and he said that there was no debt on either side, as Uhtred was only bound to Edward until he took the throne. Uhtred debated with Aethelhelm and criticized the West Saxons' defensive approach, but, when he told Edward that his father Alfred knew when the time was right to strike, Edward said that his father also knew the time "to say no to Uhtred Ragnarsson". He told Uhtred that he was no longer the boy who could be bent to his will, and that, while his "no" was not permanent, now would not be the time to help Uhtred.
Uhtred meeting Aethelflaed in the garden
Uhtred angrily stormed off to the tavern with his lieutenants, and, when he asked Finan if their band could take on the city's 40 defenders, Finan said that he feared unbreachable walls and boiling tar and advised Uhtred against it. Uhtred decided that they only needed to kill Aelfric for the gates to open, and he returned to Cookham to continue his planning. Hild then told his men to clean the stables in order to distract them, and she told Uhtred that Aethelflaed was waiting for him in the garden, but warned him not to turn her into a brothel keeper. Aethelflaed introduced Uhtred to her lady-in-waiting Sable, and she told him that Sable had overheard information that Uhtred might like to know. Sable told Uhtred that Aethelred was after the heart of Saint Oswald (which was in Northumbria), and, that once he reunited Oswald's body, Mercia would be returned to greatness. Sable warned Uhtred that Aethelred had sent a pair of monks to retrieve the heart from Bebbanburg, and that the monks would reach Grimesbury by Sunday and Bebbanburg by the day of the Ascension (two weeks from then). Aethelflaed convinced Uhtred that, if he could intercept the brothers, he could gain entry into the fortress.
The fishing boat sailing for Bebbanburg
However, Uhtred needed a priest to accompany the monks, so he headed to St. Wilfrid's Church and kidnapped his son, whom Alfred had raised as a priest. "Young Uhtred" saw his father as a priest-killer and the Church as his family, and he had never heard of Bebbanburg, but he reluctantly joined his father on his quest. At the last minute, Beocca joined Uhtred, saying that he was fleeing the wrath of Ealhswith, but also that he wanted to ensure that Uhtred was being a good father to his son. Uhtred then convinced his son to join him, telling him that he knew the pain of being ripped from one life and made to live another; Young Uhtred said that joining his father felt like penance and a test of faith, but he decided to go along with him on his fishing boat.
Young Uhtred with his father
On the boat ride to Bebbanburg, Uhtred and his son sparred over Uhtred' pagan ways, as he cut his arm to sacrifice to the Norse sea goddess Ran to calm the waves. Young Uhtred then asked Uhtred if he was being used as bait, but Uhtred assured his son that he would merely accompany the two monks they were to intercept, accompany them into Bebbanburg, and open the sea gates. Young Uhtred then began to pray for the men that Uhtred would kill on his quest for vengeance, and he then asked his father to show mercy; he said that forgiveness had power. Uhtred said that was a good thing, and asked his son to forgive him for what he would do to Aelfric.
Beocca and Uhtred arriving at Bebbanburg
Uhtred and his men then landed in the Danelaw at Grimsby, and he and his men went to search the whorehouse for the two monks as Beocca stayed with a defiant Young Uhtred. They tracked down the two priests after finding them spending time with prostitutes, and Uhtred decided to wait in Grimsby as the priests got a head start, not wanting to arrive in Bebbanburg before the priests did. Days later, they arrived by boat, and Uhtred awaited his son's signal from inside the castle.
Aelfric's death
That night, Uhtred saw a torch fall from the walls, and he decided to start the attack, unaware that Aelfric had received reinforcements from his long-lost son Wihtgar. He killed the outside guards with Finan, but found that the sea gate was still closed and that Young Uhtred was not there. He then had his men slightly lift the gate with an oar so that he could get inside, and he then opened the gate himself. Meanwhile, a guard interrogated Young Uhtred, slitting Brother Iestyn's throat in an attempt to coerce Young Uhtred into confessing. He then killed Brother Osri, and, when Aelfric came down to see what was happening, The guard claimed that Young Uhtred was a spy. Aelfric ordered the guard to kill Young Uhtred, but Young Uhtred overpowered the guard in a fistfight and held him off until Uhtred himself burst into the courtyard and took Aelfric hostage. He told Aelfric's men that he only sought vengeance on his uncle, and that he would swear an oath to them if they would recognize him as Bebbanburg's true lord. Uhtred then asked Aidan who he was loyal to, and Aidan said to the true heir of Bebbanburg; however, he then pointed up at Wihtgar, who was aiming a crossbow at Uhtred and threatened to kill him. Uhtred demanded that he put down the bow, but Wihtgar fired, striking Aelfric in the eye and killing him. He then threatened to kill Uhtred, and, although Beocca suggested that they could ally against the Scots and make a new beginning, Wihtgar said that there could only be one heir. He then fired the crossbow at Young Uhtred, but Beocca stood in the bolt's path and was killed. Uhtred, enraged, killed several of the Danes before Finan ordered a retreat. Finan had to drag a furious and anguished Uhtred away from his oldest friend, and they narrowly escaped on their boat while coming under catapult fire.
Fleeing south[]
Finan consoling Uhtred
Uhtred and his men were forced to flee Bebbanburg, and Uhtred lamented the loss of every family member he ever had; he said that Beocca was the only constant, and that, without Beocca, he had no home. However, Finan consoled him and said that Beocca's death was not his fault. He then resolved to return south, and he argued with his son when he discovered that he was praying for Beocca, as Uhtred was still angry over Beocca's death. However, Finan calmed Young Uhtred when he planned to return to the Church, telling him that Uhtred was merely upset that he had failed to save Young Uhtred during the attack, and then swore to Young Uhtred that his father was a good man who had sacrificed his own personal comfort for the Christian kingdoms, for Bebbanburg, and for his son. Uhtred later told Finan that his reputation was waning, and he told Finan that he was finished with battles; he then praised Finan's leadership abilities, while saying that he had lost both his lands and his name and was now nothing.
Finan consoling Uhtred at Beocca's grave
Uhtred then buried Beocca's cross on a hillside, grieving over his death; Finan again came to comfort him, and, when Uhtred told Finan of all that Beocca had done for him, Finan concluded that Beocca was like a father to Uhtred. The two then embraced, and Finan said that Beocca was now with God and with Thyra, and told Uhtred that Beocca would encourage Uhtred to continue on his quest, telling Uhtred that they would assemble an army and batter down Bebbanburg's gates.
Uhtred confronting Hastein
While riding south, Uhtred and his men came across Hastein and his men, and Hastein questioned why Uhtred and his "pretty boys" were so far from home. Uhtred said that it was none of Hastein's business, and Hastein guessed that he was on his way to save the Lady Aethelflaed. He then invited him and his men to join his Vikings as they camped for the night, offering them meat. During their stay, Osferth discovered that Cnut and Brida had attacked Mercia, and he relayed this to Uhtred.
Uhtred interrogating Hastein
Hastein then had Uhtred sit with him, and Hastein said that he had heard that Uhtred had failed to claim Bebbanburg and was running with his tail between his legs; Uhtred replied by saying that he had heard that the Danes were going to war, while Hastein was playing nursemaid. Hastein then told Uhtred that they had a shared desire to have a woman to hump and a piece of land to call their own, and Hastein said that he had once had that with Skade and Beamfleot, only for Uhtred to take both from him. He then taunted Uhtred about Aethelflaed, and, when he asked how she was to bed (and said that she probably squealed like a fat pig), Uhtred got into a fight with him, standing on his neck. He then let him go, but, when Hastein said that he would have slit Aethelflaed's throat after having her, Uhtred drew his sword and duelled Hastein. Uhtred eventually cornered Hastein against a tree, and Hastein offered to tell Uhtred who had Aethelwold kill Ragnar. He confessed that Cnut had sought to lead the Danes and take Brida for himself, and that he had convinced Aethelwold that Ragnar would kill him unless Aethelwold killed him first. Uhtred then told Hastein that he could go, but ordered him to leave behind Cnut's two young sons Esgar and Cnut. That night, Uhtred bonded with his son in a tent, where Young Uhtred told his father that, when Uhtred rode out for the Battle of Farnham, Young Uhtred's mother Gisela told him that Uhtred was leaving not to fight for God or the gods, or for Saxon or for Dane, but to protect the ones he loved. Young Uhtred decided that this was why Uhtred's men would always him, and decided that it was also why he, too, would follow his father.
Bjorgulf besieging the church
Uhtred and his men then rode to Aylesbury to meet up with Aethelflaed and her men, bringing Cnut's sons with him as captives. He was shocked to find that Aethelflaed came without guards, and she told him of her plan to bring the Danes to battle at Tettenhall; she also told him that Aethelred was in East Anglia, and that she had to force Edward's hand. Uhtred decided that it was not safe to stay in Aylesbury, and he convinced Aethelflaed to rally the city's survivors and set out for Tettenhall at first light. However, the next morning he found the survivors lagging behind to pray for the bodies of Mercian noble boys who had been beheaded by the Danes. He failed to convince Aethelflaed to hurry, and the Danes under Bjorgulf soon arrived and attacked the church with a ramn. Uhtred refused to let Aethelflaed hand herself over, so he threatened to kill Cnut's sons if Bjorgulf did not leave. When Bjorgulf refused, Uhtred threw down a headless body and threatened to kill the other son if Bjorgulf still refused to leave. Bjorgulf and his men then fled, but Uhtred had deceived him; he had thrown down a Mercian body, as the boys were still alive. He then had the boys released, as they no longer served a purpose to him, and he and the others prepared to head out to Tettenhall to fight another battle.
Aethelflaed and Uhtred at Tettenhall
Uhtred and Aethelflaed then prepared a battle plan at their new camp that evening, and he told Aethelflaed that he no longer felt that Bebbanburg was his destiny, as he came to believe in a higher plan that led him to her. The next day, the company rode to Tettenhall, where they were joined by a Welsh army sent by King Hywel Dda; they then reunited with Father Pyrlig, who revealed that Queen Ealhswith had sent him to bring allied forces to help Aethelflaed. Uhtred designed a trap, covering a deep ditch with brush and concealing it.
Cnut's death
When the Viking army charged into battle later that same day, they fell for the trap, with Cnut and several other cavalrymen being flung into the ditch by their falling horses. Uhtred and his men then charged into battle, and the Welsh charged the Viking flanks from the woods. Soon, Uhtred and Aethelflaed's men were joined by Aethelred and Edward's Mercian and West Saxon armies, respectively, and Uhtred saved Young Uhtred from being killed. He then went into the woods and found Cnut, and the two fought until they were disarmed and forced to wrestle. Uhtred confronted Cnut about his murder of Ragnar, and Cnut said that Ragnar was weak and had to be killed. Brida overheard this as she approached the fight, so Uhtred stood up Cnut and shoved him towards Brida so that she could confront him. Unsatisfied with Cnut's excuse, Brida stabbed him through the chest with his own sword, and Uhtred then taunted Cnut by saying that both of his sons still lived, and that he would never live to see them grow old. He then told Brida that she should never have trusted Cnut, and she then left Uhtred. However, she ran into Welsh soldiers, who proceeded to take her captive, and Uhtred refused to send her to Valhalla by killing her in a fight.
Uhtred after the Battle of Tettenhall
After the battle, Uhtred reunited with Aethelflaed, but he took issue with King Edward walking amongst the fallen. He then rejoined his men as Aethelflaed confronted her brother, but, when he came back to Aethelflaed, he discovered that she had been exiled from Wessex by her brother for her insubordination and for putting Mercia before Wessex. He also discovered Steapa's death in the battle.
After the battle, Uhtred, Aethelflaed, and their company went to Aethelflaed's estate at Droitwich to meet with Uhtred's daughter Stiorra, Aethelflaed's daughter Aelfwynn, and Edward's estranged son Aethelstan. He told Stiorra that they would returm to Cookham once the peace was secure, and she complained about being forced to live with the children. Just then, Finan reported that Aldhelm was coming, and Aldhelm informed them that Aethelred had been fatally wounded at Tettenhall and might not last the week. Aethelflaed wished to hurry back to Tamworth and meet with the ealdormen about the succession, but Uhtred warned her that the roads were dangerous at night, while Aldhelm informed her that the ealdormen who had survived the massacre at Aylesbury blamed Aethelred for abandoning them and Edward for being too cowardly to come to their aid. Aethelflaed decided to ride at first light, and Uhtred had Stiorra and his lieutenants stay with the children to protect them until the succession crisis was over.
Crisis in Mercia[]
Uhtred meeting Edward at Aylesbury
Uhtred then accompanied Aethelflaed and Aldhelm to Aylesbury, where they witnessed nobles such as Ealdorman Burgred and Ealdorman Ludeca argue over who to appoint to the throne, witnessing how disordered the nomination process was. Aethelflaed told Uhtred that the nobles demanded that she be at her husband's bedside, dismissing her as a candidate; they believed that Wessex had abandoned them and did not honor the English union. Uhtred and Aldhelm then went with Aethelflaed as she met with her brother, and Uhtred informed Edward that there was talk among the ealdormen of Mercia splitting from Wessex. Edward decided that Aethelflaed's daughter Aelfwynn should be betrothed to the successor to seal the bond between Wessex and Mercia, and that, in return for the strength that their heir would bring to the successor's claim, they would give their loyalty to Wessex. Uhtred pointed out that most of the young ealdormen had been slaughtered and that there were not many suitable candidates left, but Edward decided that he would find someone suitable. That night, Uhtred discovered that Edward had ordered all of his troops to Aylesbury, and he feared that he might be expecting a fight. He told Aethelflaed of this, and they then ran into Eardwulf arguing with his sister Eadith against a wall. Aethelflaed told Eadith to attend to Aethelred, while Uhtred criticized Eardwulf for his treatment of his sister.
Uhtred leaving for Chester
Shortly after, Aethelred was found dead on his deathbed, and, while Uhtred told Aethelflaed that she was now free of her husband's torment, she disagreed, as her daughter would now be treated like a bag of silver. Uhtred suggested rallying her allies and challenging Eardwulf if necessary, but Aldhelm warned that it would lead to civil war between the Mercian fyrds and Wessex. Father Pyrlig then arrived and informed Uhtred that riders had been sent to Saltwich to retrieve Aelfwynn, so Aethelflaed told Uhtred to go to Chester and find a safe place to take Aelfwynn. Meanwhile, Eardwulf had Aethelflaed confined in a house to "mourn", taking her weapons from her and ensuring that she would not disturb the ealdormen with her lack of grief. Uhtred's daughter Stiorra later tricked the riders under Cenric into believing that Uhtred had already taken Aelfwynn to Winchester, and Uhtred later arrived and heard that the ploy had worked. The band of five and the children then set out for Chester.
Eadith meeting Uhtred on the road to Chester
While riding down the road to Chester, Uhtred was joined by Eadith, who told Uhtred that Aethelflaed had sent her, without her brother's knowledge. Edith told Uhtred that Aethelflaed wanted him to meet her at the ruins of St. Milburg's Priory, and, while Young Uhtred told his father that they had already passed the priory (which was on the way to Wenloca) and others suggested that it might be a trick to divert Uhtred from Chester, he ultimately placed his trust in Edith and went with her to meet Aethelflaed at Wenloca (Much Wenlock). Meanwhile, back in Aylesbury, King Edward resolved to seize Uhtred's lands at Coccham and take his children captive, thus making him pay for taking a child of his blood. He also discovered that Aethelflaed, the children, and Edith were with Uhtred, so Edward sent Cenric and his men to track them and bring them back to Aylesbury. Along the way, they came across several impaled sick people, as well as some villagers who touched the children. Fearing that the animals might have caught the illness, the party proceeded to the town of Wenloca on foot. They did not find her there, and Uhtred deduced that she must have gone on to Chester, as she would have arrived at Wenloca first. While in the woods, they found Eardwulf and his company sleeping, so they ran off in the other direction.
Eardwulf's men turning on him
The horsemen caught up to them the next day, and the party was unable to flee across the river, as it was full of plague victims' bodies. Eardwulf ordered his men to shoot arrows at everyone if they did not hand over Aelfwynn, but Eadith came forward and told the men that Eardwulf was not to be trusted, saying that he had killed Aethelred, had murdered the West Saxon messenger sent to warn the Mercians of the Danish attack, and that he was thus responsible for the deaths of his guardsmen's families. Aelfwynn said that she had proof of Eardwulf's culpability, saying that, in the pouch around his neck, he hid the ring that he had stolen from Aethelred on the night that he murdered him. He ordered his men to arrest the party and threatened them with execution if they refused, but this caused his guards to aim their swords at him for threatening them. They then forced him to open the pouch, and one of the guards confirmed that the ring bore Aethelred's seal. Eadith then told her brother to flee to Francia, and he rode off as his horsemen returned to Aylesbury. The party then went on to Wollerton, now rid of their pursuers.
From there, they split up, with Uhtred, Stiorra, Finan, and Aethelstan heading to Aylesbury and the others remaining at Wollerton to protect Aelfwynn. Uhtred and his friends were let in by Father Pyrlig, who helped them enter through a side gate during Aethelred's funeral. Uhtred then barged into the Witenagemot meeting, where King Edward had made a display of disregard for Mercian tradition by showing up without an invitation. Uhtred told the Witan that Eardwulf had confessed to the murder of Aethelred, and he then presented the Witan with Aethelred's ring as proof of his treason. He then told the Witan that they had chosen to turn their eyes from Eardwulf's many intrigues, and said that Aethelred's death was the consequence of it.
Uhtred in his cell
Outside of the Witan, Edward demanded to know his son's location, but Uhtred refused to tell him unless he could guarantee Aethelflaed and Aelfwynn's safety. Edward said that Uhtred was in no position to bargain, and threatened to have him seized if he would not cooperate. Ultimately, he was forced to have his men arrest and interrogate Uhtred, and Cenric severely beat him in an attempt to discover Aelfwynn's location. Edward visited Uhtred, appalled by what Aethelhelm had done to Uhtred, and he decided to free Uhtred after realizing that Uhtred loved his sister, that he was living in his father's shadow, and that he had to unify the kingdoms himself rather than turning to a little girl to do so for him. He then asked that Uhtred return to Aethelflaed and Aelfwynn and keep them safe until the conflict passed.
Uhtred facing King Edward
However, on the way out Uhtred saw that the Mercian townspeople were attacking his daughter Stiorra and Father Pyrlig as they distributed grain, so Uhtred clobbered them until they backed away from the cart and had them form a line in order to receive grain. He called for the Mercians to unite and not attack each other, something which an observing Ealhswith advised Edward was a threat to his rule. Edward had Uhtred brought before him once again, but he told Uhtred that he wanted to make him Lord and Protector of Mercia, in which position he would serve as the temporary vassal ruler of Mercia to keep the peace and remain in power until a young ealdorman could take his place, and until Aethelflaed could choose a husband for Aelfwynn. Uhtred did not wish to rule in Mercia, but Edward said that Uhtred was rarely able to make his own choices, and that, if Uhtred refused, a great slaughter would ensue as Mercia fought against Wessex. He promised Uhtred and his men status and wealth, and also promised him the troops he needed to retake Bebbanburg.
Lord Protector of Mercia[]
Uhtred's third baptism
After Uhtred's appointment, Aethelflaed confronted him and expressed her opinion that he was the wrong person to rule Mercia, as he was wild and impetuous and ruled by his heart and instinct. She also expressed her fear that Uhtred would be seen as a tyrant imposed by Wessex. However, Uhtred argued that it was the best they could do for Mercia at the moment, and he said that he could protect Aethelflaed and Aelfwynn if he was ruler. She then said that she felt that Mercia needed a ruler who was independent of Wessex, but she left after Father Pyrlig entered the room. Pyrlig announced that Uhtred would have to be baptized before the ealdormen to prove that he was a Christian, and he was baptized a third time.
Aethelflaed's appointment
Uhtred was then brought before the Witan to be confirmed as Lord of Mercia, and the Witan voted in favor. However, before the lords could swear oaths to Uhtred, he instead decided that his first act as Lord would be to transfer rulership of Mercia to Aethelflaed, provoking initial outrage, as the Witan always had a preference that a man rule over Mercia. However, Ealdorman Ludeca pointed out that King Offa of Mercia's widow had ruled Mercia well during her reign, and Aethelflaed swore a promise to remain chaste while she was Lady of the Mercians, preventing anyone from influencing her. Ultimately, Uhtred convinced the nobles to make her ruler, to Edward's chagrin. As Aethelflaed received the homage of her ealdormen, Edward had his soldiers take over Aylesbury.
Uhtred arriving with the Mercian fyrd
In response, Uhtred and two of his lieutenants set out for the countryside and raised a fyrd from the peasantry to march on Aylesbury and make a show of support for Aethelflaed. At the sight of this, Edward reconciled with Aethelflaed and decided to let her bring the fyrd into the city and become the ruler of Mercia. He then proposed that they lead a joint Mercian-West Saxon expedition to pacify the lawless region of East Anglia, and Aethelflaed then proposed that they work together to conquer Northumbrian Danelaw afterwards. After this, Uhtred told Aethelflaed that he would be leaving, as he could not bear to see her all the time and not be allowed to love her ever again. However, before leaving, he was informed by Pyrlig that Young Uhtred had decided to go back to Wessex and pursue God's calling once again, and he assured Uhtred that he was a fine young man. Uhtred then returned to his men and apologized for missing out on wealth and power for his men, but he said that they had something bigger - friendship. Eadith - now told to leave Aethelflaed's court to save Aethelflaed's reputation - decided to join Uhtred's party for safe passage.
Hastein confronting Uhtred in the woods
Uhtred was then ordered by Edward to escort his mother as she took the young Aethelstan to Bedwyn, where she wanted to raise him to be a king. Uhtred and his party rode first to Thatcham, where they made camp. There, Ealhswith thanked Uhtred for his sacrifice and confessed that he had positive qualities which she had not recognized in the past. However, their encampment was surrounded by Danes who had been waiting in ambush, and Hastein emerged and greeted Uhtred. He said that he had been waiting to capture the King, and revealed that Winchester had been captured. He then took Ealhswith and Stiorra as captives, saying that they were now even for the capture of Cnut's boys. He then ordered that Uhtred's men were to be tied to trees to die slowly, and, when Uhtred asked that he be able to fight Sigtryggr if he wanted him dead, Hastein said that he wanted the honor of killing Uhtred to be his own. He had Uhtred and his men tied upside-down from a tree and left Orm and another Viking to ensure that they died, and he then left for Winchester. However, Eadith - who had been out gathering wood - lured in Orm with her scream before stabbing him to death. She then rushed to cut down Sihtric, who killed the other Viking; she then helped to cut the others down. Uhtred sent Pyrlig to Kingsclare to tell Aethelred of the situation, while he and the others headed to Winchester.
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The West Saxon attack on Winchester
He and his followers found that the city was heavily fortified, unusual for the Danes, who typically detested sieges. Neither Uhtred nor the rest of his men could enter the city, as they were recognized, so Eadith volunteered to sneak into the city (despite having no way out) and locate the prisoners so that they could be freed once the walls were breached. He later witnessed as Edward launched costly frontal assaults on the city gates to no avail. Uhtred rushed up to the King and attempted to convince him to stop his foolish attacks, but Edward ignored him and ordered another costly attack. Over the next thirty days, Edward's attacks continued, so Uhtred stormed into Edward's tent and demanded that he try another way to fight. Edward was resolved to launch a fire attack on Winchester, but Uhtred warned that this would burn out the heart of Wessex and kill innocents, and he demanded that they negotiate with Sihtric. However, upon hearing of Aethelflaed's victory over the Danes of York, Edward was determined to expedite his plan.
Uhtred preparing to enter Winchester
After Sihtric presented Edward's sons Aelfweard and Aethelstan from the city gates and told Edward that he could choose to save one if he retreated, Uhtred decided to trade himself instead, knowing that the Danes wanted him dead, especially Brida. Uhtred presented himself to Sihtric and Hastein in front of the gates and offered himself if Sihtric would release both sons, saying that, otherwise, Uhtred would have a chance of killing Sihtric. Hastein told Sihtric that Uhtred spoke true, and he said that, while Edward could have other heirs, he could never have another Uhtred. Sihtric agreed to the exchange, but he rejected Brida's demand to crucify him in the marketplace and instead had him taken to the hall. There, Sihtric decided to make a bargain with Uhtred, comparing their situations as landless men. Brida, overhearing this, angrily threw Uhtred's sword from the walls, causing the Saxon army to believe that he was dead.
Uhtred and Sihtric's negotiations were interrupted when the Saxons launched a renewed assault and breached the walls amid a smoke attack on the defending Danes. Uhtred promised Sihtric that he could convince Edward to negotiate, and he convinced both kings to withdraw their men into shield walls. He then ensured that Edward and Aethelflaed agreed to speak with Sihtric inside, and they ultimately came to an agreement: Sihtric would withdraw from Winchester and never set foot in Mercia, Wessex, or East Anglia again, while he would be given control of Northymbre by Aethelflaed. In addition, he would take Uhtred's daughter Stiorra with him. Uhtred initially protested, telling Aethelflaed that she should have known what it felt like for one's child to be used as a bargaining chip. However, when Uhtred spoke with Stiorra, she said that she was willing to go, as she had developed feelings for Sihtric and wanted to live among her mother's people and rediscover her Danish heritage. Uhtred allowed for her to leave, and he also bade farewell to his son Young Uhtred, who decided to go back to being a monk. Before Uhtred left, Edward entrusted him with caring for his illegitimate son Aethelstan, saying that there was only room for one aetheling in Winchester, and that he hoped to avert another succession crisis such as the one seen with Aethelwold. Uhtred reluctantly agreed, returning to Cookham with his men and with Aethelstan, training the boy to become a warrior.