Athelstan slowly made his way into the cabin, carefully pulling the nun along with him. The priest closing the door, behind them and breathing out a sigh of relief. There had been a few calls as they had made their way through the streets. A few that had huffed that Ragnar should have killed her when he had had the chance; some of the women and children laughing when they saw that her hair had been cut short. But apart from that, neither Athelstan nor his new..........well.........the new resident of Kattegat, had said nothing to one another. The Saxon hoping that now they were alone, she would feel more like talking. Athelstan knowing how she felt; that she was probably scared........confused.............

"My name is Athelstan............." He said softly, as he removed the leather binding and chains from the woman.

"I was a monk on Lindisfarne. Ragnar........the man you were with, he brought me here just like he did you........." Athelstan explained. Giving the nun a small smile, as she rubbed at her bloodied wrists and stretched out her aching muscles, before dropping to her knees and beginning to pray. The monk able to pick up the odd word of Latin, as she spoke to their god, her voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment he stood there, his eyes looking over her form. He had instantly noticed that she was a great beauty; her lack of hair not diminishing her exquisite looks. Athelstan sure that Ragnar would be delighted to know that he was thinking such things. But despite the fact that he had taken his vow, he was still a man, and had not stopped noticing the beauty of women. Yet it was what he saw next that made him stop. As she knelt, he noticed that part of the back of her woollen dress had been ripped apart; the flesh beneath marked and scared with old and newer wounds. Wounds that appeared to show that being a nun had not always been her life. That before she had taken any vows, she had fought, and fought hard.

Slowly he made his way over to the bed, pulling off one of the furs before turning back to drape it across the woman's shoulders. Athelstan finding himself being pushed backwards, as the nun spun around, grabbed the blade from his waist, and knocked him to the ground. His gift from Ragnar glaring at him, as he looked up at her from the floor. The tip of his own blade pointed at him.

"You won't be able to get away..............." Athelstan said, as he watched her make her way over to the door and crack it open just enough to see outside.

"You would not be here now if Ragnar hadn't believed that you might be of some use to him............."

"You think I care whether I die or not..............?" The woman retorted. Her voice filled with anger, as she turned her attention back to the prone man.

"Do you think I care what that pagan friend of yours might believe.........? I am more than prepared to go out there and kill as many of them as I can, before they send me to my god. For I know that he will have a place waiting for me in heaven. Can the same be said for you, priest................?" She continued with a hiss, as Athelstan slowly got to his feet.

"Who are you...............?"

"Does it matter? Now where are the horses...........?" The nun demanded to know, as Athelstan took a seat on the corner of his bed and let out a sigh. He knew what would happen to her if he let her go. He had a feeling that she might indeed kill one or two as she tried to get away; but it was guaranteed that she would be dead, before she could even get to the horses, and the priest didn't want that. He didn't want to watch her be slaughtered; but what was he to do.............

"Please.............." The Saxon began, his voice soft, yet still loud enough for the woman to hear. The nun turning to look at him.

"You don't have to go out there and die. I do not believe that that is what God wants for you either. It would appear from the scares, that you have fought often, and our lord has been by your side; for despite your wounds, you are still here. I believe that he was with you, when Ragnar and the others came to where you were; that is why you are here, and not dead already. Perhaps he has sent you here for a reason. Perhaps God has a plan for you............." Athelstan continued, as he looked up at her.

"Ragnar gave you to me, which means I can do with you as I wish........I will free you, you won't be a slave. You will be safe here, with me. I will not hurt you................" The monk from Lindisfarne added, watching as the woman seemed to think on his words. The blade dropping to her side, before she slowly closed the door to the cabin and made her way back over to him.

"My name is (Y/n). There is not much to say about who I am. My parents died when I was young, and I found that the only way to survive in this world, was to fight. And so, I did. I fought to eat, to find safe places to sleep at night. I fought to keep my virtue, and to prove myself worthy. I have fought for kings, for lords, against the pagans and anyone else that they saw as their enemies; and I had always believed that I would die on the battlefield. But one day, as I stared, bloodied and wounded up at a sky filled with smoke, the smell of blood and shit overwhelming my senses, as the screams of the dying drowned out everything else, I saw a woman come over me, and smile. She called to others, as she looked over my wounds; my vision blurring as they tried to move me. The next thing I knew, I woke to find myself in a bed, being cared for by the nuns. They treated me well, nursed me back to health; and so, when it came time to leave, I decided instead to give myself to God. I swore to protect the nuns that had found me, to be their sword and shield. So, perhaps that is why I am here. When your friend came, I fought them; I killed them. Yet I was not enough, I could not kill them all. And now the women that I had sworn to protect are all gone. So, why should it matter if I die out there............" She explained, as she looked at the stunned Athelstan. The monk getting to his feet and standing before her.

"It matters, because you matter; to God..........and to me.............." Athelston told her, as he reached up and brushed a single tear away from her cheek.