"(U HTRED) I was born an ealdorman of England." "Uhtred, son of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, welcome to the Christian world." "Heir to the Northumbrian lands of Bebbanburg." " You have your stone, amber?" " Yes." "Our ancestors took this land and you will die for it if needed." "I was 12 years old when I Hrst went to war." "(LORD UHTRED) Kill them all!" "I saw my father killed." "My uncle took my lands and pledged his allegiance to the Danes." "My advice for you is to never cross Ubba and never, never fight him." "Stolen by the invaders, along with the Saxon girl Brida," "I became Hrst a slave and then a son to Earl Ragnar." "That was my family." "My life." "Young Ragnar, my brothen and Brida, my lover." " (LAUGHING)" " Fate had made me a Dane." "And then fate brought betrayal." "(YEl_I_ing)" "I will not stand by and have everything taken from me." "Bebbanburg's mine!" "Destiny is all." "Horses." "(UHTRED) Head for the woods." "(YELLING INDISTINCTLY)" "Go right." "There's a gully over that ridge." "(AELFRIC) Hoof-marks." "There must be hoof-marks." "There must be hoof-marks somewhere." "Fetch more men, I want him found." "We'll go as far as Mercia if need be, but I want him found and I want him dead." "(UHTRED) Looked like my father." " He knows you're alive," " he'll Keep looking for you." " Let him." "I'm going to kill him and take back what's mine." "He has an army, choice of the Danes." " All you have is me." " No." "We have Ubba." "We go to him with our story and with his army, we avenge Ragnar's death and we take back Bebbanburg." " It's that simple?" " Yes." "Yes." "Tsk, tsk." "(UHTRED) Bride." "Brida." "Sing me a song." "I won't, and I'm not your skald." "True, and what's more, you'd frighten the birds." "What?" "There's a taste in the air." "Death." "(ARROW wHlzzEs)" "(GRoANING)" "Who did this?" "Who sacked the village?" " (MAN) I cannot move." " Your back is broken." "(MAN GRUNTS)" " Who did it?" " You know who did this." "Danes did this." "(UHTRED) vvny?" "Why should the Danes attack a village that feeds them?" "Revenge." "But since when have Danes need an excuse to kill?" "(BRIDA) Revenge?" "Revenge for what?" "Huh?" "Revenge for what?" "And I'll end it." "An uprising north of here." "A Saxon slave." "He killed his master at a wedding party." "(MAN cl-loKING)" "What was the name of this slave?" " Huh?" " You speak English well for a Dane." "His name." "(GRO/ms)" "Uhtred." "End it." "En" "(MAN groaning)" "(MAN GRUNTS)" " Say it." " (BRIDA) Say what?" " What you are thinking." " You have a turd" " where there's supposed to be a mind." " (LAUGHS) Thank you." "We should never have gone to Bebbanburg." "We should have let them believe that you were dead." "No, you're wrong." "I want them to know that I'm alive." "I need them to know that I'm alive because they hold what's mine." " I feel better for it." " Yeah?" "So does a dog pissing on a tree." " You wish me to bark?" " What we needed to do was to ride south to the Chieftain Ubba and tell the story of Ragnar's death." " We'll do it now." " Now, there's a second story" " about a slave who killed his master." " Ubba knows Ragnar was my father." "He knows nothing." "I doubt he'll remember." "He will believe the story he hears first and he will kill you." "If you could write, you could write to him." "If he could read, heh." "You've left us no choice." "We must find Ubba, and hope he believes you." "(BELL Tol_LING)" "(MAN) Did you get any of his pork this morning?" "(MAN 2) Bloody sausages..." "(MAN 3) Take it all out." "Thank you." "(MAN) Father Beooca." "Father." "Segwall." "I'll see you in the Kings Hall." "My lord?" "My Lord Alfred, it is I, Father Beocca." "My lord, the king has called council." "(ALFRED) Do not look at me, Father." " I am a sinner." "I'm a grievous sinner." " We are all sinners, my lord." "And I am married." "I should never have married." "He sends temptation to test us." "When we fail, he sends the Danes to punish us." "I should never have married, I should've joined the church." "I should've gone to a monastery." "God would've found a great servant in you, but I feel he has other plans." "If your brother were to die, it'd be to you people would turn." "Oh, pray God he does not die." "What kind of a king would I be?" "You will be God's king, my lord." "You've been blessed and chosen by the Holy Father in Rome." "You would be God's king." " I've seen who torments" " Must be banished." "No, she should be brought into your service." "No." "No, I could not." "You will resist her." "You will let him see your strength." "You will thank him for tempting you and then praise him for resisting the temptation." "Notwithstanding," "I have news you may wish to take to council." " What news?" " English uprising, lord, in the north." "It was defeated, but the nobleman responsible was Uhtred of Bebbanburg." "I know him." "He was taken by the Danes as a child, a God-fearing child." " Clearly his heart remains English." " He lives?" "I believe so." "He is a warrior, lord." "They say he killed his Danish master and 40 men." "Knows their ways, speaks their language." "He'd be useful." " You could mention him in council." " Why would he kill his master?" "For blood?" "For money?" "For pleasure?" " For England, lord." " But how do we know?" "He may well be just one more pagan with a busy sword." " But I know him, lord." " No, Father Beocca, you knew him once." "You knew him as a child." "I could send word into the country, God willing." "He's a ghost." "He's a pagan rumour." "Should he become flesh and blood, then he may merit a mention." "However, my faith, I reserve for God alone." "Now, about this girl, you may be right about her." "Bring her into my personal service." "And pray for me." "As always, my lord." "(MAN) Danes are there." "Why else would they be back?" "I honestly know there was..." "Alfred." "King Edmund of East Anglia writes for an army." "An attack by Danish Chieftain, Earl Ubba, is inevitable." "This was two days ago." "A march to fight at a place of their choosing is not worth considering." " To say the least." " I'm of a mind to decline." " And rightly." " Ubba, he is the Dane whom King Edmund has fed and watered in the past?" " He is." " Perhaps in the hope he would pass through East Anglia on his way to invading Wessex." "It's my opinion that Edmund deserves but silence." "Too harsh, Young Odda." "It was Edmund's hope to convert the Danes from pagan to Christian beginning with charity." "For that, he deserves praise, surely." " True, if that was his hope." " Edmund is a Godly man." "We have no reason to mistake his actions for cowardice." "(ATHELRED) Regardless of intentions, barring a miracle," "East Anglia will fall to Danes." "He shall have our prayers for such a miracle." " He will need them." " (ATHELRED) He will not have one man of Wessex, we are agreed?" " Yes, lord" " Aye." "Then we must therefore recognise that we now stand alone." "The last kingdom of England." "It will soon be men of Wessex staring across a field at the army." "We must be ready." "We must pray, we must prepare." "Odda, I require Mercia, Lundene and East Anglia be watched carefully." " Forward knowledge is everything." " It is done, my lord." "Scribe, I require the forges of every town burning, night and day." "We need the iron those fires can proffer." "(SCRIBE) Yes, my lord." "Most of all, I require men." "Strong, fighting men who are prepared to die because that, in the end, is what it will take to save us." "The blood of men." "Ravn used to say, "Never fight Ubba."" "Looks like East Anglia's just made that mistake." "(BRIDA) We should stay away for now." "Build our own fire." "Ubba is unpredictable." "He takes his orders from the gods." "I know he only listens to a sorcerer." "And he's half mad." "How will you approach him?" "As a man." "It has to be done." "Yes, it has to be done." "But we need to guard your life." " How?" " I don't know." "We should hump tonight." "We should. it's written." "That we should hump?" "Our destiny is to hump, tonight." "(CHUCKLES)" " I'm enjoying the thought of it." " That's all you'll enjoy tonight." "(LAUGHS)" "(MOANING AND PANTING)" " Stop." "Stop." "Stop." " What?" "What is it?" "I think I have it." "We take a hostage, a shield, a guarantee for your life." "Who?" "I don't know." "Someone he can't do without." "Storri, his sorcerer." "(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)" "(DANE 1) Who is this woman?" "Why is she not on her back?" "(UHTRED) Not that it's your concern, but she's for Storri." "A Saxon whore, from Ubba." "I've seen you before." "I served Earl Ragnar and now I serve Ubba." " (WOMAN SCREAMS) - (DANE 2) Quiet, woman." "You'll see me again, I'm sure, boy." "(l_AuGl-llNG)" " I'm told Storri is at the church?" " Monastery, looking after King Edmund and killing his priests." "(coughing)" "(MEN GRoANING)" "(sue-l-us)" " (UHTRED) Hello?" " Leave or it will be the death of you." " This church is mine by order of Ubba." " Master Storri, I have a gift for you." " Really?" " She's from Earl Ubba." "A woman?" "Why would Ubba send a woman?" "I have no need." "She's a sorceress." "He wishes her dead, but is afraid of a curse." "Saggy tits, stinking breath, but you will be rewarded." "Her head's weight in silver." "(STORRI) A Sorceress?" "She has the face of a she-wolf." "Does she bite?" " Yes, she bites." " Leave her with me." "I will do as Ubba asks and she will die slowly." "(GRUNTS)" "You belong to me now, old man." "And you will die slowly unless you do as I say." "On your feet." "We're going for a walk and you will keep your mouth shut." "(slGHING)" "This is so foolish." "Ubba will come look for me" " and he will be here soon." " I said be quiet." "Then I'll wait for him here." "I'll wait for Ubba here." "That means it's just you and me." "(HORSE NEIGl-ls)" "(l=ooTsTEPs AND indistinct CHATTER)" "(UBBA) Where is Storri?" "He's supposed to be here." "Edmund." "Edmund." "Edmund." "Edmun" "(l_AuGl-llNG)" "Can we have some ale?" "Miserable King Edmund of East Anglia." "You have had the night to consider my offer." "How do you answer?" "(l_AuGl-llNG)" " Are you dead or breathing still?" " (GUTHRUM) With luck he's dead." "We allow far too many of them to live as it is." " You allow nothing." " He lives." "It's God who decides who lives." "I would say your God has left you hanging, sir." "(EDMUND) If he has done so, it's because it is his will." "Take him down, and do not to let him fall." " And ale, and for the Earl Guthrum." " (GUTHRUM) I don't understand." "We do this all the time." "We allow half to live." "I say we kill them all." "All but the young women." "(UBBA) And who should work the fields?" "(GUTHRUM) The old women, the pregnant women." "(UBBA) Put him there." " And give the man some ale." " Earl Ubba?" "If I may speak freely." "I know you." "I'm Uhtred Ragnarson." "I am here with the truth of how my father died." "Yes, you are Ragnar's slave and you killed him." "I don't know what you've heard, but Earl Ragnar was killed by Danes." "His former ship's master Kjartan and his half-blind son Sven," "they led the attack on a sleeping party." " Can't see we're entertaining?" "Lord Ubba, I'm telling you, Ragnar was killed by Danes." " You be quiet, boy." "And you will wait." " Kill him." "(UBBA) Not another word." "Bar the doors, he does not leave." "Guthrum is right." "We are entertaining a king, so no more interruptions." "I just have to know, who is that?" "Hmm?" " His eyes are watching me." " And me." "Who's what?" " Who?" " The half-naked image there." "Who is it?" "(sue-l-us)" "That is Saint Sebastian." "A former Roman soldier who found God." "(GUTHRUM) Found him where?" "He f He found him in his heart, not" " Do you wish me to tell you his story?" " I have time." "(EDMUND) The emperor, discovering that Sebastian had found God, ordered him to renounce his faith, he refused." "So then the emperor ordered that he be filled full of arrows and yet he lived." " He lived?" " Yes, he did." " Is this true?" " Of course, it's true." "God saved St Sebastian and God should be praised for that mercy." "For how long did he live?" "Well, sadly he" "He then ordered him to be clubbed to death." " So he died?" " He went to heaven, so he lived." " I heard mention of this heaven." " What is this heaven?" "Heaven is Valhalla to Christians without fighting, feasting, humping." "Heaven is heaven." "It's not heathen." "But to answer your very first question," "I have considered your offer and, yes, I will continue to rule East Anglia as you suggest." "I will suffer your presence." "I will provide you with horses, food, coin, and hostages." "I will do all that you demand." "But only if you, Lord Ubba, and all of your men submit to God." "That is my demand." "You must be baptised." "You must stand in a barrel of water and they pour more water over you." " They want to wash me?" " No." " Your scent upsets them, Ubba." " No, to cleanse you of your sins." "There is only one God, and I demand that you serve him." " Kill him now!" " Why must I serve him?" "Because God is great, all-powerful, magnificent." "Have him stop his yapping and prove it!" "Ah." "Agreed." "Prove to me your God is great." "Prove it." "Prove, prove, prove" " Look, here!" "God spared Saint Sebastian." " But the man died." " It was God's will." "Would God protect you from my arrows?" " If he was all-powerful, he would?" " Yes, if it was God's will, he would." "(UBBA) So let us try." "We shall shoot arrows at you, and if you survive," "(CHUCKLES) we will all be washed." " Including Guthrum here." " Why not?" "Very well." "I will continue to be king but we will dispense with the need for baptisms." "The washing." "I withdraw my request." "But you claim your God is all-powerful." "I want it proven." "Strip him." "Archers." "(GUTHRUM) wait." "Tell me truthfully, are you afraid?" "God is great." "We will see." "Shoot." " Shoot." " Uh-uh-uh." "They are my men and only I tell them when to shoot." "Shoot." "(PANTING)" "Do you wish to be clubbed or are the arrows sufficient?" "You come a long way, boy, to tell me that it was Danes and not you that killed Ragnar." "It was Kjartan and Sven, lord, and others." "It's the truth." "Why else would I be here?" "To spy, to lie." " No, lord." " (UBBA LAUGHS)" " Perhaps to kill me?" " No, lord." " Have you been washed?" " Odin is my God." "(GUTHRUM) But you have been washed?" " Yes, lord." " How did it feel?" " The washing?" " Cold, lord." "The water was cold." "(GUTHRUM) Nothing else?" "I was a child, lord." "Now I'm a Dane." "Yeah, a Dane." "So, now let us see if Odin will protect you from the arrows." " I like this game." "Strip him." " (UHTRED) Keep away from me." " Not another step." " (UBBA) Archers." " I have a hostage." " (UBBA) What?" " I have Storri." " Stop." "If I die, he dies." "If I die, your sorcerer dies," " and you're without his guidance." " He lies, I smell it." "I have proof." "His runes." " Storri will be returned to you." " Take his head from his shoulders." " Guthrum, be quiet." " Have them open the doors." "I will release Storri when I am clear of this place." " (UBBA) You go nowhere." " Then he dies." "Your sorcerer dies." "Have them open the doors." "(moore OPENS)" "One day I will kill you." "Storri will tell you otherwise." "And I am telling you the truth about Ragnar." "This is what happens when we allow too many to live." "(YEl_I_s)" "Excellent." "Firewood." "You're alive." "That's good." "Did he hear you?" "He did not." "Not a word." " What did he say?" " That he'll kill me." "Nothing else?" "Where's Storri?" "(BRIDA) what did he say?" " He's naked." " It was necessary." "He has a branch up his arse." "Which is why he's naked." "(BRIDA) umred_" "(sToRRl GROANS)" "Uhtred, he must have said something." "He believes the lie." "He believes that I killed Ragnar." "(sToRRl GRuNTING)" "There's nothing more to do." "(sue-l-us)" "We should put distance between us and this place." "And go where?" "Anywhere that's not here." " I say we go to young Ragnar." " He's in Ireland." " Then we go to Ireland." " How?" "In what?" "We sail in what?" " And with whom?" "Danes?" " Then we wait for him." "What if he doesn't return, what then?" "Accept it, we lost." " We're alive and breathing for a reason." " Brida, we are no longer Danes." "How much for your work?" "For a long sword?" "Tell me what you need and I'll tell you a price." "A warrior sword to last a lifetime." "What are you?" "Saxon or Dane?" "Northumbria." "It'll take some time to make her right, which means she'll be expensive." "She's right, I'll pay in silver." "How much?" "Ten pieces." "Half now." "(LAUGHS) Six." "No more." "Eight, and I'll make her my finest." "Eight, if she is not your finest, you'll be her first." "I want this stone set into the handle." "That can be done." "Don't sell it nor lose it." "(SERVANT) Ale, my lord?" " You stand too close, girl." " (ALFRED) Yes, just a little." " To take away the taste of the gruel." " You stand too close." "It is broth, not gruel." " Is it?" " (CHUCKLES)" "Well, I think it is." "You should be thanking God of its goodness and the banishment of those awful cramps." "I am happy to eat as you eat." "You are saintly, my dear." "Father Beocca, join us for breakfast." " I dare you." " Alas, my lord, I've already eaten." "(ALFRED) You're fortunate." "Bad news, lord." "Your nephew, Aethelwold." " (AELSWITH) Isn't it always?" " He's drunk." "He's sleeping in the palace garden." "Should I take him to the king?" "It's the second time this week." "May God strike him down, painfully." "(SNORES)" "(GRUNTS)" " What?" "What?" " (LEOFRIC) On your feet, boy." "Wait, wait, wait." "(BEOCCA) Come on, the king wants to see you." "Drunk!" "What, again?" "Do you think this is fit?" "Out, all of you, leave us." " Do you think this is fit?" " I have been mistreated." "You saw this for yourself." "I demand that this" " This bear is punished." " (KING AETHELRED) Aethelwold, your years do not hide the fact you are a disappointment." " Why?" " That need to ask tells your father" " all he needs to know." " What?" "That you are an unsuitable heir." "That is what." " Then I will change." " You should." " I will." " Look, all I ask is that you become a man, and quickly." "Today." "Today, I promise." "Am I excused?" "My lord." "I'm not convinced he is my son." "If his mother was not already dead, I'd have her beheaded for adultery." "(l_AuGl-llNG)" "If I'm to fall in the battles that will come, he cannot be king." " You favour Alfred?" " I do." "Even though he is often weak in body?" "His illness does not tie him to bed, shows the strength of my brother." "Alfred is my heir." "He knows it." "And when the time comes, Odda my friend, you must steer the witan to make this choice." "My lord." "(UHTRED) it's done." "Should be safe for now." "They say Danes rarely come here." "What did Storri say to you to make you bind his mouth and, uh..." "He threw a curse." "Saying what?" "It's not important." "I responded with the branch." "What are you doing?" "You know what I'm doing." "I'm removing the last curse with a kiss." "I don't want to." "If you want to go to the Danes, then go find a new lord." "It's me they wish to kill." " You sound like a child." " I'm offering a choice." " Talking through your arse." " I'm sitting on my arse." "Your arse is cleverer than you, it can do two things at once." "Thank you." "Your tongue is sharp, woman." "(l_AuGl-llNG)" " Show me again." " No." "You're right." "We can't go to young Ragnar." "But we should wait for him to find us." "Which he will." "He will want to know the truth." "In the time between, we stay alive." "We pass the time." "Doing what?" "(BRIDA) Hm?" " ow!" "(YEl_I_s) - (LAUGHING)" "(BOTH l_AuGl-llNG)" "(WOMAN yell_ing)" "(l_AuGl-llNG)" "(l_AuGl-llNG)" "(slzzl_ing)" "(lvloANING)" "(Kms I_AuGHING)" "(l_AuGl-llNG)" "I've given her some beauty." "But she is a tool, no more, no less." "She is exactly as I'd hoped." " We said ten?" " We said eight." "She's worth ten." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Lord, men have been asking of you." "And your woman." " Danes or Saxon?" " Take your pick." "Five or more." "Make her sing." "We should leave." "There are men looking for us." "(BRIDA) From Ubba?" " I don't know." "Saxons and Danes are looking for us." "We seem to be collecting enemies as we go." "Get to the horses." "Go, go, go!" "(MAN) om" "(UHTRED) Out of the way, out the way!" "(GRUNTS)" "(SHEEP BLEATING)" "Bride." "The horses are just there." "Wait, there is another." "We have to go." "Come." "Move, move, move, out of the way!" " Brida, the door." " Wait." "Wait." "Wait." "Now." "(MAN GRUNTS THEN THUDS)" "(BOTH PANTING)" "You're right." "We should leave." "Whoever sent them," "Ubba or your uncle, they won't rest." "There'll be others." "I can't go home without help." "Uhtred, you should forget Bebbanburg." "No." "No, I won't vanish." "Nothing changes." "Kjartan and my uncle will pay for Ragnar's death" " and I will have those lands." " But how?" "With whose help?" " You said yourself, we only have Ubba" " The English." "If we're dead to the Danes, we have no choice." "There is no England." " The Danes have England." " No, there is one place, south of here." " it's Wessex." " They'll take one look and kill you." "Whereas Ubba will kill me as an Englishman." "With King Aethelred we have a chance, of everything." "What do you say?" "Come with me?" "Why do they stare?" " They think you're pretty." " Huh." "Or they have never seen a Dane so close." "But they will." "(PEOPLE YELLING INDISTINCTLY)" "(PEOPLE YELLING IN DISTANCE)" "(PEOPLE booing)" " We have business with King Aethelred." " (MAN 1) Go home!" "(MAN 2) Careful." "(UHTRED) I say we have business with the king." "Do you not understand English?" "Is that what you're speaking, arseling?" "You sound like a Dane." "Why do you dress as a warrior when you're a farmer?" "Farmer, am I?" "I'd wager this farmer against you at any time." "We are here to see the king peaceably." " Uhtred, what are you doing?" " What is it?" " First blood or to the death?" " Uhtred." "I'll be splitting your skull, boy, so one follows the other." "(MAN) Come on, Leofric." "Come on." " (WOMAN) Yeah, come on." " Uhtred?" "Father Beocca." "(l_AuGl-llNG)" " My goodness." " Know this arseling, Father?" "(BEOCCA) I do." "Yes, I do." "Uhtred, you're" "You're fully grown." "And you're old." "(l_AuGl-llNG)" "I am." "You're a man." "(LEOFRIC) He claims business with the king." "Yes." "Yes, it's true." "But not with the king, with Alfred." " You vouch for him?" " (BEOCCA) I vouch for him, yes." "God has sent you surely." "You're a man." "Father, this is Brida, my greatest friend." "A woman." " (UHTRED) Yes." " I am." " I have tits." " I see." "Have their horses fed and watered." "And I will inform Alfred you're here." " We need their weapons, Father." " Why not inform the king?" "The king is busy." "But you will like Alfred." "He is an impressive man." "Come." "(BELL Tol_LING)" "Do you like it?" "I do." "It's beautiful." " You could rest here. it's so quiet." " (ALFRED) Peaceful." "The Romans, they built this courtyard for just that purpose." "Tranquillity." " You're Alfred?" " I am." " My lord." " (ALFRED) You are Uhtred." "I hear word you are a considerable warrior." "(LAUGHS) Not been tested, lord." "Not yet." "And I've been lucky." "Well, luck is good." "Or so my own warriors say." "Now, I haven't quite worked out the theology of luck." "Can there be luck if God disposes?" "If your God is with you, you're a lucky man." "Yes." "You're right." "Simply put, but you are right." "With me." "We shall talk inside briefly." "I spend much of my time in here." "Do you read, Uhtred?" "(UHTRED) Schooled as a child by Father Beocca." "I was not a good student." " There's much to know outside letters." " (ALFRED) I'm certain there is." "But do not underestimate the power of the written word." "When a man dies, if nothing is written, he is soon forgotten." "For instance, who is remembering Earl Ragnar?" "You know of Ragnar?" "Father Beocca has talked much about you, Uhtred." "He believed you a prisoner." "Slave to Earl Ragnar." "Is that the case?" "Ragnar was a father to me." "I loved him." "Yet in Eofervvic, they're saying that you killed him." "They lie." "Kjartan." "Kjartan." "Is that how you pronounce it?" " Kjartan_" " Kjartan, has benefited most from Ragnar's death." "He has taken his place and is Earl Kjartan now." " A great lord, with ships." " That's written down?" "Whatever I discover about enemies is written down." "It's in Kjartan's interest to kill you, is it not?" "He would not want Ragnar's son to hear a different tale." "He would not wish him to hear the truth, no." "(ALFRED) No, and the Chieftain Ubba, although he himself has now travelled north, he has sent men to Mercia asking of your whereabouts." "But not your welfare, I surmise?" "How do you come by all of this?" "I have eyes and ears in each of the kingdoms." "One day, it is my hope that all kingdoms will become one, united under one God." "One king?" "If all men can agree, yes." "All that remains of England is Wessex." "The birth of an England, the idea of a single kingdom called England has to begin here." "There is nowhere else." "But for how long will Wessex remain?" "The fate of Wessex will be determined by Englishmen, all Englishmen." "Only by joining together and saving Wessex can we have England." "Only by saving Wessex can we have a Northumbria." "A Bebbanburg." "And if Wessex can't be saved?" "Then we are all no more." "(BELL TOLLING IN DISTANCE)" "Prayers." "(EXHALING FORCEFULLY)" "And a little discomfort." "I will summarise." "The Danes are gathering a great army." " They have gathered an army." " Gather where?" "They moved upriver from Lundene to Readingum." "They are settling as we speak." "You say Ubba is north, so who leads?" " The Earl Guthrum leads them." " I know Guthrum." "We will need every advantage." "And Father Beocca considers you," "Uhtred of Bebbanburg, to be an advantage." "Whereas I believe you are here solely to hide, to save yourself." "I look at you and I see a Dane." "I see Uhtred of Nowhere, who cares for no one but himself." "Now, I must go to prayers." "You will join me?" " If my lord will excuse me." " (BRIDA) Us both." "Of course." "I expected as much." " Father Beocca." " (BEOCCA) Lord?" " Take your guests for refreshments." " I will, my lord." "They may remain in Winchester, but I hold you responsible." "Yes, lord." "You should've gone along and prayed, it would've bonded you." "He believes we are pagans." "What Alfred believes is that the Danes abandoned you." "Ubba has abandoned us, there are other lords." "Most, if not all, follow Ubba." " Believe me, you have been abandoned." " You know everything about Danes." "(BEOCCA) This way." "I wanna show you something." "The Charters of Bebbanburg." " (BEOCCA) Yeah, the land books." "Yeah." " You kept them safe." "I have shown them to Alfred." "He knows you are the ealdorman by right." "I will continue to keep them safe, but, Uhtred, you must behave like an ealdorman." "The charters have no meaning." "Northumbria belongs to the Danes." "(BEOCCA) It does not belong to Danes, it has been stolen." "(BRIDA) You want wealth, you take it." "You can't ignore what's true." "If the Danes are at Readingum, I'll go." " What?" " For what purpose?" "(UHTRED) For knowledge." "(BEOCCA) We have knowledge and you should stay away." "For new knowledge." "You know where they're settling," " but you don't know why." " We know their number and position." "Not their intention." "Am I a prisoner?" "Their intention is to attack." "When?" "Spring." "It is always spring." "I'll go to Readingum." "Where is it?" " it's too dangerous." " (UHTRED) Not for me." " I'm a godless Dane, remember?" " (BRIDA) Why spy for Alfred?" "He is an ealdorman of England." "(moore OPENS)" "(BEOCCA) Lord." "Regarding the conversion of the pagans to Christianity," " Yes, lord?" " how do we decide what is proper?" "To enlighten them or to kill them?" "Spreading God's word is, of course, our mission." "But I fear that the pagans, the true pagans, must first witness and feel his power." " Uhtred will return?" " Yes, he will return." "Yes, but how will he return?" "As who?" "As what?" " I know this boy" " But this boy is now a man." " I know his soul." " Father Beocca, he has no soul." "And you say yourself, the pagans need to feel the power of God." "It is written, now, here." "You may leave me." "We shall see what the days bring, my lord." "If resting through the winter was their intention, they would've remained in Lundene." "It's you who's AIfred's spy." "Next step is to kill for him." "Will you?" "Answer me this, if we were to cross and find Guthrum, what would happen?" "He'd kill us both." "We owe them nothing." "Alfred needs to know about the Danes, I need his trust." "(BRIDA) You'd think he'd deliver you Bebbanburg, what if you're wrong?" "Alfred, you have called council for what reason?" "Lord, forgive me, it may be no reason, but we have a pagan who claims knowledge regarding the Dane army." " (AETHELRED) Pagan?" " Forgive me, lord, he is Uhtred of Bebbanburg." "I vouch for his word." " (AETHELRED) Uhtred." " Lord." "I've been to Readingum, watched the Danes." "Their intention is not to settle." "If it were, they would've remained in Lundene." "You are saying, what, they intend to attack?" " I am, lord." " (ODDA) We know." " Come spring, they'll be at our door." " (UHTRED) They will be within days." " I'm sure." " How can you be sure?" " The ground is sodden" " They made sacrifices." "Ordinary warriors caught and killed birds, jackdaws." "This is done in days before battle." " And they are hungry." " Perhaps they have eaten these." "They've many men and horses, few supplies." "They'll first seize a town rich with grain and livestock." "I don't know the country well, but I've travelled." "I believe Abbendum is such a place." "To defeat the Danes, you must meet them on the road to Abbendum." "They'll be within days, lord." "(ALFRED) You went to Readingum alone?" "With Brida." " Why alone?" " (UHTRED) Why not?" "Because for most your life, you lived as a Dane." "You look like a Dane, you speak the language of a Dane," "I surmise you can set a trap like a Dane." "Agreed, my lord, he imagines we are jackdaws." "(AETHELRED) Where on the road to Abbendum?" " Where would you choose to meet--?" " The place called Asec's Hill, lord." " You or Guthrum would choose?" " I've seen it, the pass narrows." "You cannot be out-flanked." "For Danes to fight uphill, it'll be difficult, they'll be confident, they don't fear Saxons." "Why?" "Why do they not fear us?" "They believe you to be farmers, nothing more." "So even with the sun in their eyes, which is possible, they will climb and that can be to our advantage." "To our advantage, he says." "You've been here for days and you claim to be of Wessex?" "This is nonsense." "This is all far too convenient, my lord." "My lord, my sword was made by a Saxon." "My sword is for Wessex." " Don't interrupt a noble when speaking." " (AETHELRED) Odda." "I believe this man and this bag of rags to be impostors." " No army marches as winter approach" " Young Odda, enough from you!" "My lord." "You." "You have spoken and given this council much to discuss." "(UHTRED) My lord." "Alfred, he's here at your invitation." "What now?" "Should the Danes march, we must face them." "And I would rather be at the top of a hill than on the flat." "I say we march to Asec's Hill." "But take him." " Take them both, make them secure." " Lord." "What is this?" "I have spoken the truth." " I have spoken the truth." "Father Beocca." " (BEOCCA) My lord, please." " Beocca, help me!" "Beocca!" " (BEOCCA) Have faith!" "(BRIDA GRuNTING)" "(PRIEST SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)" "Hold!" "Hold!" "Left flank, hold." "Hold!" "Archers ready!" "(soldiers YELLING)" "(AETHELRED) On my command." "For God, for Wessex, for England!" "(soldiers YELLING)"