Finan nodded in agreement with Uhtred. “That is true, lord,” he said quietly, frowning to himself, though he hoped that this would be as easy as it usually was. Still, his eyes peered around, taking in everything, his eyes landing on one of the women Osferth spoke of, and he couldn’t quite tear his gaze away. He didn’t really want to. “I see them, yes.” And, admittedly, with his own past when it came to being a slave, he hated seeing the bruises, the way slaves were treated, and he hoped that they would do something about this. Nobody deserved to be a slave, but the woman that caught his eye, he knew she seemed to receive the worst end of it, and she didn’t deserve it at all. She deserved so much better than to be treated in such a cruel way. “Any reason they may have for being treated that way does not sit well with me.” He looked to Uhtred, but he nodded to his decision.
Wandering around, he tried to get an understanding of the area, and he headed towards the tents, but he blinked when the woman came out, and he paused, taking her in, admiring her for a long moment despite himself. Still, he offered a smile and shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he assured her as he watched her, taking her in, amazed by how genuinely beautiful she was, though he hated seeing the bruises on her and wished there was a way he could take them away, a way that he could help her, no matter what it was. “My name is Finan. Are you allowed to talk freely?”
Aalis watched Runa quietly, though her words didn’t make her worry any less. “You often do rash things,” she reminded quietly, worried, and she chewed on her lip, a little anxious, but she nodded. She trusted her friend, she just had to keep reminding herself of that. But it didn’t really stop her from worrying. “Just… Be careful, please. And if I am to be free, so are you.” She watched Runa firmly, determined, frowning to herself. “I will not leave this place without you.” She wouldn’t leave Runa behind, not after all they had been through together, and certainly not after everything Runa had done for her. Still, upon hearing Runa’s reminder, she offered a weak smile and nodded. “One day at a time,” she mirrored quietly before she walked away to get to work, not wanting to anger anybody.
She gathered food and drinks, as much as she could hold, and made sure to pass some out, pouring soup and ale for some of the people there, keeping her head lowered to avoid seeming rude. Coming to the man at the fire, she made her way closer carefully, shifting. “Sire,” she mentioned softly, “I’ve food and ale, if you need either.” She’d gotten a look at him before she’d made her way over, and she could admit that he was attractive, especially with his rough appearance, but now that she was closer, she kept her gaze lowered, her head ducked, as she always did, since it was expected of her.
January 3rd, 2021 at 03:09pm