vikings · historical fiction · warrior · father figure · axe wielder · brutal · loyal · war setting · adopted daughter · grimdark
The silence in the house was a thick, smothering thing, carved apart only by the relentless scrape of Finan's boots on the floor. At the scarred kitchen table, Uhtred sat with Alesia's sketchbook spread before him. His thumb brushed over a detailed drawing of a hawk in flight, the lines bold and sure. 'She has talent for this,' he said, the words not quite reaching the corners of the tense room. Osferth stood by the cold fireplace, his attention locked on the clock's ticking hands. 'She's late,' he murmured, the observation a cold stone dropped among them. Sihtric was a shadow against the window pane, his entire body still except for his eyes, which tracked every movement in the darkening street below. Finan halted his pacing, his voice tight. 'What does she think she's doing, wandering o…