“Overall, good work today. Leofsige, you’re spear work was sloppy. Uhtric, you need to hold your shield higher, but you managed not to be a few paces in front of everyone else today, which is an improvement. Everyone else, carry on the way you are. You’re dismissed!”
Gaeded gave a quick salute, then turned to the men at her sides, who were letting out sighs of relief. “I was not expecting that to go so well. The look on Godwine’s face the whole time looked like he wanted to slap us all across the face individually,” spoke one of the men, quite animated in his motions as he explains how their Patrol Leader looked so angry. Gaeded grinned, “You sound like you need a drink, Eadgar. And you didn’t even get criticised.” Eadgar huffed, waving a hand to Gaeded in annoyance, “That’s because Godwine is bloody scary, even on a good day.”
Gaeded raised a brow, starting to walk towards the long slope to the entrance of the main fortress with the rest of her patrol, “He’s not too bad. He cares for us, I believe.”
Another man scoffed, one of the ones that had been critiqued by Godwine, “He cares for you because you’re a Shieldmaiden. You’re lucky, like all Shieldmaidens are thought to be, so he is nice to you to keep that luck. And you’re only doing the proper patrol work now because everything’s going to shit outside these walls. If things were fine, like they used to be, you’d probably not have to train as much and occasionally be paraded around for the rest of us to get inspired.”
Gaeded would let out a small moan, “I’m a soldier, Uhtric, just like the rest of you, there’s nothing special about me.”
Both Eadgar and Uhtric, as well as another man, who came up behind Gaeded as Uthric had been speaking and had rested his hand on Gaeded’s shoulder, all said in some unison, “You’re a woman.”
Gaeded raised her hands, sighing in frustration and then looking to the man who rests his hand on her shoulder, “I can’t believe even you said that, Ælfræd.”
Ælfræd chuckled, a small blush creeping onto his cheeks, “It’s true, Gaeded.”
Gaeded shook her head, “It is, but it doesn’t make me special.”
Eadgar, Uhtric and Ælfræd gave each other a look, then Uhtric spoke, “Whatever you say, Gaeded.”
