The Last Kingdom

Boy!

The tide is on the turn.

I'll not warn you again!

Ships! There!

Danes.

The devil's turds.

- Are they traders? - No. They come as vikings!

We go!

Go, go!

Where is my son?

Uhtred.

Take half a dozen men ride to the river.

There are pagans there.

You watch them, see how many there are.

Of course, father.

- Do nothing more. You understand? - Yes, father.

- Osbert, what is it? - Ships. I saw them first from the beach.

- What ships? - Danes.

They're heading for the river.

God and the saints preserve us.

They have no soul.

We must pray. We must act.

Uhtred, do not fight them.

Not a single one.

Be back by nightfall.

Yes, father.

They are sent by god to punish us for our sins.

Our sins be damned.

They're here to support the viking army at Eoferwic.

Aelfric! We must instruct the priest to pray for our deliverance!

- Aelfric! - Lord?

Get them inside.

We take in as many women and elders as we can.

The rest to higher ground and out of sight.

Send word to rouse the country.

I want every man inside this fortress.

And every man must be prepared to die.

Father.

Rest your oars. Rest your oars.

Taste.

Land.

Fresh... Sweet water.

Yes.

What else do you see?

I see a clear river, fish as big as a man's leg.

I see a forest alive with meat.

But more than that, I see a place to grow fat and old.

Horses.

Yeah. And I see spies shitting themselves.

Yeah!

We'll meet sword with sword!

You are pagans... we have a greater god on our side!

Kjartan, I think we should teach this boy a lesson.

Taking her in.

- At speed! - Pick up the speed!

Why do I leave the villages unprotected

and bring the men inside?

Is that your question?

A village can be rebuilt. A warrior can die only once.

The Danes may be heading south to Eoferwic.

But they will kill whoever they can on the way.

Now, go and find the priest.

Yes, father.

Come in, Osbert. Don't skulk in the shadows.

He, uh, wants to know if you're ready.

Almost.

- Do you know what I'm tasked with? - A letter?

A response to a letter. This letter from king Aella.

Asking your father for his support, his army,

to help recapture the city of Eoferwic.

This is why it's important

for you to be able to read and write.

Father can't read and write.

Well, for your father, it's too late.

King Aella could have sent a man on horseback.

But who is to say that the man on horseback speaks the truth?

Or has remembered the true message?

What these letters will represent is history, facts.

Your father is informing king Aella and king Osbert

he will be alongside their armies at Eoferwic.

And the mark of Bebbanburg will guarantee the truth of it.

- Why do we fight for Eoferwic? - Well, we fight for Eoferwic

because we do not wish to see England, piece by piece,

become Daneland.

I heard it said that we were pagans once.

That wooden and Odin are the same.

We saw the error of our ways, and we look to Rome.

I heard the pagans had fierce gods of war.

Well, we are right and they are mistaken.

Osbert, we are blessed.

I should make you swear on St. Cuthbert's comb

never to mention the likes of wooden again.

But what if I had a hound called wooden?

- What if I did? What would you do then? - Well, you haven't.

You have not. What if you had a pig called Thor?

- Come, let's go see your father. Come. - A pig called Thor.

Horsemen approaching!

He rides Uhtred's horse.

Osbert.

No!

No!

Bury what's left of him.

Osbert, come on.

Remind me of the last words I spoke to him.

You told him to watch, do not fight.

We have no idea of the circumstance...

"do not fight" means do not fight.

He was young.

There was no fight to be had until Eoferwic.

You wanted to see Osbert, my lord.

You.

You are now called Uhtred. Uhtred, son of uhtred.

- You have your stone, the Amber? - Yes, father.

The priest will show you your history and parchments.

Make him understand who he is.

Lord, I should like to baptize him again.

Well, if he arrives at heaven's gate as Uhtred,

they might wonder what's happened to Osbert.

Do what you must. Do as I ask.

Lord.

We were kings here once, boy.

Kings of all the lands between the rivers Tuede and tine.

We should be kings again. Yes, we should.

But it does not matter what they call us, so long as they obey.

Our ancestors took this land,

and it has been strengthened with our blood and bone.

Now you are the new heir of Bebbanburg.

You hear me?

- And you will die for it if needed. - Yes, father.

And I will give you the head of the man

- who killed Uhtred. - No, you are Uhtred!

Have you not been listening to me?!

Do not tell me what it is you will do... you are just a pup!

You will give me nothing!

You will watch, and you will learn!

Put him in the water before his mother's tongue gives me grief.

She's not my mother.

Will you take him with you to battle to watch and learn?

He's old enough.

I need you to choose 30 men to remain here at Bebbanburg.

Protect the boy. He is the heir.

30 will hold and is few enough to feed.

- Will you do this for me? - I'd rather be with you at Eoferwic,

but I'll do as you ask.

Thank you.

Hurry, please.

Heavenly father, receive your servant Uhtred

into the holy kind of saints

and into the ranks of the most bright angels.

Let your holy waters cleanse him

and make him worthy of your blessing.

Make him your instrument and your rod.

Let him realize the significance of the written word

so that he may learn of your glory,

and in turn, may spread your word.

Beo... let him grow in wisdom and in respect

so he may lead in a godly manner...

- Beocca, he's cleanse. - Amen.

Uhtred, son of Uhtred of Bebbanburg...

welcome to the Christian world.

Behold, your people and your land.

- Where are the people and the soldiers? - On the road to Eoferwic,

led by your father,

where they'll join the other two kings of Northumbria.

- With... without me? - You are to remain at Bebbanburg

with your kindly uncle, who's sworn to keep you safe.

Should you wish to fight, we can always arm-wrestle.

- Where's the priest? - With your father. Eat.

You have work to do, Uhtred.

In the stables, thankfully, we've been left some horses.

You should eat.

I'm not hungry.

We have work to do.

Horse shit to shovel.

Come and find me when you've finished.

Scallion, if my brother falls in battle...

The boy must fall.

All this way and no reception party?

- Earl Ragnar. - Guthrum.

- How are you? - I'm fine. I'm hungry.

- And your boy? - He's coming.

Ragnar. Ubba, I brought men and horses.

Good to see you. You're well?

You made a gift of his own son's head.

- How did this lord react? - He did nothing.

He brought his warriors into the fortress, kept them inside.

He's saving his men.

That man is Uhtred, one of the three kings of Northumbria...

a warrior king.

The other two are fools.

They'd rather be fighting each other.

- Is this true? - King Aella and king Osbert...

they, both lay claim to Eoferwic.

They have the strangest of names.

- So, when do we fight? - Soon, I hope.

I'm still to decide.

Fools or not, they have three armies.

They have numbers. But are divided.

Three kings, but only one who can lead them.

This Uhtred.