The Great Heathen Army has fractured Wessex, leaving King Alfred a fugitive in the marshes of Athelney. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, though bound by oath to the pious King, finds himself trapped in a literal and metaphorical swamp of despair.
Are you interested in the of the Athelney marshes? The Last Kingdom Season 1 - Episode 6
The episode opens with the weight of defeat. Alfred’s court is reduced to a handful of bedraggled loyalists hiding in the reeds. The air is thick with mist and the smell of rot. Uhtred, ever the man of action, chafes under Alfred’s insistence on prayer as a weapon. While the King seeks divine intervention, Uhtred seeks fire and steel. The Great Heathen Army has fractured Wessex, leaving
Uhtred, meanwhile, ventures out with Leofric. They realize that if they stay hidden, they die. They begin a campaign of guerrilla warfare, striking Viking supply lines and burning their fleet at Cynuit. It is here that Uhtred’s dual identity becomes his greatest asset; he knows the Viking mind better than any Saxon. The episode opens with the weight of defeat