East Anglia, 879
It was early in the morning at Beteleah Farm. Eivor Varinsdottir and her husband the newly dethroned King of East Anglia were sound asleep in their cottage bed until the sound of a sheep baa-ing got their attention. It was a little lamb who was thin and surprisingly small for it's breed and age. Some could say it almost looked mal-nourished.
"Baaa Baaa" The sheep bleated in front of Oswald and Eivor coming up to their bed in the little cottage
Eivor woke up with a stir looking towards Oswald not realising there was a little lamb standing in the background behind her. She chuckled half asleep punching Oswald in the arm
"Talking to the sheep in your sleep are you. We haven't been here long and your already sheep fucking even in your sleep" she giggled teasing him
Oswald frowned back at her and her jest. Not funny. He looked back behind his wife only to see the little lamb behind her.
"Look behind you. There's a little lamb. It wasn't me who made that noise. It was the little foal behind us" he said frowning and pointing in confusion at Shaun
Eivor turned around frowning in confusion only to see the little lamb in front of her.
"Baaa" Shaun said looking at Eivor and Oswald.
Eivor sat up in Suprise, picking Shaun up with her arms.
"Oh no Little one. How did you get in here? Shouldn't you be in the barn outside with your flock and family?" she asked stroking Shaun's head gently as he stared into Eivor
"Baaaa" was all Shaun said looking urgently around him and sounding urgent. His legs were flailing like he wanted Eivor to put him down.
"Eivor Put him down. He's trying to tell us something" Oswald interrupted Eivor from behind
Eivor nodded as she gently placed Shaun back into the hay floor of their bedroom. With a frenzied bleat, Shaun took off with his four legs and ran off.
"Hey!" Eivor yelled after him, getting up and trying to see where he was going.
"We must go after him, make sure he is alright" Oswald said getting up to move as well
They followed Shaun as he led them away from the cottage and into a nearby barn. Inside was a chubby Mother sheep who was panting and heaving heavily and a herd of terrified sheep all squashed together hiding in the cramped space.
"Dear Heavens. She's pregnant and in labour" Oswald said his hands on his hair
"Pregnant?" Eivor asked in Surprise. "How does that explain them then?" she pointed to the rest of Shaun's family and his flock.
"Someone must have driven them out. They look utterly terrified. Stay here with the Mother and the foal and the flock, I'll go investigate" Oswald ordered her sternly
Oswald left the barn and Eivor to watch over the herd and the young sheeplings. He crossed the grass opposite Betleah. He could smell the foulest stench of a slaughter in the air. He looked on the ground near to him and he found that he was right. A dozen pigs were strewn on the ground dead with flies buzzing around its corpse.
He scanned the field further, no sign of any farmers or anyone. In that moment he figured out that the sheep must have previously lived nearby the pigs and had wandered into their farmstead in search of safety. After seeing their fellow friends the pigs get slaughtered. By Whom? It was unknown. Perhaps Eivor would know more on this. He remembered her and her tracking skills that she had learnt from Petra the Hunter back at Ravensthorpe. He decided enough was enough and it was time to head home to report back to his wife on what he just saw.
Oswald walked back into the barn where Eivor was desperately trying to calm down the intense bleating coming from the flock as the Mother sheep was still in pain due to her being in labour.
"Relax. Your Mother is fine. There is no need to panic" She told the flock as they started crowding and bleating round her panickedly.
"Let me handle this. I have experience taming sheep. I know what to do" Oswald said coming towards Eivor
Eivor sighed in relief. It was only her third day at the farm and already it was taking its toll on her. She wasn't bred for this farm life unlike Oswald despite how hard she tried to adapt to it for his sake.
Oswald knelt down towards the pregnant Mother sheep stroking her and soothing her.
"Shhhh You're alright. You're safe in here with me" he told her "We're going to get your baby out safely . Everything will be alright" He soothed her
The sheep and Eivor watched as Oswald was stroking and soothing the Mother sheep.
The bleating from the flock eventually stopped. And so did the sound from the Mother sheep. She was still heaving and panting but not so much and as loudly as she was before. The panicked bleats from everyone had stopped.
"Is everything alright now, is the baby still coming out?" Eivor asked Oswald concerned about it being quiet so sudden
"Yes. Everything is fine for now. But she will still give birth soon. She's hungry and needs nutrients. That was what the bleating was. Could you heat some milk for her and get some blankets from our cottage?" Oswald asked her
"Sure" Eivor smiled at Oswald.
"Thank you dear" he said squeezing her arm before he turned around to the flock once again
Eivor went back into the kitchen and lighted up the fire as she got some milk and placed it in the cauldron. She sighed as she watched the milk warm up and the smoke rise up inside the cottage. Life had changed so much since she moved away from Ravensthorpe and into this little farmstead with Oswald sometimes she wasn't used to it. She had been so used to carrying weapons with her that it felt weird to be unarmed and to be living a simple, humble life free from battle and complications. It was weird wearing a dress too. She had been so used to wearing Armour and trousers that it felt odd to be girly. Even at her wedding with Oswald she had refused to wear a gown preferring to stick to her Raven Clan clothes but now her lifestyle had changed including her outfits. It was time to get used to it.
The milk was done , so she headed into the bedroom to pick up a blanket for the Mother sheep. She carried the bowl and the blanket back into the barn where Oswald and the flock still were.
"Thank you" he said looking up at her as she passed him the milk and the blanket
"No problem" Eivor beamed back at him.
She watched as Oswald put the bowl of milk up to the Mother sheep's lips "Here you go, drink you need this for you and your baby" he gently spoke to her
"Baaa" The mother sheep bleated before taking a sip of the milk before gurgling and burping
Eivor and Oswald chuckled at the sight of the Mother sheep burping in front of them. It was cute and adorable.
"She likes it" Eivor noted with a chuckle
"She does" He grinned back at her
Eivor's heart beat and swelled at the sight of his laugh and how he treated the sheep. It touched her. She always knew Oswald was a kind and gentle man since the beginning but seeing him with the sheep, it was touching and sweet. Her heart burst with more love for him. The moment was cut short when a distressed bleat came from the Mother sheep.
"Eivor! Pass me the blanket. She's about to give birth. The baby is coming out!" Oswald instructed Eivor springing into action
The flock around then started panickedly bleating around them again. Eivor threw the blanket at Oswald as he started to hold the Mother's sheep legs away from each other so there would be space when the baby came out.
Eivor turned to the flock once again in an attempt to shush and calm them. "Your Mother is in Safe hands. You are all safe don't worry" she said as they all bleated and cried around her
The Mother sheep grunted and bleated in pain as it kept pushing.
"Go on. You can do it" Oswald encouraged the Mother sheep as he stroked her head
With a painful and bleated scream from the Mother sheep, a little baby foal came out.
The bleating from the other sheep stopped as they all turned to look at the foal in awe and so did Eivor.
Oswald gently cradled the foal in his arms as he put the blanket over it.
"A little male foal. I can't believe it" he said quietly in disbelief.
Eivor turned around to look at the little bundle in Oswald's arms. The little foal turned to look at Eivor with it's little eyes and their eyes met. In that moment of eye contact, Eivor fell in love with it all at once. Her heart swelled and beat with so much love for it. She carefully reached out Stroking it's little head as it stared at her with innocent eyes.
"Baaa" The foal let out a tiny little bleat as it stared into Eivor
"Awww" Eivor's heart melted and she felt the urge to cry at how cute he was. However she stopped herself she wouldn't be seen crying over a baby sheep. She still had that warrior toughness inside of her.
"Welcome little one" Oswald chuckled at it.
"We need a name. What are we going to name it?" Eivor asked
"Timmy. A perfect name for our adorable little fighter" Oswald smiled
"And what about this one?" she said, picking up Shaun. "What will his name be?"
"Shaun. A perfect name for the big brother. They are our family now. Our Children now. And they will be safe with us here in this home. I will make sure of that. They been through hell and back and it's the least that they deserve" he smiled proudly coming up to the flock and stroking their heads as they all turned to look at their new savouir
Eivor smiled and nodded. "They will be. And this is our home now" she said walking up and squeezing Oswald's hands.
They walked out of the barn leaving the sheep to rest after a long and exhausting day.
A few days later... Early afternoon - East Anglia 879
"This is your new home now. Where you are free to eat , play and do whatever you like without fear or any restrictions" Oswald said to the sheep as he prepared to open the barn door onto the field
"Baaaa Baaaa!" With an excited bleat, the flock ran out onto the front garden of Betleah
"Wait Wait Hold up!" Oswald yelled running after them as Eivor watched on, chuckling . What had happened to his sheep-herding skills ? Had he forgotten everything when he became king. He clearly had the flock everywhere it was shambles.
"No No No Shirley, you can't eat that!" Oswald ran over in panic trying to stop Shirley from chewing the bucket "That's the toilet! We'll have nothing to pee on !"
Eivor chuckled, clapping Oswald on the back. "First day, and the flock are out of control and running riot aren't they?"
"Yes. It seems so. I don't blame them, they were cooped up in the barn too long. It's only fair that we let them run around a bit" he shrugged
Eivor shook her head, chuckling as she wrapped her arms around Oswald's waist looking at a slightly grown up Timmy running and playing with Shaun and their Mother.
"They'll always be our little troublemakers. But I wouldn't change our little family for the world" She chuckled, smiling at him. As they watched on.
Author's Note: I just had to write a crossover story with AC and Shaun the sheep after Oswald moves into a farm and takes on sheep-herding as post King. Shaun the Sheep was a massive part of my childhood so it would only be right to feature him in this. And Timmy. Timmy is so cute and adorable. How could Eivor and Oswald turn him down?
More on Oswald and his sheep family on Oswald's facebook page. Link is here . ?id=100083778685791 Feel free to follow if you want more updates on Oswald and his sheep family ;) Baaa Baaa !