Anxiety is classified as a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive worry and apprehension, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic. Uhtred is repeatedly shown with compulsive behavior towards the Danes: "'All winter, my boy, our traders have been in Mercia...' Kill the traders, I thought. Why did I think this way? I liked Ragnar. I loved him more than my father. I should, by rights, be dead... he called me a Dane, and I loved Danes, but even then I knew I wasn't Danish. Uhtred doesn't know why he has these thoughts, it could be a basic act of patriotism towards his homeland, but the author claims that he doesn't know why he thinks this way. Given that he recently witnessed his father's death at the hands of the Danes, this could be an early sign of anxiety in his country.