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"They are Danes." Ragnar says as they stand on the peak of the fortress. Revna stood next to Finan and Sihtric as they watched the brothers talk.

"Yes." Cnut answers.

"Definitely. I recognize one of them, two of them." Uhtred says. Revna groaned when she saw Bloodhair was with the group, that hopeless piece of shit should have stayed away.

"Bloodhair, of course." She mumbled drawing Ragnar's attention.

"The Earl Sigurd?" Ragnar asked them.

"Neither are fond of me." Uhtred said and glanced her way.

"For what reason, I wonder?" Cnut mocks and Revna snarls at him, Finan grabs her arm to pull her closer to him and Sihtric.

"Earl Ragnar, I am Hæsten."

"We know who you are. The question is, what do you want?" Ragnar calls down to them.

"Shelter, food, ale, warmth, and negotiation perhaps." He says looking up at the fortress.

"Negotiation? Are we at war?"

"It is what we do, lord. Discussion would be a better word." Hæsten explains with a chuckle.

"You are a long way from Beamfleot, Hæsten." Uhtred shouts suspiciously.

"Uhtred? Believe me, it would be a pleasure to see you here. So it is true, you are no longer Alfred's oathman." Hæsten taunts with a grin.

"It is true and you are still Alfred's oathman?" Revna tensed slightly when Finan placed a hand on her lower back. Being touched gently wasn't something she was used to and it still catches her off guard when both Sihtric and Finan do so.

"He believes so."

"And Earl Sigurd, Bloodhair, what do you have to say?" Ragnar speaks.

"I say we're tired and hungry and my arse is sore."

"You can't refuse them, Ragnar." Brida whispered to him.

"Do you have anything to say to me, Bloodhair?" Uhtred taunted and looked at Ragnar with a grin. "Last time I saw you, you were running for your life."

"Yes, you took what belongs to me. We have that matter to settle."

"It is settled." Uhtred said in reply.

"Can I kill them both?" Revna questioned looking at the intruders below, Sihtric grinned at her when she frowned.

"It can wait, it may even be resolved peacefully." Bloodhair shoots Hæsten a look.

"Brida is right, we cannot refuse them." Uhtred says.

"You leave your swords at the gate. You have our respect." Ragnar demands.

"You will have no argument, I swear."

"Open the gate."

"They are here for one thing only, to speak of war and of Alfred." Uhtred warns the man.

"Lord, Aethelwold." Osferth said gaining their attention. The entire group moves to sit around Ragnar's hall, and everyone is sectioned off with their people. She sits next to Finan who has placed his elbows on the tabletop behind them and his legs are all kicked out, out of retaliation she propped one of her knees on his thigh making him grunt as she shoved him over.

"And I will return south and send Bloodhair's men and ships to the River Ouse. You will follow and together we attack Mercia, we attack Wessex, and we kill Alfred!" Hæsten said from where he stood, the men around them cheered. "I will find the pretty Aethelflæd and we all take our turn with her," He said looking over at Uhtred purposefully. "We count our silver, we go from north to south, east to west, taking everything in our path." Uhtred glares at the Dane.

Revna wanted to strangle the coward.

"And at some point, we begin to fight amongst ourselves and the plan fails." Uhtred spoke bluntly, and Revna agreed with his claim.

"Fight for what reason?"

"Why? Because you say it?" Bloodhair hissed out.

"Because you are all greedy cowards." She interrupted and sent Ragnar a glare when he smirked at her. Finan placed a hand on her knee to soothe her, not that it worked, but she appreciated the thought behind it.

"Because each of you believes himself to be the sword dane above all others, mistakenly. There can only be one leader." Finan pulls her leg farther onto his lap when she turns slightly, her ribs dig into the wood of the bench but she doesn't mind. She propped her arm on the table and laid her hand in his palm with a bored sigh.

"I will lead, I have ships, I have men. I've not grown lazy sitting inside a fortress."

"Are you calling me lazy, Bloodhair?" Ragnar said and placed his cup of ale down.

"I am asking you to join me, Ragnar, as Hæsten has joined me."

"When did I join you? I gave you food, I did not give you my oath." Hæsten said standing up slowly.

"You believe you should lead?" Bloodhair questioned.

"Yes, why not?" Ragnar stands and moves around the room. He moved to Revna's side and she tensed at his presence, she did not want to deal with him right now. Finan squeezed her knee lightly and looked at her and she gave a subtle nod.

"Name your victories." Bloodhair demands getting in Hæsten's face.

"Says the man who lost half his army to a sickly king." Revna chuckled at that and leaned into Finan's arm.

"That is enough shit-talk." Ragnar demanded.

"Next, you'll compare cock sizes." The men around them laugh at Brida's remark, Ragnar moves to Cnut's side once he realizes Revna would continue to ignore him.

"There can only be one leader."

"It must be you, Ragnar." Uhtred says.

"Why because he's your brother?" Bloodhair asked with a scoff, Revna glared at the Dane.

"I believe none of you could lead the army except Uhtred. But that is something that all of you refuse to see." She confessed with a smug grin and felt Bloodhair's burning gaze.

"Because Ragnar's the only man each of us will trust, the only man." Uhtred said and shot Revna a look of warning.

"You do not trust me, dane-slayer?" Cnut asked with a smirk.

"I'd trust Ragnar before I would you. And I do not like him." Revna spoke with a smirk, she watched Ragnar frown.

"Do not know you nor do I like you. But you are Ragnar's cousin."

"It is not about who leads, it is about how the wealth is divided." Aethelwold cuts in.

"We do not talk of wealth until we have it in our hands. Uhtred says that we must become one army, I see no man fool to disagree. You all know of me, you know of my father and my grandfather and I tell you now, I would be proud to lead the next great army. But only if it is agreed by each one of you. In return for your trust, I give you my word when Alfred is defeated, and he will be defeated, there will be silver. But more than that there will be reputation and honor in this life and the next, so who is with me? Bloodhair?" Ragnar questions and watches as Bloodhair stands.

"Yes, I am with you. You have my sword, I swear."

"Hæsten?" Ragnar asked.

"I have no argument, I too will follow." He says.

"And me, cousin, always but you knew that." Cnut interjected.

"And me. I am a man who knows every Saxon grudge and grievance held against Alfred, and there are many. You will need me." Aethelwold said with cockiness.

"That leaves Uhtred." Brida says.

"And Revna." Ragnar cuts in looking right at her.

"My sword is my brothers, no doubt." Finan looks worried.

"Why me? I have no army." She questioned not trusting the man's intentions.

"You know why."

"My answer is no. I will be on the opposite side of this war, even if it was with Alfred himself. You are nothing to me, Ragnar." She snarled with a vicious glare, Sihtric reached out to grab her shoulder when he realized like a snake coiled she was about to lunge at the Dane.

"And your brother?" Ragnar cut in glancing at them.

"We might be at war, lord. But we would never fight one another, even on opposite sides." Sihtric spoke and squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

"Then it is settled. The kingdom of Wessex will surrender or burn." Ragnar announced as the men around them cheered and laughed.

"We cannot go against the men of Wessex." Osferth said.

"Be quiet." Finan hissed out as he turned around, his shoulder knocking into hers.

"They're our people Finan, our friends."

"Osferth, be quiet." Finan snapped and Revna didn't realize how close they were until she glanced at him.