xii. double the fight

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"You dirty bastards," Finan shouts. "Come on, lord. Get his shield! Come on! Christ, if you want to play that game." Revna glares at Ragnar for what he has done.

"You are happy with this, Ragnar? You believe this to be a fair fight!" Beocca shouts angrily.

"It's a fight." Ragnar said stiffly. While everyone was focused on Uhtred he grabbed her wrist to speak with her, Revna snarled at him and unsheathed her dagger to place at his throat.

"You will unhand me."

"I will not. We need to speak." He replied and a part of her wanted to rip out his heart and feast on it in victory. "You claim you hate me but you have kept the gift." He holds up her free wrist where the leather band and wooden charm were that he made her as children.

"You believe what? That I kept it because I was hopelessly in love with you? Grow up, Ragnar. I kept it as motivation to not forget my past life." She ripped her hand out of his grasp and noticed Sihtric was slowly moving this way, she turned away just as he shouted after her drawing everyone's attention including the two fighting.

"If had accepted my offer as children none of this would have happened, you would have been my wife and we could rule Wessex." Revna paused and scoffed in disbelief.

"You are blaming me for what my father had done? I was a child! I did not want you as a husband nor did I want to be sold. How dare you claim it was my fault!" She sneered in disgust at the very sight of him, she ripped the band from her wrist and threw it into the flames. "I loved you like a friend, Ragnar, nothing more. I am not that person anymore. I have been raped, tortured, and starved, and I have killed and burned four villages to the ground in Frankia just to get back to my brother. You do not know what that feels like and you never will." She hissed fighting back angry tears, Ragnar pulled her into a hug and she started to fight against him, she slammed her head back and broke his nose dead on.

"I believe she told you not to touch her." Sihtric said pulling his sister close to him and Finan, he linked their pinkies together as he watched Uhtred's brother cautiously.

"Stay out of this." Ragnar demanded as he wiped away the blood flowing from his nose, Brida glared at Revna with unconcealed anger.

"You should stay out of this, lord." Finan snapped and was ready to kill anyone who attempted anything with Revna. The fight resumes with Ragnar's order and she can feel his gaze on her, Finan moves his hand to the back of her head to see if she feels any pain and she waves him off softly.

"It's alright, Fin." She reassured the Irishman who didn't look convinced but nodded anyway.

"He deserves it, kill him! Take his balls!" Brida shouts. Finan moves to headbutt a dane and steals his sword to toss Uhtred's way.

"What is it with the two of you using your heads as weapons?" Sihtric asked quietly making Osferth chuckle lightly.

"We have thick skulls, I suppose." She answered with a small smile.

"Take his legs off Uhtred, lord here. His shoulder!" Uhtred starts to kick Bloodhair's ass making Finan shout happily. "Yes, lord!" Uhtred goes to kill him when Ragnar harshly shoves the man down.

"It's over."

"No, it's not over until he's dead." Bloodhair screams as he stands up.

"I say it is over."

"I demand my women." Bloodhair shouts pointing to her and Skade. Revna pulled into Finan's chest as he wrapped an arm around her waist, she hated that he knew what she was about to do. She wasn't going to kill everyone, just Ragnar and Bloodhair. She slumped into his arms with a huff making him chuckle into her ear.

"I will not lose one single man before the true battle has begun."

"It was to the death." Uhtred claims.

"If you disagree with me then fight me." Ragnar snapped and moved to Uhtred.

"Kill him, Ragnar. And be done with it." Brida snarled with anger.

"How about I kill you both?" She snapped not liking the broken expression Uhtred wore.

"It is over. It is done, take what belongs to you. Take your witch and whore." Ragnar says and Bloodhair seethes in anger. Sihtric unsheathed his sword at the insult, no one was allowed to call his sister names.

"They belong to me!" Bloodhair screams and Osferth pushes Sihtric back to avoid any more fighting.

"I shall see you across the battlefield, no doubt. I will kill you." Ragnar warned.

"Leave while you're still alive. Alfred needs his ass to be wiped." Brida taunted but Uhtred did not reply as they followed Uhtred to the horses.

"Enjoy your prize." Cnut mocked as Uhtred cut Skade's bindings, and Uhtred shoved the man.

"You ride with me now." Uhtred helps Skade on her horse as Revna gets onto her own. She shoots those around them a cold glare that makes Cnut frown.

"Skade, he must remain cursed, it is your duty!" Bloodhair demands.

"He has defeated you, twice over. I belong to Uhtred now." Skade claimed with a wicked smile.

"She can choose who she wants, Bloodhair." Revna added with a smirk.

"I've tasted your blood! What you see is mine! Ragnar, he cannot be allowed to leave." Bloodhair demands just as Brida throws a spear and misses.

"I didn't mean to miss, next time I won't." Brida threatened and shot her a glare when Revna laughed at her attempt.

"The gates, now. Let us be rid of them." The group rode off into the snowy terrain, she rode next to Sihtric as Finan and Skade flanked Uhtred's horse.

"What he said to you is not true, Rev. Father selling you would have happened either way, the only difference would have been you in a marriage you did not want." Sihtric spoke making her nod and hold out her hand for his, her little brother immediately grasped it with a smile.

"Thank you." She whispered and squeezed his hand.

"This is where we must leave you. There's a ship waiting at Eoferwic, Alfred will be wondering where we are." Beocca says and looks at Uhtred with Thyra following along.

"Alfred will know exactly where you are." Uhtred replied.

"Yes, you that is most likely. Do not get yourself killed until Aethelflæd is safe." Beocca demands.

"That would be unfortunate." Uhtred agrees with a smile.

"It would and I would have had a wasted journey. Aethelflæd is important to the king and to all Saxons. After she is safe, what then?" He asked the Dane.

"Fate will decide." Uhtred leans over to pat the priest on the back.

"Uhtred, you are my brother. And you shall always be my brother." Thyra speaks softly and then rides after Father Beocca leaving Uhtred stunned.

They end up in a nunnery with Aethelflæd and Revna chose to sit between Sihtric and Finan as they ate, but she quickly regretted that.

"Your guards are not, lady." Finan said after a moment of chugging down some ale.

"Not what?" Aethelflæd asked and glanced at her with a kind smile. Revna nodded back to her and drank some ale.

"They're not guards. Their swords are trinkets." Sihtric said with a smirk as Revna laughed.

"It's true." Finan agreed as he tossed an arm over her shoulders, she accepted her fate by figuring it would be easier to give in and not fight it.

"They're good men."

"Maybe, but I could kill them all with a rock before they even see me coming." Revna spoke and leaned forward to prop her elbows on the table, Skade shot her an amused smile.

"I'm sure they're loyal but they are not guards." Finan said agreeing with her. "How do you kill three men with a rock and they not notice?" Finan asked with curiosity.

"A warrior does not tell their secrets." She said instead with a smug smile, Sihtric cackled next to her as Finan sulked.

"They are barely men." Uhtred added and looked over at them with fake annoyance.

"I do not like you, young man. You have a very high opinion of yourself." Aethelflæd smiled at the Abbess.

"I am heathen, I am godless and an enemy of Alfred. But I will keep you all safe." Uhtred told the holy woman.

"And who is it that wishes me dead?" The elder woman asked them. Revna and Finan grinned at one another as he spoke.

"Several people, I imagine."

"What Uhtred is saying, is that the lands are changing. Men are becoming sick with greed and we must all be on our guard." Aethelflæd explains.

"Well, perhaps. But I know when I am hearing half-truths. I do not like him." The abbess scoffs at him. "And I like them even less." She replied motioning to Skade and Revna as she left.

"Nor I you, hag!" Skade shouts making the Abbess pause and turn around, Finan giggles next to her, and Revna cannot help but smile at the sound.

"She reminds me of my mother and that woman was never wrong either." Finan says making them laugh.

A couple of hours later, they sit at the table when the Abbess runs in with the nuns in panic, she boards up the door and turns to them.

"What is it?" Uhtred asked.

"Abbess?"

"Danes, outside. I just witnessed them kill a man." The woman said quickly and terrified.

"How many Danes?" Finan asked as the men stood alert and unsheathed their swords.

"I did not count, but many."

"Why aren't they bursting through the door?" Sihtric asked standing next to Revna.

"Finan, hold. Sihtric, they may not know we're here." Uhtred ordered.

"They have asked for the lady Aethelflæd." The Abbess says.

"Well, they know someone is here." Osferth replied sarcastically.

"There are two other hostages."

"We wait inside and will remain silent. Abbess, you will go to them and talk to them." Uhtred ordered and the Abbess began to panic.

"No, no. I...I...I will not."

"Yes, you will because you must." Uhtred insisted.

"Did I not say I did not like you?"

"You did. Allow them to believe you are unprotected and deny Aethelflæd is here." Uhtred explains.

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