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"Lord, the real fight will be you against Aelfric." Finan says as he reaches out to hold her wrist gently.

"Tell me, Beocca...is it the right time? I'm not leading men to defeat?" She shared a worried look with Sihtric and she felt her stomach twist.

"You are not leading men to defeat. The fight will be furious. Men will fall. But I would not encourage you if I thought you would lose. Feel the air here, Uhtred. Feel its cold breath. This is the air you and I were born to breathe. We're meant to be here." Beocca said with such confidence that she felt her insides lurch in guilt.

"Let us see if my blood runs thick...if the signal comes." Uhtred said as he glanced back at Bebbanburg. The guilt of knowing someone would die, the stress of worrying about it, and the anxiety of learning she was with a child had finally gotten to her. She quickly turned out of Finan's hold and vomited over the side of the boat, she felt like such an awful person.

Why does her child get to live at the cost of another? Why is she so special that her child was picked to live over someone here?

Uhtred had rushed over to hold back her hair as she emptied her stomach into the sea, it didn't escape him that his men also moved as if to go to her. He would question that later, as for now, he was worried about his wife.

After she was finished and Uhtred cleaned her up, he moved her to lay in his lap. He rubbed her back softly as she felt the knowledge eat her up inside, she had told him once already that death would follow.

But that was before she knew it was a life hanging in a balance, their child or one of his friends.

Uhtred soothed her anxiety for the moment as he hummed quietly to draw out the tension, he traced runes into her skin, and had she been in a better mood she would have asked their meanings. She was startled briefly when she felt him move and when she glanced up he was taking off his necklace.

He slipped the pendant around her neck, she knew it was meant for protection when in battle and her heart warmed as she raised her hand to trace the detail of the hammer.

"This will keep you and our child safe, Thor will protect you." He said in confidence as she turned to kiss the palm of his hand that cradled her cheek, she smiled when he tapped her nose playfully with his thumb.

Hours later, Uhtred whistled to alert his men.

"Move your arses!" Finan shouts quietly.

"Follow us along the rocks. The rest of you stay here until I call for the ship." Uhtred ordered and hesitated to let go of her when she moved to climb.

"Uhtred, I scaled the windows of Edward's palace. This is just another day for me. And besides, your Gods are protecting me." She said as she showed off the hammer pendant with a soft smile. Uhtred leaned his forehead against hers for a brief moment before kissing her head.

"Just...be careful. I do not want to lose the woman I love and our unborn child to regain Bebbanburg." He said quietly and her heart stopped when he confessed such a thing. She blinked away tears of happiness as she hugged him.

"I love you too, Uhtred. Here," She took off her cross necklace and slipped it around his neck. "This was my mothers, she will protect you as she does for me." Nilsa said and Uhtred couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again by the heartfelt action.

"Which one do you want?" Uhtred asked Finan as they reached their destination. He begrudgingly admired that she climbed the rocks with far more ease than the rest of them.

"That one." Finan said as he used the hilt of his weapon to single out one man.

"All yours." She sighed in confession as they charged at the men and killed them.

"Halt!" The guard shouted but it didn't matter. He died a moment later, Finan waved his arms to signal to them that it was safe.

"Are you there?" Uhtred quietly asks through the bars of the gate.

"Keep this way. Backs against the walls."

"Are you there?" Uhtred tried again and she moved to place a hand on his back in comfort.

"What do we do, lord?" Finan asked.

"Do we lift the gate?"

"It's worth a try." Finan said as he motioned to the men. She moved out of their way as Finan began to count. "Come on! Put your back into it!" He shouts as they groan, she watches as the gate doesn't so much as make a noise.

"Finan, stop. It's too heavy." She taps her husband's arm and points to scattered boulders, she assumed the cliff would break occasionally due to the sea. His eyes lit up in hope and kissed her as he motioned to his men to grab them.

"Get the oars." Uhtred ordered the men, she watched silently as Osferth brought them to Finan.

"In there, Osferth." Sihtric brushed past her to tie them together with the rope, she glanced at Sihtric's fingers and noticed he had managed to get another tattoo on one of them during their travels.

She learned enough from Uhtred to know it meant love, she stumbled back a moment in realization. Uhtred reached for her in worry and she waved him off, Sihtric hasn't had the time to find a woman to love. In fact, he spent all his free time with...

Shit.

Uhtred's men had feelings for her.

She looked at Uhtred in fear as she worried if he knew, he must have. She didn't want to be the reason their bonds would inevitably break, she didn't want to ruin what friendships they had. And she didn't want to be seen as a whore either. She was terrified of how to go about his situation.

"Put your back into it! Come on! It's moving! Come on!" She blinked away the confusion and noticed in her thoughts they had moved the oars to the gate and Finan laid on it as they pushed. "Can you get under it, lord?" Finan questioned as Uhtred unsheathed his sword and began to crawl under it.

She turned away quickly and looked at the sea, if he died she didn't want to witness it.

"Little more."

"Go on, lord!" Finan said. Uhtred makes it through just in time and she sighed in relief when Osferth reached for her to reassure her that Uhtred lived. She watched as Uhtred pulled the rope to open the gate for them.

"He's got it! Yes!" Finan said happily just as a bell rang.

"Is it a trap?" Uhtred questioned as he looked at his friend and wife, she shrugged and Finan smiled.

"Is it a trap we can fight our way out of?" They rush up the stairs and the men kill all the guards they see.

"We move on." Uhtred said as they moved out. Uhtred managed to grab a guard and walked out into the yard with the sword pointed at the man's neck.

"Silence! Only I shall speak."

"Get back!" Finan ordered and followed the Dane. She stayed back with Sihtric and Osferth, both had pushed her behind them protectively.

Uhtred shoved his uncle to his knees as he put the blade to his throat with a proud smirk. She moved her hand to her stomach as she felt ill, the truth of who would die would happen soon enough. A selfish part of her hoped it wasn't her child.