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"We have a message from Mercia." Bloodhair announced and Cnut turns to him. She stands next to her father with a hand on the hilt of her sword, she trusted none of them.

"What's this?"

"We have a message from the Dane-slayer." Bloodhair answered and shoved the Saxon forward. She noticed Sihtric was observing the scene as she was with distrust, there was something about him that she couldn't place her finger on. She didn't believe his story.

"Uhtred, sent you?" Brida asked in doubt.

"He did, lady." The Saxon man spoke.

"And his message is what?" Cnut questioned as he placed a hand on Brida's shoulder.

"He says he will come for you, lord. For all of you, in the night, as a shadow walker. He says you will die, as Ragnar died. He says he will send you all to Niflheim." The Saxon spoke with fear as she smirked in amusement.

"I say, let him come." Bloodhair speaks loudly and looks around him. Skade scowled at Lilith when she blew her a mocking kiss, Lilith hoped she could kill the bitch soon.

"Yes."

"Feed his guts to Odin's ravens." Skade snarled as she looked at Bloodhair.

"I'll make a sacrifice of the Saxon bastard." Bloodhair promised the seer.

"You should have done that at Fearnham." Hæsten spoke but not loud enough as he looked away.

"I hear a rat's wheeze." Lilith cackled at that and noticed Bloodhair smirking.

"I said, if you wished to make a sacrifice of Uhtred, you should have done it at Fearnham, but you chose to run." Hæsten snarled as Skade watched smugly.

"Hæsten, no." Cnut ordered.

"Mind how you speak."

"Oh, you fled, did you not run away?" Hæsten taunted.

"Are you doing this now, Hæsten? I will cut your tongue out before you lay a hand on my father." She threatened and moved to stand in front of Bloodhair.

"Bloodhair, say nothing." Cnut demanded and then looked at her in annoyance.

"I lost men in battle. You were fool enough to lose men in a fortress." Bloodhair snapped at the blonde.

"Though, I managed to keep hold of my woman." Hæsten spoke smugly.

"Shut your mouth!"

"Shall I show you how I bed her?" Hæsten placed his hands on Skade's shoulders making Lilith look away in disgust.

"Shut your mouth!" Hæsten chuckled.

"Come on, come on Bloodhair! I'll be gentle, come to Hæsten. And I will whelp some pups on you or maybe I should be going for your daughter." Hæsten taunted purposely humiliating the man and Bloodhair snarled at the threat.

"We make the square, you and I!" Bloodhair demanded. Lilith sighed at the childish display and moved away from the quarreling men.

"Bloodhair, no! Enough of this!" Cnut shouted.

"Do you want me to hump you in the square, Bloodhair?"

"We fight! We fight now!" She glanced at Sihtric when he acted grabbed Bloodhair.

"If this is what you want, then yes." Dagfinn grabbed Hæsten.

"Fight me!"

"Hæsten, no more!" Cnut shouted as he watched the two men.

"I'll cut your heart from your chest!" Bloodhair threatened.

"Prepare."

"I'm ready! I'm ready!" Bloodhair snarls and cuts the throat of the Saxon man.

"We will make the square, then." Cnut said and he tossed his hands up defeated. She watched Skade follow Bloodhair into his tent and Lilith walked away to avoid ripping the blonde to shreds.

"Come on! Come on!" Danes cheer as Hæsten motions for them to urge him on.

"Valhalla awaits one man. Are you ready then? Begin!" Cnut shouts and moves to watch them fight. She was in her tent sharpening her blade as she listened to the chants, she would have stayed if not for her nose bleeding. It only bleeds when death is ready to claim someone from her family and she only has a father.

"No." She whispered and shook her head rapidly when she noticed the dark shadow move to the crowd. "Please, no."

Anyone but her father.

She shoved her way through the crowd and watched in confusion when Bloodhair went in for the fatal blow but suddenly froze and groaned, Sihtric noticed and looked at her. Brida looks over at Cnut and Sihtric with a worried glance.

Lilith followed her father's gaze and noticed Skade was biting and sucking her fingers seductively as she gazed down at Bloodhair. Hæsten wounded the man with his distraction and she watched as he kneeled before the blonde witch.

"Forgive me, Tilly." Bloodhair whispered as he looked at her and she felt the darkness caress her skin as Bloodhair attempted to attack Skade. Skade jabs two daggers into his throat with a wicked smile. She fights against the Danes holding her and when they do not loosen their grip she grabs her dagger and rips out their throats. She kneels next to Brida as she wraps his hand around his axe, allowing the anger to control her she looks at Skade.

"You bitch! I am going to kill you!" Skade backs away with a flash of fear and Hæsten orders men to grab her. She cut off one man's arm and another man's head altogether, she points her sword at the blonde cunt.

"If Uhtred doesn't kill, I will." She snarled with promise and Hæsten placed his sword at her neck.

"Not if I slit your throat, whore." Hæsten claimed and grinned smugly and before she could utter another word, Sihtric had unsheathed his dagger from behind the man and reached around to hold it against his throat.

"Shall we see who is faster?" Sihtric spoke with a small smirk. He made eye contact with Lilith and a look of understanding flashed in her eyes.

He was a spy. He played them.

She laughed hysterically at that, the Danes around them moved back in fright. She was sure a bloody and laughing woman was not something they saw often. Hæsten moved his sword away slowly, he scowled at her when she slapped him as hard as she could with a grin and grunted when Sihtric shoved him into Skade.

"We will bury him, as a warrior. He is feasting in the great halls with our fathers. Bury him." Cnut shouted and looked at his men.

"When Uhtred reclaims Skade, I will follow. She will die." She said to Sihtric as she leaned in close, the Dane nodded subtly.

At nightfall, Skade, Lilith, and Sihtric move behind a tent as he unchained the seer's ankles. Lilith told the Dane to keep them on, so that she may hang her from them. He didn't find it funny. The three quickly go to the tree where Uhtred waits for them.

"I knew you'd come for me, lord. I am ready." Skade says as she moves closer to him. Lilith and Sihtric looked at one another with disgust.

"I am ready."

"I'm ready." She says again and kisses him, Sihtric and Lilith look away in disgust and give the couple the nastiest side eye they could.

"Skade can you hear me!" Hæsten shouts in the distance.

"It is Hæsten. Kill him now. Kill him for me." Skade demanded as Uhtred pulled her away from the tree.

"Not now. Run!" Uhtred orders.

"He is here, lord! Uhtred is here!" Dagfinn shouts in alarm.

"Uhtred, run!" Finan shouts as they run past the camp.

"There are ships on the river."

"To the river! Sihtric, you lead!" She runs next to Sihtric until they reach the docks, Sihtric runs ahead to alert the men.

"We are under attack! Hæsten says to ready the ships. Now! Untie them now!" Sihtric orders urgently.

"Come on." Finan says as they run out and kill the men. She stood back to watch Skade and fought the urge to strangle her.

"Sihtric, the boat!" They all climb onto a boat as Finan barks out orders. "Make sure it doesn't list, lads!" Uhtred pushes the boat to get some distance and jumps onto it.

"Prepare the oars, ready the oars!"

"And pull!" Uhtred demanded.

"Pull! Pull! Pull and pull!"

"Archers, quickly!" Hæsten shouts as they notch the bows.

"Pull! Pull! Pull like a darn slave! Pull and pull!" Finan shouts as they row away from Hæsten who glares at Uhtred and Skade.