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Once Osferth and Uhtred followed the man to find their monks, she sent Sihtric a silent look and motioned to the door with her head. Sihtric's eyes darkened in lust and she had to physically hold back a moan. She was gonna be sore after this but it would be worth it.

"Finan, we are going to scout the area. I do not have a good feeling." She mumbled, it wasn't completely a lie. She didn't like this place. She grabbed his cup of ale and chugged it down before kissing Finan's head.

"Do not kill anyone else, please." He begged as she walked away, Sihtric following behind like the good husband he was.

"I do not see any trees," Sihtric teased and she scoffed as she shoved him. Sihtric chuckled at her embarrassment and reached out to trail his fingers up her spine. "Where should we do it this time, my love? The stables? Here against the building? No, you would enjoy that too much," She gasped when he slid his around her and jerked her back against his chest as his lips grazed her ear. "And no one shall see you as I do, you are mine."

She sunk her nails into his arm as he nipped at her throat, she tossed her head back to allow him more access and shivered in pleasure. Only he had the power to make her feel fragile, to feel the urge to submit to him.

"We do not have many options, husband." She said with a smirk. She reached back to palm him and felt smug knowing she had gotten him this hard by just existing. She turned in his hold and slid her hands up his armored chest with a sly smile, she pulled him down for a kiss before pulling away from him completely.

She nearly laughed when he whined and reached for her, she grabbed him by the hammer pendant and led him into the nearest abandoned room, it was almost laughable how he slipped from the dominant persona and into a state of submission just from the one simple action.

Finan and the couple soon join them at night as they watch the two monks leave the tavern as if they had not been whipped. She was sore in the best kinda of way, Sihtric had ravished her and she worried that the amount of bodily fluids on the bed would never come out. She noted that grabbing him by his necklace was a major turn-on for him and it got him all worked up, she would definitely use that in the future.

"Traveling overnight, all that way in a saddle with a red raw ass, a good thing they like pain." Finan mumbled and she had to fight back an inappropriate joke about her and Sihtric.

"It takes six days to get to Bebbanburg on the coast road."

"They'll get there before Ascension." Finan said and smirked when Uhtred looked at him funny.

"I'm a good Christian boy, lord." Finan said and she shoved the Irishman softly as she laughed.

"You should not ride before them. The rocks around Bebbanburg do not treat ships kindly." Finan turned around and his smile dropped from his face.

"So, we wait here and enjoy the atmosphere." Finan says as they hear the murmuring of men. As Uhtred walks away to speak with his son privately, Finan leans over to speak with Osferth.

"Three pieces of silver says he runs home." Osferth and Finan shake on it and she huffed out a laugh.

"Lord! All right, come on!" Finan shouts as the men move closer to them. Uhtred urged them to walk away as they headed for their boat.

Later that night, Finan climbs the rocky terrain, he grunts softly as he looks out at Bebbanburg. She shared a look with Sihtric as he sensed her unease, she didn't like when the two men she loved put themselves in danger willingly.

She couldn't mourn another father. And she refused to mourn a husband. She would do everything in her power to keep them alive.

"Hard to tell! Maybe forty helmets!" He yells down from above.

"Then he has put all his men on the ramparts to make it look like he has more!" Uhtred said with a grin.

"He was always a cunning one." Beocca said.

"Still two against one." Osferth mumbled next to Sihtric. She squeezed his arm to comfort him, the monk sent her a smile in return.

"We're twice as good." Sihtric said with a proud smile as he leaned into her shoulder.

"Yeah, keep saying it, it becomes true." Osferth said bitterly.

"We don't need to slaughter 'em all, just hold 'em off." Finan said with a grin.

"Lord, the real fight will be you against Aelfric." Finan said as he looked at them.

"Tell me, Beocca...is it the right time? I'm not leading men to defeat?" Uhtred turned to Beocca with hesitation.

"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.

"Let us see if my blood runs thick...if the signal comes." Uhtred said as he glanced back at Bebbanburg.

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 the group.

"Which one do you want?" Uhtred asked Finan as they reached their destination. She sulked next to Sihtric when she wasn't asked, she loved killing men. It was her thing after all. She brushed his hand against hers and used his pinkie to caress her palm.

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

"All yours."

"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.

"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."Come on! Put your back into it!" He shouts as they groan, they watched as the gate doesn't so much as make a noise.

"Finan, stop. It's too heavy." Uhtred turned and noticed some boulders.

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

"In there, Osferth." Sihtric moved and began to tie the rope around the top of the oars. She had to look away when she remembered just where those fingers were not long ago, Sihtric sent her a smirk as if he knew what she had thought about.

"Put your back into it! Come on! It's moving! Come on!" 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.

"Little more."

"Go on, lord!" Finan said. Uhtred made it through just in time and they sighed in relief.

"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.

"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. She wished they had more time, she would have made a game out of it with Sihtric.

"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. Uhtred shoved his uncle to his knees as he put the blade to his throat with a proud smirk.

"Do you know who I am, hm? I am the true lord of Bebbanburg! And I am taking it back. I have no fight with you. Only this man is doomed. Are you happy to see me, uncle? Huh? I have waited a lifetime to avenge myself. I will enjoy taking my time with you! Mm. No one else will suffer if you swear loyalty. None of you are my enemies, you are men of Bebbanburg. And, as lord of Bebbanburg, I will provide for and protect you. And this cruel shit, who had hated you and mistreated you, will die. I've come home, swear to me and you will have my oath. Aidan...you remember me? Who has your allegiance?" Uhtred said smugly.

"I am loyal to the true heir of Bebbanburg." Aidan said.

"Good." Uhtred said with a smirk.

"Bear witness all, the true heir of Bebbanburg!" Aidan points up where Wihtgar rests, he holds a crossbow pointed straight at Uhtred.

"Who are you, boy?" Uhtred shouted.

"Wihtgar, son of Aelfric. Very much alive and back at Bebbanburg. Flesh and blood. And I could kill you with this arrow in a heartbeat." Wihtgar threatened.

Why can't anything pertaining to Uhtred be easy?

"You can try. The arrow would miss."

"Then you know nothing of the weapons of the desert." Wihtgar taunted with a proud smirk.

"Put down the bow. Put down the bow!"

"You've lost everything, Osbert." Aelfric taunted making Uhtred distracted.

"I won't tell you again, put down the bow!" Uhtred flinched in shock when an arrow was suddenly impaled in his uncle's eye. He looked up at Wihtgar who looked smirked.

Uhtred's men ready themselves for battle as Wihtgar looked out at the men of Bebbanburg, plus his mercenaries.

"A son does not always love a father. Learn from that, fool. Now, who's with me?" Wihtgar shouted as his men cheered. "Who is with Wihtgar of Bebbanburg?" Men cheer once more.

"Get ready! Get ready to fight!" Finan shouted.