xvii. tension
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"My father's weakness drew you here as it drew me, he could not hold his lands, so I have put him out of his misery. Your men and woman, to the wall!" Wihtgar shouted down. Lilith rolled her eyes at his annoying voice.
"Go. Be ready." Uhtred ordered.
"Move."
"Have faith. Your father has escaped worse than this." Beocca told Young Uhtred reassuringly.
"Your father stole these lands from me when I was a boy! And he allowed the Scots to ravage them. If you want men to call you the true lord of Bebbanburg...earn it! Come down and fight me like a man!"
"I hold the fortress! I have no need to fight you!" Wihtgar shouted. Lilith narrowed her eyes and would have killed him right then and there had it not been for Sihtric grabbing her wrist.
"Wihtgar! Lord! You do not know me. I was your father's priest. I knew his strength and his flaws, this enmity was of his making. You have settled that! Now, let us make peace. You are cousins! Let this be a new beginning, unite against your common foe together. You can defeat the Scots, and secure the land, for the sake of your children. For all Saxons." Uhtred looks at his son with a tense look.
"You have spent too long in Winchester, priest. And you have forgotten the north. We do not seek peace. You are a stranger here, Uhtred Ragnarson. But I am wiser than my father. I will not leave a rival alive to challenge my birthright or my bloodline. I will kill you, Uhtred." Wihtgar speaks with a smirk as Uhtred looks at his son in worry. "But first...you will watch the death of your boy."
"No!" Uhtred screams. Lilith sucked in a breath in shock, she looked at Sihtric who frowned at the statement.
"And all the fools who follow you to your doom!" Wihtgar continued as he aimed the bow.
"No! Wihtgar! Don't! Finan, drop your swords! Now!" Uhtred commands as he grows more distressed.
"This is the end, Uhtred. Your name will be forgotten." Wihtgar releases the arrow just as Beocca moves in front of him to avoid the death of the boy. Beocca gasped in pain and began to fall back as Finan and Sihtric caught him. Lilith grabbed Young Uhtred and guided him behind her protectively, he fisted her armor as he stayed close.
"Uhtred..." Beocca whispered before dying.
"Beocca!" Uhtred screams in such a gut-wrenching that has Finan looking at him worriedly.
"Make for the ship!" Sihtric shouts as Uhtred begins to fight. Uhtred tried to shake Beocca awake as he cried, but instead took Beocca's cross as Sihtric ushered Young Uhtred and Lilith into the exit stairway.
"Lord!" Sihtric shouts again as they descend the stairs. Osferth fights off some of the guards as they board the ship. "Untie the ship! Osferth, start bailing! Where is Uhtred?" Sihtric speaks as the ship is targeted by Wihtgar.
"They're over there!" Young Uhtred shouted as they saw Finan and Uhtred coming their way.
"We need to go. Now!" Sihtric shouts to them. She tried to comfort Young Uhtred but was failing, he just wanted his father.
"Get going! Go!" Finan jumps on the ship as Uhtred turns to look at Wihtgar with pure hate.
"Lord, we do not have time!" Sihtric yells to his friend.
"Uhtred, hurry! They'll try to sink the bastard boat!" Finan adds frantically.
"Come on, father!" Young Uhtred speaks with fear.
"Ready the oars!"
"Easy!" Sihtric says as he helps row the boat.
"Pull! Pull!" Finan repeats like a mantra as the men, Finan being exempt, row the ship. The men around them grunt under the strain of the angry waves as Uhtred looks back at his fading birthright. Thunder rumbles as lightning lights up the sky. She moved behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, Uhtred glanced back at her with a sad smile.
Once the crew managed to walk to land because Uhtred's bad luck had struck again and left their boat destroyed. Sihtric had grabbed her by the waist and the two of them collapsed to the ground, his face was buried in the crook of her neck as she rubbed his back to soothe his worry. She watched in concern as Uhtred walked away to the hill.
Later, after they had dried off, Finan walked up to the three, Sihtric had fixed up a tourniquet for the monk in their free time. She had placed a hand on Sihtric's back with a reassuring smile, he had been worried about her well-being and with the chance that she was pregnant.
"Bless you, Sihtric." Osferth spoke quietly as Sihtric smiled and helped slip the cloth over his head.
"Blessings," Sihtric turns when he notices Finan. "Where is Uhtred?" He leaned back into her chest as he sighed quietly, she allowed herself a moment of weakness and propped her chin on his shoulder.
"He walks alone."
"I fear his spirit is broken." Osferth mumbled in concern.
"He is Uhtred, he always bounces back." She spoke as she reached out and ruffled the monk's hair.
"The day Uhtred is broken is the day you grow hair down there, Osferth. It'll never come," Sihtric smirks at the joke. "Now, he lost a friend and grieves him...as we all do. He told me we must return south. Well, come on. We'll need horses and provisions for the journey." Finan and the men begin to take off valuables. Sihtric hesitated on his fingers briefly before Finan took off Sihtric's armbands. She loved those.
"But what you can. There's a village behind the ridge. Try not to spend it all on women." Finan spoke with narrowed eyes. Sihtric scoffed and jerked his hand away as he left, she felt a flare of jealousy at the idea of him and another woman. She had already killed one whore for touching his arm, she wasn't above doing it again. Her husband sent her a look for her to behave and she walked away with a tense posture.
Lilith sat next to Sihtric, now that he had returned, as she watched Young Uhtred pray. Uhtred walked past as his boys and Lilith made themselves busy across from them. Sihtric had slipped his hand into hers, as they hid their intertwined hands behind her back.
"Lord, forgive my sins for they are all very grave. Whoever fears you, lord God knows that is your will and you'll show that man just..."
"Stop this nonsense." Uhtred barked in order.
"I pray for Father Beocca." Uhtred froze before walking to his son in bitterness. "Please allow the soul of Father Beocca to rise to heaven—" He was cut off by Uhtred jerking him up roughly.
"Get up! You think he needs your words, hm? Do you think I need them?"
"I know you blame me for his death." The boy shouted as everyone paused.
"Damn." She mumbled and felt Sihtric squeeze her hand.
"I am told your God gives mercy, where is he? Where is he? I've never seen him." Uhtred screamed in distress and sorrow.
"It is not my God that you hate...but the fact that I am not you." Uhtred placed his hand on Young Uhtred's jaw before glancing away and letting go. Finan approached Young Uhtred in concern.
"Are you alright?" She heard Finan question the boy by placing a hand on his neck. She turned to face Sihtric and laid her head on his shoulder, having her husband near her helped her relax. To everyone else, they looked like two close friends finding comfort.
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