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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." Sigyn frowns as Uhtred gets hit again and if she wasn't forced to stand by Skade she would have pleaded for Ragnar to stop it.

"You are happy with this, Ragnar? You believe this to be a fair fight!" Beocca shouts angrily, she feels relieved someone has said something.

"It's a fight." Ragnar said stiffly.

"He deserves it, kill him! Take his balls!" Brida shouts. Sigyn watched as Finan headbutted a dane and stole his sword to toss Uhtred's way, she hoped Uhtred would Bloodhair and be done with this.

"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, and Skade glares at the man while standing next to her.

"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. Sigyn didn't like the woman too much.

"It is over. It is done, take what belongs to you. Take your witches." Ragnar says and Bloodhair seethes in anger.

"They belong to me!" Bloodhair screams and Osferth moves to her side as if to shield her from the Dane's gaze.

"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, Sigyn smiled when Uhtred shoved the man.

"You ride with me now." Uhtred tells them and helps Skade on her horse as Osferth helps her on her own.

"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 and looked her way at her with a look she could not place. It made chills go down her spine.

"She has never truly belonged to you nor have I. We are not cattle to be claimed." Sigyn shouted at the man, Skade smirked at her as she said so.

"I've tasted your blood! What you see is mine! Ragnar, he cannot be allowed to leave." Bloodhair demands, Sigyn gasps in shock as Brida throws a spear at Uhtred, luckily missing him.

"I didn't mean to miss, next time I won't." Brida threatened.

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

"Does this happen often, Osferth?" She asked softly and the monk cracked a smile.

"It is almost expected, Sig." he said playfully making her laugh. Unbeknownst to her, Skade was watching. And her sister wasn't happy at all, she was seething with rage.

"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. Sigyn watched the woman leave with a soft smile, she liked Thyra.

Somehow, they end up in a nunnery and Sigyn fights the laugh of irony when Skade sneers at the holy relics. They were captured in a church and here they stand in one feasting on their food.

"Your guards are not, lady." Finan said after a moment of chugging down some ale. Osferth nudged her arm softly and motioned to her hair, she hadn't braided it yet and it was messy and frizzy from the cold weather.

"May I?" Osferth asked and she nodded, she wasn't going to deny a chance of any attention he would give her.

"Not what?" Aethelflæd asked and glanced at them with a knowing smile, Sigyn blushed at the look.

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

"It's true." Finan agreed.

"They're good men."

"I'm sure they're loyal but they are not guards." Finan explained.

"They are barely men." Uhtred added and looked over at Sigyn and Osferth with a grin. Skade scowled as she watched the monk braid her sister's hair.

"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.

"Several people, I imagine." The Abbess shot her a disapproving look at her and Osferth but she chose to ignore it.

"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 Sigyn as she left.

"Nor I you, hag!" Skade shouts making the Abbess pause and turn around, Finan giggles next to her.

"I have yet to do anything." Sigyn said with an offended pout. And she felt Osferth pause briefly and she caught his eye when she looked at him, Sihtric chuckled at them when both grew flustered.

"She reminds me of my mother and that woman was never wrong either." Finan says making them laugh. They soon grow alert 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. Sigyn sighs when Skade grabs her wrist harshly, no doubt leaving a bruise.

"I did not count, but many."

"Why aren't they bursting through the door?" Sihtric asked as both he and Osferth watched Skade with a frown.

"Finan, hold. Sihtric, they may not know we're here." Uhtred demanded and the Dane gently squeezed her shoulder as he passed, which pissed Skade off more.

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

"Well, they know someone is here." Osferth replied sarcastically and Sigyn giggled quietly, the monk straightened up from where he sat and wore a shy smile.

"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.