╚════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*════════╝

"Edward is not the aetheling, the crown cannot be assumed." Aethelwold cut in.

"Then what Alfred is asking for is my life."

"Just your loyalty to Edward." Beocca says as Uhtred grows more restless.

"No. Uhtred is not a dog for him to command, tell that cunt of a king to find a new dane to control." Gene snapped and Uhtred gave her a small smile. Sihtric rubbed her back to calm her down and pulled her close to him.

"He's a boy! Swear an oath to a boy, it is the rest of your life." Finan moves at that moment to be closer to Beocca to hopefully defuse the situation.

"Father, the king asks too much." Finan says.

"What you must now do, Uhtred consider what will happen if you do not swear the oath to Edward. People will die, it won't just be the men here and Gene who will die. It'll be the men you fought beside days again." Beocca says trying to reason with Uhtred. The Dane looks over at her knowing that whatever he decides must be for her children and his own.

"It will be Alfred's doing. He could not care less for men in his service."

"The king cares deeply."

"You Beocca, you served him all your life, and for what? His Witan whisper about your choice of wife!" Uhtred claims and sighs knowing that Beocca would defend the king no matter what.

As the two began to argue back and forth Gene felt Skade's eyes glaring at her, she decided to amuse whatever it was the woman wanted to say.

"What?" Gene said to the blonde, the newest seer leaned in closer with a smirk.

"You will die, Gene. You cannot protect everyone and yourself." She whispered.

"If I must die to save them, so be it. My children will still have a father." Gene shrugged off the threat and watched Skade snarl at her.

"I will kill you myself, bitch." Skade snapped loudly drawing the attention of Uhtred and the others.

"No, you will not." Gene said with a grin and moved to Sihtric. Uhtred glanced between her and Skade in worry before glancing back at Finan who had leaned over to look at Aethelwold.

"Aethelwold, I swear when the killing starts, you shall be my first." He threatens and watches the boy leave quickly.

"There will be no killing," Uhtred speaks and the two men and Gene follow him outside. "Steapa."

"Lord."

"I will not fight you nor any of these men here. I'll go with you to the king, my friend." Uhtred says and Steapa looks relieved.

"I am pleased to hear you say that, lord." Steapa walks closer. "The king is merciful, he knows your worth."

"We shall see. You know what to do." Uhtred says when he turns to Finan and hands him his sword and dagger. As the group walks away Sihtric sets out to ready the horses as Gene grabs Skade and her children ready for departure. Finan stands next to her when she helps her sons onto one of the horses, her eldest gives her a smile when she taps his leg.

"They should stay, Gene. It's safer here." Gene ignored Finan's comment as she picked up her daughter.

"They go with us. I do not trust Alfred and what he may do to them when Uhtred turns against him today." She says and turns to the Irishman, he nods in understanding and rubs her back. Sihtric moved behind her and grabbed Eithne from her with a small, their daughter cuddled into his chest and waved softly at Finan. The three move away just as Uhtred falls from the hay roof.

"So, they decided to let you go?" Finan asks as he gives him his weapons.

"We should ride."

"Lord, you are cut." Finan said worried and Gene went to Uhtred's side to check for the wound, Uhtred gently moved her hands away from him when he hissed in pain.

"Barely."

"We will ride to where lord?" Sihtric asks getting the horses.

"To Ragnar and to the Danes." Eithne perked up at the name and looked at her father happily who shook his head in amusement.

"Uncle Ragnar!" She says with a wide smile, though the man has not met them the stories that were told were enough to make the children excited.

"Then we should go meet your men." Finan said as they mounted the saddles. Gene and their daughter were on one horse as their sons followed beside Sihtric.

"Hurry! Hyah, hyah!" Uhtred yells.

"Why is she not food for the rats by now?" Finan asked as they sat around the fire. He sticks his feet near the fire as Uhtred touches his wound with a groan. Skade watches them from her place away from them with a growing smirk. Finan holds Eithne in his arms as the young girl sleeps soundly. Sihtric's sons were with Gene farther away.

"Because she has a gift. Because she has taken hold of my path." He mumbled. He looks over at Gene and the boys, he frowns when he notices blood coming from her nose.

"If we kill her, the curse will live on. It is the curse that must be killed," Sihtric says to them. Uhtred gets up with a pained groan and walks closer to Gene. "She is the worm and Uhtred is the apple." Sihtric whispers making them frown. Once morning comes they head out again on their horses and she notices Uhtred looks as awful as she feels. With the help of Sihtric, he can get onto his horse and Gene places a hand on her shoulder in pain. It would seem the curse is going to her through her and Uhtred's bond. They hear him start to cough and then see him lean over to vomit.

"Should we not stop to rest? I am tired of the sight of my horse's head, his ears in particular." Osferth says with a frown.

"We need shelter and fire, boy. There's no shelter here." Finan said a moment later Uhtred fell off his horse, and Sihtric and Finan immediately ran to their fallen lord.

"Lord, lord! Are you hurt, lord? Is it your wound?" Sihtric asks as they prop him up.

"No, she has me." Uhtred says weakly.

"Jesus, he looks the color of a Scotsman's arse. Is there anything broken?" Finan questions checking the lord over for injuries. Gene walks to them weakly, and Uhtred notices she looks pale.

"She is squeezing the life from me. From us." He mumbled and locked eyes with her, both knowing it to be true.

"Either that or the cold has got to your bones." Finan supplies an explanation.

"Finan, you will find a cart and you will haul me to Dunholm, to Brida. She will know what to do." He whispers and Finan nods.

"Get him up." The two men help lay the lord into a cart and tuck him in with fur cloaks. Finan holds Eithne on his horse and they look over at Uhtred with worry.

"A few days more lord. It is your cart that is slowing us down." Uhtred doesn't say anything so Finan slaps the side and rides farther up.

"Has he drunk any ale?" Finan asks once they make camp.

"A little."

"A little is of little use." Finan says with a cup of ale as he walks to Uhtred, Gene lies next to him with her youngest son.

"All right, do you have the strength to lift a wee cup, lord? Hmm, even if it is to wet your lips?" Finan moves his hand behind Uhtred's head to lift it gently.

"Oh, eh. I'd wager you feel like you're back on the slave ship. You got past that nightmare, you can get past the. Believe me." Finan clutched Uhtred's hand and searched his face for any sign that the lord was getting better or worse.

"It's her Finan, turning my insides outward." Finan turns to look at Skade who is churning a mixing bowl while looking at them, he fails to notice Gene wiping the blood from her ears. Her son does not.

"Then kill her. Or let me do it for you." Finan pleads.

"No." Uhtred whispers, Gene moves away from them and slowly walks away, she holds her shoulder again. It was the worst pain she's ever felt, her powers were trying to absorb the curse from Uhtred.

"Uhtred, I fear you are dying. Sihtric, says we will arrive at Dunholm tomorrow. They've been watching us for most of the day, at least I hope it's them." Finan holds back his tears as he places his fur cloak over Uhtred,

"Father! Uncle Finan!" The two men turn and see Gene on the ground with Erik crying, as he tries to wake her. "Mama, please! Please, wake up." He cries and looks at them with tears, Sihtric and Finan move to Gene and notice the blood coming from the same spot as Uhtred's wound.

"It's the curse." Finan mumbled distraughtly.

"She's bound to Uhtred by the Gods. The curse is killing her." Sihtric whispered crying and motioned for Osferth to grab the children as he held his wife.