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"And we will do what, hide?" Aethelflæd asked.

"We will make an advantage out of this abbess, the hostages are dead men breathing. You cannot save them what we must do now is save the lives of your nuns and my men." Uhtred said.

"And Aethelflæd." Osferth added and flinched when Sigrún's snake sniffed him.

"Abbess?"

"Aye." The Abbess said.

"I will do it." A woman said.

"No, no this is my house. It's my responsibility, I will do it." Abbess says and walks outside.

"It is Hæsten, with no more than forty men, that I can see." Uhtred informed.

"Then let us fight them." Finan said as Sigrún walked to Sihtric, the Dane smiled at Seidr softly when the snake curled up on her shoulder to listen.

"No, wait." Uhtred ordered as Aethelflæd gasped at what she witnessed outside.

"Lord, now?" Finan asked. Seidr turned his head in the direction of whoever was speaking and Aethelflæd would never admit it out loud but she found it kinda cute.

"We do nothing yet." Uhtred demands. Finan and Sihtric share a look. Sigrún placed a hand on Sihtric's when she noticed how he fidgets with his sword. They wait for Hæsten to open the door before attacking. Hæsten and his remaining men run. Sigrún smirked at the bodies around them, she wiped the blood on her hand onto her dress making Sihtric shake his head with a grin. She shrugged at him, she was not a woman who cared for luxury clothing.

"We are trapped."

"We're alive and they are twelve or thirteen men less." Uhtred explained and Sigrún felt a little bad for the man.

"But we are trapped under a wooden roof."

"What do you suggest then, lady? That you give yourself over?" Finan demanded and watched Sigrún cautiously when she moved near him.

"Yes, Hæsten's right. Why should I live when so many others have died."

"Hæsten has never spoken the truth in his life. Do not say as much again, never of those men have died for no reason." Uhtred snarled at the thought.

While they wait for the night she stands against the wall with Sihtric who is growing restless, she grabs his wrist and pulls him closer to her. The Dane followed willingly without a fuss and Finan snorted at the lovestruck look on his friend's face. While Skade scowled at them and wished she could curse the male, pissing off Sigrún and facing her wrath was not something she wanted for herself.

"All doors have been blocked on the outside apart from that one." Finan announced after he checked the exits.

"Will they set a fire?"

"No, not yet. He will want you alive." Uhtred said shaking his head.

"So we should fight, lord. We should open the doors and fight." Finan said again, Sigrún noticed he and Sihtric would always be bloodthirsty for a fight.

"And die." The monk said.

"It's as good a plan as any." Skade stands next to Finan as he speaks, the seer watches her carefully.

"Osferth, you'll open the door on my word and retreat. We form a shield wall and then we negotiate." Uhtred ordered.

"Negotiate?" Sihtric scoffed as he grew angry. Seidr leaned over from her shoulder to nuzzle his head against Sihtric's jaw. Everyone froze at the action but Sihtric turned to the snake with a warm smile and Sigrún was sure she fell in love.

"Hæsten will want his prize, to the door," Uhtred says as he moves to Skade. "If you truly belong to me you will do as I ask. In return, I will not abandon you. I will come for you." Skade looks over at Aethelflæd who is already watching them.

"You're choosing her over me?" Skade scoffed.

"I am keeping us alive."

"By making me a prize?" Sigrún hides a smile at the seer's disbelieving face.

"I will not abandon you," Uhtred pulls her close to whisper into her ear. "I will lie with you." Sigrún shivered in disgust and wished she wasn't so close.

"You shall remain cursed until your word is made true. Your life shall wither, Uhtred until you find me. I will only do as you ask if Sigrún goes with me."

"She will not!" Sihtric snarled and Sigrún quickly stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest, attacking the seer would be no help to anyone right now.

"I will go." She told Uhtred who frowned.

"You will be in danger." Sihtric said almost on the verge of begging her not to do this. Sigrún gave him a sad smile as she placed a hand on his cheek and caressed his jaw softly.

"I know, Sihtric. That is why I must ask you something," The Dane nodded and moved to lay his hand on the back of hers that still rested on his face, she intertwined their fingers as an afterthought. "Seidr will stay with you, he will be safe with you." She whispered and smiled when he leaned into her palm, Seidr slithered onto Sihtric's shoulder after kissing her. It was clear the snake did not want to be parted from her, his eyes grew dull when she moved away.

"You have my word, Lady Sigrún. No harm will come to him, I will protect him with all I have even if I must give my life." He said with such dedication it surprised her.

"Let us hope not, it would be a shame if this was the last I had gazed at your beautiful face." She said with a teasing smile as she leaned up to kiss his cheek before pulling away.

"And I will find you, Skade, shield wall, ready. Lift the bar and open the door, move!" They open the door at Uhtred's command. Finan peaks his head out from the shields.

"I count a few more than thirty of the bastards."

"Fight Hæsten and you will lose men, many men. I guarantee it." Uhtred claimed.

"I have many men."

"But you have just the one life and I plan to take it." Finan said aggressively passionate about the thought.

"Move out."

"I will not leave without her, Uhtred. I may lose many men but you will lose everything and the bitch will still be mine." Hæsten informed him.

"Then take her because that is what you will have to do or we can strike a bargain. Two women in place of another." Uhtred said and glanced at her to confirm, Sigrún nodded.

"I am in no need of a nun. Who are these women?"

"Skade, the seer. And Sigrún, the völva," Uhtred shouts as they walk forward to be seen. "Finan," The man opened the wall and watched her cautiously. "They're yours! In return, you and your men ride clear of this place and do not return."

"Skade is not yours to give. She belongs to Bloodhair." Hæsten says and looks at Sigrún. "And is Sigrún, not yours?"

"I belong to the man I choose. The man who has the will to lead, to conquer. Bloodhair is not that man." Skade interrupted with a glare.

"I am no one's. Understand that, Hæsten." Sigrún said in return to his comment.

"She has sent Alfred's death and in battle, her man will benefit from that death greatly."

"Is that true?"

"It's true." Skade answered.

"May I approach?" Hæsten slowly walks up the stairs as Finan turns to Uhtred.

"Uhtred, you cannot bargain with this sack of chicken shit." Finan said and Sigrún smirked in amusement.

"You're close enough, lord. If a bargain is made we will not be handed over like you would a whore. We will walk to our new lord and should either man go back on his word, I shall see he is tormented till the end, I swear." Skade informs them as she grabs Sigrún's hand making Seidr hiss at the contact and Sihtric snarl in anger.

"Do we have an agreement? Skade and Sigrún in place of Aethelflæd?" Uhtred asked.

"Agreed, the seers are mine." Sigrún fought the urge to correct the Dane.

"Then step back and they will walk to you and then you leave." Uhtred shouts.

"I will."

"And you are cursed once more Uhtred of Bebbanburg, you shall wither." Skade says with a glare, Sigrún looks at Sihtric one last time and tries not to laugh at the sight before her, Seidr was curled around Sihtric's neck and both were visibly not happy.

"Go, open. Let them pass." Skade and Sigrún walk to Hæsten.

"This does not mean the princess is forgiven, Uhtred. She is safe for now, no more than that."

"Leave, go." Skade looks at Uhtred with a glare and Sihtric turns to him with worry.

"Your life is not your own, lord." Sihtric speaks and Seidr answers with a snap of his jaws in Uhtred's direction.