╚════════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*════════╝

Everyone watched as Uhtred leaned over the boat and cut the back of his wrist to bleed into the sea. Angerboda had pulled Finan down to sit on the bench so she could braid in the beads she made, a sign of her love for him. She wasn't ready for a child but she wanted all the whores of Wessex to know that he belonged to her. Not that he would stray from her for a mere harlot. He knew better than that.

"Rán can be a vixen. This should settle her." Uhtred spoke when he noticed his son's confusion. Finan hummed softly as he leaned against her stomach, she smiled when he tilted his head back to gaze at her fondly.

"Rán is pagan lies. I pity you for believing it." Young Uhtred says with bitterness.

"Finan, give him something to do." Uhtred said as he finished dressing the wound. She frowned at the man as her lover stood, not before kissing her, and did as ordered. She walked away to sit on the edge of the boat and kicked Uhtred harshly, he hissed and sent her a dirty look.

"Yes, lord." The men begin to groan in disgust when Finan grabbed the shit buckets. "Oh, God. Whoa. Hey! You can empty this!" He drops the bucket at the boy's feet as they all laugh, Angrboda reaches for her lover and Finan immediately takes her outstretched hand.

Uhtred once commented that he followed her around like a little duckling to its mother, she has never been able to forget it.

"Tell me the truth. Am I the bait?" Finan moved to her and Uhtred's side as he sat down, she urged him to lay in her lap. She raked her fingers through his hair, she liked the new style and smiled when he kissed her thigh or rather the dress that covered it.

"For what?"

"In the plan, you are hiding from me. Am I the bait?" Young Uhtred said.

"Nothing is hidden from you. We are tracking monks who have entry to Bebbanburg. You will befriend them, enter Bebbanburg, and open the sea gate to us." Uhtred spoke.

"I think you have another reason for dragging me into your revenge."

"Yes, so you may win honor and reputation." Uhtred urged.

"The only reputation that matters is my standing with God." Young Uhtred claimed. Sihtric sent her a smile when he noticed how relaxed she was around the Irishman, he was glad she found happiness.

"You cannot force a boy to be a warrior." Finan tells him with pity.

"My blood runs within his veins. Why can he not see that?" Uhtred mumbled.

"Because your blood is that of a stubborn bastard." She giggled at Uhtred's defeated face.

"Who do you pray for, boy? Hm?"

"The men you will slaughter. You seem to take things when you want them, when you do, show mercy." Angrboda felt Finan drift off into a light sleep, she liked that he felt safe enough to do so. It warmed her heart.

"To my Uncle Aelfric, who spent a lifetime wishing me dead?" Uhtred questioned in disbelief.

"There is a power in forgiveness." His son claimed.

"Good. Then you may use it to forgive me." Uhtred said with a smile as they sat in silence.

She hoped that when she and Finan had children, they would be well-mannered.

As they docked their boat, Finan helped her off the boat and slid his arm around her waist to keep her close. She pulled him in for another kiss and grinned when he left kissed her face making her scrunch up her nose.

"So, where do we start?" Finan asked as he turned to walk backward and pulled her to do the same by default. If she didn't love him so much, she would have shoved him.

"Where do you look for monks in a place like this?" Uhtred said teasingly.

"St. Colman's?"

"The whorehouse!" Finan said as they all laughed.

"That's it. I'm staying on the boat." Young Uhtred said in annoyance.

"It's not safe for you to be alone this deep within Danelaw. Come." Uhtred said as he motioned for his son to follow.

"Then I will pray for salvation." Uhtred went to speak when Beocca stepped up.

"I will stay with him, keep us both safe. They do not love a priest in Grimesby."

"Thank you, Father." Uhtred said in passing as they entered the alehouse. The men inside murmur as the door thuds signaling customers. She felt Finan tighten his grip possessively when she felt the gazes of the men around them.

"Grimesby seems like a lovely place." Finan said mockingly. She trailed her fingers up and down his arm to soothe his growing irritation

"I hear the oysters are delicious." She smiled at the monk for his joke.

"Hm," They laugh and the inn goes silent. "Sihtric, don't make eye contact." She covered her mouth when she laughed silently and felt Finan drum his fingers on her side affectionately.

"What's your business here?" A man asked with crossed arms.

"We're traders. We're taking pelts to Frankia." Uhtred said.

"Really?"

"Mm-hm." Uhtred said with a mocking smile.

"You keep the trouble out of my alehouse, agreed?"

"Hey, we're just hungry for some food, nothing more. But I would advise you to stop looking at my woman." Finan said with a threatening undertone when he noticed the tavern owner's wondering eyes.

"And do you have women? He needs a woman." Uhtred said as nodded his head to Osferth, the monk sighed and dropped his head.

"We're not that sort of alehouse."

"Finan." Uhtred spoke and Finan held out a pouch that the man took without hesitation.