"Look who we have here, men!" all at once all of Hæsten's men turned and looked at him and Sif. Sif was scared and that amused Hæsten and his men! She wanted to get away from there...she wanted to get away from him!

"Where did you pick her up, Lord?" shouted one of Hæsten's men. Hæsten looked at Sif before looking back at his men. And before he answered, he let go of the reins of Sif's horse and lifted her off her horse.

"Well, she came riding here, so I thought our camp was her destination and just took her!" his men looked at each other before looking back at Hæsten and tilting their heads. Sif didn't know what to find more disgusting - Hæsten or the lustful looks of his men!

"Your camp would never be my destination, you disgusting bastards! Do you have any idea how much you scare a little girl like me?!" Hæsten and his men flinched and took a few steps back. Who was she and why did her manner seem so familiar?

"Who are you, little one? I know your manner from somewhere, it seems so familiar to me!" Sif rolled her eyes and looked at Hæsten. Now it made sense to him - she was Uhtred's daughter! She had his eyes, his manner and his intelligence!

"Has your father recently sent his offspring to tell us that we should rather fear him?" Hæsten and his men laughed, while Sif became angry. She gathered all her courage, kicked Hæsten on his right foot and then mounted her horse in a flash!

Sif rode faster than ever and was firmly convinced that she would make it home before nightfall! And she wasn't wrong, because she arrived in Winchester just before dark. After leading her mare to the stables, she ran home as fast as she could and rushed into the house!

Uhtred and Lady Gisela flinched and looked at their daughter in fright. Only after Uhtred realised that Sif had run away did he become angry and shout at his daughter!

"How dare you run away like that, Sif?!" Sif flinched and took a few steps back. She had never seen her father so angry and just at that moment he was scaring her! Lady Gisela breathed deeply and exhaled before she stood up, walked towards her daughter and hugged her tightly!

"Uhtred, why don't you ask her what happened before you yell at her and think up a punishment?" Uhtred fell silent and sighed. He didn't want to shout at Sif, but the rage that boiled up inside him wouldn't let him do otherwise!

"I'm sorry, Sify! I didn't mean to yell at you, believe me!" Sif lowered her head and sighed. She knew it was stupid of her to run away, but the moment she did, it felt so right! It was a while before she looked Uhtred in the eye and told him what had happened.

"I'm sorry I ran away, father, but I really have to tell you what happened!" the fear she felt when she was in that Dane camp overcame her again and it was hard for Sif to breathe. Suddenly she sank to the ground and started to have gasping breaths! Lady Gisela and Uhtred didn't know what to do, so Uhtred unceremoniously ran out of the house and called loudly for help!

Before Sif fainted, she saw Finan, Sihtric and Osferth come running into the house, worried about her. After that everything was black and she woke up in Father Beocca's house. Thyra cooked her stew while Father Beocca mixed some herbs together for a tea!

When Thyra had finished cooking the stew, she put it on the table and smiled warmly at Sif. Sif slowly straightened up and looked around...her father was nowhere to be seen, only his men and her mother!

By now, Sif shouldn't be asking where her father was spending his time, but at that moment, she was asking herself the question - where was her father?

Suddenly the door opened and Uhtred came running into Father Beocca's house. Sif and Lady Gisela looked at each other before looking at Uhtred. After a while he sat down and began to stroke Sif's head! Sihtric and Finan looked at each other before nodding at Uhtred and leaving the house. Osferth was at least as confused as Sif was, but she decided not to ask any questions for the time being!

"How are you, princess?" Uhtred asked, more concerned than usual. Sif just shrugged her shoulders and looked at Osferth. He was one of the calmest people she knew and that always fascinated her! She wanted him to sit down, but somehow her voice was gone and she couldn't speak...

"What happened to your voice, Sify? Father Beocca, when will the tea be ready?" Father Beocca turned around and handed Lady Gisela the tea. Lady Gisela smiled at him and then turned back to Sif. But Sif did not want to drink the tea and folded her arms protestantly in front of her chest.

"Sometimes you are really stubborn, Sif Uhtredsdóttir! Take your sister as an example and finally get rid of your stubbornness!" Lady Gisela hissed at her daughter and then seconds later got up and left the house.

Sif flinched and looked at Uhtred. Uhtred was at least as frightened as Sif and hugged her tightly! He had never heard his wife hiss at his eldest daughter and he never wanted to experience it again, let alone hear it!

After Sif was reasonably well again and her voice was back, she and Uhtred decided that she could tell him what had happened the next day! Because both of them were definitely too tired and exhausted to worry about it now. When they arrived at the house, they saw that no one was awake, so they were extra quiet!

The moment Sif arrived in her room and lay down in her bed, she relived the day in her head again! Why had she ridden to that Dane camp? Why had she gone so far off the track? Too many questions were buzzing around in her head and kept her from sleeping!

At some point she fell asleep and dreamed of her family and how much she loved them!