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They ride out after Alfred and Erik's departure and Luna decides to join the group. Her fake death was no longer needed, Aethelred was marrying Alfred's daughter and thus no longer interested in her. She rides by Uhtred and Gisela, she notices Finan smirking when he sees Sihtric's horse riding up to Uhtred's own.

"Lord, lord! Have you made a decision yet? Have you given it thought?" Finan snickers at the male as Luna looks at him in confusion.

"Given thought to what?" Uhtred asked.

"Uhtred." Gisela warns and gives him a look.

"My request to marry, lord. I would like to be her husband." Sihtric says and blushes when he glances her way.

"Lord, you will answer the man." Gisela encourages and looks over at Luna with an amused smile.

"I will think about it at Winchester and give you my decision." Uhtred finally says, a dismissal in his voice, Sihtric smiles gratefully at the man.

"Thank you, lord."

"You sucked his cock, did you not?" Uhtred whispers and laughs when she inhales sharply. "I am not sure if he could survive your cunt, my love." Gisela erupted in laughter as Luna sat shocked.

"And that's not including the Irishman either," Gisela teased. "Though, he has not been given a chance yet." Luna slapped Gisela's shoulder softly in disbelief. They arrived at the town not long after, they passed by Aethelwold, and the boy was once again drinking ale. He stands quickly and moves to see Uhtred before speaking loudly.

"If it is not the great lord Uhtred of the small and little-known village of Coccham."

"I see you are drinking again, Aethelwold." Uhtred smirks at the man in passing.

"It's just a cup or two, nothing more. I have news for you, you know where to find me." Gisela turned to look at him with a worried expression, Luna placed a hand on her leg to comfort her. The group soon reaches the stables and Uhtred and Gisela walk away to speak privately. No doubt about the wedding and the dead man. Sihtric jumps down from his horse and moves to her, he reaches up intending to help her off the horse and he smiles softly at her.

"Sihtric, do you truly wish to marry me?"

"Of course, my moon." Sihtric reached up to cup her face in his rough palms, a thumb caressing her cheek, she leaned into him when he trailed his thumb down the bridge of her nose. "I have not felt this way for anyone before." He leans down to kiss her innocently and pulls away with a smile before guiding her to the crowd and their friends.

"Is that Aethelred?" Uhtred asks as he and Clapa stand with them, Clapa places a hand on both her and Finan's shoulders.

"Hmm." The men answer.

"From what I know, Alfred could not have chosen a bigger turd." Uhtred stated, distaste lacing his tone of voice. The thought of this coward forcing a marriage with his Luna makes him angry.

"I've never met the man, but by the look of him he was indeed shat out the arse of a giant." Finan replied and pulled Luna into his side, one of his strong muscled arms hanging loosely around her shoulders, she looked over and saw Aethelwold, who had shoved his way to Uhtred.

"He is to be king of Mercia, they say the ealdormen of the Witan, are saying." Aethelwoldinforms.

"Lord of Mercia, perhaps. Alfred would never allow another Saxon to be called king."

"Nor would a certain dead man called Bjorn. He wishes to meet you." Uhtred sighs and drops his head, Luna brushes her hand against his.

"Come with me." Uhtred demands.

"Ow, ow. You're pinching my skin, you're pinching my skin!" Aethelwold yells as Uhtred shoves him back through the crowd. Finan leans his head against her own as the parade of horses and men continues, she turns to kiss his forehead with a smile. Sihtric joins after talking to Uhtred and tells them of a secret mission for Uhtred.

"This is it, Skald's Hall. It was given to Eilaf by his lord, for great service." Aethelwold tells them as they are perched on their horses looking below at the rundown homestead. Finan leans forward and props his chin on her shoulder, tightening his hands on the reins. Finan kisses her neck when she turns to look at Uhtred, she raises her hand to run her fingers through his beard and giggles when he tries to bite them.

"Sihtric, you will go no further. Not until we are at the hall and inside, at all times you will remain unseen." Uhtred orders the dane.

"Yes, lord." Sihtric answers next to her.

"If the dead man rises when he returns to his grave, you will keep watching." Sihtric grows anxious and looks at Uhtred.

"What if he sees me? Lord, what if....what if he knows that I am near?" Sihtric asks with a terrified voice.

"Then you shit yourself." Clapa exclaims and chuckles. Luna frowns at them and reaches out to caress Sihtric's arm in solace, Sihtric places his hand on hers and squeezes it.

"You will remain unseen and keep watch." Uhtred declared simply.

"Yes, lord."

Sihtric and the group separate as they head down to Skald's Hall, Finan notices the men grow alert seeing the new arrivals.

"These are men, warriors." Finan says with an uneasy voice, he wraps one arm around her waist in comfort.

"We are here to see Eilaf, the Skald. We have an invitation." Aethelwold declares loudly and Clapa turns to Luna and Finan with trepidation.

"Who leads here?" Soon a stocky blonde Dane walks forward, Luna scowls when his eyes stop on her and trail down her body. She moves Finan's hand to her breast and smirks when the blonde Dane scowls in envy, Finan makes a sound of surprise.

"What the bloody hell was that, a stór." Finan whispered into her ear.

"He needed to know I have been claimed already." She turned in the saddle to look at Finan, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. The feeling of a thick beard was something she would grow to like, she grinned when he tried to follow her when she pulled away.

"You?" Uhtred says to the blonde Dane, he glances at Luna and Finan with a smirk.

"I do. I am Hæsten. And you are Uhtred of Bebbanburg traveling with the lady ghost." Uhtred glares at the blonde male. "You spared me at Eoferwic, lord. You are expected and welcome." Finan narrows his eyes at the Dane when he once again gazes lustfully at Luna, Uhtred nods at his group. Finan looks at Clapa with a hesitant expression as they dismount.

When they walk into the hall Hæsten tells some men to scatter and motions for them to sit, she moves to Finan's side as the others sit across from them, unfortunately, Hæsten sits in the spot to her left.

"Who is he?" Uhtred asks looking up at the man in a cage, the said man whimpers in fright.

"A thief, lord." He pours them all some ale, Uhtred smells his as she pushes hers back to the blonde male. " I serve Erik, Sigefrid's brother." He says with a tone she couldn't decipher. She noticed that the group, including Aethelwold, were giving Hæsten murderous looks when he leaned closer to her.

"He sends you good wishes."

"Erik is not here." Uhtred looks at her trying to decipher how uncomfortable she is.

"He is not. And if I had my way, I would not be here. My men...are afraid." He said slowly.

"Of a dead man?" She replies to him and feels Finan grow tense when Hæsten moves closer to her face with a perverted smile.

"Of ghosts?" Finan speaks.

"It is not a sight you will forget. My lord, wants you to know that by now he will be at Beamfleot and not Frankia," He then turns back to Luna. "And he wants you to know the lady ghost of Beomfleot no longer has a claim." She scowled at him and reached for the dinner knife but was stopped by Aethelwold.

"With Sigefrid."

"With their brother and with the fleet, he insisted you were both told."

"And where to after Beamfleot?" Finan questions the dane, his hand intertwining with hers in the hope of comforting her.

"I can't say but it is hoped that you will join us there. Eilaf is resting, lord, in preparation for tonight. You may wish to do the same." He gets up and looks at her with a smirk as he leaves. Finan wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side before looking at Uhtred.

"They have a fleet, how many I wonder?"

"Nineteen ships." She answered with a frown.

Her home, her birthright, was no longer hers it would seem.

"That's more than five hundred men, plus those already there." Finan grimaces.

"And those who will come."

"Then it has started," Aethelwold says dramatically. "The end of the peace." Finan kisses her head when she lays her head in the crook of his neck.