𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭－ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺．

𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖫𝖠𝖲𝖳 𝖪𝖨𝖭𝖦𝖣𝖮𝖬
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"𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑!" Uhtred threw open her front door and Leofric, who was sitting in the corner of the room, jumped in alarm.

"Gods what is it you want now- you just scared poor Leo," she held out her hand from where she was sitting in front of the fire and the large brown bear placed his head in her hands as she stroked it tenderly.

"I've come to tell you that we are leaving for battle," his boots thudded on the wooden floor as he patted the bear on the back before sitting in the chair opposite.

"Where to?"

"To see a Dane called Bloodhair and I was also told by our good friends Haesten," she gagged making her brother smile, "that he has a seer."

Ingrid's hand left the beast before she leant forward with both hands on her knees, "a witch?"

Uhtred let a small smirk come to pass on his face, "Haesten said you would like her." She scoffed at him before urging him up on his feet.

"Shut it, let's get going before we miss that bastard Bloodhair," she shoved him out the door with a laugh and patted her leg behind her making Leofric come barging out the house.

Osferth brought her black stallion to her with a gentle smile, "thank you."

"Am I to be the distraction again?" He asked in a fed up tone, Ingrid laughed loudly before holding his shoulder, "of course you are."

She got up on her horse and Leo was by her side in an instant, she was to be at the front of the line right next to her brother. Ingrid turned to look behind her and waved at the children and Gisela with a bright smile until Uhtred came up beside her.

They nodded to one another before they began to move out of the town with a small group of men trailing behind them.

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"Ingrid!" Finan shouted in delight as she jumped from her horse and they ran to hug each other. They only had two days away from another and yet it felt like two years.

"We're here too," Sihtric had his arms and posture of a babe who looked utterly annoyed. Uhtred pushed him off his horse, Ingrid and all the men burst out laughing Osferth had failed to hide his quiet laugh.

"Stop moping and pick yourself up," Uhtred said and the glare on Sihtric's face was far from playful but the small upturn of his lips said otherwise.

Ingrid was still laughing with an arm around Finan's shoulders when she noticed a man stood behind them, "who's baldy?"

Heads turned to the man who's clothes were burnt and slightly bloody as well as if face, "he came from Alton your man Bloodhair is said to have raided his village," Finan spoke.

"Then what are we waiting for," Uhtred said and he shared a small, cunning smirk with his sister. You could see the village called Alton clearly, there were a few Danes left behind with every house burnt to the ground but a church left untouched. Someone important must be in there is what Ingrid pondered.

"You brought Leo," the bear had fell to the back of the line as they began to pick up speed, he wasn't the fastest of the horses. Leo made a noise of happiness it seemed when he barrelled into Finan head first making the man feel winded.

"Did you think I'd be leaving him when there is a feast afoot?"

All the men were off of their horses by now and quickly they began to sneak down the hill without being noticed. Though, they'd have to be pretty subtle if they wanted to keep Ingrid's bear a secret surprise for the warriors.

They ended up crouched behind a ruined home and it was time for the stranger to leave as he had done his duty, "bye bald man," Ingrid had waved. He confusingly waved back before running off to find his family.

It was time for the plan of action; Sihtric shoved Osferth out into the open and he looked back at them not amused. Ingrid and Sihtric nudged each others shoulders with matching mischievous grins.

As Osferth was begrudgingly walking forward with his head and shoulders down Uhtred made a gesture with his hands. Finan and Ingrid would stay with her brother whilst Sihtric would go round the other side and the rest of the men were to go behind the church.

Ingrid turned to Leofric and placed a finger to her lips, surprisingly the bear made only a noise with his nose and not his mouth.

The four quietly ran across the right side of the village whilst hoping the Danes couldn't feel the bears heavy prints.

Osferth made it to stand in front of the Danes, "I would like you all to surrender or I will smite you." Ingrid was already shaking her head with her hand covering her mouth to try and stop her giggles.

"What is smite?"

"Well it's a word, isn't it?" His face told them he thought they were stupid, "a word from the Holy book it means slay or kill- I will kill you." The men began laughing and Osferth started looking around at his friends, "smite," he muttered.

On the way here Ingrid may or may not have told him to say it because it would make him seem more intimidating, silly boy when would he learn to never thrust what she says.

"And you will smite all of us?"

"Yeah some of you might run away, hopefully," it was clear the jokes had passed as they started picking up their shields and axes. "I've got- I've got a sword, it's a very sharp sword but I'd prefer it if you surrendered."

"Kill him," one of them shouted and that was the signal that they needed.

Ingrid unsheathed both of her swords that where strapped to her waist and ran the Danes who were scrambling to defend themselves. Leo was right on her tail and either ripped out their stomachs or clawed their hands off with one fowl swipe.

Whoever her eyes locked onto was next and they did not last long at all, blood soon coated both of her swords and splatters lingered on her face. Easily, they defeated the small group before Uhtred was already on the steps of the church, "Haesten says she is of the devil."

"Then it might be an idea to bar the door and burn the place down," Ingrid pointed her sword to Finan with a big nod of her head.

"To Bloodhair she will be priceless," she rolled her eyes at her brother always thinking ahead of time. "Are you not coming in?"

She looked up and realised he was speaking to her, "in a minute I have to make sure Leo only eats the ones who don't look like they've got cholera," he laughed before carefully opening up the door and they stepped inside.

"No not him! He's definitely got some disease I mean look at that hairline," she gripped the bears fur and tried to direct him to a more or less body she deemed safe enough to eat. "There ya are now let's see this seer."

She jogged up the steps and opened the door once more making people turn her way but at first Ingrid wasn't looking at anyone. What caught her eye was the body hanging from the wall with nails in his hands, one had the top of his head cut open so you could see his bran whilst others had their guts spilling out.

Finally she noticed the girl whom held a heart in her hands, she must be Skade Ingrid thought wearily. However the witch in question was thinking of something entirely different she was in the middle of cursing Uhtred when Ingrid came in. She made the words die off her tongue and an eyebrow arch in interest.

"On second thoughts," Skade trailed off with a frightening smirk before continuing, "you will tell my Lord that Ingrid of Bebbanburg is now cursed."

"Stop it!" Osferth cried out.

"No!" Each of the men shouted but it was no use her words had managed to reach their ears too soon.

"Oh for fuck sake!"

Ingrid had just walked through the door and here she was getting curses thrown at her, the boys in front of her moved to stand in front of her with their swords pointed at Skade.

"The witch holds her heart in her hands and she will squeeze it and break it." She dropped the organ to the floor that landed with a soft splat.

'Nice to meet you to,' Ingrid thought in her head but she was more panicked than anything.

"You are now my prisoner Ingrid," she started to walk towards them tauntingly slowly clearly unbothered even when each of them held swords to her throat.

"Seize her," Uhtred spoke but it went unanswered and Ingrid could feel her feet being stuck to the ground as she continued to look Skade in her eyes.

"Boys," she had managed to find her voice and quickly Sihtric and Finan scrambled to find rope so they could tie her up.

"I have allowed myself three spinners of fate to get hold of your life," she said as if Ingrid would know what the three spinners of fate were, "your path is the path I choice for you Ingrid Ragnarsson."

"Bind her mouth," the dark haired woman was already headed out the door as she felt her belly turning in sickness and the sight of a heart, her heart being splattered on the floor did not appease her.

Luckily Leofric had finished his meal and was only blood coated by his snout though he tried to wipe it off with his paws. "Come on," she said to him and didn't stop to check if he were following or not for she didn't want to be near the woman who had cursed her.

The men walked out the door with Skade's eyes and mouth covered as well as her hands tied together but only saw the retreating figures of Ingrid and Leo.

Uhtred looked down at the witch with a heavy and heated glare, he wanted to kill her there and then but the curse would not go away so easily. Skade would have to renounce the curse herself but that didn't stop either of them including Osferth from wanting to murder the blonde seer.

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Ingrid had already mounted her horse and began to lead the way to Aescengum with Leo right by her side but she did not go far until they easily caught up with her.

It was silent usually, there would be jokes cracked from Ingrid or Finan but as of now everyone could tell she wasn't in the mood. Her stare was as good as cold, she had her eyes looking to the floor and only moved when Leo nudged her foot with his head.

No one knew what to say to comfort her not even her own brother who would look over at her in worry but the most she'd give anyone's eyes she met was a small and weak smile. Apart from Skade, she could feel the girl burning holes into the back of her skull but didn't dare meet her sights.

"I think she may have got to her," Finan said as quietly as he could though his rough Irish accent made that almost impossible. "We should kill her and be done with it."

"That will not kill the curse," Sihtric said aloud and Ingrid truly wondered how stupid they were.

"There is no curse."

"I have seen women throw a curse and the next day a man is dead," Sihtric added wood to the flame.

"You do know this curse did not make me lose my hearing," Ingrid snapped at them but kept her head set in front and couldn't help but rejoice when she saw the kingdom so close.

"Sorry Ingrid," Osferth apologised and she heard a small thumping sound before he also muttered, "ow!"

The gates opened almost immediately and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, finally she could go and try and sleep off whatever she was feeling.

She saw a dome in the centre and just knew that was where Skade was going to be kept until the king decided what was to become of her.

Uhtred roughly grabbed the witch by her arm and hoped to leave bruises, if this was the worst he could do to her for hurting his sister then it would have to do. He tossed the rope to the men and left them to put her away thought Ingrid had other ideas, she was still atop her horse and trotted over to the men.

"No man is to go into her cell if nor myself, Uhtred or the king himself is with them do you understand?" She didn't trust most men especially these tin heads who would be away from their women for quite a time and she did not deny that Skade was a beautiful woman.

The blood on her face had dried and her words were stoic, the added bear who looked like he'd just eaten out of a man's carcass didn't help either.

They nodded quickly, "of course my lady." Ingrid dared herself to look and found the Seers eyes staring back at her with shining sapphires along with a look of mirth in them.

That was all she got before the knight dragged her down into the makeshift dungeon and Ingrid realised she hadn't breathed.

"What is wrong with me, ey?" She asked Leo who was busy licking his nose and sighed loudly before urging her horse to the stables.

She tied him off and turned to see her beloved bear making himself comfortable outside of the cage, "betrayer," she muttered to herself before lighting a nearby fire.

Her brother and Finan seemed to have got themselves an audience with the King but Ingrid was in no mood to deal with Christians as of now.

"Ingrid?" Osferth called out softly and she looked up from the fire with a soft smile and it seemed to ease the tension out of his shoulders. "I thought you were angry with me."

"He means with us," Sihtric quickly chimed in once he came to stand beside her with a small grin.

"Don't worry boys I am not angry," Osferth passed her a woolly throw which she kindly took and threw it around her shoulders. "Believe it or not it is not my dream to be cursed," she chuckled as best as she could.

"Why is Leo over there?" Sihtric pointed to the now sleeping bear who was laying stretched about, snoring loudly.

"Don't start about the traitor!" She raised her voice at the end but that only seemed to make him snore even louder.

Osferth and Sihtric laughed before smiling slightly they were happy that Ingrid had not allowed some witch to get the better of her mood.

Nightfall started to take over; Uhtred, Finan and Alfred walked out of the hall. Ingrid turned to look at them and found Finan's eyes before giving him one of her joyful looks. He looked undoubtedly relieved that she had snapped out of her tiff, she looked at her brother who spoke a million questions but she just mouthed, 'I'm okay.'

And with Alfred they both shared a humble nod though she saw worry in his withering face that made her feel a bit better.

"Glad to see our little bear happy," Finan said cheerfully and she nudged him with her hip.

"What are they doing?" Sihtric asked with eyes squinted in confusion.

"Alfred said he'd like to hump the witch. No word of a lie." Ingrid's head snapped to her friend with a look of almost anger until she already saw the corners of his mouth turning upwards.

"Git," she said but looked over to see if Leo had awoke from his sleep and he certainly had. At first he was growling but once knowing it was Uhtred he relaxed almost instantly and laid back down.

Uhtred returned without Alfred and Beocca went to speak to him but he brushed past him and moved to his sister. He pulled her into a harsh hug and she let out a huff, "calm down I'm not dying," she patted his back.

He laughed quietly when they pulled apart and pointed behind him, "why is the bear there?" She gave him a pointed look, "don't get me started."

Not long after Alfred returned and Uhtred walked back over to him but this time with Ingrid following. As soon as Alfred shut the metal gate they hear her howl, "Bloodhair, come to me! Die for me, avenge me!"

She and her brother looked to one another and Alfred could see the cogs turning in their heads, "if she insists upon calling." Uhtred started and his sister finished for him, "we should make use of her."

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