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    "Hild will take care of you while I am gone." Signe told Finan, the man looking at her in surprise.

    "Where are you going?" Finan asked quickly, his eyes wide as he spoke. Signe offered him a small smile, her hand resting on his shoulder in a small action of comfort.

    "I am going for a quick hunt." She told him. "I will meet you when I'm back, promise." She gave his shoulder a soft squeeze before turning on her heels and walking away. She passed Ragnar on her way, leaning into her brother to tell him where she was going. With the promise of being quick, Signe grabbed a quiver of arrows and a bow from out of the supplies they carried with them, and left the camp.

    Signe always enjoyed hunting, it was quiet. The only things around her were the tree's and the sound of songbirds as she walked through the lush greens quietly. The bow held tightly in her hand as she crouched down out of sight at the sound of ruffling in one of the nearby bushes. This is why she loved being out on her own, there was no one else to distract her. No one else for her to remind to stay quiet, no one to scare away her hunt. Slowly, Signe reached back into the quiver to grab an arrow, notching it and pulling the bowstring back. She waited for the ruffling to get louder before releasing the arrow and hearing a small thump. Smiling to herself, Signe stood up to collect her bow and the rabbit that she had caught successfully.

    The woman continued her hunt alone until the sky was turning orange. She was satisfied enough with her hunt, having several rabbits strung together on a piece of hide string to carry easier. Throwing the hide string over her shoulder, Signe made her way back to the camp on the beach. She didn't realize how far she had gone, but she couldn't complain about the time she had to herself. Being locked away for months, listening to only Brida and Ragnar talk made the woman realize how much she took some things in her life for granted. Signe liked being alone, she liked traveling alone, hunting, horse riding, anything that she could do on her own. There were many times when she would stay up after Ragnar and Brida had gone asleep just so she could enjoy a few hours of peace to herself. Sometimes Signe didn't understand how people had so much to say, especially when there was nothing for them to do but sit and stare at the same walls for days on end.

    She had missed the sea of stars, the welcoming embrace of the forests. Even the hustling of villages, or the yelling of drunken men in alehouses. Signe knew that there was no way she would ever be able to go back into that cell, she could not be a hostage to the King ever again.

    When she had gotten back to the camp, there were several small fires started and men sitting around talking amongst themselves quietly. "There is my sister." Ragnar greeted upon noticing the girls return. He gave her a warm smile as he took the hide string from her shoulder, handing it off to one of the passing men to take care of. "Come sit, the air is getting cold." Ragnar encouraged, placing a hand between her shoulder blades to guide her in the direction of their fire.

    Stepping closer to the fire Signe's eyes landed on Uhtred who sat on a boulder, a blanket secured tightly around his shoulders as he started into the fire in a daze. Signe hummed to herself, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of Uhtred's head as she smoothed down his hair. The woman found a seat on the ground, between Ragnar who sat on a log and Finan who was also sitting in the dirt. Everyone sat until the sun had set over the horizon, the fire being stoked every once and awhile by Steepa as they ate.

    "Halig." Uhtred whispered, everyone's eyes falling upon the man who didn't bother to look at any of them. Signe let out a sigh as she rubbed her arms slightly feeling a cool breeze pass by them.

    "We cut him down. He's been wrapped and buried with a shield and sword." Ragnar told Uhtred. Signe knew it was a Saxon ritual to bury the dead, but Halig was also Uhtred's right hand man, and for that he was given a warrior's burial.

    "You will say words for him, Hild." It wasn't a question or a suggestion, Uhtred needed Hild to speak for their friend, to pray for him. Signe didn't hate the Saxon's for who they were as people, she hated them for being so close minded when it came to their 'true God'. Yet she liked Hild, the woman who spoke of her religion in a way that never forced any of the Dane's around her to feel less than. Maybe it was the fact that Signe and Uhtred were born Saxon, and had been baptized by Father Beocca that made it easier for them to sway to the Christian ways.

    "I have." Hild told Uhtred with a nod. "I will, always." Signe had never met Halig, but the way that Finan and Hild spoke so highly of the man made her wish she had the chance. If not to say that he was a good man, then to be able to pray to her own Gods that he would be granted safe passage in the next life.

       "Northumbria is torn." Signe spoke quietly, her eyes settling on her brother from across the fire. Her arms wrapping around her legs as she rested her head on the top of her knees. She felt that her brother had the right to know what had happened in their homeland while he was gone. Things were normally messy in the North, Saxon's and Dane's constantly at war over land. Ragnar nodded in agreement with their sister.

      "Aelfric did not come to Guthred's side." Ragnar spoke. "Erik and Sigefrid and Kjartan... they do what they please." Kjartan seemed like a thorne in the side that couldn't be found. He kept popping up in whispers wherever the siblings went, like his soul mission in life was to taunt them.

       Uhtred said nothing as Ragnar spoke, maybe the blonde Dane sigh. "You haven't asked how we have come to be here." Ragnar tried again, but Uhtred never looked away from the fire. "Alfred." Ragnar pushed, a small chuckle slipping past his lips. Talk of the King broke Uhtred from his daze, slowly looking between his brother and sister. "Alfred has sent us."

       "I believe the King of Wessex cares for you brother." Signe said with a small smile. In all her years of life, never did Signe think that Uhtred of all people would earn the fondness of a King. Every one fell silent once more, listening to the tide overlapping on itself, crashing against rocks.

       "You're Uhtred's brother?" The voice of the Irishman beside her asked. "And sister?"

       "We are." Ragnar answered.

       "You look nothing like each other." The comment gained a laugh from both Ragnar and Singe. It was true, although not many were brave enough to question it. Signe was Uhtred's blood, they shared many similarities to each other and to Saxons. Yet it was Ragnar who never treated the siblings like they were anything less than family over the years. Growing up Signe and Ragnar were never close, the man was always off fighting battles and going on adventures while Signe and Uhtred stayed behind at the homestead. It wasn't until the fire set by Kjartan and his men that Ragnar allowed Uhtred and Signe to get close to him. The fire that took their parents and Grandfather would always be something that haunted her sleep.

       "You should eat Uhtred." Hild spoke, offering a plate of food to the man. Uhtred didn't move to accept the food, so she turned to the man beside Signe. Finan shook his head, scrunching his nose slightly in response.

       "We will eat, Lady." Finan finally said. "Both our stomachs are small, and our feet have barely touched dry land." He told Hild. "It'll take a little time to find them." Hild seemed to be satisfied enough with the answer, and set the plate to the side for now. Signe couldn't imagine how it must feel to set eyes on food being offered to you and being full after a few bites of bread.

       "Are you his brother?" Ragnar asked Finan, Signe looking at the man as well.

       "We are... we are bound I would say." Finan spoke, his voice small but firm.

       "Then it looks like we all are now." Signe said, placing her hand on Finan's shoulder and giving him a small nudge. Finan let out a chuckle as he nodded his head.

       "It would seem that we are, Lady."

       Not long later, Ragnar had called it a night. Leaving the fire to go find his bed roll, being followed by Steepa, Hild and Uhtred. Signe sat poking at the fire with a stick, moving the logs to allow them to burn evenly. "You should rest, Finan." Signe spoke, not looking up to the man who laid on his side, his head propped up on his arm.

       "I'm not tired, Lady." Signe looked at the man, his eyes were hooded as he spoke, fighting off sleep. Signe let out a small laugh as she shook her head in disbelief.

       "Trust me, I am not the best company to keep. If you would like to stay by the fire for warmth I can grab your bed roll, but you must rest." Signe spoke more sternly, Finan looking up at her through his lashes as he finally agreed. The woman disappeared from the fire, rummaging through piles of supplies before finally grabbing two bed rolls. She grabbed a few furs as well before turning to go back to the fire. Finan was laying on his back now, his arms tucked under his head as he looked up to the sky.

       "You do not believe in God, do you Lady?" Finan asked quietly, accepting the bed roll that she was handing to him. The two quietly made their spots beside the fire, Signe pondering on his question as they did so.

       "I believe in the Gods, although I did once pray to yours." Signe finally said, laying down on the worn out bed roll, pulling the furs up to her chin. She laid on her side to face Finan, the man copying her actions.

       "What made you change?" Finan asked, his eyebrows frowned.

       "Your God did not favor me." Signe spoke quietly. "The Dane's that took us in taught us of the old Gods, how they care for their people. I honor them because they have guided me to the path I was always supposed to take." Her answer was careful.

       Most people didn't care to ask why Signe followed her Gods so proudly. Some that knew of her and Uhtred's origins would sometimes pity them, assuming that they blindly followed Gods for the sake of survival. That may have been true at first, but the Gods had never led Singe astray. She didn't need to pray to them and helplessly wait for a sign. She was sure in her actions, she let fate decide her path.

       "Fate does not lead us astray." Signe spoke once more. "You trust in the Gods and they will lead you where you need to be, when you need to be there."

       "Would you say that it was fate that you were here today?" Signe smiled at the question.

       "I do believe so, yes." Finan nodded, finally allowing his eyes to close.

       "Lady Signe?" Signe hummed in response, allowing her own eyes to close so she could welcome sleep. "Thank you... for being kind."