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"How is she?" Uhtred questioned softly as he walked over, Finan halted all movement when he realized how bad this could look to his friend. Uhtred patted his knee lightly to reassure the Irishman and crouched in front of his sleeping wife, he laid his hand on her ribs and caressed her with his thumb through the furs.

"She has been mumbling the same phrase in her sleep, lord." Finan said as he began to rake his fingers through her chocolate locks once again.

"It is bad, isn't it?"

"That depends. She keeps saying, the lifelong grievance ends but a new one begins." Uhtred smiled knowing his uncle would die today, he leaned over to kiss her forehead as he stood.

"That is good news," He said with a grin and ignored Finan's worried look. "We will worry about the last part later, Finan." The man in question slumped against the boat as gently moved the strands of hair that had fallen in Nilsa's face.

Not long after, Nilsa woke with an annoyed groan. Finan chuckled at her attitude and rubbed her back as she sat up. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she turned to look for her husband, her eyes widened in worry when Uhtred leaned over the boat and cut the back of his wrist to bleed into the angry sea.

"Rán can be a vixen. This should settle her." Uhtred spoke when he noticed his son's confusion. Nilsa quickly untangled herself from the fur blankets and rushed to her husband's side as she looked over the self-inflicted wound. Uhtred smiled down at her softly as she bandaged up his wrist with gentle fingers, he kissed her head in thanks.

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

"Finan, give him something to do." Uhtred said as Nilsa finished dressing the wound.

"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, Nilsa frowns at the display but says nothing.

"Tell me the truth. Am I the bait?" Finan moved to her and Uhtred's side as he sat down, he gently tugged her dress to get her to do the same.

"For what?"

"In the plan, you are hiding from me. Am I the bait?" Nilsa sighs as she sits. She wished she could hug the boy but she knew this was a needed conversation.

"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."

"I think you have another reason for dragging me into your revenge." She figured this would take awhile and laid her head on Finan's shoulder, the guilt of someone having to die so her baby could live was getting to her. Finan reached up to move her brunette hair behind her ear as he held her.

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

"The only reputation that matters is my standing with God." Young Uhtred claimed and she nuzzled more into Finan's side as she watched silently. She watched as Sihtric moved to sit against the sail beam and smiled when he locked eyes with her, she peered around Finan and felt her heart almost melt when she saw Osferth curled up on the floor of the boat. From what she has seen, he doesn't do well with the angry sea.

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

"My blood runs within his veins," Uhtred reached out to splay his hand against her stomach. "As does this one. Why can he not see that?" Uhtred mumbled and moved her hand to lay on his, Young Uhtred watched the scene and sent her a small smile.

"Because your blood is that of a stubborn bastard." She giggled at Uhtred's defeated face. Once he realized his son was praying he pulled away from her, she moved to Osferth who looked pale. She sat next to the monk who had suspiciously gone red upon her arrival, she managed to maneuver him into a comfortable position so he could rest his head on her shoulder. She stroked his hair as he relaxed into her touch, Sihtric arched an eyebrow at them and she rolled her eyes.

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

"The men you will slaughter," She flinched at his claim and thought back to the dragonfly. "You seem to take things when you want them, when you do, show mercy." Osferth frowned at her sudden tension and shyly placed his hand on hers, she didn't hesitate to intertwine their fingers. She liked affection, even if it was something as simple as this.

"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 snickered quietly as she held Osferth.

She hoped her child wasn't half as stubborn as the two of them.

She must have fallen asleep not long after against Osferth because she woke to him gently waking her. He looked almost regretful for doing so, she waved him off with a smile as he helped her stand.

As they docked their boat, Uhtred reached for her hand to help her off the boat. She preened slightly when he laced their fingers together and gave her a sweet but chaste kiss. She hugged his arm as they walked, she didn't like the looks of Grimesby.

"So, where do we start?" Finan asked as he turned to walk backward.

"Where do you look for monks in a place like this?" Uhtred said teasingly as he caressed the back of her hand.

"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. She was beginning to think he was more trouble than he was worth, he hated Uhtred with a passion and couldn't see his side of things.

"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 nudged her to Sihtric as he turned to lecture his son 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.

"Grimesby seems like a lovely place." Finan said mockingly. She moved closer to Sihtric as a man with an extreme case of the lazy eye looked at her, or she believed he did, it was hard to tell. She shuttered in disgust and hugged Sihtric's arm to her chest to feel a sense of safety. Sihtric leaned against her chest as he watched the man curiously.

"I hear the oysters are delicious." She snickered at Osferth's comment, he sent her a smile when he noticed she relaxed a little.

"Hm," They laugh and the inn goes silent. "Sihtric, don't make eye contact." She hides her face in Sihtric's arm to muffle her laugh.

"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 her. We are very protective." 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. Sihtric used the arm she was still holding against her chest to pull her closer, his hand rested on her side as he blocked her from view.

"We're not that sort of alehouse."

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