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"They are Danes." Ragnar says as they stand on the peak of the fortress. Sigrún stood next to Finan and Sihtric as they watched the brothers talk.

"Yes." Cnut answers.

"Definitely. I recognize one of them, two of them." Uhtred says. She sees Bloodhair and snarls at the sight, the last she had seen of him he tried to force himself on her. Skade saved him from a very painful death.

"Do you think they will let me kill Bloodhair?" She questioned Sihtric. The Dane had yet to speak to her but he had become Seidr's newest interest.

"I doubt it, Lady Sigrún." Sihtric replied with a smile as she frowned. Seidr kept looking at the Dane curiously as she sulked.

"The Earl Sigurd?" Ragnar asked them.

"Neither are fond of me." Uhtred said and glanced her way.

"Bloodhair is too fond of me." She told them and Seidr as if sensing her unease nuzzled his head against her jaw.

"For what reason, I wonder?" Cnut mocks them both.

"Speak to me in that way again, Cnut, and you will die by my hands." She threatened and Finan panicked when her snake hissed next to him.

"Earl Ragnar, I am Hæsten."

"We know who you are. The question is, what do you want?" Ragnar calls down to them.

"Shelter, food, ale, warmth, and negotiation perhaps." He says looking up at the fortress.

"Negotiation? Are we at war?"

"It is what we do, lord. Discussion would be a better word." Hæsten explains with a chuckle.

"You are a long way from Beamfleot, Hæsten." Uhtred shouts suspiciously.

"Uhtred? Believe me, it would be a pleasure to see you here. So it is true, you are no longer Alfred's oathman." Hæsten taunts with a grin.

"Who is this Hæsten?" She asked Sihtric, the Dane leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"A pain in the ass. He is always involved in any sort of deception, especially if Uhtred or Alfred is a key factor." Sigrún nodded slowly as she took in the information. "I have not had the chance to say, but your snake is beautiful." Sigrún looked at the Dane with mismatched eyes and smiled at him.

Anyone who appreciated her baby couldn't be too bad.

"He thanks you." She answered as Seidr gazed appreciatively at the Dane.

"It is true and you are still Alfred's oathman?"

"He believes so." Hæsten chuckled.

"And Earl Sigurd, Bloodhair, what do you have to say?" Ragnar speaks.

"I say we're tired and hungry and my arse is sore."

"You can't refuse them, Ragnar." Brida whispered to him.

"Do you have anything to say to me, Bloodhair?" Uhtred taunted and looked at Ragnar with a grin. "Last time I saw you, you were running for your life." Sigrún raised an eyebrow at the new information and smirked as she imagined it.

"Yes, you took what belongs to me. We have that matter to settle."

"Skade is not worth fighting over." She shouted when she leaned over the fortress walls, Uhtred quickly grabbed her shoulder to ensure she didn't fall.

"It is settled." Uhtred said in reply.

"Sigrún? It would seem you have taken something else from me," Bloodhair scowled up at them. "It can wait, it may even be resolved peacefully." Bloodhair shoots Hæsten a look.

"I do not belong to you, Sigurd." She smirked down at the Dane and leaned against Uhtred who still had not let go of her.

"Brida is right, we cannot refuse them." Uhtred says.

"You leave your swords at the gate. You have our respect." Ragnar demands.

"You will have no argument, I swear."

"Open the gate."

"They are here for one thing only, to speak of war and of Alfred." Uhtred warns the man.

Sitting inside Ragnar's hall everyone is sectioned off with the people they are loyal to. She stands next to Uhtred who looks up at her with eyes full of questions.

"And I will return south and send Bloodhair's men and ships to the River Ouse. You will follow and together we attack Mercia, we attack Wessex, and we kill Alfred!" Hæsten said from where he stood, the men around them cheered. "I will find the pretty Aethelflæd and we all take our turn with her," He said looking over at Uhtred purposefully. "We count our silver, we go from north to south, east to west, taking everything in our path." Uhtred glares at the Dane.

"Says a man with a small cock." Sigrún said and crossed her arms with a smirk, Hæsten glared at her and made to grab her but he paused. It doesn't take a genius to know that her snake was not on her arm and instead coiled tightly behind him trembling in anger. He held his hands up slowly and turned to her with deep hatred.

"He's very, very, protective of me. I am sure you understand?" She says mockingly and kneels to allow Seidr to wrap himself around her wrist.

"Who let this bitch in here?" Hæsten snapped and turned to Bloodhair.

"She is to be mine." Bloodhair answered making her scoff. She could almost hear Loki's faint laugh as she felt her blood boil in disgust.

"If we go by that logic, I would be Uhtred's to own. Not you, never you." She snarled at the two men and moved closer to Uhtred.

"And at some point, we begin to fight amongst ourselves and the plan fails." Uhtred spoke bluntly and tapped her thigh gaining her attention, he raised an eyebrow in question. She just nodded in response, as if she would be scared of men.

"Fight for what reason?"

"Why? Because you say it?" Bloodhair hissed out.

"Because you are involved with this plan, Bloodhair. You cannot even keep your seer, what makes you think you could help lead an army?" She interrupted smugly, Sihtric looked at her with amusement as Bloodhair practically seethed in anger.

"Because each of you believes himself to be the sword dane above all others, mistakenly. There can only be one leader."

"I will lead, I have ships, I have men. I've not grown lazy sitting inside a fortress." Bloodhair stands.

"Are you calling me lazy, Bloodhair?" Ragnar said and placed his cup of ale down.

"I am asking you to join me, Ragnar, as Hæsten has joined me." Bloodhair turns to her and Seidr begins to hiss immediately, he still holds a grudge for what the man tried to do to his mother. His golden eyes almost glowed in vengeance as he remembered it.

"When did I join you? I gave you food, I did not give you my oath." Hæsten said standing up slowly.

"You believe you should lead?" Bloodhair questioned.

"Yes, why not?" Ragnar stands and moves around the room.

"Name your victories." Bloodhair demands getting in Hæsten's face.

"Says the man who lost half his army to a sickly king." Sigrún laughed at the comment which only made Bloodhair even angrier.

"That is enough shit-talk." Ragnar demanded.

"Next, you'll compare cock sizes." Brida shouts making her men laugh.

"There can only be one leader."

"It must be you, Ragnar." Uhtred says.

"Why because he's your brother?" Bloodhair asked with a scoff.

"You are a waste of space, Bloodhair." She announced ignoring his burning gaze.

"Because Ragnar's the only man each of us will trust, the only man." Uhtred said and shot Sigrún a look of warning. Antagonizing the man wouldn't do them any good.

"You do not trust me, Dane-slayer?" Cnut asked with a smirk.

"Why should he?" She said and titled her head menacingly.

"Do not know you nor do I like you. But you are Ragnar's cousin."

"It is not about who leads, it is about how the wealth is divided." Aethelwold cuts in.

"We do not talk of wealth until we have it in our hands. Uhtred says that we must become one army, I see no man fool to disagree. You all know of me, you know of my father and my grandfather and I tell you now, I would be proud to lead the next great army. But only if it is agreed by each one of you. In return for your trust, I give you my word when Alfred is defeated, and he will be defeated, there will be silver. But more than that there will be reputation and honor in this life and the next, so who is with me? Bloodhair?" Ragnar questions and watches as Bloodhair stands.

"Yes, I am with you. You have my sword, I swear."

"Hæsten?" Ragnar asked.

"I have no argument, I too will follow." He says.

"And me, cousin, always but you knew that." Cnut interjected.

"And me. I am a man that knows every Saxon grudge and grievance held against Alfred, and there are many. You will need me." Aethelwold said with cockiness.

"That leaves Uhtred." Brida says.

"My sword is my brothers, no doubt." Finan looked worried and Sigrún sighed once she realized this wouldn't end well.

"Then it is settled. The kingdom of Wessex will surrender or burn." Ragnar announced as the men around them cheered and laughed.

"We cannot go against the men of Wessex." The monk, Osferth said.

"Be quiet." Finan hissed out as he turned around, she glanced their way curiously.

"They're our people Finan, our friends."

"Osferth, be quiet." Finan snapped quietly.