╚════════*.·:·.☽✧    ✦  ✧☾.·:·.*════════╝

Sigrún sighed in annoyance as Hæsten walked into her and Skade's shared room with a platter of food. Sigrún watched Skade trace runes onto the floor as they both ignored his presence. She must admit, without Seidr she felt naked. She hated the vulnerability of it all.

"He will have me send you to him, Bloodhair." Hæsten stated.

"It is I who choose who it is I lie with." Skade answers as Hæsten smirks. "Kill. You have only ever taken women, they do not give themselves to you." Skade stated and Sigrún had to agree.

"Whether it is given or taken, I get what I want." Sigrún grimaced at the man as he licked his lips.

"You may take my body but you will not have my power." Skade taunted as Hæsten chuckled.

"And you?" He glanced her way.

"Unless you are named Sihtric or in the most dire circumstances Skade, you do not have a chance." She spoke as she twirled a grape between her fingers. The moment she got her hands on her staff that was confiscated, he would die. She would curse his very soul:

"We will see," He said glaring at her and looking down at her body. "I have one thousand men, that is power enough." He now said to Skade. The seer stood up protectively in front of Sigrún as she glared at the Dane.

"You will not touch her, lord. She is mine," Skade paused briefly. "And Sihtric's." She answered as if she were pained. "The man I choose will benefit greatly from Alfred's death. But I will have to give myself to that man and only when it is earned." She walks to him seductively and Sigrún might just vomit at the sight of it.

"Maybe I should just hump you both now and be done with it." He said grabbing Skade roughly.

"I'd like to see you try." Sugrún threatened the man as he scoffed.

"Prove yourself, lord."

"Prove myself? To a woman?" Sigrún watched Hæsten closely as Skade moved closer to him to place a hand on his neck.

"And I will allow you inside me and my power inside you. Uhtred and his men will come for us and if you are to take his place, then you must first kill him and then I am yours as she will be mine." Skade cut his neck with her nail and placed the blood on her tongue, Sigrún gagged at the scene and wished for death to take her now.

Meanwhile, in Aylesbury Uhtred and his company ride into town as horns sounded out. Steapa and Æthelred approach the group as Uhtred and Aethelflæd dismount. Sihtric doesn't care much for what is said as he reaches up to scratch under Seidr's chin and smiles when the snake releases a sound close to a purr.

Finan watched his friend with a horrified look as he began to whisper to the snake as if it understood. Osferth believed Sigrún had bewitched him somehow with the help of the devil. Finan just figured Sihtric was so cuntstruck that he would willingly do anything the woman asked.

Back at Beamfleot, Sigrún and Skade sat on one side of the table as Hæsten was across from them as they ate quietly.

"I killed this hare myself with an arrow." She was silently judging the man and Skade nudged her to stop.

"You are pleased with more than the killing of a hare." Skade said looking at the Dane.

"I am, Alfred is dead and is it opposite a vision of beauty." He motioned to them as he said as such.

Gross.

"I belong to another, he will come." Skade said as she leaned into the other woman.

"Soon, I hope and like this hare will fall by my arrows." Hæsten bragged.

"He will not, I will make sure of it."

"And then he will avenge me, lord. All of me." Skade said leaning back purposely as he looked down at her body with lust. Hæsten leaves not long after and Sigrùn mumbled an incantation to call up the sight of her companion. She felt Seidr's warmth as he was cradled in Sihtric's arms from what she could see was a camp.

"Why him?" Skade asked bringing her out of Seidr's sight.

"Who?"

"The bastard Dane, who else?" Skade snapped in jealousy and Sigrún laughed at her.

"He is better than you in every way, Skade," She walked the seer to the walk as the blonde gasped when Sigrún gripped her throat. "And if you ever think of trying to curse him again, I will inflict so much pain that you will even beg to the Christian god." Skade shoved her away at the dark-haired woman smirked at her.

"Uhtred has finally arrived to claim you both as he said he would." Hæsten tells them when they both stand outside to look out the fortress.

"With how many men?"

"Not more than thirty." Hæsten said smugly. Sigrún was not nearly as stupid as these two, Uhtred always had a plan.

"That is all?" Hæsten chuckled at Skade.

"Thirty, fifty. All he can do is try to creep over the walls so when he moves I will have his balls."

"Thirty men is nothing." Skade snapped.

"He is no longer a lord, he has no men, no silver, and no land."

"Then be sure to win me, lord. And be sure to gift me, prisoners, I have not seen a man beg for mercy for some time." Skade placed her hands on his shoulders seductively as he sighed.

She might rip her eyes out just from that alone.

"The great lord Uhtred and his army. Ready the archers and prepare every last man. The Dane-slayer shall die this bet morning." Hæsten announced, Sigrún highly doubted that. Her eyes skimmed the group until they landed on Sihtric who was already looking up at her, she smiled at him when she noticed.

"Yes, lord."

"Lord Uhtred, such a frightening sight." Hæsten taunted.

"You are a coward, Hæsten. Hiding inside your fortress when the priest of Eoferwic did rise you fled? When Sigefrid attacked Alfred, you fled. And at the nunnery once again, you fled." Uhtred said with a smirk and Sigrún laughed at Hæsten who glared at her.

"I took your woman!" Hæsten shouted childishly.

"And as long as I live and breathe she still is my woman," Skade shot Hæsten a glare. "Fight me. I will wait for you in the clearing there, bring a guard and no more. Let us make the square and let the two of us fight." Uhtred shouts.

"That is what you want, to die?"

"What I want is an end to this. What is most likely to happen is you will remain a coward, you will remain inside your fortress," Finan and Sihtric chuckle as their men join in. "Songs will be sung about your cowardice, I shall pay for them to be written."

"I am no coward Dane-slayer! If death is what you want, then you shall have it." Hæsten yelled as he left and the two women followed.