A Saint To A Sinner

3.15

"Hæstens men say Cnut and Brida have attacked Mercia." Osferth approached them as they were hovering around the fire. Uhtred had sent them off, trying to listen in on conversations to find out whether or not Hæsten had an agenda.
"I knew they did not settle for Irland." Uhtred questioned, trying to find out what to do now.
"Edward and Æthelred will need us now." Finan sighed out as they realised their plans had completely changed since they had left. That Cnuts men now intended to take Mercia as well as East Anglia.
"I owe them nothing." Uhtred said, making Finan look at his wife with a sarcastic look, "And Æthelflaed?"
"It is true I fear for her!" Uhtred had a sad look on his face.
"We were heading to Mercia anyway, but where is the question." Y/N stated. Uhtred nodded at her words, about to speak when Hæsten called him over.

Uhtred walked over carefully to sit with Hæsten. Finan and Sihtric followed suit and sat either side of him, with Y/N standing beside Young Uhtred with her arms crossed.
"There was a rumour you had gone north to regain your lands. Are you here with your tail between your legs." Hæsten taunted.
"Your men say the Danes have gone to war, yet you are here, playing nursemaid?" Uhtred taunted back as he noticed the ginger twins sat behind him playing. "What happened, Hæsten? Have they cut off your balls?"
"What can I say? I am a family man." Hæsten chuckled lively at them.
"I do not see your fat wife?" Uhtred noted, making Hæsten sigh. It was as if Uhtred hit a nerve.
"She died." Hæsten grumbled out. There was a short sad look in his eye, which made her chuckle.
"Oh, did she?" Uhtred said sarcastically. He did not really care. He wanted to know what Hæsten and his men were up to.
"As you know, I once had the desire to claim Mercia and Wessex for my own. But that did not go well for me. And now, like you, Uhtred, I only want a woman to hump and a piece of land to call my own." Y/N looked at Finan, who too gave the look of bordem at Hæstens speech. "I had both in Skade and Beamfleot until you took them away from me."
"How is Æthelflaed? In my experience, the bitch has never known when to lie down." Hæsten continued to taunt. "No doubt she'll be riding into battle with Cnut, with her silly husband and her pretty brother. And you have always been there to save her, Uhtred, but not now."
"She does not need me." Uhtred swallowed. The two of them were hitting each others nerves. For what, Y/N did not quite understand yet.
"That is not what I heard?" Hæsten pointed, "how is she. To bed? I imagine she squeals, like a big fat pig." Uhtred shot up to kick Hæsten off his chair, causing Y/N to grab Young Uhtred behind her, holding him close, as Finan and Sihtric cornered one of Hæstens men.

Once Uhtred released Hæsten, Y/N relaxed for a small moment, shaking her head at Finan.
"Of course, I would slit her throat after she'd been ridden!" Hæsten called out, making Uhtred stop in his tracks. Sihtric looked at Y/N with a sigh. This repetition of history had become boring, but not for Uhtred nor Hæsten.
"Wait, Uhtred. She is too well used to fight over." Hæsten panicked as he saw Uhtred march towards him with his sword. None of them moved when they started fighting, letting the two men battle it out for themselves.
"Wait. Wait. Wait." Hæsten called as he backed away, "there is something I can give you. The name of the man that killed Ragnar..." Y/N looked at her husbands with a confused look. They thought it was Æthelwold.
"No! He held the dagger, but another whispered poison in his ear." Uhtred shoved Hæsten into the wall, kicking his arse, making them all laugh at how pathetic Hæsten was.
"Speak." Uhtred said.
"Cnut." Hæsten breathed out, making them all look at each other. Y/N looked at Sihtric carefully. If Cnut was the one to plant the idea, then Ragnar was not in Valhalla yet. Sihtric nodded at her, telling her her thoughts were right.
"What now?" Y/N said to her husbands who made a confused expression.
"Are these Cnuts bastards?" Uhtred asked. "You will leave them with me." Sihtric clicked his tongue in frustration when he saw Hæsten walk towards him.
"Of course, Cnut will hear of this." Uhtred shouted as Hæsten stumbled cowardly into Sihtric before walking past him. Finan slapped Hæstens ass with his sword, laughing at him.

"Finan!" Uhtred called, making them all stop. "Tie them up!" Sihtric and Finan sighed as they moved to grab the red-headed twins. One of them moved to run, but Sihtric caught him, managing to wrap his arms around the boy, but the other one was quicker and managed to pull a knife out on Finan, making Osferth and Y/N laugh at the men struggling against two boys that where as old as Cynlæf.
"No, no, no! Where are you going? Where are you going?" Finan said as the boy ran out from underneath him. Y/N and Osferth continued to laugh at the two men struggling to put a rope around them.
"We should probably help them!" Y/N said to Osferth. "Oswald, stay there." Y/N walked forward towards Finan as she bit the inside of her cheek. The little boy kicked Finan, making him fall down before running straight into Y/N. The boy stopped and looked up, pulling a disgusted face as he held out his arms.
"Yu've got to be joking." Finan grunted as his wife tied up the boys hands before passing him back to Finan with an amused expression.
"We ride to Aeglesburg." Uhtred called to his men, watching them drag the twins to their horse. Y/N laughed at her husbands, who now had to ride with the twins.
"Maybe we should teach Cynlæf how to fight better." Y/N said as she climbed on the horse behind Young Uhtred as her husbands grunted in defeat.