It's never over // Sihtric Kjartansson

Chapter Twelve

It didn't take long before Sihtric and Erik reached the stables,
"Uhtred, she said that you would come. I dare not believe her but you are here."
"What has changed?" Uhtred asked impatient with Erik's talk. Erik's eyes looked to the ground and wearily back to Uhtred as he replied.
"In truth, it is hopeless." he admitted. Uhtred turned around agrily pacing between his men and Erik.
"I have no crew for my ship. The first task is not how we escape Beamfleot but how we free Aethelfled. She hangs where every man can see her."
"Lord I enjoy a fight as much as the next idiot but this is beyond us." Finan said candidly avoiding Erik's eye. Ignoring his comment Uhtred continued to get information.
"She is inside the hall?"
"She is inside the hall, inside a cage surrounded by men."
"Warriors." Sihtric corrected trying to side with Finan and discourage Uhtred. None of his men wanted to fight a loosing battle.
"Then we must first get rid of the men. We do it now." Uhtred was a quick thinker and no quitter. He came to free Aethelflaed and that is exactly what he would do.
It was Tove's job to set the fire and rejoin the rest of the men at the hall. The buildings were dry allowing the fire to spread quickly, lessening her job. She managed to slip back in as Erik locked the doors. The 6 guards had been killed but the problem of the princesses' cage was now their main issue.
"Clapa, Sihtirc, the cage." Uhtred shouted while barricading the door. He knew there was only so much time before Siegfried realised what was going on. Sihtric hacked at the chain with his axe leaving Clapa to lower her and the cage's weight down as gently as possible.
"So we cleared the hall of men Lord. Now how do we clear the yard?" Finan shouted over the commotion outside. Uhtred looked to him thinking, his eyes wandered to Aethelflaed.
"They will follow the silver." He said to himself quietly.
A serving girl volunteered herself for the job. She took Aethelflaed's clothes and a horse from the stables.
"Lady quickly, ride for the red gate do not stop!" Sihtric shouted after her as the mare bounded off. Just as Uhtred predicted the men in a panic scrambled for their horses and began to follow her. But not Siegfried, he knew there was a traitor.
"Erik!" The boom of Siegfried's yells echoed through the hall as he and his men broke through the door.
"Erik, do not do this. Do not dare to do this." He softened his voice as he spoke to his brother. He had suspected his fondness of the princess but this was truly unexpected.
"Brother, we have this one chance I cannot let her go." Erik took pity on his brother, he knew what he was doing was betrayal but hoped Siegfried could forgive him.
"She is our fortune! She is our reputation!" He bellowed bewildered at how his brother had suddenly changed.
"If it is reputation you want you can start with killing me." Uhtred would not let Siegfried have the chance to change Erik's mind. He drew his sword with every intent on using it.
"No." Erik shouted, he was torn. Should he protect the woman he loves or his brother?
"If you want the fortune. You mus kill me." Erik approached his brother, he had chosen Aethelflaed. Ignoring the princesses' apposing shouts he lifted his sword and began to fight his brother. Siegfried had no intent on sparing his brother. He was in full attack, yelling and lunging as he fought. With Siegfried busy Uhtred's warroirs were back to their main priority. Tove was first to the cage, she hacked at the bolts with her axe. With a struggle she had managed it, neither her or Aethelflaed wasted time. She pulled the princess from the cage,
"Uhtred." she shouted trying to get his attention. His eyes briefly met hers but Erik spoke first.
"Uhtred get her out of here." He yelled still dodging blows from his brother's hateful weapon. They had made it up the stairs of the hall when Aethelflaed stopped and began to scream. He had done it. Siegfried's blade was wedged deep into his brother's chest. His face was frozen, eyes wide as he looked into his brothers. Aethelflaed called out to Erik but he could not reply.
"Come on we need to go." Uhtred ordered, the fire had now spread to the hall. Any moment the hall would collapse trapping them all inside.
"You. You did this." Though his blade delivered Erik's death he did not want him to suffer a death without Valhalla. He squeezed Erik's hand tightly around his sword. "You've killed us both."