Painted Blade || sihtric

11.

A day later, Uhtred sat atop his horse, leading the men along a path leading to Beamfleot. Bemia was behind him, between Osferth and Pyrlig, on Floki who was constantly swinging his back tail and trying to force Bemia to go faster. Usually, Bemia would race Sihtric and Finan to wherever they were going, but that couldn't be done today.

"What will happen when we reach Beamfleot?" Osferth cautiously asked, his eyes jumping between Bemia and Uhtred. "Will there be a ritual, a toast, a meal?"

"There will be a heathen sacrifice: the youngest member of the visiting party will be split with an axe," Pyrlig casually said.

Osferth eyes widened with fear as he looked at Bemia who wickedly smiled. "And I'm no longer the youngest of the visiting party," she clarified, making him pale.

Uhtred chuckled before he said, "They will want to humiliate us."

"In what way?" Aldhelm questioned from behind Bemia.

"An insult, a challenge."

"Why?"

"Because they can," Finan answered from behind him.

Suddenly, Bemia's eyes snagged on five Danes looking down at them from a cliff and she pulled on the reigns of her horse, stopping him just as Danes from the surrounding bushes ran out of hiding with their swords drawn.

Bemia placed her hand on the hilt of her axe, looking around at the men. "Osferth, if you wish to live, stay close to me and do not make eye contact with any of them," she whispered, and he quickly nodded his head.

"Haesten," Uhtred drawled. "We are traveling to Beamfleot."

"For Alfred?" Haesten questioned.

"For Alfred, yes."

"I am here to take you on to the fortress, Lord, you and two others," Haesten explained.

"I will travel with half my number, no less," Uhtred stated.

Haesten shared a look with his men before nodding. "Agreed."

"The Lady Aethelflaed, she is well?" Aethelred questioned, raising his voice. "There will be no negotiation until I have seen her."

"She is well." Haesten smirked. "My Lord Erik sees that she's...most content, Lord."

Bemia scoffed in disgust, removing her hand from the hilt of her axe.

"Ride on and we'll follow," Aethelred gritted out.

Haesten laughed. "Oh, you will not be needing horses.

SOMETIME later, Bemia was beyond annoyed after having to walk so far to Beamfleot and she only grew more annoyed by the many Danes that eyed her up and down like a sugary sweet as she walked through the doors to the keep behind Uhtred, coming face-to-face with Erik and Sigefrid walking toward them, their men surrounding.

"You will all kneel," Sigefrid commanded when each party came to a stop in the middle of the courtyard.

Beside Bemia, Osferth started to kneel, and she rolled her eyes, grabbing the back of his cloak as she yanked him to stand back up.

"We will not," Uhtred countered. "We have come here in peace and as equals. You've made us walk a good distance to meet you, that is respect enough."

In the crowded men, unknown to Bemia, Sihtric was watching only her, and when his eyes drifted to his necklace around her neck, proudly on display, he smirked, happy as ever.

Sigefrid took three steps toward Uhtred. "You should have joined me, Uhtred."

"If you wished me to join you, why have a dead man tell a prophecy?" Uhtred tilted his head. "Why didn't you simply ask?"