Painted Blade || sihtric

16.

   THE next morning, many of the guards were still asleep after Skade had finally shut up, but Bemia was wide awake and looking around for her missing husband with a thick cloak around her shoulders.

Last night, she went to bed with him but when she woke up not too long ago, he was nowhere in sight, and she was freezing without his warmth.

"You're up early." Finan greeted Bemia with a warm smile, joining her side as she walked toward the gates. "I thought you would've stayed sleepin' for a while longer."

Bemia looked up at him while putting her quiver of arrows across her back. "I woke up freezing because Sihtric wasn't there. Have you seen him?"

"He's on guard, Bemmi," Osferth informed her, walking past with a small smile.

She returned the smile with a curt nod. "Thank you, baby monk. Make sure you have some breakfast."

"Yes, Mother," he teased, getting further away as Finan laughed.

Even she was brightly smiling at that. Until guards up near the gates started shouting and ringing a bell. That had Bemia and Finan on alert as they shared a look before sprinting, unsheathing their weapons.

"You better be awake up there, Sihtric!" Bemia shouted, pushing past guards as she reached the stairs.

And she knew he was awake when she heard his voice yelling down to Uhtred leaving the cells. "Lord, it is Bloodhair! He has hostages!"

"Every man to the walls!" Uhtred ordered as Bemia ran up the stairs with her axe out. "Every sword and spear must be ready!"

"How many hostages?" Bemia asked, reaching the top of the stairs and pushing a guard out of her way as she stopped beside Sihtric, looking down with a dreadful look. "Bloody hell."

"He's going to kill them, isn't he?" Sihtric quietly questioned as Bloodhair dragged a woman by her hair, women crying behind him, tied along a rope with guards at their backs.

"Without a doubt," she mumbled, shaking her head as Uhtred reached her, looking down. Then her face dropped completely as she looked at the young. "Uhtred, they have children."

Uhtred's jaw was tight as he grabbed her arm. "You're with me," he commanded, and she nodded, following after him as he let go of her arm and they hurried down the stairs. "Osferth, prepare to open the gates. Finan, with me."

Finan nodded, joining Bemia's side within seconds as they followed behind Uhtred toward the cells.

"Uhtred, what is it?" Beocca rushed out of the hall and toward them.

"Who is it?" the King asked from beside him with his son.

Bemia sheathed her axe, not bothering to look over at them as she said, "Bloodhair, Lord, with hostages."

"He wishes to negotiate?" the King asked.

"Possibly," Uhtred said and then opened the cells. "Bemia, get Skade. We're going out the gates."

Bemia nodded, jogging past him. When she entered the cell, Skade was already standing and waiting with her hands bound together. "Your idiot of a Dane is here," she spat out, grabbing Skade's hand and yanking her forward, their eyes locked. "If you even try to harm me or anyone, I will break your hands. If you try to curse me or anyone else, I will burn your lips together."

Skade's lips curved into a smirk. "You are already cursed, Bemia Rangarsdottir."

"I know." Bemia returned the smirk and then turned around, dragging Skade behind her.

Uhtred sent his sister a nod and then led the way back out of the cells, walking outside. "Osferth, the gates! Steapa, be ready!"

"They're killing women, Lord!" Osferth yelled from the closed gates.