Painted Blade || sihtric

30.

BEMIA'S arse was numb by the time Sihtric's horse slowed down into a walk behind Ebbe who was following Dagfinn with the rest of the prisoners behind them on their own horses.

After freeing the prisoners, Bemia planned to ride on Floki, but she winced once while trying to mount him and that was enough for Sihtric to put her on his horse with him. Even Ebbe didn't want her riding on her own, believing that at some point she would fall off.

Yeah, he got a mouth full of words at that belief.

The sight of white tents came into veiw and there were many Danes mulling around, a few halting at the sight of the horses and new party. It only took a few seconds before Danes were shouting, half running toward the path with weapons while others ran to retrieve their weapons. At the sight of the armed Danes, Sihtric wrapped his arm tighter around Bemia's waist as Ebbe looked over his shoulder at them with a reassuring nod.

"It's Dagfinn with more men!" Dagfinn announced, waving up an arm at the Danes who had halted at the start of the camp. "Someone fetch Cnut and Bloodhair! They have guests!"

Bemia held back a curse at the mention of Cnut, her cousin that she'd honestly forgotten about.

As they got closer to the start of the camp, murmurs filled the crowded Danes at the sight of Ebbe whose face was stoic, his shoulders squared, and his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

No one had yet recognized Bemia due to the hood of her cloak hiding most of her face and all her hair which she found as a relief.

Well, that was until the horses stopped and Cnut approached with Haesten and Bloodhair on either side of him. The whole camp had gone quiet as Dagfinn and the Danes dismounted, leaving the three visitors on their horses, wondering who they were.

But when Bloodhair's eyes landed on Ebbe, his face fell with realization, and he stepped forward. "Ebbe?" he questioned as if he couldn't believe that his son was before him once again. "My boy!" he cheered, striding toward his son who dismounted. To Bemia's surprise, Ebbe was smiling at his father as they hugged.

Then again, they all had an act to play for this plan to work.

As the father and son pulled away from each other, still smiling, all eyes drifted back to the last two. And fucking Haesten recognized Sihtric straight away.

"You're Uhtred's man," Haesten muttered with venom in his tone, a glare thrown at Sihtric who simply smirked. And then that glare moved to the cloaked figure, and he scoffed. "Let me guess, you brought your wonderful wife?" Sarcasm dripped from his tone.

Bemia sighed in annoyance, pulling the hood of her cloak back to reveal herself as she looked down at Haesten. "Why the tone?" she mused, flashing him a grin as his men unsheathed their swords. "Didn't you miss me?"

But before he could reply with a snarky comment, Cnut walked straight toward her horse. "What are you doing here, Bemia?"

Bemia watched as he approached, his eyes roaming around at the tattoos on her face, the bandage on her head. "May my husband and I dismount?" she asked.

Cnut didn't bother looking back at the watching Danes as he nodded, offering a hand out to her. Bemia mumbled a quiet thank you, taking his large hand as Sihtric kept a hand on her back, the both of them helping her dismount. When her boots landed on the snow-covered ground, a small wince slipped out of her from the cut behind her thigh. A few seconds later, Sihtric dismounted, wrapping a fox pelt around her shoulders as Cnut took a step back, releasing her hand.

Bemia forced herself to take in a shaky breath as she made eye contact with her cousin. "News reached me of Ragnar's death," she started, her tone cracking without her permission. "I...Is it true that he isn't in Valhalla?"