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"Lord, we need to change our plan. We cannot wait for him to attack because he will not. Her value is even greater than I thought. He will wait for as long as it takes." Uhtred says that the group meets in the hall once more.
"Æthelred and the Mercians will be close." Alfred claims Luna sighs from where she sits. Finan props his leg on the bench behind her and leans forward with his arm across his thigh. She turns behind her and notices he looks uneasy, Luna leans her head against his knee and feels him relax against her.
"They will be seen. What we must do is stop them on the road. I can send Finan to do just that. And then we must join them, we must choose the place of battle, lord. But we must act quickly while his blood burns." Uhtred said looking at the king, Finan watched nervously as he unconsciously drummed his fingers on her shoulder. She can't shake the feeling she will lose one of her lovers and she fears it.
"Join Æthelred where?" He asked.
"I am thinking Fearnham. There's a hill."
"I know it, lord. It gives us an advantage." Beocca backs up Uhtred's advice.
"But how do we join Æthelred here at this hill? And how do we ensure Earl Sigurd will follow if that is the plan?" Alfred questions and looks to Uhtred for the answer.
"Finan will find the Mercian's and we will ensure Bloodhair follows. You and I will draw him."
"And if Æthelred cannot be found?" Alfred asks knowing the lord of Mercia wasn't fond of the two of them.
"We fight alone but we must act quickly. It must be today." Luna frowns as she looks at Uhtred, she knows he's worried, that they are all worried.
"I'm ready lords, it won't take me long to find the Mercians." Finan says and stands up looking between the king and lord. Alfred gives a slow nod.
"To Fearnham. Go." Finan nods and kisses Luna quickly.
"Be safe, Fin." She whispered as he left with a soft smile. Uhtred pulls her close and gives her a kiss of his own and leans their foreheads together for a moment.
"Go to Gisela. Do not stop until you are with her, promise me." She promises immediately and he relaxes against her. "I love you, the light of my life." Uhtred mumbled to her lips. She pulls away reluctantly and goes to her horse where Sihtric waits for her. He skims his fingers across her cheekbones and nose with a small smile and then kisses her deeply.
"Be safe, my moon." He kneels kisses her stomach and looks up at her. "Protect your mother, my little star." He whispered as she softly caressed his hair. He helps her onto the horse and holds her hand for as long as possible until she must go.
Leaving them behind was hard for her, not being about to see all four in one place was making her anxious. Luna does as she promised and does not stop, she rides day and night to Winchester. She's exhausted and worried when she arrives, Gisela is nowhere to be seen. When she asks a servant the woman directs her to a room filled with her lover, Hild, and Thyra.
She rushes to Gisela and gives Thyra a grateful smile when she moves, her lover is sweaty and groaning in pain. Gisela reaches for her hand and Luna clasps their hands together immediately.
"Lulu, you made it." Gisela whispers hoarsely, her throat raw from screaming.
"Of course, I did. I have been present for all of the births, that does not change now." Luna leaned down to kiss Gisela and brushed the hair from her sticky neck.
"I love you," Gisela said and squeezed her hand as she cried out. "Tell Uhtred I love him too, please." Luna nodded and started to cry when Hild ordered the maids to bring more towels.
"There's too much blood! Hurry! Hold on for us, Gisela." Hild says calmly fighting back her tears. Luna sobs against Gisela's chest as the woman grows weak, Gisela leans over to kiss Luna's head as a child cries. Gisela's hand grows limp on her own and stops breathing.
"No, no, no! Please, no!" She wails trying to wake the woman, she fights against Hild who eventually pulls her away.
"Shh, Luna, shh." Luna collapsed to the ground and Hild followed holding the brunette close. A day later she sits at Gisela's grave wishing something different could have been done. The sound of cheers pulls her away from Gisela's place of rest and follows Hild out to the entrance, a wet nurse holding the child Gisela died for. Uhtred dismounts his horse and walks to them with a worried look, Finan and Sihtric glance at one another in worry.
"Uhtred, she is gone. She has given you a son but she's gone." Hild speaks and pulls him into a hug before he can fully grasp the situation, he sniffles against her shoulder.
"I must go to her." Luna turns away from the man with tears in her eyes.
"Uhtred, no." She whispers and Uhtred looks at her with sad eyes, seeing Luna's bloodshot eyes allows him to understand.
"No, I must go to her." He begged crying, Luna moved to him and Uhtred held her close as he cried into her hair.
"Uhtred, she's in the ground, it was days ago. She's gone." Hild said quietly. Uhtred turns to Skade and his friends with teary eyes, he avoids looking at his son as he and Luna leave to visit her grave.
"She wanted me to tell you she loved you." Luna looked at Uhtred who broke down the moment she spoke, she pulled him into her arms as he cried his heart out. His hands gripped her dress so tight that she feared he was worried that she too might disappear from his life.
