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"Lord, she wishes to speak to you." Sihtric informs Uhtred as his horse trots up to Finan's. Uhtred sighed but moved to the back with Skade. Uhtred watched as Sihtric rubbed Luna's arms to warm her, the fur cloak that Sihtric had taken off and wrapped around her to keep her warm enough not to catch a cold. The three worried that the snow and cold wind would have a negative impact on her pregnancy, Skade had reassured them that she and the twins would not die.
"I wish to ride alongside you." Skade says gaining his attention.
"Your place is at the back of the line."
"I wish to ride alongside you as your woman. You have what you have always craved. Your freedom. Embrace it, embrace me. Did I not say you would be in need of a woman?" Skade said smugly but soon frowned when he shot her a cold look.
"Do not dare to think that you can replace my wife or Luna. She is my woman just as much as she is theirs, she will always be my only woman outside of Gisela. You do not compare to her in beauty, heart, or soul." Uhtred snapped in anger. She truly thought she could take Luna's place in his heart. He scoffed at the idea.
"I saw what would occur to your wife. I was not the cause, I know you would like to bed me." Uhtred ignored her advances and looked at Luna. His beautiful Luna.
"You are Bloodhair's woman, are you not?" Uhtred asked.
"Unless you decide to claim me. Then I will have a decision to make. Bloodhair's not the warrior that you are. He is not the king that you can be. Lord, we can be enemies or lovers. We can suffer or we can rule." She declares.
"Back of the line."
"Then you shall remain cursed, it's your choice!" She shouted as he rode back to the front.
"Why is she not food for the rats by now?" Finan asked as they sat around the fire for camp. He sticks his feet near the fire as Uhtred touches his wound with a groan. Skade watches them from her place away from them. Finan ensures that Luna is placed the closest to the fire to stay warm as Sihtric brushes her hair to soothe her and smiles when she yawns.
"Because she has a gift. Because she has taken hold of my path." He mumbled. He looks over at Luna who shivered at the wind nipping at her face, he wants to bundle her up in his arms but he feels so weak from the wound and the curse.
"If we kill her, the curse will live on. It is the curse that must be killed," Sihtric says to them. The comb in his hand glided in her hair softly as he detangled knots gently, Uhtred got up with a pained groan and walked away. "She is the worm and Uhtred is the apple." Sihtric whispers making her frown in worry. Finan reached out and clasped Luna's hands in his own to breathe some warmth into them.
Finan and Sihtric pull her into the fur blankets to cuddle around her, she feels Finan's beard and breath against her ear while Sihtric moves her face to his neck as they hold her between them. Once morning comes they have headed out again on their horses and she notices Uhtred looks awful. With the help of Sihtric, he can get onto his horse, Luna, and her husbands watch the man closely. They hear him start to cough and then see him lean over to vomit.
"Should we not stop to rest? I am tired of the sight of my horse's head, his ears in particular." Osferth says with a frown.
"We need shelter and fire, boy. There's no shelter here." Finan said a moment later Uhtred fell off his horse, and Sihtric and Finan immediately ran to their fallen lord.
"Lord, lord! Are you hurt, lord? Is it your wound?" Sihtric asks as they prop him up.
"No, she has me." Uhtred says weakly.
"Jesus, he looks the color of a Scotsman's arse. Is there anything broken?" Finan questions checking the lord over for injuries. Luna kneels in the snow to hold Uhtred face in her hands, he reaches one up weakly to grab her wrist lightly.
"She is squeezing the life from me." He mumbled and Luna locked eyes with Finan, both growing emotional.
"Either that or the cold has got to your bones." Finan supplies an explanation.
"Finan, you will find a cart and you will haul me to Dunholm, to Brida. She will know what to do." He whispers and Finan nods.
"Get him up." The three help lay the lord into a cart and tuck him in with fur cloaks. Finan holds Luna on his horse and they look over at Uhtred with worry.
"A few days more lord. It is your cart that is slowing us down." Uhtred doesn't say anything so Finan slaps the side and rides farther up.
"Has he drunk any ale?" Finan asks once they make camp.
"A little."
"A little is of little use." Finan says with a cup of ale as he walks to Uhtred, Luna has his head in her lap as she softly dabs a warm cloth on his forehead to keep him warm.
"All right, do you have the strength to lift up a wee cup, lord? Hmm, even if it is to wet your lips?" Finan moves his hand behind Uhtred's head to lift it gently.
"Oh, eh. I'd wager you feel like you're back on the slave ship. You got past that nightmare, you can get past the. Believe me." Luna attempts to blink away her tears but it's no use, the sight of Finan growing teary-eyed breaks her. Finan clutched Uhtred's hand and searched his face for any sign that the lord was getting better or worse.
"It's her Finan, turning my insides outward." Luna choked back a sob when Uhtred started to breathe harshly. Finan turns to look at Skade who is churning a mixing bowl while looking at them.
"Then kill her. Or let me do it for you." Finan pleads and looks at Luna for help.
"No." Uhtred whispers.
"Uhtred, I fear you are dying. Sihtric, says we will arrive at Dunholm tomorrow. They've been watching us for most of the day, at least I hope it's them." Finan holds back his tears as he places his fur cloak over Uhtred, he leans over to kiss Luna who cries softly at the sight of Uhtred.
"Please, Uhtred. You have to fight it. Please." She begged as Finan walked away. "Please. I cannot lose you too."
