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"Why is she not food for the rats by now?" Finan asked as they sat around the fire. He sticks his feet near the fire as Uhtred touches his wound with a groan. Skade watches them from her place with Sigyn away from the men.
"Because she has a gift. Because she has taken hold of my path." He mumbled and watched Sigyn grimace at whatever Skade had whispered to her.
Sigyn never knew how evil her sister was until she just threatened to feed her the monk's heart. Skade was threatened by them and a part of Sigyn was glad.
"If we kill her, the curse will live on. It is the curse that must be killed," Sihtric says to them. Uhtred gets up with a pained groan and walks closer to the woods. "She is the worm and Uhtred is the apple." Sihtric whispers and sees Sigyn rub her wrist when Skade grins.
"Should we not stop to rest? I am tired of the sight of my horse's head, his ears in particular." Osferth says later with a frown as he looks at Sigyn, she is quieter than normal. She feared that her simply looking in the monk's direction would get him killed.
"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. Sigyn pales at the sight and sees Skade's proud smirk as she walks closer on the horse.
"She is squeezing the life from me." He mumbled and locked eyes with Sigyn, both knowing it to be true. Skade was killing them both.
"Either that or the cold has got to your bones." Finan supplied an explanation in fear and looked around.
"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 two men help lay the lord into a cart and tuck him in with fur cloaks.
"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." Osferth speaks and watches Sigyn as she works to help Uhtred.
"A little is of little use." Finan says with a cup of ale as he walks to Uhtred, Sigyn is attempting to make a temporary antidote.
"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." 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." Finan turns to look at Skade who is churning a mixing bowl while looking at them, Sigyn puts the paste mixture on his wound making him groan in pain.
"Sorry, lord." She mumbled and pressed down harder.
"Then kill her. Or let me do it for you." Finan pleads.
"No," Uhtred whispers and reaches for Sigyn's hand. "You are not Skade, do not feel guilt for what she has done." Sigyn nods and pours the antidote into his mouth slowly.
"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 held back his tears as he placed his fur cloak over Uhtred.
"It is the fever, it will pass." Osferth said as he sat down next to the other two men, he had attempted to feed Uhtred but it had not gone well.
"I cannot do anything more. I am not a seer like Skade." She chewed on his lip in guilt and failed to notice Osferth moving to her side.
"You have tried your best, that's all we ask of you." He squeezed her hand softly and decided to ignore the look of rage that crossed Skade's face.
"He sees someone. It is the Gods tormenting him." Skade speaks to the men running up the hill when Uhtred sits up shouting and making himself cough. "And as for you," Skade snarls looking at Sigyn. "One more word to the monk and I will kill him."
"Lord, lord! You must eat and you must drink. You are not thinking right." Finan says urgently.
"Brida." Uhtred mumbles.
"Finan, look." Sihtric speaks alerting the Irishman, there in the darkness stood Brida.
"Brida." Finan whispers in relief.
With Brida's help, they were able to save Uhtred and block Skade's curse for the moment. Sigyn felt a sense of freedom for the first time in years as her mark did not burn nor bleed being so far away from Skade, she had hugged Brida the moment she felt the curse break.
"Thank you, Brida." The brunette patted her back awkwardly and pulled away to see happy tears in the girl's eyes.
