(This will seem like a Sihtric story in the beginning, but do not get used to it. As soon as Finan makes his appearance, Sihtric and Valdis will slowly grow apart and Sihtric will still marry his wife.)

Valdis took a deep breath about to take a shot at the deer she has been tracking for a while now when she hears shouting from the camp. Her head snaps over as she quickly jumps out of tree and replacing the bow in her hand with a sword as she raced to where the shouting was coming from. There in the clearing stood a man holding one of ours hostage.

"Bring me Valdis!" He shouted as Valdis eyes widened at the voice. "Sihtric?" She asks stepping from out behind her brother and taking a step forward. "Valdis, do you know this man?" Uhtred asking turning his attention to her and sheathed her sword. "Come now sihtric let the poor man go." 

She smirked slightly as he released him. She smiled as She took a step forward pulling him into a hug. He whispered into her ear. "I wish to serve you and your brother." He spoke softly of his wishes as Valdis let out small nod before turning to her brother. "He is a good man brother, a loyal one as well." She spoke with a small smile as Sihtric wrapped his arm around her shoulder with a relieved look on his face.

"You vouch for him?" Uhtred looked between the two of them. "I do." She spoke plainly as she will not lose an old friend today by the hands of her brother.  "You swear your sword to me?" Uhtred then ask Sihtric as he looked at Valdis with a small smile. "I swear my sword to you, but I swear my loyalty to Valdis. As I always have. On Thor's hammer lord." 

Sihtric kneeled before Uhtred as her blood as grow tense from the situation as she did not plan on this happening today of all days. "I swear." Sihtric spoke once more as Valdis brought her own had to her Thor hammer around her neck with small nod towards her brother. "Then you have my protection." 

Valdis smiled as she helped Sihtric to his feet and held his hand with a smile. "Sihtric is with us now. He serves in king Guthred's army." Uhtred spoke as he walked away. Valdis pulled Sihtric with her to drink Ale and watch the men fight. "Last time I saw you my lady, you were on the hunt for your brothers."

Sihtric spoke with a small smirk. "Seems you found one of them." He tilted his head towards Uhtred as Valdis let out a small smile. "I found Ragnar as well, but Uhtred needed me more." Valdis softly spoke with a frown. "And don't call me lady." She spoke with a stern look on her face, but a small smile made its appearance.

"What troubles you?" Sihtric asked, concerned for his friend. "We are fighting for land we do not own, a king we do not serve." Valdis scoffed. Her growing frustrations towards the man sat beside her brother. Sihtric groaned as he moved closer to her. "I have missed your fiery attitude Valdis." Sihtric smirked suggestively as Valdis sent him a soft smile.

Sihtric gently kissed her neck with a smile. "If you wish, I can take your mind off it." Valdis body began to heat up as she tried to ignore all the signs telling her to say yes. It wouldn't be there first time. They spent time together when they first met but went their separate ways to find their own path. "If you don't disappoint me." Valdis smirked.

"Mm, when have I ever disappointed you Valdis?" Valdis could not hold off any longer as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her tent as he finished his cup of Ale, allowing her to pull him. He immediately latched his lips onto her as she frantically began pulling off his shirt. untying the leather.

He wrapped his arms around her pulling her tightly against his own body as the kiss was passionate and lust filled. "Am I expected to lose my head tomorrow from your brother?" He spoke with heavy breaths as torn off her clothing from her body as he began trailing kisses down the side of her neck and let his hands wonder her body.

She gasped at the feeling of his bare chest against her as she tugged at her trousers before laying down on the fur covered bed. She lifted her leg towards him with a smirk. "Possibly." Once he was free of his clothing, he grabbed her leg and began trailing kisses down it before retreating to her lips once more.

"Then I shall die a happy man." He smirked before he carefully lined himself up with her. She was an important friend to him. Not some whore he would care little of hurting. So, he was gentle when he pushed himself into her and kissed her softly to quiet the sweet moans escaping her lips. He will admit, he thought of them together before. But he didn't think she was the type of woman to settle down and have children.

She was a warrior, a fighter. He couldn't take that away from her as it has been the only constant thing in her life. She breathed softly into the kiss as she felt him begin moving against her walls. The pain subsided as it was soon replaced with the pleasure, she let very few give her. Sihtric being the only one for many years. 

She clenched around him as he felt her with a soft movement. But he knew her body. Like the back of his hand. She would not be content long with this pace. He began picking up his movements as she wrapped her legs around him, pulling her closer to him as the grunts that left his mouth was joined by the pleasurable moans that escaped hers. 

He rested his head in the crook of her neck as she pulled gently on his hair with a small smile. "Sihtric..." She breathed out as it was her notion to him that she was close. It only egged him on more as he relentlessly thrusted into her deeply and with swift movements. She clenched around him once more as she released onto him with Sihtric following soon after.

He breathed heavily as he rolled off her and she crawled to lay on his shoulder. He gently traced his fingers down her arm as they both came down from their highs with the smell of sex and sweat engulfed the tent. He gently placed a kiss on top of her head with a small smile. "I have missed you Sihtric." She mumbled against his chest.

He felt his heart physically hurt at her words. He followed his hand to trace a new scar on her side that he noticed wasn't there before. "I never should have left." He grumbled back to her with the anger of seeing the scar. He should have protected her. Been there for her. "I do not blame you. You had to leave for yourself. I can never blame you for such a thing." 

He pulled the furs on top of them as the slowness of her breathing told him she had fallen asleep. He would never leave her side. Not again. He wouldn't lose her. He soon closed his eyes taking in the warmth he had missed as he fell asleep peacefully.

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Valdis listened to King Guthred speak with a narrowed look. "Breath my love. Do not do something reckless." Sihtric's voice spoke softly beside her as she glanced at him for only a moment. They wanted to negotiate with Erik and Sigfrid when the brother's army was so small it could barely be considered an army. 

"I have made my decision. A message has been sent." Valdis scoffed as Sihtric was quick to grab her hand and pull her back from the step she just made. Valdis felt Sihtric's eyes on her silently pleading her to let it go. "Ulf, it will mean more silver. From Eoferwic, Kjartan and Bebbanburg." Valdis couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"The treasures that lie within Bebbanburg belongs to none of you but my brother." Valdis could hear the sigh from Sihtric as he knew there was nothing, he could do to stop her when she had her mind set on something. 

"You will remain quiet Pagan." The priest beside the king spat as Valdis felt her blood boil with a narrowed look. But it was Uhtred that spoke for her this time. "My sister is getting the same respect as me." Uhtred glanced back his sister only to be surprised once he saw her hand with Sihtric's. 

Valdis couldn't take anymore and walked away from them with an irritated look on her face. Sihtric glanced over at the King with a narrowed look before looking down at Uhtred silently asking for permission to follow her. Which he hesitantly given as Sihtric followed after Valdis. 

"You are a pain in my ass you know that?" Sihtric smirked softly as he finally caught up with her and pulled her towards him before wrapping his arms around her waist as she placed her hands around his neck. "The king will die. Not by my hand but he will die. He is too weak." Valdis scoffed out the words as if they were venom on her tongue.

Sihtric just let out a small chuckle as Valdis looked up at him with an offended look as a small smile grew on her face. "You find it funny, do you?" Valdis giggled as Sihtric leaned his head down to place his forehead against hers. "A little. You my little goddess could kill them with one look, and they would have no time to think." That's what he liked most about her. Her willingness to defend what she believes in. Even against a king. 

It was a few hours later by the time that Valdis stood beside her brother. As Erik and Sigefrid sat down in front of the king, the priest, and Gisela. Valdis eyed Erik for a moment with a small smirk as the brothers introduced themselves. King Guthred continued to only introduce himself. A small scoff caught the brother's attention as they looked over to her. 

"Hello Valdis." Erik smirked with a small nod. You could say Erik was and old friend. Unlike Sihtric they never were intimate. It was more of a brother bond. "You look good, the both of you." She smiled before hugging Erik and proceeding to hug Sigefrid. "Even me Valdis?" Sigefrid asked with a small smirk.

"You may be an ass but you're a hell of a warrior." Valdis responded before returning to Uhtred who had a narrowed look on his face. "I'm sorry how do you know them?" The king asked as she glared slightly at him. "In my time on my own, me and them fought at the battle of Chester. I saved their ass on the battlefield." Valdis spoke proudly as a small chuckle came from Erik. "That she did, and I am internally grateful." Erik sends Valdis a small nod.

"How did you enjoy your war with the Scots? You look tired." Uhtred spoke as she internally groaned. She did not want to have problems between her brother and the men who treated her as a sister. "You have a name?" Erik asked as stared down Uhtred. "I am Uhtred of Bebbanburg. The Danes know me as Uhtred Ragnarson."

"Your brother?" Sigefrid as he glanced over to Valdis as he remembered she spoke of her brothers. With a small nod from Valdis, it was clear that this was a more valuable situation. "You are the man who killed Ubba?" Sigefrid tried to confirm with a small nod from Valdis and Uhtred confirming he was. "Thank you." 

"We have benefitted greatly from Ubba's death. He has not been mourned." Sigefrid finished before Erik began speaking and Valdis couldn't help but smirk. Erik was always good with speeches. "Danes, Saxons, Northmen, priests, pagans, a strange mix." Valdis raised her brows towards Erik as he smirked down at his hands. "How could I forget about the lovely goddess?"

Valdis dipped her head towards him before the king spoke up. "Goddess?" He questioned looking between the two. "Did you not know? What Valdis means in our culture? It means the goddess of death. You have the goddess of death on your side, and you will never fail." Erik smirked over at her as the priest crossed his fingers over his heart. 

This just caused Valdis smirk to grow more. "You might not know this, but, in your absence, all Danes and Northmen in Eoferwic have either been killed or fled." Guthred spoke as Valdis couldn't help but roll her eyes. If that were true, they wouldn't be marching to war at this moment. "Eoferwic will be mine."

"I will fight you, and I will win." The king spoke egoistically as Valdis smirked before leaning forward to whisper in Uhtred ear. "Unless I kill him first." Uhtred couldn't stop the small smile on his face from his little sister's antics. "The king is the man of the one true god, his preference is that we come to an agreement." 

"Is not my god." Valdis spoke not realizing how loudly she spoke as they all snapped their head over to her as the priest narrowed her eyes. "He is if you wish to fight." I glanced over at Erik as he sent me a silently and small nod. "I only wish to spill blood; I do not care who it belongs to. Its men like you that believe one man can be God of everything. Your wrong." Valdis spoke as Uhtred grabbed her arm, but it was quickly taken away from him.

"Hell, I am sure I can join Sigefrid and Erik over here and they would happily accept me. Give me a chance to kill you and your pathetic whiny god." Valdis warned with her arms crossed over her chest as nods from Erik and Sigefrid told her she had their support. "We will see how you fight against me priest." Valdis finished. 

"Valdis go cool off." Uhtred said from behind her as she snapped her head towards him in disbelief was, he really siding with these Saxon scums? "Now Valdis." She just scoffed as she shoved her shoulder into him as she passed by walking with an angry step. She sat on a log for a moment with Sihtric resting his hand on her shoulder after she explained to him what had happened. 

He wouldn't say he wasn't disappointed. Yes, Uhtred has his sword. But Valdis had his heart and loyalty. If it came down to it. He would follow her wherever she would go. Her head snapped up at the sight of Sigefrid and Erik approaching her as she stood to her feet. "Seems we will fight beside each other once more." 

Valdis smirked as she pulled them both into hugs. "Hopefully I will not haft to save your asses again." She smirked as she glanced back at Sihtric. "Erik, Sigefrid. This is Sihtric. Sihtric, these are some of the best men I ever fought with. Saved my ass a few times when I needed it." Sihtric took a step forward shaking these hands. "Thank you for keeping her safe." 

"Ah, she's being humble. We owe her more than she owes us." Sigefrid nodded towards her as they walked away. Sihtric grabbed her hand and gently kissed it. Sure, they have fought together but not on this scale. He would admit he was worried. "I will be fine Sihtric, as will you." He was silent for a moment before nodding and gently kissing her causing a small smile to appear on her face. 

They had taken a moment to stop and rest after their long travels as Sihtric stayed close to her only to leave her when she went hunting as he did not wish to disturb her. But the news he had for her when she returned was the most disturbing news of all. "Sihtric what has happened?"

"King Guthred as sold uhtred as a slave." Sihtric spoke calmly and softly. Valdis went to move past them but was stopped by Sihtric. "Valdis they are on the hunt for you. They wish to take your soul as they fear you are the bringer of death. They will kill you Valdis." Sihtric spoke in a rushed tone. 

She was pushed back when she looked over to see Ragnar. Her eyes widened in shock as she finally pushed past them. Hild with them. She must've told them what happened. "Ragnar?" She called as Ragnar's head snapped towards the new voice with a surprised look. "Valdis?" He spoke softly as she rushed over to him hugging him tightly.

"Seize her!" The priest called but Ragnar immediately pulled out his sword. "On what grounds?" Ragnar deafened as he pushed her behind him. "She is the devil. The bringer of death. She cannot live. She will kill us all." King Guthred responded as Valdis whispered to Ragnar. "That is king Guthred. They have heard of my name. They have taken Uhtred." 

Ragnar glanced at his baby sister before glaring up at King Guthred. He will pay for thinking he could kill his sister.