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CHAPTER X:

✧. ⋆ blood for blood

     𝕯UNHOLM STOOD UPON A HILL, PROUDLY OVERLOOKING THE SURROUNDING GRASSLANDS AND FOREST. It was nearly impossible to breach and a siege would take far too long and require far more supplies than they had. All of which had been pointed out by multiple people, multiple times. And yet, as Eldrid marched her men through the forest, she felt confident they would be victorious. All thanks to the one they called the Dane Slayer.

She was starting to see why Alfred valued him so greatly. For it was thanks to his strategic thinking they had managed to devise a plan to get inside the seemingly impossible fortress. Uhtred had suggested a small party of warriors would try and get inside through a gate at the west wall, used only once a day. In the early hours of the morning the women of Dunholm would step outside the gate to gather water from the spring there.

To make sure they would remain unseen, Ragnar and his army would provide a distraction. They had fashioned a battering ram from a thick tree. Ragnar was to attack the gates and try to break through, which they already knew would prove futile. The gates were far too strong. But what Kjartan wouldn't suspect, were the few warriors that would slip into his fortress and open the gates from the inside. That was, if everything went according to plan.

Eldrid had ordered Bjorn to lead their men as they helped Ragnar to attack the main gates. Among them were a few skilled archers able to provide the soldiers with cover. She herself, along with Kara and Halvard, a skilled soldier who'd been at her side from the very beginning, would join Uhtred and his men by entering the fortress using what they named the 'water gate'.

As they made their way across the rocky terrain in the darkness, Eldrid found herself walking next to Uhtred. She'd been wanting to speak with him ever since they left Winchester. Several questions had been burning at the forefront of her mind and she knew she wouldn't be able to rest easy before getting her answers.

"I don't understand you, Uhtred Ragnarsson," she said, not bothering with being polite. They were hours away from heading into battle, she wasn't going to waste time with meaningless words.

Uhtred merely smiled. "You're not the first to say so, Lady."

"Then you'll have no trouble explaining yourself once more," she said, fighting a smile of her own. "You swore your allegiance to Alfred because the Danes turned you away thinking you killed Ragnar the Fearless, correct?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"You do great things in his service, but ultimately end up a slave. Then, when at last you're freed and you have every chance to return to the path you were forced away from. Instead, you chose to enter Alfred's service once again." She studied his moonlit features. "Why?"

For a moment he remained silent, studying the path ahead of them. "I have my reasons." He turned his gaze to her. "What I would like to know is why you're asking me this?"

She held his gaze. "I'm trying to understand what kind of King he is."

Uhtred frowned, his silence inviting an explanation,

She sighed. "When we spoke in Winchester, Alfred asked for my allegiance. Either that or he would forcefully remove me and my men from his lands."

"Hild told me you plan on returning to Denmark."

It shouldn't have surprised her that the nun would relay her words to Uhtred. Still, she wasn't happy with her plans being shared with others before she had a chance to share them with her own men. "Perhaps," she simply replied.

"The bastard thinks," Uhtred said, a small smile tugging at his lips, as if he was quoting a friend long gone...

Though the words seemed like a simple praise, she couldn't help but feel they held more weight than that. Suddenly she wondered if Alfred had somehow tricked Uhtred into reentering his service. What would it take for a man like Uhtred to give up his freedom? She couldn't imagine it being something as idle as gold or silver. Nor did she think it could've been the promise of title or lands. He was already a lord and Bebbanburg was still rightfully his. It seemed instead of finding an answer to her questions, she had only found more riddles to solve.

In front of them, Ragnar gestured for the army to come to a halt. They had arrived at the mountain path that would take them around the fortress and to the water gate. The time to try and figure out what game Alfred was playing was over.

"This is where we part," Ragnar said. "We will show ourselves only when we know the east door has been opened. We will attack. Then it's up to you to save us. We will be lambs to slaughter."

"Lord," the big man called Clapa spoke up. "May the gods be with you."

"Um, God, may God be with him, with us," Beocca interrupted.

Eldrid rolled her eyes. It seemed the priest was determined to preach his fate even when death was breathing down his neck.

But Uhtred simply laughed. "You just watch over Ragnar," he told Clapa. Then he embraced his brother.

"Goodluck, little brother," Ragnar said softly.

She let them say their goodbyes and searched for Bjorn in the darkness. He'd already been waiting for her and attacked her with one of his familiar firm hugs.

"Don't make us wait too long," he muttered into her hair.

"I won't," she promised.

He let her go and looked her in the eye with a heaviness that pierced her very soul. "Today is the day we avenge our family. You've brought us here, El, you did this."

"Today is the day," she nodded, feeling a bit uneasy accepting his praise. For what had she truly achieved in all those long years?

He let her go and she walked towards the steep mountain path awaiting her. She eyed the slope warily. It was going to be a long night...

"I'll see you all at Dunholm," Uhtred said and with those words they left the army behind and started their climb.

The flickering light of torches would betray their position and so the moon was their only guide as they struggled up the cliffs. At times the trees were too thick for even the silver light to show their path, forcing them to use their hands to climb. Which slowed their pace considerably.

"Move quickly," Uhtred instructed after a while. "We must be in place before dawn."

"This path is fit for goats only," Sihtric panted from somewhere down the line.

"You be quiet and watch where you are placing your feet," Beocca snapped, though his breathing was just as heavy.

Finan, who walked directly behind her, muttered softly so only she could hear: "He's one angry priest."

Eldrid smiled to herself, glad that the darkness would hide her amusement from him. "Then you should be glad he's with us," she said with a quick look over her shoulder. "I wouldn't want to see you get bested by a priest."

Finan smirked. "Likewise."

As they climbed higher it seemed the foliage was growing less thick. Pretty soon, the moonlight was bright enough to light their way once again. Her legs were burning from the effort of climbing. She hoped they would have some time to catch their breath before dawn came, she didn't like to fight with aching muscles.

It seemed the gods had heard her wish, for it was barely an hour later when they reached the top of the hill. The thick walls of Dunholm loomed out of the darkness ahead of them like a sleeping giant. Flames flickered from the guardpost up on the ramparts, forcing them to crouch down in the greenery to remain unseen.

For a moment they sat there, as silent as possible, watching the guards. As soon as they both turned their heads away, Uhtred and Hild sprinted across the field. They managed to make it to the other side unseen, leaning against the walls of the fortress to remain out of sight.

She held her breath when Beocca and Sihtric followed. Halfway across, Sihtric tripped and she felt herself grabbing the hilt of her sword tightly. But he managed to get up and towards the wall unseen. Steapa and Aethelwold were the last two to make the run. She, Finan, Kara and Halvard were to wait beneath the trees to signal Ragnar's troops upon Uhtred's sign. But that wouldn't be until the water gate opened at first light. She figured they had at least two hours before that time. And so she allowed herself to lean back against a tree as she waited.

Finan eyed her. "Out of breath already, Lady Wolf?"

With a teasing smile she looked him up and down, her voice like silk when she replied. "I can go all night."

His eyes sparked, awaking a flame within her chest. "Really? You're gonna have to show me sometime."

"Are you sure about that?" She raised a brow.

Kara scoffed from somewhere out of the darkness to her right. "Just hump each other already, or else shut up so I can get some sleep."

"There'll be no humping, the Irishman needs his strength," she smirked, though her heart was beating far too fast in her chest.

Finan smiled, but the spark in his eyes was still there when he looked at her. "Sleep is it, then."

With a shake of her head she closed her eyes, trying to will away the flame within her before it would grow too bright. She already knew sleep wouldn't come to her. She never slept the night before a fight. Only when it was done would she sleep...Still, she was glad she could rest a while.

Slowly the sky turned from a dark blue to a soft grey. Birds awoke and chirped their song, unaware of the slaughter that was about to happen. It couldn't be much longer now.

Eldrid gestured for Halvard to get his bow ready. The warrior did so, while Kara held the firestone at the ready. When she moved, the white owl flew from her shoulder and searched for a comfortable place on a branch far above their heads.

She waited with her hand hovering near her sword. Her skin was itching to pull the weapon free. Every bone in her body was aching for a fight. Now that she could almost taste battle, she was growing restless. Just when she thought her bones would snap with anticipation, Uhtred lifted his hand and clenched his fist. The signal.

Just out her line of sight, behind the rocks, the gate had been opened.

Finan nodded at Halvard. With a few quick strikes of stone against stone, Kara lit the tip of the arrow on fire. Then, Halvard shot the burning arrow as high up as he could. As high as needed for the army waiting on the other side of the fortress to see it...

The silence seemed to stretch on forever. They needed the cover of battle when Ragnar attacked the gates before they could strike. Yet everything within her screamed to just attack and get it over with. She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a calming breath. She couldn't allow the battle rage to take hold of her before the fight had even begun. Only when she felt her body grow less tense did she open her eyes again.

Then she heard it.

The clattering of swords, the warning shouts of the guards, the thudding of steel against shields. Today is the day...

Upon the noise of battle the guards up on the ramparts abandoned their posts, leaving the way free for them to attack the gate. Uhtred didn't waste a moment and freed his sword as he jumped behind the rocks.

"Go!" she shouted as she got to her feet and ran across the field.

Kara, Halvard and Finan followed closely, joining the others in fighting the guards who'd stepped outside the gates. At the sight of them, the women gathering water dropped their jugs and fled back inside.

With a shout, Eldrid raised her sword and slashed at the nearest enemy. Her steel buried itself within his back, killing him before he had even touched the ground.

She caught sight of Hild stabbing a guard, bringing him down to his knees before she slit his throat. Eldrid felt herself grin with appreciation for her skills. Meanwhile, Steapa had reached the gate, managing to keep it open as one of the guards tried desperately to close it. With one swing of his sword, Steapa killed him.

"Go!" he ushered them inside.

With a quick look over her shoulder she made sure everyone was accounted for. Then she slipped inside, sword at the ready. They entered a long hallway with a staircase at the far end. Judging by the sunlight illuminating the top of the stairs, she guessed it would lead up to the courtyard. Uhtred led them forward, then gestured for them to come to a halt.

"When we attack, Steapa-" "I know, lord, to the gate."

Uhtred nodded, then stepped out into the sunlight.

Eldrid looked to her right, where Finan was standing. "Try to keep up." Without awaiting his answer she ran outside and let the battle rage take hold of her.

It took their enemy a moment to realise they were being attacked from within. Most were still running towards their posts along the wall when Uhtred came sprinting out into the courtyard. As the dying scream of Uhtred's first victim echoed through the courtyard, they quickly became aware of what was happening.

She let her sword sing as she descended upon her enemies. Her blows were quick and precise, cutting down the men who dared to cross her path with ease. One man tried to attack her from behind but she was quick to turn and slashed his belly wide open. Then she faced another coming at her left. She raised her sword to catch his blow and then used her knife to stab his exposed side. He collapsed on the ground and she brought her sword down into his chest. He died choking on his own blood.

Beside her she noticed Finan slaying his enemies as though he was dancing with them. With light footed steps he sought for their weak spots and killed them before they even knew what was happening. No ordinary soldier could fight with such practised skills, but before she could dwell on that thought, she was pulled back into the frenzy by a man swinging his axe at her.

With a shout she jumped aside, causing him to stumble from the unexpected change of direction. Eldrid gave him no chance to recover and stabbed him right between his chest plate and shoulder pad.

"Steapa! The gate!" Uhtred shouted above the noise of dying screams and clashing steel.

She looked up and noticed how their little band of warriors was scattered around the courtyard, all trying to hold their ground while fighting their way to the gate. If they kept going like this it would take them far too long, and with far too many casualties. "Kara! Halvard" she shouted. "Circle!"

After fighting together for years, they needed no more than one word to understand her command. The two of them came running towards her and stood at her side, forming a shield with their bodies in front of the gate.

Her eyes scanned the chaos of the courtyard. "Sihtric!" she screamed upon noticing the boy nearly falling to his feet beneath the blow of a soldier.

As if her voice gave him strength, he jumped up and ran away before the sword would fall down upon his head. He joined their circle at Halvard's side, sword held at the ready.

Soon enough, the others noticed what they were doing and came running to join in forming a human circle. Slowly but surely they managed to clear the space surrounding the gate. Which gave Steapa time to remove the heavy beams that prevented the gate from being opened by Ragnar's forces.

"Hold fast, Ragnar!" Steapa shouted.

A wild glee took hold of her when she watched Steapa had managed to remove the barricade. With a grin on her face she slashed at her enemies. She could taste their victory and it was the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted.

With the scraping of wood against stone, the gates were opened. Ragnar's army flooded inside, as though the ocean itself had sent its waves crashing into Dunholm. Chaos erupted all around her as Kjartan's men tried to flee but they were being halted by soldiers eager to wet their swords. She was submerged in the clamour of battle, lost in a tangle of swords and shields. Though not once did she falter. For this was her place of belonging.

"Kjartan!" a voice shouted above the noise. "Where are you?!"

She recognized Ragnar while he swung his sword, strong as a bear as he cut through his enemies in search for the man he came all this way for.

"Shield wall!" Uhtred shouted.

Upon that command, the chaos slowly dissolved as men and women raised their shields and formed one, strong, line. Eldrid picked up a shield from a fallen soldier and joined in the ranks, finding herself standing next to Sihtric, whose eyes held the familiar gleam of bloodlust.

The courtyard, now divided into two shield walls, was eerily quiet for a moment. Then the silence changed into the chanting of men forcing their shield wall forward as one. The rhythm became one with the beat of her heart as she stepped forward with her shield. They drove Kjartan's men all the way up against the wall and then they came to a halt.

"Kjartan, you are beaten!" Ragnar shouted across the no man's land between the two shield walls. "Either you die alone, or together with all your men! What is it to be?"

A large man made his way forward through the shield wall. Hard features and stone cold eyes. This was Kjartan the Cruel, the man who had dared to buy her family like cattle.

"You wish to fight me, baby Ragnar?"

"No, I wish to kill you."

Kjartan turned around to his men. "Drop your weapons, it is over. Shield!" One of his soldiers gave him a shield and suddenly his intentions became clear.

"Ragnar, no!" Brida pleaded. "No, Ragnar, don't give him the chance!"

But the flame of revenge had taken hold of him, there was no way Ragnar would back down now. He stepped forward, weapon held high.

"No, Ragnar, burn the bastard!" Brida shouted, but her pleading was hopeless. This was the path destiny had laid out for them. There was no straying from it, not anymore.

"You and me," Ragnar said as he pointed his sword at the man who had taken everything from him.

"Move!" Uhtred shouted. "We make the square!"

They moved back and Eldrid dropped her shield, though she kept her sword firmly in her hand, just in case. She turned her gaze to Sihtric, standing still as a statue beside her. "Are you sure you want to watch this?" she asked.

He nodded, gaze never straying from his father. "I have to," he spoke through clenched teeth.

She nodded. "I know."

When the courtyard had been cleared, Kjartan walked up to Ragnar with a menacing gleam in his eyes. Eldrid felt her whole body tense, as if she was the one facing him instead.

He grinned at Ragnar with malice before suddenly lashing out with his sword. "Your sister made a good whore!"

But Ragnar managed to block the blow with his shield and continued to circle his opponent with watchful eyes.

"She still does!" he shouted, attacking once again, but his sword bounded off Ragnar's shield.

Both armies were shouting encouragement at their leaders. The tension was thick like the air before a thunderstorm.

"Only now we have to tie her down to keep her scratching, when we hump her, all night!"

At those words, Ragnar's resolve finally broke. With a scream he attacked, swinging his sword at his enemy with a strong blow. But Kjartan managed to drive him back. The two men were very evenly matched, both tall and strong, both refusing to give ground. It was Kjartan who managed to find an opening first, sending Ragnar tumbling to the ground as he hit him in the stomach.

She clenched her fist around her sword, heart pounding.

"I killed your father!" Kjartan mocked as he aimed his sword at him. "I burned your mother!"

Ragnar managed to roll out of the way and jumped back on his feet with an angry shout. He pushed against Kjartans shield to give himself enough time to regain his footing.

"Get him Ragnar!" Brida shouted. "Kill him!"

Eldrid had never seen anyone swing his sword with such fury as Ragnar the Younger did in that moment. All around her men screamed his name while he rained down blow after blow upon his enemy. He managed to knock Kjartans shield from his hand and with a well aimed kick he pushed him on the ground.

With a wild fury in his eyes, Ragnar approached his enemy and kicked him in the stomach. Then, he raised his sword and drove it through Kjartans hand. The man screamed in pain. His torn muscles could no longer hold on to his sword and as soon as the weapon dropped from his grip, Ragnar tossed it aside.

She felt a mad joy take hold of her. His pained screams were music to her ears. He was going to die without his sword and would spend eternity in the cold of Niflheim. Today is the day...

"No, no, give me my sword!" Kjartan said to the man towering above him. "For Valhalla you must give me my sword! I won't beg you!"

The only answer he received was Ragnar's foot pressing down on his wounded arm before he tore his sword free. Kjartan screamed and Ragnar's men cheered at his pain.

"Give me my sword!"

With a shout, Ragnar raised his weapon and slashed Kjartans chest wide open.

"Yes!" Uhtred shouted while the chanting of their army swelled like a tidal wave.

But instead of celebrating his victory, Ragnar sank down on his knees and brought down his sword into the dead flesh of his enemy, again and again and again. He screamed, he cried, his entire face was covered with Kjartans blood as he mangled his flesh. Slowly the cheering faded into an eerily silence. Men began to turn away from the horrid sight in front of them as Ragnar succumbed to his grief for all to see.

Next to her, Sihtric winced but, just like Eldrid herself, he seemed unable to look away. Both of them watched as the man who had been so cruel to their mother was maimed beyond recognition.

"Stop," Brida muttered. "Stop."

It took Uhtred walking forward and gently taking the knife from his hand to get Ragnar to finally stop. Though he kicked the corpse once more with a pained scream that shook Eldrids very core.

"Ragnar," Uhtred said through his own tears, "Ragnar, it's over!"

"No!"

Uhtred tore his brother away from Kjartans corpse and wrapped him in his arms, holding him as they both cried for the family they lost. It seemed getting their revenge still wasn't enough to lessen their grief and that fact hit Eldrid with a cold shock.

Something caught Uhtred's eye and made him let go of his brother. "Thyra..."

Eldrid turned to look and saw a woman with ghostly pale skin had stepped outside the hall. She was surrounded by barking dogs, their fur stained with blood. Something about her made it hard to look at her. The pain that so clearly haunted her made her eyes cold in a way Eldrid had never seen before. Thyra was a ghost.

"You left me," she said, eyes focused on her brothers as though they were the last things left in this world that kept her here. "Both of you, you left me!"

"Thyra no," Uhtred muttered as he got to his feet.

Ragnar followed, eyes filled with unbearable pain. "I swear, we didn't know you were alive."

But their words seemed meaningless to her ears. "You are no better than the bastards who whored me!"

"Thyra please," Uhtred said.

"The price for my life," she snarled, walking forward surrounded by her dogs, "is yours."

"No!"

Eldrid blinked in surprise as none other than Beocca stepped in front of Thyra.

"Thyra, I forbid it," the monk spoke yet somehow his voice was kind rather than forceful. "Please." He held out his hand. "Let me help you. I'm a friend."

Thyra stared at him in confusion. It was likely that in all her years of captivity, no one had ever spoken to her like that. Her eyes strayed to Ragnar and Uhtred once more and the sight of them suddenly seemed too much for her to bear. She screamed, her pain loud for all to hear. Then she turned and ran back inside, followed by her hounds, leaving her brothers standing there with tears in their eyes.

Revenge had not saved their sister.

A shaky breath left Eldrids lips, the hilt of her sword no longer enough to keep her grounded. Even as she stared at the dead man on the ground, her pain felt as real as it always had. All she'd fought for, all she'd given up and it still wasn't enough. Had she become a ghost, like Thyra had?

She might as well be, for her wounded heart was bleeding still...

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I think this is my favorite chapter so far. It has everything I love about this book: Finan and Eldrid flirting, Eldrid being confused about Uhtred and most importantly; character development for Eldrid! This will be the first step for her to realise there is more in life than fighting for revenge. I'm just so excited for her arc and I'm so happy I've found the motivation to start writing this story again.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please leave some comments, I love hearing your opinions and thoughts. Let me know where you think her journey will lead from here... ;)

xx Nelly