More Than A Dane

New Family Addition

"What if I'm against being ransomed?" Uhtred asked. Holding his hand, Ravn walked with the boy, "Your family has discovered that you're still alive, and they wish for you to be returned." Pausing slightly, he continued, "But they must pay." "Pay Ragnar?" Uhtred asked, looking up at the old man. "Ubba takes more than half. It's normal." Ravn responds while releasing the boy's hand and walking away.

Uhtred turns to Earl Ragnar and speaks up, clearly enough for him to hear. "But I have no family." Looking at the boy, Ragnar walks away while Steele lingers there a little longer, staring at the boy who stares back at her. Upon hearing her father's words, she walks away towards him, leaving the boy.

Getting down from the horse, the priest lowers his hood. "Scallion here." Aelfric calls him his servant. As the priest approaches the boy, he calls out to him. "Uhtred. Are they treating you well?" Uhtred walks closer to the priest, answering him, "I am fed, yes." "Good, good. That's all we asked for." Smiling at the boy, relieved that he's alive. "And what is that around your neck, some symbol?" The priest asked. Looking down at the necklace Earl Ragnar gave him, he lifted it up for the priest to see. "Oh, this... They made me wear it." Uhtred responded.

Looking up at Earl Ragnar, "May I see it?" He asked, waiting for a response from the Dane, who waved him off, allowing him to get closer to the boy. Approaching the boy and grabbing the necklace, he pulled him in close. Looking back at Aelfric and Scallion before speaking, he turned his head back to Uhtred and whispered quietly. "Look, I will speak plainly. Your uncle will kill you." Pausing for a moment, he looked the boy in the eyes. "Right? You cannot go back to Bebbanburg, you must escape."

Looking back at Aelfric, he spoke once more, turning back to Uhtred. "He wants to be the ealdorman. He wants to be the king, in fact, like that pathetic Egbert over there. He motioned towards the Saxon ruler, who was sitting aside. "A puppet king for his Danish masters. You should go to Wessex." Uhtred began breathing heavily as the priest continued. "King Aethelred, the real King Aethelred, and his brother Prince Alfred, are good men, good Christian men."

Ragnar approached the two. "That is enough whispering in his ear, priest." The priest nodded his head as he grabbed Uhtred to say one more thing, but was cut off by Earl Ragnar, "One more word and I'll have your balls for a purse." Poking her head around her father and moving a bit further away, she tried to suppress a giggle, which failed. This caught the priest's attention and he looked at the girl before whispering to Uhtred and walking away. "That will not be necessary." The priest said this before walking past Aelfric and Scallion.

Ragnar looked at Uhtred and asked him what the priest had said. "He... he asked if you were treating me well." That was all Uhtred said while staring at the priest. Turning around, he walked away as Earl Ragnar turned his head towards the Saxons. Approaching the others, Aelfric followed a Dane before stopping and looking at the boy, then continuing his walk.

Sitting in front of Aelfric, Steele stood next to Ravn and Ubba, while the priest stood next to Aelfric. Further away, the puppet king, Egbert, sat behind Ravn and Ubba. The priest watched the girl closely as she zoned into their conversation.

"How much?" Aelfric asked. "Three hundred." Ravn quickly replied. "That's a ridiculous amount. How can a boy be worth three hundred pieces of silver?" Aelfric asked, unhappy about the price for his nephew. "Because I say so, because he is a lord, an ealdorman." Ravn said, raising his voice a little to get the point across. Still unhappy, Aelfric stood up with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "He is a boy." I am the ealdorman of Bebbanburg. I carry the seal and the banner."

Steele looked at the Saxon with confusion and disinterest. Why would he come all the way here for his nephew if he was going to argue about a price? He was the one who wanted him back, so why fight back? 'She thought, looking over to the boy who raised his voice. "That seal is my father's, which is mine now." Ubba quickly shut the boy up, "You will be silent. You are for sale, nothing more. " Ravn ignored the outburst of the boy and said, "For ransom, lord." Quickly cutting him off, Ubba responded, "That is what I said." 

"My lords, I have given up land, horses, and I have offered a generous supply of food as well as my sword." Aelfric continued while sitting back in his seat. "All I ask in return is a fair price for my only nephew." "What would you say is a fair price?" Ravn asked, interested in hearing his price. "I will offer one hundred pieces of silver." Two hundred. Ravn cut him off. Clearly annoyed, Aelfric calmly stated, "My allegiance and one hundred pieces is surely a fair price." 

"It is not." Ravn was losing his patience and growing disinterested in the negotiations. "I will give one hundred and twenty pieces of silver for the boy." Aelfric said, confident in his choice. Uhtred shook his head in rage as Ravn chuckled and responded to him. "Not enough!" he exclaimed. Heaving a sigh, Aelfric named another price. "Very well, two hundred pieces. I agree to your terms." Ubba looked up at Aelfric, unsure whether to accept or decline. That was until Earl Ragnar whispered in his ear.

This caught the girls' attention. Why would her father step in now? What was so special about the boy anyway? Many questions floated through her head as she observed the situation. Nodding to Ubba, Ubba looked towards Aelfric and nodded his head towards Earl Ragnar, stating the boy was sold to Earl Ragnar. Clear disappointment washed over Aelfric as he stared at Ubba. "Ransomed, lord." Ravn corrected Ubba once again. That's what I said! So the matter is closed." Ubba finished dismissing what Ravn said and stood up.

"My lords, I have come a long way. I have offered my allegiance." Aelfric tried to urge him. I was hoping they would change their mind. "Which is why you are allowed to breathe. If you have an argument, it's with me now." Ragnar spoke out as he approached Aelfric. Staring at each other for a few moments, as if coming to a silent agreement. "If business is done, we have ale to drink." Earl Ragnar walked away. Laughing, Ubba spoke up, slapping Egbert on the back, "And King Egbert needs to shit!" Followed by another laugh, Ubba walked off.

Approaching Uhtred, Earl Ragnar rubs his head before walking off to collect his precious child. Mounting the horses, they left to return home. Uhtred was riding with Earl Ragnar as Steele rode with Ravn again, staring at the trees around her. "Am I not for ransom anymore?" Uhtred asked Earl Ragnar lightly. "You heard Ubba, I bought you." He responded to the boy in the same tone. "I thought I might sacrifice you to Odin." This made the boy smile as he asked how much Earl Ragnar bought him for. Clearly, too much. And that was exactly the answer he got.

"I agree. I may have been robbed, but we like you boy. We're going to keep you. Right Steele?" Steele mumbled something quietly, but her father didn't hear it. Ravn, however, caught onto it and lightly chuckled, patting the child's head. Honestly, she didn't understand why her father chose to buy Uhtred, but she understood why they sold slaves off for ransom. On their way back, Ravn explained more to the girl so she would fully understand. 

"Does this mean I'm a Dane?" Uhtred asked. "It means you are Uhtred Ragnarson. You are like a son to me now. And a brother to Steele. " He replied to the boy as he pushed him into the river. This made the girl giggle as her father looked back towards the girl, who shyly smiled at the thought of a new sword partner since Sven was no longer around and Young Ragnar would be leaving soon. 

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Word count: 2141

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