The Black Dane : The Fools War

The Scent of a Trap

Skorpa frowned "....it shall be done." He said with a light bow of his head. Khaana kept her back to him, listening as he got to his feet and walked out of the tent.

Khaana curled up it a ball for warmth and closed her eyes. She thought of Ragnar, she had cut of the connection at a bad time. But would it be wise to contact him now? What good would it be to worry him further?

He still didn't know however about what had befallen his family.

Then again spending so much of her strength to connect with him, would make it hard to protect herself from these danes that wished to hand her over to Ubba.

"What to do." Khaana thought grumbling to herself in her mind.

The flaps to the tent opened letting I a soft gust of cold air rush in. "Ironside wishes to see you again." Rûnhild's voice called.

Khaana sat up and watched as the shieldmaiden held ropes in her hands. Rûnhild followed Khaana's gaze. "I'm sorry...he makes me to do it." She said.

"We've all someone we answer to, I will not blame you." Khaana sighed raising her arms to allow Rûnhild to bind her.

As Khaana was lead through the camp towards Gnupa's large tent in the center, Skorpa exited the small shelter built for the prisoners. A scowl flashed across his face as he watched Rûnhild lead Khaana.

He pulled free his dagger and strode after them quickly.

"She should not be bound, she has the eyes of Fenrir, Sköll and Hati. One would not dare to bind them and neither should you but her in ropes." Skorpa warned snatching the rope lead away from Rûnhild.

"You're  father has ordered me too. You should not disobey him, you are not on your lands Skorpa. You are not in command." Rûnhild snapped back at him.

Khaana watched them with a bored expression. "Lead me onward or cut me free." She sighed. "I do not have time to listen to pups bark at each other." Khaana lulled in a dry tone.

The two danes glared at each other in silence. "She will lead you..." Skorpa grumbled. Still he went to run his dagger across the ropes. "Unbound." He said.

"Then you must come with me, I will not explain to Ironside why I've not bound her. I will not take the blame." Rûnhild said.

Khaana's eyes caught a glimpse of familiar colors painted on the shield of a bald Dane heading for Ironside's tent.

"Ubba's man..." Khaana thought, her eyes wandered about the camp. Surely he would not send a single man to retrieve her, she could easily escape just one escort.

Skorpa watched as Khaana looked about. "What is it you see?" Rûnhild asked.

"I see a single one of Ubba's warriors. Tell me, how many more did he send?" Khaana asked.

"Just one, he is to guide us to Ubba's lands so that we might return you." Rûnhild explained. "And how much is his reward for me? What did he promise, to him that captures  me for him?"

Khaana's question cause Skorpa to grimace "you think something's foul?" He asked her.

Khaana chuckled "I've slain more than 50 men in the length of time it takes to take 3 breaths. What fool would send a single man to retrieve me?" She reasoned.

"Your Gnupa Ironside, is blinded by the promise of wealth, reasonably easy wealth. Ubba knows I kill no one I dot have to and he would have told those who step forward this as well. That is why Ironside was so foolish in the face of me." Khaana sighed her eyes glancing over the surrounding forest.