The Black Dane : The Fools War

The Fork In Destiny

Khaana came to a stop, and once Uhtred got down from her back she took her true for again. Her eyes looked to Brida and a frown stretch crossed her face. "Did he here you?" Brida asked Uhtred. "He did not" Uhtred sighed "not a word."

"The lumbering fool is deaf to truth, he trusts no one but Storri and Guthrum. He trusted old Ragnar but... It may just be he is blinded by grief as well as stupidity. They were friends. It is hard on everyone. Though I can't believe I say this, even on Ubba." Khaana sighed crossing her arms.

"So what did he say?" Brida asked.

"That he will kill me" Uhtred replied with a light shrug. "That's it?" Brida questioned, following Uhtred as he walked past her. Khaana's eyes looked towards Brida's horse, and quickly they did a double take. "That's...a lot of freckles for one ass..." Khaana said while fighting against laughter.

"Is that Storri?" Uhtred questioned. "Uh huh, what did Ubba say?" Brida said.

"He's naked..." Uhtred murmured. "It was necessary, tell me what did he say, Uhtred." Brida continued to press.

"There is a branch up his ass!" Uhtred gasped. "Which is why it was necessary" Brida said through a shivered chuckle. Khaana giggled "good girl, Brida, is it just in the crack or-" Khaana asked with an amused smirk stretched across her face. "Its in there." Brida replied proudly. "Good, if you want to grow a tree the branch will need the fertilizer." Khaana laughed.

The three of them surrounded Storri who looked up at Uhtred hopefully,  Brida smiled and reached out to wiggle the branch, cause Storri to yelp. "Poor bastard." Khaana snickered. 

"Come now, He must have said something" Brida spoke, bring back an air of seriousness. Uhtred sighed, and looked to Khaana. "He said lots of things, but to a pitiful Saxon king mostly," Khaana explained. "And he believes the lie." Uhtred added.

Brida's smile fell, "He believes that I killed Ragnar." said Uhtred, he gave the horse a swat, and he took off with the branch impaled  seer upon it's back. Brida looked to Khaana "there was nothing you could do? He wouldn't listen, not even to you?" she asked. "Ubba see's me as an object and weapon only. Items such as lack wisdom, so anything I say that's not a threat goes out one ear and out the other." Khaana said.

"She has power but at the end of the day, she was sent as a slave, and that's how he sees her." Uhtred sighed and looked about the woodlands, "we should distance ourselves from this place." he said. 

"And go where, Uhtred?" Brida asked, she stood rigid as she watched him. Khaana looked on her carefully and sighed softly, Brida wasn't going to like their options as it was clear, none of them involved staying within Dane territory. They had to go into hiding at best, Brida was strong, brave and stubborn, she would not like it.

"Anywhere that is not here." Uhtred whispered. 

Brida looked to Khaana "I say we go and find young Ragnar." Brida offered. "He is in Ireland." Uhtred murmured "then we go to Ireland, Khaana could lead us right to him, He hears word she is there, and he will show. He follows her like a dog in heat." Brida pushed. "I...have heard from Ragnar. He won't be in Ireland long." Khaana said "we should wait here, his path heads for us eventually, we just need a place to wait safely. These forests won't do." she added.

"We just need to find someone who will keep us, if only for a little while, we can cut our hair...you can shave  and with Khaana we can pledge to serve a new lord until Ragnar comes back." Brida said. She looked  between Uhtred and Khaana with hope. "it can work." she added, Uhtred grimaced "any Dane would sooner kill us than be our master, word has spread like fire in a dead wood." Uhtred said.

"Brida." Khaana called softly, she rested her hand on the girl's shoulder and leaned her forehead to the side of Brida's head. "No, it can work, it could it has to." Brida murmured. "We are no longer Danes Brida..." Uhtred said. He watched Brida's eyes shimmer with water, she searched his eyes, and somewhere inside Brida felt he was right, though the very thought scared her more than anything else ever could.