Sigyn didn't want to fall asleep again, to leave herself vulnerable in front of the male who continued to watch her. But eventually pure exhaustion had claimed her into a deep sleep. Her body ached when daylight awoke her a second time, having to sleep in an uncomfortable position against a tree because of how her body was bound. Thankfully she was alone. Quickly she turned, trying to use the bark on the tree to cut her binds but before she cut through the first layer of rope the man had returned with food and water for her.
"You need to eat, keep up your strength. My scouts tell me war is coming." He placed the bowl and cup before her feet, reaching to pull at her binds which caused her to hiss at the sensitive flesh. He chuckled as he cut away the remaining rope, but he left her feet bound. "Eat."
"And if I refuse?" She questioned while rubbing at her sore reddened and bloodied flesh around her wrists. Her thoughts going back to all those horrible years ago when Ivar had taken her as his prisoner. So far, this man had been somewhat kind to her, he could have been a lot worse.
"How about we do not find out?" He grinned, his rotted teeth nearly making her gag again, but she reluctantly reached for the bowl. The spoon stirred the watered-down porridge oats, and she finally had a spoonful and he continued to smile. "I am King Anlaf. Of Irland. I give you my word I will not have to hurt you if you keep doing as I say."
"Why didn't you just kill me like the others?" There was some hidden agenda. Did he truly think she would fight against her friends? She would risk her place in Valhalla and throw herself off the nearest tall building to protect herself from that fate.
"I made a promise to a friend, a long time ago. That if I ever encountered the famous shield maiden Sigyn, I would spare her. I would bring her back to him." Instantly she felt chills. If she hadn't witnessed Ivar being beheaded by Sihtric right in front of her, she would worry that he somehow survived and was still after her. He smirked at the terror that filled her face, seemingly enjoying having her true emotions show for the first time since he had taken her. "Sigyn Einardottir." She hadn't heard her full name since she was a child, since before they had been left orphans after her fathers passing. Even Sihtric - her husband, hadn't known her true last name.
"How do you know that?" There was no way. No way her father was alive after all these years. Old age would have claimed him. But he died almost thirty years ago, he had drunk himself into an early grave after the sudden loss of her mother.
"I knew your father. He left two of his children under my care. Two boys." Brothers. Was it truly possible? All of her life she only had Skade. Now she was finding out she had other family. Brothers.
"It can't be true. My father died, leaving me and my sister by ourselves." Sigyn sipped some of the water in front of her, trying to process everything she was learning. It seems she had been lied to her entire life. The only honesty she had experienced was from her husband.
"Harald and Halfdan, they are sailing here as we speak. You have met Harald's son already." When she watched him smirk her heart sank, she had a nephew, and it was someone she had already met. What if it was someone she had already killed?
"And they come for vengeance? Did I kill my own nephew?" It was someone she didn't know she was related to, but for some reason she felt such guilt. She was raised to believe family was everything.
"You didn't kill him. In fact, you are going to help your brothers keep him alive." He reached to touch her scarred cheek, but she flinched at the gesture, then her breath hitched in her throat. Who could It be?
"I will not fight against my husband. Or my friends. Even for family. I do not owe them anything." She moved to lean back against the tree, so she was out of Anlaf's grasp. He seemed enamoured with her, hiding behind this story of a secret family.
"We will see." He smiled again, finally moving away from her and leaving her alone. But as he left her alone, he joined the others in the camp and then she spotted Ingilmundr again. Then two men she had never seen before, all their eyes were on her and the pit in her stomach grew deeper as she realised the older men were her brothers and judging how they all interacted with Ingilmundr she assumed that was her nephew.
The two older men made there way over to her, one had her blonde hair and the other had light brown long hair past his shoulders. They were younger than her, but not by much. Her father literally must have faked his death, found love with another and had these two boys. The blonde one had knelt beside her, cutting the binds away from her feet.
"Thank you." It was all Sigyn could say. She had never been in this position before, truly she was lost for words. But when the man with the light brown hair moved to sit on the floor beside her, she automatically grabbed at his left wrist, inspecting the bangle he wore. It was her father's bangle. A bangle that Sigyn and Skade had made for him all those years ago. "Is it really true? We are family?"
"We didn't know about you until recently. And when we did learn about you, about the amazing warrior you are. We wanted to find you. But we couldn't come to these great lands without wanting to settle here. I am Harald by the way. And that is Halfdan." The blonde spoke, introducing the other brother as the light brown-haired male. "And you have already met my son."
"What you are doing is stupid and it is going to get you all killed. Aethelstan is King. He has thousands of people who would follow him into battle. Great warriors. When they learn the deceit from Ingilmundr, he will be publicly executed." Sigyn didn't dare move. These men may have claimed to be her brothers, but she couldn't trust them. She would never fight by their side.
"Haven't you heard? Anlaf has gathered the Kings from the Shetlands and the King of Scotia. We have an army big enough to rival the army of Wessex. We were hoping you would fight beside us, but it seems you need more time." Halfdan was already on his feet, ready to give up on his sister and leaving her sat with Harald.
"I cannot fight by your side. I have my own family. An amazing husband. I will not go against them, for anyone. You might as well kill me now." She whispered the last few words, of course she didn't want to die. She wanted to die beside her husband but that never seemed to be their fate now. She had heard the rumours, how Uhtred had returned to Bebbanburg with his men, and they finally managed to free the townspeople after a week, but everyone inside had suffocated and there were no survivors. Finan was heartbroken, mourning for the one woman he had ever loved and Sihtric had found her body too. She heard how he had sunk into a deep depression, eager for war so he could get his vengeance on the people who killed her. If only he knew she was actually alive and well.
"We will not kill you. You will come with us to the battle, if you want to live you will have to fight for your survival. You will be stood beside us; you will be seen as an enemy. As a turncoat." Harald was right. In his own messed up way, everyone on the battlefield will see Sigyn for what she was. A Dane. They would be out for her blood. She would only be spared by the few people she knew. She would have to fight, to survive long enough to see her husband again. To reach her true family and friends. He soon left her sat alone by the tree, but she knew she wouldn't be able to escape. She could feel someone's eyes on her, Anlaf's men were clearly keeping a close watch on her.
Sigyn pulled the furs up to rest under her chin, turning her back to the crowd gathering around the ale and entertainment. It was hard to sleep with all of the noise but eventually her exhaustion got the better of her. She fell asleep under the stars as the cold air kissed against her flesh. A cold shiver traveling through her body until she felt another layer of furs being wrapped around her, the movement waking her up again, her eyes growing wide when she locked eyes with Ingilmundr.
"So now you know the truth. I am sorry about my actions at Bebbanburg. I never meant to hurt you." He now sat beside her, Sigyn didn't know why he made her feel so uncomfortable. And she couldn't quite believe that he was her family.
"Why do you lay with Aethelstan? Because your daddy says so?" Sigyn sat up straight now, trying to put as much distance between the two as she could.
"You speak like you have never done something similar for your own gain. What about Ragnar and Brida? You will be surprised how much Aethelstan tells me when we are in bed together." The mention of her past made her tense. She had done a lot of things in her life that she now regretted. And it hurt knowing that Aethelstan had been telling this stranger everyone's secrets.
"I did what I had to, to survive. What is your excuse? You are going to break his heart. You are playing a reckless game." She couldn't look at him, she didn't want to humanise him because she couldn't afford to hesitate on the battlefield.
"Christians are ruled by their God. Their rules and their shame. I have grown fond of the boy, but my family will always come first." There was a moment of silence before Ingilmundr reached over and touched her arm. He felt her tense, but she didn't make an effort to push him away from her. "I want to know my aunt." He moved to his feet and left without another word. Sigyn sighing softly as she was left alone once again.
It took two more days before her brothers dared to approach her again. This time they brought her some new armour that seemed to match all of the other warriors around her. This was it. She was expected to stand with her brothers and fight the armies of Wessex. There was a hesitation for a moment before Anlaf arrived, he stood watching her as his men forced her to change by knifepoint. Her brothers turned their backs to her, but Anlaf didn't even blink as he watched her naked form change into the armour. The anger filling her body would help her on the battlefield, but she wanted to kill everyone around her right now.
"What do you get from this Anlaf? Land, money and treasure? What did my brothers promise you?" She finished buckling the armour around her chest and was surprised when they handed her a sword. Her hand gripped at the pummel, already striking them all down in her head before the small chuckle leaving Anlaf's lips caught her attention again.
"Something better than all of that." He grinned at her, his toothless grin sending a shiver down her spine when she realised what her brothers had promised him. They had promised him, her. Her sword was quickly drawn, pointed at Anlaf but his men got in the way, and he laughed loudly as he walked away.
"That's all I am to you? A bartering tool?" The disgust in her voice was obvious to anyone listening. She barged past her brothers, who clearly didn't care about her. She was just a pawn in their game to cause disruption in Wessex. To overthrow Aethelstan.
When she walked past all of the men and the gathered Kings she wanted to scream. So much hate was gathering in her gut. She wanted the Gods to strike everyone who stood here. Even herself if that was the cost for such a fate.
The armies gathered and Sigyn reluctantly had to stand beside her brothers and nephew. The army that Aethelstan had amounted was nothing compared to the armies that Anlaf had gathered. Sigyn scanned the front line, hoping to catch a glimpse of her husband and friends but there was so much distance between both groups.
"You know we will not be handing you over to him after all of this." Her brother Harald spoke in a whisper, knowing only Sigyn and Halfdan could hear. She tensed a little at his broken promises, turning to face him but trying not to draw attention to them all.
"I only want to return to my husband. I do not want to wander this world without him." She could feel her sadness and loneliness nearly consume her but thankfully her anger would take control. She needed to get to Sihtric. She needed him to see her alive. She wanted to make him happy again.
"What if he dies here on the battlefield?" Halfdan answered her and she grew tense at his question that sounded very much like a thinly veiled threat.
"Then I torture whichever man or woman claims his life before joining him in Valhalla." There was no hesitation in her voice. Her children grown and capable of surviving without her. But she knew there was no life without Sihtric. She needed him, more than the oxygen she breathed.