The birds fell silent and the wind calm through the woodlands. Khaana rested in the limbs of an old and dying tree as the last rays of sun started to duck under the horizon and the moon started its rise.
With eyes closed she tried to sense Ragnar and after a while, she could hear loud snoring in her mind.
"Wake up, I have ill news." She thought to him. But he did not stir.
"I said awake with you! Ragnar, please. It is ugrent." She thought, still he snored on, "let me rest today was long." He murmured.
Khaana sighed, she almost did just that. "Ragnar..." her thoughts were soft and he could feel sadness in them. Across the sea in a small yet ever growing hall in Ireland, Ragnar opened his eyes and peered at the cieling above him.
"What bothers you An-nana?" He whispered.
"There was an attack on your father's lands..." Khaana started, a hiss of an blade cut off her thoughts. A dagger landing in her shoulder.
She screamed grasping the hilt as it lodged in her flesh, and Ragnar screamed right along with her. He checked his shoulder, there was no wound and no blood, though it felt as real as anything.
"Khaana?" He called to her sitting up in his bed. "I am alright." She thought to him quuckly. "You don't feel alright, what is happening?" Ragnar questioned.
Khaana pulled free the dagger and looked down from the tree. Below her were danes, some carrying torches the others armed.
"Khaana?" Ragnar's thoughts called to her.
Khaana focused on the Danes below, she could not make out their colors, but they had the look of Oarmen, which meant they'd not settled long.
"Who are you? Who is it you serve?" Khaana called down, she spoke calmly. She would not fear them until they gave her better cause than a hasty knife toss.
"Gnupa Ironside." One of them announced.
"I know not this Ironside." Khaana replied.
"He is old, and elderly sword-Dane of poor health as of late. He survives because of his son..." Ragnar thought to Khaana. He could not hear the men, but he could hear her thoughts and it was giving him no more clues to what was going on.
"What is happening? " Ragnar asked her again, yet Khaana's focus was elsewhere.
"Why have you attacked me?" She asked the danes. "Orders by Earl Ubba, he seeks of elf of Ravnson. We come to deliver his prize in the name of Ironside. It would seem the gods favor us this night." Called the Dane which looked to be their leader.
Khaana grimaced "I will not, but going anywhere, much less to Ubba. I will not serve a lesser master!" She called down.
Illusions of shadowy wolves started the surround the men.
Ragnar got up from his bed and paced about the room. "Khaana...speak, tell me what-" Ragnar fell silent, as his body shook as if faced with a hard impact, "khaana!" He shouted, but the connection was broken.
Khaana gasped as her body ached, she lay in the dirt eyes watching the sky turn a murky purple, it'd happened so fast.
One of the Danes chuckled "it is unwise to perch yourself in a dead tree." He said. Khaana turned her head to see the large tree still standing but very titled it roots sticking out pulled from the ground on one side.
"All it takes is one wack and it will tumble." The Dane said showing his axe proudly. "Now you come with us" he said.
Head and body ringing, Khaana could not focus well enough to cast an illusion as means of escape.
With a rough tug she found herself pulled to her feet as they worked quickly to bind her arms and her feet. "Bind them tight, I am told she has the limbs of a warhorse." The leader called.
Khaana looked up to find him grinning, his hands holding a rope to her mouth. The bristles stung her lips as he forced the rope between her teeth and tied the end around the back on her head "and the bite of a wolf." He added with a short snort of laughter.
Khaana glared at him "you're death will be slow and agonizing, I shall flay you - you miserable wretch!" Khaana thought to him, her anger invading his mind.
The Dane smirked and tugged the rope that acted as a reign around her wrists.
"Walk." He ordered. Khaana rolled her eyes and dropped to the ground "not a chance, you want me to move - drag me." She said, sitting with her legs crossed.
The Dane gave the ropes a tug and Khaana dug her fingers into the earth. She would not budge. With a sigh the Dane hoisted her up and slung her over his shoulder. "I'd best be rewarded well for this." He grummbled.
"Maybe we ought to bring not but her head?" Another chuckled.
Khaana flailed about as much as she could she wasn't going to make this an easy trip for any of them.
Meanwhile, across the sea, Ragnar was in a panic. He paced about his hall with his sleeping warriors, eyes glued to the lighting burning fire. He waited for the connect to be drawn back up but it has been hours and still nothing.
"You should have woken sooner." He murmured. Releasing a sigh Ragnar stopped his pacing. He needed to stop and go back to rest, they would move on the next village at dawn and he could not a ford to lead his warriors half crazy from lack of sleep...and worry.
Getting back in the bed, Ragnar lay on his back, Khaana was a sly one, whatever had befallen her, she could handle it. She could, he repeated this to himself and tried to find some rest.
Uhtred and Brida rested near the fire of their small camp, it had taken a while to set up. Brida watched Uhtred stare into the fire while they ate, he hadn't said a word for hours now. For a man who was constantly running his mouth playfully, almost to the point of being an annoyance, this was very concerning.
"You're too quiet...and you've chewed that bird wing down to the bone, haven't touched the rest." Brida said.
Uhtred sighed and dropped the once roasted wing reaching to pluck meat from the thigh. "Is it what happened? Khaana says we have to let it go until we are safe..."Brida questioned.
"No, I have calmed myself, killing Scallion was enough...for now." Uhtred said.
Brida set her bowl down a bit to hard in her frustration. "Then what is it? You have to talk with me." Brida barked.
"I do not want to worry you, as it could be nothing." Uhtred mummbled.
"The silence is worrying, you little turd." Brida said with a scowl.
"I can't hear Khaana's thoughts, it's been hours and I can't even hear her faint mutterings to herself." He confessed.
Brida paused for a moment "that's it? You told her that you could always hear her thoughts even when you aren't supposed to. Brida is a private creature, Uhtred. Maybe she locked you out because that is how she wants it." She said to him.
"Maybe....yes, yes you're probably right." Uhtred said. Brida gave him a sideways glance "of course I am...I always am." Brida said a snide and impish smile on her face.
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Khaana found her held tossed to the ground at a temporary steadiness built by the Danes. Sleeping quaters made from tents and firepit that could easily be done away with scattered the small camp.
They clearly had no plans on staying long in these lands.
"So they've really come all this way just to do Ubba's bidding? What is the price he set out for me." Khaana thought to herself. She lay on the ground quietly observing.
She had heard a few of them mention that this Gnupa Ironside was ailing and fast, it was likely he sought whatever prize Ubba was offering to leave behind with his wife, wives or heirs.
It would make escape hard, a man who's days are numbered has little to fear. This would make her illusions nearly useless against him.
A Dane shield maiden stood before Khaana, clad in dark green facepaint. "I am to get you up, Ironside will see you now." She said to her. Reaching down the Shield Maiden yanked Khaana to her feet.
Khaana said nothing and allowed the woman to lead her to a large tent. Inside the floor was lined with many furs so the ground could not be felt and on a large chest sat a somewhat elderly Dane, with a large scar flowing from his right brow to the bottom of his left jaw. His nose was beyond crooked and as he gave a pleased smile she could see that of his pointed teeth those on the bottom left were missing.
Khaana's eyes trailed down, the old Sword Dane was shirtless, and for a reason proudly brandishing his side, we're over a large scar marred with burns as a messy plate of metal welded over what Khaana could only assume was a once very grizzly open wound.
"You would be the first who has nothing to say of my namesake." Gnupa said.
Khaana looked on him with a bored expression.
"I wanted to see what creature was worth so much silver to a man who values his silver as much as his seer." Said Gnupa, his eyes examining Khaana from head to toe.
Though bound and gagged she held herself high and proud, he thought himself dangerous and in turn she would have him know that she was too.
"There are rumors of what you are and ever tale lists you as something different. But Ubba calls you an elf, banished from the gods. You know what I think?" Gnupa asked with an amused smirk.
Khaana remained silent and still.
"I think you're nothing but a witch from desert lands of which some poor fool paid to much for." Gnupa laughed.
Khaana's eyes narrowed, and the room started to fill with a thick shadowy miasma. Two women who looked to be servants cowered as the thick black haze was almost blinding.
Distant howls echoed from the woods around them and growling that seemed to come from within the tent made even Gnupa glance about, however brief.
He turned his gaze back to Khaana and smirked.
One of the servant girls pinched closed her nose as a foul odor took over. At their feet wiggled a sea of larva and soon came the buzzing of flies. Too much for the second girl she fled the tent, screaming.
Khaana turned to the remaining girl "run" She though to her, the sound of her thoughts twisting into a soft hiss.
The girl unplugged her nose and ran as she was told.
Khaana's eyes fell back on Gnupa. It was a large and ever active illusion and it was taking a lot out of her. But she wasn't going to back down, not yet.
Hearing the women's screams many of Gnupa's men gathered at the opening of the tent, peering inside. Their eyes wide at the chaos collecting there in.
"There are wolves among the trees!" Someone shouted.
"Move," a voice called, it was neither amused nor afraid. Khaana knew better than to turn away from Gnupa. He was also serving as her focal point as she slowly grew her illusion. Determined to make him quake.
From the corner of her she could see a wild Dane with faded hair neither blonde or brown, but something in between with loose curls which wanted to locate together.
He had eyes which held glimmers of madness, and those eyes were watching her. Eying her with a gaze that was far more intense than the personality his face offered.
He walked to stand at her side as he studied her.
His presence made her shiver, "so this is what drew me from Cornwellum?" He questioned. He turned his eyes to Gnupa "is it wise to test her, old man?" He asked.
Gnupa laughed heartily and gave a wide grin. "I only wished to see why Earl Ubba wanted the creature so bad." He said.
The wild Dane next to her frowned. He stood before Khaana and bowed his head beating his fist to his opposite shoulder. Khaana looked to him and raised one brow.
"Skorpa, there is no need for such ceremony. She is not but a witch." Gnupa said.
The wild dane, Skorpa looked far into Khaana's eyes, "even if that's true, witches can be very powerful allies." He muttered.
He paused and slowly a smirk formed on his face "but you are no witch are you?" He asked Khaana, carefully cutting free her binds. In reply she held high her head and the maggots vanished from around his feet and the black miasma around him swirled softly turning to a white fog.
He smelled clean mountain air instead of the wrank scent of burning flesh and scorched earth.
Skorpa grinned at Khaana, he removed her gag and knelt before her, looking up at her from the ground. Khaana was well used to putting on a show to gain the respect or fear from the Danes but she'd never have one kneel to her.
She looked down at Skorpa who gazed up at her with a wild grin and expectant smile.
"You are a sword dane..." She said to which his grin grew "warlord?" She asked. "I am steadily forging a name for myself in Cornwellum." He said with pride.
Khaana rested the back of her hand to his cheek. "Set me free of this place and I will make you a powder, pour it into a broth of hot water, drink before you rest and your thirst for battle will will your sword,and all who lack a thirst will be the well for you to drink from." She said.
Reaching into a pocket lined in her fur mantle she pulled out a palm sized pouch. She dangled it before Skorpa, he looked at it in wonder.
"Don't be foolish boy, that powder is not worth the amount of silver Ubba has promised." Gnupa sneered.
"With it I can take my own silver and more..." Skorpa said.
"She was caught by my men, you have no say in her fate." Gnupa warned. Skorpa rolled his eyes and Khaana bid him to rise, she dropped the powder in his hand.
"Your elder is a fool, but one day I may call upon you again. Forget my, gift and reject my call and I will send forth a warrior that I and the gods have watched grow to claim your traitorous heart." Khaana said.
Skorpa clutched the pouch tightly, "you see Father? Give a message if the gods what it deserves and a reward is sure to come your way." He said.
"Someone take her, I want her rebound and kept under watch." Gnupa ordered.
"None shall move, or you'll lack the fingers to hold whatever portion my father has offered of his would be spoils from Earl Ubba." Skorpa said, eying the men carefully.
"You've no say in this." Gnupa said.
Skorpa grinned "feeble old man, be glad I let you live. I will not take her from you. But you will not bind her. Let Rûnhild watch her, she respects things of power." Skorpa said.
Gnupa fell silent, and under the dark gaze of Skorpa he started to sweat.
"Regret sending for my aid now?" Skorpa asked with a loud laugh.
"Go send for Rûnhild!" Gnupa ordered one of his men in a rueful shout.