#but finan actually outright refuses this time

[shadowglens]

even though i’m choosing to ignore the weird prophecy stuff about finan’s wife dying in skmd, siggi does come very very close to it

[bloodofthefates]

...🔪 from uhtred for stiorra?? somehow? from @wemultitudinous​

 It was a maneuver they’d practiced tirelessly, even after her complaints of boredom fell on deaf ears her father had called for them to practice and run the entire plan again and again until every aspect ran perfectly seamless. It was an incredibly risky undertaking and it put Stiorra at the forefront of danger under the guise of being a hostage he and his men had captured. They would need to make it convincing if they were to fool soldiers and warriors who had seen battle, they would be able to discern by the slightest error it was all a rouse and therefore nothing could be halfway done. Though the intent behind his actions would be fake, the blade against her throat he intended to use as leveraging her life would be very real. It was Finan who had first opposed the plan outright, claiming that Uhtred had finally lost whatever remained of his mind and in his protectiveness refused to let Stiorra anywhere near the outlandish idea. It had taken a lot of convincing on Uhtred’s part and some begging on Stiorra’s but together they’d all concocted the final strategy under the agreement that if anything were to take a turn for the worst, she was under strict orders to run and get herself clear of any actual danger if any battle ensued. She’d agreed begrudgingly, her drive and will to fight alongside her father and the others stronger than her common sense but it was their only condition or else the entire mission was to be scrapped. They had practiced footing and steps first, Uhtred showing her how he would take hold of her and using only his hand to mimic the knife where she should lift her chin and keep her head turned to a specific degree to make it look as if the blade were closer than it really was. It felt like he’d made her do it a hundred times before they incorporated a hefty stick in place of the knife so she could get accustomed to the feel of something pressing against the skin of her neck as her father kept her arms barred behind her back. She was helpless in his hold, told by Sihtric to focus on her breathing and to keep her eyes down so as to not get distracted by those they might encounter. It would only take one mistake, one fleeting second of misjudgment or negligence could leave Stiorra gravely injured or worse. She promised countless times she wasn’t afraid even if she were to get hurt. Stiorra was adept and willing which only gave her father more reason to worry for his headstrong offspring. They ran it again and again under Finan’s watchful eye and instruction until it ran perfectly choreographed. Again they took the steps slower when incorporating the real knife and the first time she felt the coolness of the blade held to her jugular, the surprise intake of breath was anything but staged. Stiorra trusted her father unconditionally and her life quite literally resided in the hands of one half who had given it to her. Her hands were shaking when he released her but despite Osferth’s plea for a break it was Stiorra’s turn to demand they go again. They didn’t stop until Uhtred was satisfied but it still was never enough to prepare Stiorra for the real thing. Careful counts and measured movements were nothing compared to the swiftness in the moment that would determine life or death for their entire clan. Everything happened so quickly, she barely had time to realize what was happening at all. At first her hands were bound and she was being led along perhaps too smugly by those she considered her uncles but when the soldiers appeared it was her life that became the bargaining chip. She felt the burn of the rope against her wrists as she was yanked forward but in one swift motion her father had taken hold of her as promised but there was an unfamiliar ferocity in him that Stiorra did not recognize. She had barely a moment to breath in, gulp down her surprise and rising fear before Uhtred had her in a tight near chokehold with the blade at her neck. She strained against his shoulder as she tried to keep her head raised and turned as they’d practiced but she felt a stinging pain where the blade knicked her skin as one of the men tried to make an approach and Uhtred pulled her back. The sudden movement spooked her and she’d only turned her head a fraction to the right but enough to draw a dribble of blood as it ran down the side of the neck and into the material of her collar. Despite Sihtric’s words ringing in her ears, Stiorra’s wide eyes looked to her father for assurance. From where her head was turned and forced against his shoulder she could see only his profile but immediately she knew he was watching her too from his periphery and taking account to make sure she was alright as he continued to barter and argue in a tone that would have worried anyone else but her.