"your father will be brought here, I will do my best to convince him,-"

"he's to stubborn."

"go"

Elwyn was easy to find, she was trying in vain to get away from Aethelwulf's attention. Skadi didn't have time for this, instead going left towards the kitchens. only to be stopped by the old women that had originally put her to work. typical.

"Where have you been? never mind fill the bath for lady Elwyn quickly now girl."

Returning to the previous hall, noticing the atheling had made himself sparse. Knocking first, only entering after a soft 'come in'.

"You've obviously never done this before, the waters tepid at best, though I suppose you don't know the difference." She was already in the nearly full tub, of steaming water, not speaking instead just pouring the hot water in slowly. "What did he want?"

raising an eyebrow, "Ecbert, what did he say about me?"

"nothing."

"what was your name again?"

"Edyd.''

She returned to silence, bathing herself thankfully. She emerged after a few minutes, wrapping herself in a spare cloth drying herself. "get my night dress."

Her sift was long hitting her ankles, and sat on the stool in the middle of the room. "do you know how to braid hair?"

"yes, anything in particular?"

"two plaits"

Skadi brushed through her long hair, dark as night and softer than anything she felt. two braids ended at her mid back with a bit of a curl at the end. Shortly after she crawled into the bed settling in, as Skadi stoked the fire.

Pulling the drapes and draining the tub, Skadi left the already sleeping girl. She returned to the main room, where they had eaten earlier.

"do you think he is with your gods or mine?" Ecbert's words were slurred.

"It does not matter." papa? "his death is on my conscious not yours."

"and yours will be on mine."

"Even so, you have to kill me."

Before Skadi could get to him the jingling of her fathers chains were down the hall back to the cells. Ragnar was stubborn, set on dying in England by Ecbert, but Skadi was stubborn too. If it took forever she was going to bring him home, walking on his own or having to drag him.

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the protocol child returnsssssss, hi:)