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Hamuram.

Hamuram.

Volker?

Yes?

I need silence to hear the songs of nature. Hamuram.

Hamuram.

Zvala. She gives praises and she is greeted.

For your hearing I hearken, oh ancient ones.

Great, great Freya, I give you thanks for your gift of Seiðr.

She gives thanks and she is blessed.

Eivor, it has been some time. What brings you so far to see me?

I, uh, I have come for your advice on a private matter.

Come.

Is your mother well? Her mind is a jumble.

She speaks to spirits. I fear her final winter has come, but she has me now. Let us speak to your needs.

I—

I have had a vision. A powerful vision. It may have been my battle lust or a delirium caused by the cold, but—

Describe it for me.

After 17 years, I saw my father's axe again. And when I touched it, the vision came on fast. There was a wolf howling, fierce.

And then a figure, a graybeard in a cloak, a single eye.

Come here, Abidab. He bid me follow him.

The High One, he calls.

The High One.

Perhaps he means to speak with you, deliver a message. Only through Sator will you see more clearly and Unravel the threats that sit tight upon your mind.

Harv dog, come on.

Give the people what they want, buddy.

Uh, whatever happens, we cannot change the fate we are bound to.

What matter who knows and who doesn't?

I'm gonna be the most evil person ever. I'm always gonna do the wrong thing.

Drink.

If you seek true— Hmm?

I saw nothing, Volker. Felt nothing. Javi!

Javi!

Javi! Why walk among the dead? Sigurd, brother, when did you arrive?

His voice...

Where's that Red Bull?

Definitely take a Harvey on your way back.

It's on my left.

What is this? Sigurd! Brother, what is this?

There was no other way, Javi. Our fates are fixed.

Why did you chop off your hand? Doesn't seem like you needed to. But he did it.

What is it? What has happened?

This was not for you, Javi.

No shit, it was your arm. Oh boy.

Steady, Eivor. It is Valka. I am here.

Gods, I thought I—

What was that?

Tell me everything.

I—

I was on a mountain in a violent blizzard, climbing toward the summit, following a wolf.

And then?

I saw Odin and the Nornir spinning the threads of fate. They were watching me.

Not watching. They were showing you the way forward. Your life. Your path, what lies before you, and where it ends.

And the wolf was eager for my attention, as if it were beckoning me to follow.

You are the wolfkist, fated to carry its mark for life. In this case, it might represent your ambition or your fear.

I saw the gates to Odin's Hall of Slaying Champions. They opened for me.

Shades of Valhalla, for which you are destined.

I do not know what else to say. My memories are faint, hazy.

Did you reach the summit of this mountain?

I did, yes. Sigurd was there, wounded, in pain. His fighting arm was missing. Then the wolf reappeared, the size of a dragon, twisted and terrible. It fixed its eyes on me and struck. Then I woke.

The gods favor you, Eivor. They always have. You will have your glory, and you will earn your place in Valhalla. But these portents carry a darker truth. The missing arm, the trail of blood, the beast. You will betray your brother Sigurd. That is the meaning of your vision.

That cannot be right. I would never betray Sigurd. He's my brother, my family.

The Nordnir have spoken, and this is their message.

No, this is wrong. Or you misunderstand. That cannot be right.

You will betray Sigurd.

I plan to betray him.

You can go against his fate. It can be done.

That's all I'm saying. I'm gonna betray everybody I possibly can.

Are you thirsty?

No.

Damn.

They must be finished now. The king has called for his best mead, so the talks are concluded. It should be safe to enter. I'm ready to face the thunder. I'll speak with the king now.

Excellent, King Styrbjorn. I will take this proposal to my nephew. I believe he will see the wisdom in it.

Good.

It is all I can hope for.

May the—

may the winds May the gods favor your voyage, Githormir.

What, we got beef? You want to fucking fight?

Come forward and explain in plain words why you have willfully disobeyed my commands. Do you mock me?

I do not mock you, King. I mean to embolden you against your enemies and your own poor judgment.

You know nothing of my judgment. You know nothing of my plans and strategies.

Sigurd would agree with me.

My son might agree with you, but he would obey me. He knows his place.

Not as well as he knows his father.

Whoa.

Imagine you are harassed by an enemy with warriors that vastly outnumber your own. What profit does open war bring? Would it not be better to work quietly through diplomacy, gaining alliances, waiting until the day our numbers outweigh our enemies and our victory is guaranteed?

I agree.

Oh yeah, talk of diplomacy is—

I'm in.

Not strategy. If you do not have the will to finish this Only say it.

I will finish it when we are certain to win, Eivor, and that day is fast approaching.

Is that all?

I'm at a loss with you, Eivor. When I took you in as my own, never did I imagine such disrespect from the child of Varinn. Your father was a fine man, just and loyal to me. He died bravely so that we might live.

He died a coward, Lord. A fate I will not mirror.

Why do you carry such a useless burden? Let it go. Think only of the days to come, of your future and the victories at hand.

My honor has been stained. Until it's wiped clean, I want nothing else.

I refuse to pick at that wound again. But if there is something that can chase these shadows from your thoughts—

Sigurd has come down at the docks.

His ship is here.

Oh boy, Sigurd's here.

Hey, careful with that one. Hey, look at you, blood-soaked drinkard. Have you been warring without me?

Ah, and you, salt-cured Viking. I smell the stink of a dozen 7 kingdoms in your beard.

Just the start. Randvi, my dear wife, your husband returns, bringing gifts and riches to share.

And new friends, I see.

Yes, Basim and Hytham. We met in Miklagard, and they showed me her buried secrets.

We are grateful to Sigurd for his invitation, and Eager to pay tribute to your king.

My brother is always very careful with the company he keeps. If you're standing safely beside him, he must like you.

Ah, Eivor, save the introductions until our bellies are full. I will see my father, tell him of my time away. This morning we traded with a ship passing south. They told us Eivor the Wolfkissed was captured By Kurtvis' men.

They must have cut the tale short. I killed my captors and recovered my crew. For that, your father scolded me. You know where I stand, brother. Nothing short of war will dislodge Kurtvis from our lands. But he disagrees.

I know, I know. Father thinks too much and acts too little. Today that changes. I promise you, by the winter's end, the name Kurtvis the Cruel will be a curse on the lips of a drunken fool.

My son, welcome home!

Ah, Father.

Tonight we feast and celebrate your return, sir. The tables are laid with barley and lamb, bread and mead.

And no more, I beg you. I want nothing you would not serve a thrall. Let me be the one to honor you. I bring gifts and tales from faraway lands. After 2 winters away, I am full up with both. Very well, very well. Come inside, and when we are fat and satisfied, Father, we will talk of Kjotve and his clan and how we may end their terror once and for all. dogged us too long, chained us for too many seasons. I know this. Eivor knows this. It ends now.

Yes, of course, when the time is right.

Through Rusland, we barreled down the Volga River, raiding as we went. Shadowy tribes hurling spears at our ship, At Miklagard, we saw men bedecked in riches as vibrant as the Pivrest itself. And these we took for our troubles, of course. We sailed to Rome, then Africa, past oceans of sand, warriors of all colors, and beauty the eyes must weep to behold. And now I have returned with riches and glory to share with my family, my friends, My eyes forge Strengir. So take what you desire from my hoard.

For this—

this is only a taste of things to come. Tomorrow, the Raven Clan starts anew. Skål, Sigurd!

Skål!

And you, Eivor, come! I have something special for you.

Sigurd has raised the reputation of this clan to new high, Lord. We could not have asked for a more joyous return.

Oh, but we could have had Sigurd spent his last two winters here in Fornburg. Defending our lands, we might have been rid of Kjotve by now.

You always said we needed more warriors to fight Kjotve. And for warriors, we need wealth, which Sigurd has brought us.

The wealth he brings will not buy us an army. It only buys us time before our end.

You talk like a man with one foot in Helheim. Have you no plan of your own to rid this land of our enemy? Will it fall to Sigurd and me?

I do, but it will fall to you and Sigurd to accept it, and I must have your word that you will.

If you so order it, my king, it will be done. You have my axe until the end.

Hmm, we shall see.

You're Basim.

You have a good memory.

And you have no mead. Can I fix that?

Sigurd spoke often of you on our journey. Called you his right arm, a celebrated warrior. I am honored to meet you.

Likewise, Basim. And how did you come to meet my brother?

He set down in Constantinople some months ago, to rest and resupply, he told me. But I knew otherwise. Men with eyes that gleam like his are always up to something more. I think he wished to raid the Hajj of Sofia.

That sounds right.

I will not bore you with the details of our meeting, but I liked your brother from the first. I saw something in him that captivated me. As if a forgotten memory of an old friendship had suddenly resurfaced.

He has that effect on people. Enjoy your evening, Basim. Hytham, is it?

Yes.

And you are Eivor?

I am. I hope this ruckus does I hope my presence does not overwhelm you. We tend to drink and talk at equal speed.

Not at all. The wood smoke from your fire pit does sting the eyes, but the warmth is welcome.

Of course. It must be rather warm where you live.

Where I live changes from week to week, but always I am with my mentor, Basim.

Your mentor? For what cause?

A noble one. A cause as true as the world is old. But let us leave it at that for now.

I understand, but if you hope to stay tight-lipped for the rest of the night, keep clear of Tekla's meat.

Ah, thank you for the warning. It will not be a problem.

I thought long and hard on a gift worthy of you.

You have snared my curiosity, brother. What is it?

Not yet. Drinks first. To my first night in Fornburg in over 2 winters. It must end with me soaked and wall-eyed, shouting at the shadows of trolls.

And you want me to sail with you on these honey waves?

Yes, you are stuck with me, Dringul.

Now drink.

Oh, you would put Thor to shame.

Forgive me on your first day back.

Yes, I've missed this terribly. When I first met Fasan, I regaled him with tales of our—

What'd you say, Bells?

Nothing.

And it was then I felt a hard longing to return at once.

Come.

This brings us to your gift. These excellent men were my shepherds through much of their homeland, the Abbasid Caliphate. They are a clan not joined by blood, but by a common idea. A brotherhood of shadows executing their own form of justice. In my time with them, they shared many of their most hidden secrets, for which I am And now I gift one of these secrets to you. A weapon for the finest warrior I know.

Hytham is not amused. It seems. Am I not worthy of this gift?

It is not about worth, Eivor. It is a matter of devotion to our creed and, and training.

Black.

Mentor, I must protest. This is deeply unorthodox. A wristplate is a sacred tool.

Do not make a fetish out of cold metal, Eivor. What matters is the mind of the one who wields it. Please. Try it on. The blade should ride on the underside of your arm to conceal it from your target.

I have no wish to hide this, and I would rather not make the same mistake you two have. I like it.

This is no mistake.

This is a voluntary sacrifice to prove our devotion to—

A good start, Eivor, but you must learn how to use it effectively.

Outside. This is not something for all eyes.

Lead on. This clan of yours, it has a name?

Indeed, but among the tenets of our creed is a vow to never reveal too much to outsiders. In time, you may learn more, but not here, where the walls and trees may have ears.

I look forward to it.

Here, let me lead you through our most basic techniques. Wielded with skill and care, a blade delivers a singular killing blow. As you near your target, find your window to strike. Timing is essential. Nicely done.

I have not seen a blade so sharp.

Some targets are trickier than others. Keep that in mind before you strike. A decent attempt. Take that one down from the ledge.

That's it.

How about a challenge? Leap down upon that target from above.

Exactly, just like that.

Use your surroundings when possible. Strike from that haystack, for instance. A perfect strike.

Mentor, does Eivor intend to join us?

Not that I am aware.

Then why offer her a blade?

Surely we have more—

Hytham, hush. You wield the blade well. Let us leave Eivor to enjoy her gift in peace.

Come, Eivor, let us walk to the docks and take in the night air. What do you make of my new friends?

They seem generous and menacing in equal measure.

I know what you mean. They have learning too. They wield numbers and writing as if it were magic. Basim has shown me so much about the world, all of which I will share with you. I missed the smell of this land.

Have you returned for good, or do you mean to join this Shadow Brotherhood?

Leave all that aside, Eivor. Tonight we are family again. The here and now is what matters. Our kinship, our clan, our glory.

I missed you, brother. Your clear head and your courage. We have not had enough of both.

You flatter me, Wolfkissed. Keep it up.

From here to Valhalla, I will always be at your side, Sigurd.

Always.

This fjord has grown too small to contain me, or I too large. There's so much more beyond these stony fangs. that rise around us. England, Ireland, Francia— all greener pastures ripe for the plucking. Tomorrow we make new war on Kjotve and reclaim the lands he took from us. And from there, we build a kingdom for us.

I'm with you. Only say the word.

Good.

Get some rest and return here at first light.

The Northmen have spoken.

You will betray No, this is wrong. That cannot be right. Odin fought against his fate. It can be done.

You will betray Sigurd.

Shit, short-faced warriors.

This one would not have come alone.

I should find the others. Hur är detta att rädda familjen Bull?

Bra.

Where the fuck are these guys? I don't know.

Soon enough. Guide me.

I have a bad feeling. Just the 3 of us. We should return to Notfall with our report while we can.

We can bring Kjotve news of the longships, or we can wake him.

Go. Soon.

We can bring Jot the news of the longships, or we can wake him with Sigurd Styrbjornsson's head.

Which is better? All right, when Jot returns, we weigh our next move. But I am not one for sticking around, hear me?

Quit bawling, you babe.

They may be drunk, but they're not deaf.

What?

Sigurd must know about this.

Tell me it's you.

With each day we wait, Kurtwe grows stronger.

I speak as you. We do not have the men.

The losses have ruined us, Father. Until we cut off this serpent's head, it will poison us day by day, drop by drop.

The poison has already polluted our waters.

What happened?

Spies in our camp. 3 men sent by Chodvei to kill us as we slept. I returned the favor.

There, you see? This is what waiting brings. We must answer this insult.

They came from Notfall, that whaling village under Chodvei's control.

We hit him there. Burn it down before Chodvei learns his spies are dead.

He may have sent more. I can search the village while you round up the crew.

No need. I will send Hytham to search. the area. You can rely on him while we are away. We?

Do you mean to join us?

I have not been bred for Valhalla like you, but this will be far from my first battle.

I do not like this, but I will not stop you. Do not lead my son into the same storm that follows you.