The Shadow of the Gods

Orka, Mord, and Lif row to a hidden spot along the riverbank, where Orka retrieves her spear and supplies. They set up a temporary camp and Orka explains what happened to her husband and son. Though the brothers still want revenge, Orka advises patience and cunning rather than rushing into action. While Mord is frustrated, Lif pleads for her to take them with her and help them learn to fight better. Orka agrees on the condition that they row her to Darl, where Vafri said Breca was taken.

Elvar wrestles with the conflicting pull of her father’s expectations and her hard-earned independence with the Battle-Grim. Grend warns her that Jarl Störr likely has ulterior motives for his offer. Complicating the issue is Uspa, who insists she needs to leave but will not say why.

Seeking clarity, Elvar visits Hrung. Though sympathetic to her plight, he replies to her with riddles. Jarl Störr, alerted to his daughter’s presence, approaches the hall, and Elvar leaves.

Aboard the Sea-Wolf, the Bloodsworn participate in an oar-dance, a trial of balance and agility. Varg does well until Einar Half-Troll sends him overboard into the icy water. Though frustrated by the trick, and despite his oath to avenge Frøya, Varg begins to feel a connection to his new companions.

Once ashore, Røkia resumes training Varg. Later, Glornir introduces Skalk, a Galdurman and representative of Queen Helka, to the Bloodsworn. Skalk tells them they need to stop a threat that has arisen near the Boneback Mountains, where villagers are killed and eaten by some kind of vaesen. Though the task is dangerous, the promise of silver and glory motivates the Bloodsworn.

However, tensions flare when Skalk insults Vol and dismisses her concerns about how the vaesen bypassed the Grimholt, a defensive stronghold. The confrontation ends with an uneasy truce by Glornir, and the Bloodsworn prepare for the hunt.

Ilska’s Raven-Feeders, a rival mercenary group, raids the Battle-Grim’s tavern in Snakavik. Elvar and Grend rush inside and find their comrades injured. It becomes clear the group took Bjarn. Alongside Agnar and the Battle-Grim, Elvar pursues the fleeing raiders to the docks, but they arrive too late: Ilska’s ship is already pulling out into the fjord.

Back at the tavern, Uspa regains consciousness and pleads with Agnar to rescue her son, but he says it’s not worth the risk. Uspa counters by saying the Raven-Feeders were after her, not her son. In exchange for his rescue, she tells Agnar she knows the location of Oskutreð, the mythical Ash Tree at the heart of the gods-fall. Agnar accuses Uspa of lying, but Elvar, having overheard, realizes the information could change everything.

Orka and the brothers continue to row upriver. When they encounter some rapids, she suggests they portage around them, but Mord insists they can navigate through. However, in the process, they meet a Näcken, a type of malevolent water spirit. It attacks, smashing their boat and dragging Mord into the water. Orka dives in to fight the creature. She manages to wound it and free Mord. Once on the bank, she plants iron weapons into the ground to prevent the Näcken from following, as they are repelled by iron.

After learning that Uspa knows the way to Oskutreð, Elvar presses to be included in her discussion with Agnar. In response, he questions Elvar’s loyalty, demanding that she tell him whether she will stay with the Battle-Grim or return to her father. Elvar chooses to commit herself fully to the Battle-Grim.

Uspa defends the existence of Oskutreð, saying the Tainted and relics of the gods are proof. She explains that she and her late husband destroyed the Graskinna, an ancient book that revealed the path to Oskutreð to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Ilska, aware of Uspa’s knowledge, hunted her down, which resulted in the attack. Agnar promises to rescue Bjarn once she shows them to Oskutreð, and Uspa proposes using a blood oath to ensure he follows through. The Battle-Grim perform the ritual with her, and the blood forms fiery runes that brand their wrists.

The Bloodsworn arrive at a deserted farmstead on the eastern bank of the River Slågen after five days of rowing upriver. Glornir announces that the journey will continue on foot from this point.

Before they head out, they search the farmstead but find no signs of life or bloodshed. One of the mercenaries, Edel, uses a recovered tunic to set her wolfhounds on a trail. The Bloodsworn then march onward into the foothills of the Boneback Mountains.

Orka arrives with Lif and Mord at the fortress town of Darl, the seat of Queen Helka, after a 15-day journey of rowing and portaging their boat through rivers and streams. The fortress is crowned by the skeleton of a giant eagle, the remains of the god Orna. At the docks, the trio witness the arrival of Queen Helka. The queen’s grand procession includes her Tainted warriors and a foreign dignitary from Iskidan.

After docking, Orka pays the harbor fees and prepares to part ways with Lif and Mord, despite their protests. She warns them to bide their time before seeking vengeance for their father, then heads into Darl.

The Wave-Jarl sails across Lake Horndal, the Battle-Grim energized by the promises of riches and eternal fame that await them when they reach Oskutreð. Upon reaching the northern shore, the group sets up camp and prepares for the next leg of their journey.

Elvar talks with Biórr, another of the mercenaries, about her decision to leave her father’s shadow and forge her own legacy. The two kiss, but are interrupted by Grend, who tells her to go take watch.

Orka, in disguise, visits tavern after tavern in Darl, listening for leads on Breca’s location. In one establishment, her questions about Drekr scare the landlord, and he demands she leave. Outside, Orka watches the tavern from the shadows until a burned man exits. She follows him through the streets to another tavern, The Dead Drengr.

While waiting for a chance to get inside, Orka sees bound and hooded children being herded into a canal boat. She kills the guards and frees the frightened children. Breca isn’t among them, but one of the children says some of the others were taken elsewhere. When Orka asks about Drekr, the children point her back to the tavern. She tells the children to flee and marches back to The Dead Drengr.

As dawn breaks, the Bloodsworn camp awakens to cold porridge and light-hearted banter. Svik entertains the group with the story of how he once tricked a troll into sparing his life using cheese. The group packs up and resumes their march into the wilderness. Varg requests an akáll again but is once more refused by Glornir, much to his frustration. Varg considers turning to Skalk for help instead.

Orka sneaks into The Dead Drengr. Inside the loft above the tavern, she finds a small carved sword that once belonged to Breca, confirming her son was there at some point. She descends into the tavern and identifies both Hakon and Drekr. She attacks the latter and the fight between them, along with the other warriors in the tavern, spills out into the streets. Drekr taunts her as he gets the upper hand, saying Breca “will change the world” (314). Before he can kill her, Orka’s Tainted blood takes over and she attacks him again.

A company of Queen Helka’s warriors approaches, threatening to overwhelm her, but Lif and Mord return on horseback. They pull her out of the fight and escape with her down a narrow alley.