A Curse Carved in Bone

Bjorn reflects that his intentions have been to protect Freya, whom he still loves and wants to be with. Though a Skalander by birth, Bjorn has been loyal to Harald and Nordeland since childhood, when he and his mother fled there after Snorri, Bjorn’s father, tried to kill Saga.

On Nordeland’s shore, Bjorn talks with Harald about how their plans have changed. Three years ago, Bjorn intended to stop the shield maiden from strengthening Nordeland’s enemy by returning to Skaland and killing Freya. That changed when he fell in love with her. Harald says he forgives Bjorn’s betrayal of the plan because he knows Bjorn acted out of love, not malice.

Guthrum, a child of the god Jord who can speak to an animal familiar, reports what the bird Kaja has learned from spying in Skaland: Snorri believes that Freya and Bjorn are still alive and is searching for them.

The group sails inland on the Rimstrom river toward Hrafnheim, Harald’s fortress, where they’ll get horses and supplies before going on to Saga’s cabin. Freya talks with Tora, who says she respected Bodil and regrets accidentally killing her in the battle at Grindill. She also reveals that Harald saved her from an evil uncle, for which she’s fought by his side ever since. They notice a village being attacked by Islunders, raiders from an island nation, and they prepare to fight.

Harald asks Freya if she’ll fight with them to protect Nordeland’s villages, but she refuses. Bjorn and Tora recognize one of the Islunders as Arkyn, a child of Thor who wields lightning. Also among the Islunders is a child of Njord who calls orca whales to overturn Harald’s ship and attack everyone aboard once they’re in the water. Freya uses Hlin’s shield to protect herself and Tora, but the two are pushed far from shore in the orcas’ onslaught.

Bjorn sees the orcas attacking Freya and realizes the child of Njord controls them. Bjorn calls on Tyr’s fire axe and kills the child of Njord. Once the orcas relent in their attack, Tora uses a lightning bolt to kill Arkyn.

Despite being badly injured, Skade wants to continue fighting, but Tora convinces her to see to her wounds first. Freya feels an urge to fight too, but doing so would effectively be serving Harald, which Ylva’s blood oath prevents her from doing. Freya passes up a chance to escape because it would mean not getting to learn the truth from Saga.

When Freya sees Islunder warriors taking a group of captured children to their ships, she attempts to rescue the children. Bjorn, Tora, and Harald return to the beach to see Freya losing the fight and the captive children already on the Islunders’ ships. Despite her vow to never use Hel’s power again, Freya is overcome by a sense of injustice, and she curses the Islunders to Helheim, saving the Nordelander children.

Harald sends Skade to hunt down any Islunder survivors who might spread the word that Bjorn is alive and back in Nordeland. Bjorn blames himself for the Islunder raid, since his plans in Skaland led to Harald bringing his warriors there and leaving Nordeland’s villages largely undefended. Tension simmers between Bjorn and Skade. She was Harald’s right hand while Bjorn was in Skaland and doesn’t want to cede her position now that he’s back. Harald placates Skade effectively while making plans for Freya to see Saga as soon as possible.

Tora thanks Freya for saving her life and apologizes for those she hurt at Grindill. Later, Freya learns Guthrum’s story. When he was 10, his father tried to make him serve the jarl. Guthrum’s mother refused, and his father hurt her, after which Guthrum’s familiar, a giant mastiff, mauled his father to death. Villagers killed the mastiff and Guthrum’s mother. Harald, then a jarl, helped Guthrum understand his magic, executed the villagers who had killed his mother, and took him in. Guthrum helped find other children of the gods who had suffered as he had and told them of Harald’s desire to help.

They make camp for the night, and Steinnun volunteers to take the first watch. Freya sees her sneak away and decides to follow, remembering how Steinnun had been a spy for Harald, betrayed battle plans to Grindill, and helped Skade find and kill Freya’s mother. Freya wants to confront and fight Steinnun, but holds back when the skald comes to a burned village and sobs over one of the many cairns.

Bjorn sneaks up behind Freya, grabs her, and carries her back into the forest. He tells Freya he doesn’t trust Harald’s intentions toward her, now that Harald has seen how her desire to protect the innocent influences her use of her astonishing power. Freya explains that she can’t serve Harald even if she wants to because of Ylva’s blood oath, which Bjorn hadn’t known about.

The next morning, Steinnun reveals that her husband and son were killed in the village she visited when Snorri raided it as part of his campaign to get Bjorn back. She’s bent on getting vengeance for her family. Freya learns that Bjorn hadn’t known Steinnun was Harald’s spy when they were in Skaland. Freya also notices that Harald’s thralls—his servants, known as the Nameless—have runes on their tongues that keep them from speaking.

Upon arriving in Hrafnheim, Harald announces to the gathered crowds that he has returned with the shield maiden and Bjorn. Two massive wolves, Skoll and Hati, guard Harald’s home. Harald says that while Saga is his wife, she is not his queen because she prefers isolation and has no wish to rule. When Skade and Steinnun urge Harald to kill Freya, he insists they find out from Saga if there is another path, besides killing Freya, to protect Nordeland from Snorri. He promises to do whatever Saga advises, even if she says Freya must die. Bjorn and Freya decide to begin the two-day journey to Saga’s cabin immediately, rather than waiting for dawn.