A Fate Inked in Blood

Despite her words to her mother, Freya still feels the need to protect her family. She wants to return to Grindill immediately so that Snorri will not have her family killed. Bjorn reveals another prophecy that his mother made; he was the only one to hear it. Saga said that the shield maiden would unite Skaland, but tens of thousands would be left dead in her wake; she would be like a plague upon the earth. When Bjorn met Freya, he believed that the prophecy was wrong, but when he saw her fight at Grindill, he felt that she could become a monster if she were to follow Snorri’s path. Bjorn has tried to help her choose a different path, but she refuses to change her fate. Freya explains her choice to keep protecting her family. She believes that Hlin’s words about altruism require her to put others before herself to achieve a destiny different from what Saga foretold. In her mind, running away would mean conceding to the avarice that Hlin warned of.

Before the group leaves, a warrior named Skade calls Kelda a “cowardly bitch” for betraying her child and shoots an arrow through her heart. Just before Kelda dies, she apologizes to Freya for what happened and the things she said. Freya blames herself for her mother’s death, and her need for vengeance overcomes all other desires. Bjorn refuses to let her leave when her rage has clearly taken over. Undeterred, Freya bolts when Bjorn isn’t expecting it. She takes his horse so he can’t stop her.

Freya rides as fast as she can to Grindill. She attacks Ylva and is about to decapitate her when Bjorn catches up and stops her. Freya accuses Ylva of being a traitor and makes her case to Snorri. Snorri says he won’t condemn Ylva without a trial, but he admits that Freya’s arguments are compelling. Suddenly, a warrior shouts that Nordeland is attacking. Harald’s army is amassed just outside the fortress. Bjorn advises Snorri to retreat. Snorri puts his sword to his son’s throat. He accuses Bjorn of disloyalty and of lusting after Freya. Bjorn easily subdues Snorri. A dark voice inside Freya tells her to kill Snorri, but she cannot draw her sword because of the blood oath she swore. Instead, she declares that she is leaving, and she refuses to fight for Snorri or anyone else. She and Bjorn are about to flee Skaland when she sees Ragnar holding a knife to her brother’s throat. Geir says they took Ingrid too, and that she is pregnant. Freya is tempted to abandon Geir to his fate, but she ultimately agrees to stay and fight for Snorri in order to save Geir’s life. She urges Bjorn to flee, but he vows to remain by her side.

Tora, the child of Thor who fought to defend Grindill for Gnut, is now with Harald and his massive army outside the fortress. Harald promises to leave without harming anyone if Freya surrenders herself to him. Freya refuses and calls on Hlin’s magic, which encircles the entire fort. Harald says he didn’t kill Saga; Snorri used that lie to justify making war on Nordeland. Freya remembers hearing that Bjorn set a cabin on fire the first time his power emerged, and she wonders if Bjorn accidentally caused Saga’s death. Civilians from the local town arrive, seeking refuge. After Freya again refuses to surrender, Tora begins killing these civilians. Freya concludes that such killing will never end because men of power will always try to possess her unless she is dead. She jumps over the fortress wall, intending to throw herself over the cliff. The specter appears and beckons her to stop. Bjorn catches up and yanks her away from the edge. He jumps in the river with her, then they both drop over the falls.

Freya uses Hlin’s shield to protect them. When they eventually emerge from the river, Bjorn says everyone will think they died. After walking for hours, they come to the burned house where Bjorn lived with his mother. He explains that Saga warned him never to speak Tyr’s name because his magic would bring about destruction. When a stranger came to the house and hurt his mother, Bjorn called his fire axe, and it set the cabin on fire. Bjorn was knocked unconscious by the collapsing roof, and when he awoke, he was a captive in Nordeland.

After stopping at the house, they keep walking until they reach a cave at the mouth of a stream. A hot spring feeds a steaming pool inside. Freya fears that Bjorn will regret choosing to be with her instead of avenging his mother’s murder. He assures her that he will never regret that choice. They express their love for each other and have sex. Afterward, Bjorn suggests leaving the next morning and fleeing Skaland. When she asks what he envisions for their future, he describes just the life she has imagined: living on a farm, hunting for food, raising children, and growing old in peace.

The next morning, Freya starts to worry about Geir and Ingrid and everyone else left behind at Grindill. She is troubled by the sense that Bjorn isn’t bothered about any of it. Last night, she felt absolute certainty about their future, but now she is suddenly filled with doubt. She demands to know the truth of Bjorn’s past and his loyalties and threatens to return to Grindill if he does not tell her everything. Bjorn promises to tell her everything soon, but urges her to leave with him now. Freya refuses and walks out of the cave, only to find herself face to face with King Harald and his warriors.

Harald insinuates that Bjorn has been working with him and planning to deliver Freya all along. Freya demands the truth, but Bjorn merely admits that his loyalty is to Nordeland. Freya realizes that he is the traitor, not Ylva. Bjorn says he considers Harald his father and hates Snorri. Enraged by Bjorn’s lies and betrayal, Freya curses everyone there to Helheim. Just as when she cursed the draug, giant black roots burst from the ground, grabbing all the Nordelanders, dragging their souls away, and leaving their dead bodies behind.

Somehow, Bjorn, Harald, Tora, and Skade are left alive. Harald explains that the gods identified Freya as being of “two bloods” because she is the child of two gods: Hlin and Hel. Freya has the power to curse people to her goddess-mother’s domain. This also explains why her power is so great; enough “to destroy all who stand against [her]” (407). Bjorn tells Freya to run. She heeds his advice but trips and falls. Steinunn appears and speaks to Freya with her natural Nordeland, which she previously hid. Steinunn blows smoke from a bowl into Freya’s face, and Freya passes out.

When Freya awakens, she finds herself tied up on a drakkar. Everyone on the boat is either a child of a god or a thrall, and she realizes that her power to curse people to Helheim must not work on those with magic. She jumps overboard despite her bound hands and tries to swim to shore. Bjorn easily catches her and pulls her back onto the ship. He tells her that he only lied to protect his family. He reveals that Snorri is the one who tried to kill his mother, acting upon Ylva’s influence, but Saga escaped and fled with Bjorn to Nordeland, where Harald protected them. Saga is still alive in Nordeland. Freya also learns the truth of the conversation she overheard in Fjalltindr, which she thought was Ylva plotting with Harald. In fact, the two people in the room were Bjorn and his mother. He was convincing his mother—so she would convince Harald—that Freya could change her fate and should not be killed. Bjorn begs Freya to talk to his mother, saying that he needs her to understand. They sail on toward Nordeland, where Freya plans to get answers and to start controlling her own fate.