Your rescue of my brother and the Pagans from the beach was impressive.
How long did Harald remain with you before he left for Novgorod?
He never went to Jomsborg.
He and Leif Eriksson parted with Freydis shortly after we fought you.
But you took Freydis to Jomsborg.
Harekr installed her as our Gudija,
until he became threatened by her power and murdered her…
and kept her child.
Child? By Harald?
A son.
Harekr intends to raise him as the next ruler of Jomsborg.
I knew your father.
His name was Torvil Magnusson.
Torvil "the Tall."
Before I converted to Christ, we raided together in the east.
He was a great Viking warrior.
I don't believe you.
Your mother's name is Gudrid.
She was, and I'm sure still is, a beautiful woman.
She traveled with him on those raids, carrying you.
I also knew Harekr.
He's nothing more than a pirate, which is why I'm hunting him.
-I thought you only hunted pagans. -I did.
But trade is my mission now.
It is the future of the Viking world.
And pirates like Harekr, who prey upon other Vikings,
are my enemy.
I have no issues with Jomsborg.
Only its leader.
I find it hard to believe he would allow a warrior like yourself to be banished.
I would have sought your death.
He tried, but the elders overruled him.
An intervention by the gods.
Why would a Christian say that?
As I've grown older, Jorundr,
I see more similarities than differences in our two beliefs.
I pray to my God to find Harekr and destroy him.
Your gods clearly meant for you to survive.
Our gods brought us together for a reason,
so that you could take us to Jomsborg
to unseat Harekr
and allow you to take your rightful position
as the leader of a new Jomsborg.
A divine intervention.
Kaysan.
How are you?
I'm fine.
You're a terrible liar.
I did a reading this morning.
We should be near the mouth of the Dnieper.
Just two days away from Constantinople.
I'll have you home soon.
How is she?
She needs rest.
And we will soon need a mast.
Olaf.
Fire!
How did he find us?
And how do they know to stay outside the range of our sentinels?
Jorundr.
He would not do that. He would not turn against his people.
He does not know that Harekr is dead
or that I'm alive.
And he does not know Olaf.
We must go out and challenge him!
I say we hold them off until they go away!
-We will do neither!
He now knows where we are.
If we attack him on the water
or hold him off, he will fall back to Kattegat
and return with more men and more ships for another attack.
Then what is our plan?
We are the last holdout of the old ways.
Many of us are here because of him.
He has robbed us of our homes and families.
And he now hunts those who have always been here!
I know him.
He is driven by his God to undertake this mission.
And if we are to survive,
we must remind him there is work still to do.
-You're right. -Yeah.
Jomsborg is a natural fortress.
The entrance is invisible from the sea
and it forces an attacking fleet
to enter single file,
making them easy targets for its sentinel on the cliff.
Then an attack from behind, over land?
It is possible,
but Harekr would see your movement and cut you off from your ships.
Then where is its weakness?
The front door.
If you can disable the main sentinel,
it has no defense.
What do you suggest?
I suggest a mission for the future leader of Jomsborg.
Take them up!
Coming up the east side.
We've come to speak with Harekr.
-Where is he? -Harekr is dead.
Killed by his people.
Then who is in charge?
I am.
We are here to talk.
-Not fight. -You are alive.
Clearly.
We've allowed you to enter, Olaf. Tell us your business.
I've come for Harald's son.
You mean my son.
Harald is a Christian.
I cannot stand the thought of his child being raised in a pagan world.
I think that you are more worried that one day,
our son will challenge yours for the throne of Norway.
If you want my child, Olaf, you will have to kill me for him.
Traitor!
Mother.
Don't call me that name! You have brought shame and disgrace on me!
No.
Mother! Mother!
I did not know.
I came here to kill Harekr. I would never have betrayed Jomsborg.
Do not do it now.
A message from Freydis.
The harbor.
Leave me! You are no son of mine!
My queen.
I'm making my prenuptial Act of Contrition.
Do you have time for that?
I thought you had a wedding today.
Princess Gytha will not take the place of what you stole from me.
But God has given me the strength to forgive you.
My father once told me that in war,
it does not matter the size of your enemy's forces,
the strength of his steel or the valor of his men.
All that is required for victory
is to know your enemy's deepest desire.
And you would dare to know that?
Aelfwynn could never have given you a child of royal blood,
but Gytha can.
And you would not have gained her hand
unless you were forced to lose something of immeasurable value… by me.
Once again, you've misjudged me.
But God will not,
and he will find you worthy of Hell.
I look forward to seeing you there, my queen.
At the wedding, I mean.
What is this place?
The Pontic Olbia.
It was a sacred place for the ancient Greeks.
They built a great temple here.
Travelers stopped here for centuries to pay their respects,
especially those going to a new life.
Like all of us.
Is this all we have?
Except for the stores at the sentinels.
Collect it all. I want it brought here.
All of it.
Did you give it to him?
Yes.
I am here because I saw this design on Jorundr's arm.
I had only seen it once before drawn in sand by The Seer.
He told me to trust it.
I no longer understand the fates,
nor trust destinies.
Vikings cannot control their fate.
But we can control how we face it.
Trust your son.
We should attack over land.
With Harekr dead, it is the safest strategy.
Jorundr, your opinion?
You should leave.
Go back for more men and ships.
You know the way back.
Attack when you're stronger.
That is ridiculous.
You saw their main ship was under repair.
And the rest of their boats are out on raids.
I saw what she wanted us to see.
She may have hidden the other boats.
You don't understand.
It is all a trap she has set for you.
She is daring you to attack Jomsborg
and if you do, it will be your grave.
You think so?
Yes.
I think it is you who don't want us to attack.
It's understandable to feel guilty for your decision.
Guilty?
I tried to help Freydis and this is what it cost me.
Did anyone in Jomsborg stop to help me? Hmm?
No.
You asked for my opinion.
I gave it.
I am not leaving.
God has brought me here for a reason and I will not back down from my destiny.
Then you must take out this sentinel.
And we start running as fast as we can…
But I did not see the ball and…
I go falling on my face!
I love you.
I am sorry.
It is finally my time.
I miss you already.
Mariam…
I will bring your message of love to Orlaith.
-Thank you. -Mmm.
You have a difficult road ahead.
Help me, please.
I cannot advise you.
But your heart will.
Take care of him for me.
You know I will.
Amen.
Thanks.
Congratulations.
A married lady now.
Thank you, my queen.
I have something for you.
Godwin, congratulations.
Queen Emma, it is beautiful.
It has a very special meaning to me.
And I wish you to wear it always.
-Blessings upon you. -Thank you.
You are now part of my family.
I have great expectations of your children.
-And I shall try my best, Your Highness. -Oh, I know you will.
Because they will be half Viking.
I hope you have found a way
to put your suspicions of Godwin behind you.
I have.
Good.
Be happy for me.
This is a beautiful place to die.
I promised that I'd bring you home,
but I couldn't.
You have great places yet to go, Leif Eriksson,
and still much to learn.
So I have one more thing
to share with you.
When you get to Constantinople,
find the Gate of the Lion.
On the other side of it, beside the Tower of Belisarius…
is my little house.
It is yours.
There is much inside that will help you on your journey.
Use what you learn there wisely.
Now tell me once again
about the söngr of the Hvalr
that swims to the very bottom of the world.
And then, all at once…
-…he explodes from the darkness…
mouth open wide enough to swallow a whole ship…
and suddenly,
enters our world for just a moment…
…taking it all in…
before disappearing once again…
into the deep.
I noticed the queen gave you a present tonight.
Yes, a gift she said would please you.
Only you can make me happy.
I hope to.
Did you forget that you married a Viking?
I married a beautiful woman.
What is it?
That's the queen's gift?
Yes.
Isn't it beautiful?
She told me that every time you looked at it,
it would remind you of your past,
and those you loved and lost.
She said that she took it from a bear.
Though I do not think that part is true.
Take it off.
I cannot.
She made me promise to wear it always.
Is that not like Queen Emma?
Yes.
It's exactly like her.
From the Earth,
we created you.
And to it, we shall return you.
And from it,
we shall bring you forth once more.
Hard to believe we are almost at Constantinople.
I'm in no hurry.
I know the feeling.
I set out on this journey to buy an army
and return to Norway a king.
Now,
I find myself even further away from that goal than when I started.
Perhaps, however, you are closer to something even greater.
You helped deliver my father's treasure.
And it is so prized by the emperor
that he will reward you beyond your wildest dreams.
Then why are you not in a hurry to deliver it?
And be free of your responsibility?
Because I'm not sure what will happen afterwards.
That means you will be free.
Free to choose.
Allfather and Valkyries,
look upon me with favorable eyes
and give me victory.
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
in Heaven as on Earth.
Allfather and Valkyries,
look upon me with favorable eyes
and give me victory.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
No matter what happens to me,
you must not allow Olaf to take him, do you understand?
And if I am dead and someone asks you about my child,
you will tell them that he is the son of Harald Sigurdsson,
the grandson of Erik the Red
and the nephew of Leif Eriksson.
And his mother is Freydis.
The Keeper of the Faith.
This way.
-Remember the signal. -Hmm.
Now.
Pagan filth! Traitor!
Jorundr!
Signal the boats.
-Why? -Do it.
Go.
There. They've taken the sentinel.
Row.
Oars! Row!
Tell my mother…
I'm not a traitor.
Get ready!
Where are her people?
Who is she waiting for?
Me.
I have come for him, Freydis.
So this is how you fight one-on-one,
with your entire fleet?
I just wanted my men to have a good seat for the fight.
It is not every day they get to see the great Olaf Haraldsson
beaten by a woman.
Is that Canute's son?
Yes, the King of Norway, Svein.
King of Norway.
Why don't you come here where you can see better?
What does it say on your sword?
It says "The Keeper of the Faith."
It is my destiny to protect those who worship the Old Gods.
And it is my destiny to do away with those ancient myths.
I should have finished you in the Great Hall
when you murdered Gunnar.
I gave you a chance.
-But you did not take it. -Well, I'm here now, Freydis.
But before I kill you,
I will offer you one last chance
to receive the holy baptism of Christ
and the promise of eternal life.
Redemption.
Eternal life.
And are all these men baptized?
They are.
Each and every one.
Good.
Then I feel better about this.
Go!
Svein!
Freydis!
Get out! Stay away!
Now it is your turn, Olaf.
You may think you have killed me, Freydis,
but you've done the opposite.
You've made me a martyr
whose name will be remembered
long after yours has been forgotten.
But who is left to tell your story?
No! Please.
Spare me, please. Please.
Get up, King of Norway.
Which one of you is Harald Sigurdsson of Norway?
I'm Harald.
The Emperor Romanos
has travelled from Constantinople to greet you.
We heard rumors that a mighty band of Vikings
had made it past the Pechenegs with a group of women.
They're not rumors.
The Khan is dead.
That is an accomplishment
that few could imagine and even fewer claim.
Did Your Highness come all this way just to thank us?
No, I came to see
if you brought the treasure from Vitomir of Chude.
Vitomir did not survive the journey,
but his daughter, Elena, did.
I believe she has the object you desire.
Yes, I know.
We have already confirmed its authenticity.
You are every bit as beautiful as your father described.
Welcome to your new life.
New life?
You did not know what it was you were delivering?
I thought it was the medallion.
No.
It was my bride.
The new Empress of Constantinople.
All of you,
a hero's welcome awaits you in Constantinople,
and reward for your bravery.
And you, Harald Sigurdsson,
I am in your debt.
Ask me for anything and I will provide it.
-Anything? -Anything.
I will find a price.
Good.
A man of your skills would be of great service to me.
-Give them whatever they want. -Yes, sire.
You could have told me.
And had you known, what would you have counseled me to do?
Not identify yourself.
And we would have both arrived in Constantinople empty-handed.
Now you have the favor of the emperor himself.
And you're his empress, out of my reach.
Nothing is out of your reach.
Who is this?
Svein!
Where is Olaf?
-How did you get here?
You must be Freydis.
I have returned your son when I did not need to.
I thank you.
What do you require for this act of kindness?
Peace.
You have my word.
Mother to mother.
I am within my right to take revenge.
I believe her!
-A trial by combat. -With me?
Hundreds? More like thousands.
The cross that carries the sword was never you.
If we die, so do our Gods.
Without the Greenlanders, London bridge would still be standing,
but we would not.
You are Freydis, aren't you?
The Keeper of the Faith?
Yes.
I am.
Look.