Boats in the water, awaiting your command
Heave!
Ragnar Lothbroks great fleet moves slowly toward Paris by land this time, not sea.
A Frankish man, a farmer, sees the Northmen.
Credit: Jonathan Hession/History
Run home, he tells his son.
Lets hope they dont come our way.
Little hope of that, oh ye man of Frankia.
History
King Harald and his brother Halfdan find the farm.
There is something different about Harald and Halfdan, or perhaps just something indifferent.
Ragnar is a curious conqueror.
History
For Harald and Halfdan, the conquest is enough.
Halfdan enters the farmhouse, finds an egg and then cracks it open with his ax.
(A potent symbol, and one to hold onto.
Life dashed before it becomes life.
They find the farmers, and his wife and daughters.
Soon theyre all dead, decapitated, left behind as a warning, or just left behind.
No time to mourn these people of Frankia.
Onward go the boats of Ragnar Lothbrok.
In Rome
Alfred and Aethelwulf arrive in the Holy City.
Their pilgrimage has been long, and perhaps fruitful.
There is love in Aethelwulfs eyes for Alfred, his unwanted son by another man.
They meet the Holy Father.
We care very much for our flock in England, says the Pope.
If Christian people do not do penance, a great and rushing disaster will swiftly come upon you.
Even here in the Vatican, the threat of the Northmen is a threat to take seriously.
(After all, one Roman Empire already fell to barbarians.)
What kind of ruler will he be?
Alfred is made a consul of Rome, like Caesar, given a sword and a blessing of God.
What awaits these humble travelers when they return home?
Nothing good, surely.
Theyd be safer taking a vow of celibacy; the clergy has all the fun.
In Wessex
Smile, King Ecbert.
Smile, King Twice Over.
In full view of God and all His people, Ecbert is crowned King of MerciaandWessex.
Two proud and ancient Kingdoms, says the Bishop, Now one.
This unification doesnt make every king happy.
In the age of exploration, King Aelle has only explored further unexplored dark bottoms of his particular barrel.
You betrayed me, says Aelle.
We were to divide Mercia equally between us.
To Ecbert, Aelle is too small-minded, or perhaps too rigid.
Life is all about change, says Ecbert.
If we dont change, we fall behind.
He is king of two mighty nations and Mercia directly abuts Aelles own Northumbria.
We are no longer equals, says Ecbert.
You must get used to it.
In Paris
Emperor Charles has an announcement to make.
Happy, happy Charles, to see this day come to pass.
The Northmen, defeated.
The traitorous Count Odo dead.
His daughter pregnant with his grandchild, carrying within her womb the union of Frankia and the Viking North.
But something is missing for Emperor Charles.
He asks Roland for a favor.
He would like to sleep with his sister and make her the Emperors mistress.
But there is…something else.
Gisla doesnt like this burgeoning relationship between her father and Roland.
In place of Odo, now Roland is the Protector of Paris and the Emperors right hand.
Perhaps Roland should be removed.
Rollo mulls this over but doesnt think much of it.
He never had time for politics.
He tries to have sex with his wife, but she laughs him off: I am withchild.
You have to respect me in my sacred condition.
Many things are better here, he says.
Just a few things were better before.
The Emperor awakes from his slumber.
There is someone else in his bed, asleep.
It is Count Roland, Defender of Paris.
Fair to say: Rollo is no longer the Emperors closest ally.
What will that mean when Rollos brother returns?
What else does Floki see?
Does he see Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye playing in the stream?
Does anyone but Sigurd see the dead child, drowned or otherwise, her little corpse half-consumed by mud?
How fitting: Bjorns daughter was named after Siggy, who drowned rescuing the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok.
Aslaug is no help.
Drunk and drinking, she plays a game with little Ivar.
Ivar beats his mother easily.
He calls her stupid; she tells him that she is the only reason he is still alive.
Sigurd tries to talk sense to his mother.
I found Siggys body in the river, he says.
asks Aslaug, before saying, I thought someone was taking care of her.
Sigurd seems to be on the cusp of saying something.
But his little brother gets the first line: Who cares?
His mother smiles at her favorite son.
Among the Northmen
Lagertha pulls, but now she cannot pull anymore.
Her screams echo through the camp.
Ragnar finds her bloodied.
I lost my child, she says.
She killed the childs father; now the child itself will never live.
She cries for her lost child, for a fate uncheated.
Im sorry, Ragnar says.
Go away, his old wife says to him and to Bjorn.
Her men move away, but they do not leave.
They are together, briefly.
A family, almost.
In the distance, there is Paris.
There is much rejoicing.
Ragnar considers taking a bit of Yidus medicine but does not.
In the evening, Bjorn makes love to Torvi.
You are a mystery to me, says Bjorn.
He has seen something in her; a refusal to abide by the rules.
I still love that about you, he says.
Good timing: As Torvi hears this, she sees her ex-husband Erlendur, pointing a crossbow at Bjorn.
She blocks his line of sight.
But Erlendurs vengeance knows no end.
In the morning, he makes a sacrifice.
The boats are in the water, the battle is imminent, but he will have his revenge.
He hands Torvi the crossbow and demands that she kill Bjorn.
Did not Bjorns father kill Erlendurs own father, King Horik?
That was a long time ago, Erlendur, says Torvi.
It seems to me like yesterday, says Erlendur.
Life is all about change but not for Erlendur.
He will not change and so he falls behind.
For Torvi holds up his crossbow and fires it straight into his heart.
The Northmen all shrug; theyve seen worse.
Little worse, though, than the terrors tormenting Ragnar Lothbrok.
Yidu told him that this was medicine, but now he is poisoned without it.
Withdrawal, we will call it, centuries hence from Ragnar.
I only have a little left, he says.
I have to save it to fight Rollo.
Paris cant be taken without him, Bjorn says.
I dont care about Paris, says Ragnar.
I came for Rollo.
Stumbling like an old man, he puts on his armor.
Ragnar gets into the boat.
He points his ships toward Paris theyve been refitted by Floki, more powerful than ever.
I must kill you, he says.I have to kill you.I will kill you.
