Freydis!
Where is Freydis? Where is she?
- Freydis! Where is she?
- I don't know! - Traitor!
She's not here!
- Where is she hiding? - She's not here.
Please.
It does no good looking for her here.
Where else would she be?
I don't know.
I do.
Where exactly did you see her?
She was over there.
- Cover the west side. Let's move forward.
- Nobody's here.
We found something.
Here!
What about the body?
No. But there are wolf tracks.
I've never known a woman to laugh so much.
How can I not?
I'm free!
Batu! Come join us.
Allfather.
Pechenegs.
If we survive the falls,
then we have to survive them.
Pack up. We're moving on.
You have seen the falls?
We have.
I'm not going to lie to you.
It will be a challenge.
We'll have to prepare ourselves to go down it.
When do we leave?
- Tomorrow. - What?
No! Why so soon?
The water level is dropping.
If we wait longer, the boat will not make it over the falls.
And we will all be trapped here.
Is that such a bad thing?
Batu, the longer we stay here,
the greater the chance the Pechenegs will find us.
Then we portage.
The Varangian said the Pechenegs have moved east.
He lied.
There are many camps visible from the falls.
Could see fires on the plains below.
We've risked enough camping here the last few nights.
The sooner we move, the better.
Then I am not sure we'll be joining you.
What?
Why not?
I am not ready to die.
You would all rather risk the Pechenegs?
They haven't found us yet.
And you can't tell us the fall is without risk.
Nothing is without risk!
All we have done for the last two moons has been with risk.
But before, we had no choice. Now, we do.
I choose to stay.
I do too.
Batu?
I'm not sure.
Elena?
I share their feelings.
What is all this?
We have known for months this day will come.
And now, when it is finally here,
you are not willing to meet the challenge?
I will not wait here
and let the Pechenegs make a flute out of my coward's bones!
I'll go by myself if I must.
You can't.
What do you mean I can't?
- I have no fear of going by myself. - It is not about your fear, Harald.
We need at least six rowers,
and we must lessen the weight of the boat by 50 skippund
or it'll not clear the base of the falls.
Fifty skippund?
So we lose the mast.
The mast weighs maybe 15 skippund.
No. If I lose my furs, I have no reason to go on.
Then you are just like everyone else.
The trial will start soon.
Where I will be found guilty.
You are guilty.
What were you thinking?
And what are you thinking?
Following a monster who massacres people while they pray,
instead of the gods you've trusted all your life?
Things have changed.
No, not things, Mother.
We have changed.
Ready the prisoner.
Please, Jorundr!
Beg for leniency.
For me.
It is your only chance.
Jorundr, please.
Would my father have begged? Hmm?
She is burning with fever. Get hot water and rags, quickly.
My son. I must get my son…
You must be quiet, Freydis.
You are very ill and Harekr is looking for you.
He has my son. In Jomsborg.
- I must go back. I must get him…
I am going to help you.
You must bite on this and try to remain silent.
All right.
Thank you. You may go.
Princess Gytha.
- Earl Godwin. - Do you know where I might find the queen?
In Winchester, I believe.
She has gone to attend to one of her properties.
- When was this trip planned? - I would not know.
I offered to accompany her, but she refused.
She only took a small group of guards and Agnarr.
Agnarr?
Are you lost?
Do I look lost?
Not at all.
I am, uh, looking for someone.
Nothing.
- Are these edible? - No!
It's poisonous.
Then why are you picking them?
I am preparing to face a new enemy.
Pain.
Hmm.
How bad is it?
I am still able to manage it.
But one day I may not.
- What are these called? - Atropa.
Atropa? Like the goddess of fate?
The oldest one.
- The inflexible one. - Hmm.
It was Atropos who chose the way a mortal dies.
And cuts the thread of life.
Do not worry about me, Leif Eriksson.
- I know what is coming. - No, you don't.
I do.
Nothing surprises me.
Friends.
We are gathered here for the trial of Jorundr Torvilsson,
who is charged with the most terrible crime of murder.
He's summoned here before the gods to speak the truth.
I'm not afraid of the truth.
Did you take food to Freydis the night of her disappearance?
You know I did.
And later, did you remove her body from the temple,
wrapping it in a blanket, placing it in a cart?
- I did, but she was not dead.
Is this the blanket you used to take her away from us?
That is from the child birth.
Auor. Come, child.
In the morning after Freydis disappeared,
what did you find in the temple?
The priestess was gone, but I found a knife on the ground
with blood on it.
Freydis was given a knife for the childbirth.
Is this the knife you found?
Yes.
Good.
Is this your knife?
It is.
But I didn't use it on Freydis and you know it.
No, I do not know it.
- I didn't kill her. - You did kill her!
And then you took her body to the boneyard where we found this!
Oh, wise ones, we have a killer in our midst!
If he strikes once, he will strike again!
We must rid ourselves of this evil.
I await your judgment.
Mother, don't.
Please.
Have mercy on him.
I'm begging you. He's my only child!
Please.
We have decided.
He is guilty.
His hand.
His necklace.
And exile.
Row!
Explain to me this science
that requires the weight of the boat to be reduced
in order to make it over the falls.
It is a science of the mind.
Really?
Mmm-hmm. No one wants to die.
But we are loathe to risk death in order to survive,
until we have no choice.
Harald doesn't understand this.
I presented him with a situation…
for him to feel what he's asking others to do.
Sacrifice.
Everybody has to risk something.
Why not Harald?
Will he do it?
That I don't know.
Leif?
Hmm.
I don't want to die.
I did not think you would be one of those to desert me.
I'd have thought you'd be faithful to your father's wishes.
I did not say I wouldn't.
I said I can understand
why the others are reluctant.
Freedom and love are strong emotions to overcome,
especially when you've never known them.
I would've thought the threat of savagery and torture
would help make their decision easier.
It would.
But not till it shows itself.
When your father came to me, he knew about the Pechenegs.
And yet he was brave enough to make the journey.
That is because he feared something else more.
When I was a girl, raiders invaded Chude from Novgorod…
and killed hundreds.
My aunts and cousins fled to the rivers with their belongings
to avoid robbery and rape.
Many drowned.
To stop the suffering,
my father journeyed to Constantinople
and met with the emperor.
He negotiated an end to the raids
in return for a great tribute.
That is why he was returning to Constantinople,
to pay for that peace.
This pendant must be extremely valuable
if it's enough to save a kingdom.
It is.
And you are a very strong woman
to deliver on your father's promise.
I'm looking for a man called the Bear.
Are you now?
Do you know where he is?
That depends.
Not on that.
Then on what?
On who exactly is asking.
- The ale-wife knows something. - Yes?
She would not tell me.
Why not?
I said I was inquiring on behalf of the Queen of England.
She laughed. Said she would only tell the queen herself.
I present to you Her Royal Highness,
- the Queen of England.
Do you now?
He does.
I understand you can help me.
I knew Godwin as a child.
The large family house was only two miles from here.
It was grand.
Back then, all the children played in the fields together.
He was a sweet boy.
His father's betrayal changed everything.
Losing his home, his title, his wealth,
dealing with the shame of it, it made him angry and bitter.
But the Bear was always loyal to him.
The Bear knew Godwin?
He was Godwin's guardian.
His mother died shortly after his father's imprisonment,
so the Bear took him in.
He was all he had, after all was lost.
What is his real name? The Bear?
John Fletcher.
He was the old ealdorman's retainer.
He would do anything for the boy.
Ealdorman Wulfhaere!
What brings you to London?
You, Earl Godwin.
- Should I be worried about my estate? - I don't know. Should you be?
I saw the queen in Sussex.
I trust she is not planning on taking some or all of it from me
and giving it to a Viking?
Earl Godwin, I speak in jest.
I trust that if the queen was about to depose me,
you would have at least given me some warning.
And I jest with you. Fear not.
The queen has other business in Sussex.
A good try, King Svein.
We'll find you another deer.
They left before the thaw?
On a boat on a sled.
Filled with furs to sell in Constantinople?
I think you're lying to me.
If I was lying,
I would have made the story more believable.
Extraordinary.
My brother, the great Viking berserker,
now a fur trader.
No less amazing than the great Olaf Haraldsson,
architect of King Canute's London invasion,
now the guardian of his son.
We have an arrangement.
I look after his northern empire and Svein,
in exchange for the life of my own son, Magnus,
who he raises in his court.
Brilliant.
That depends on who you ask.
With the southern trade routes closed,
it is important that you keep the Baltic open for trade.
That means controlling the Jomsvikings who are now raiding our ships.
I ran into them a few months ago.
Trust me. I will find them and get rid of them once and for all.
Was there a woman with Harald or did he mention one to you?
A woman?
Not to me. Why?
Nothing.
Freydis.
- Where is my son? - Freydis. You are all right.
It is me, Valgerda.
How did I get here?
Hrefna found you in the boneyard.
Some of the afterbirth was still in your body,
and I was able to remove it.
And you will be fine,
but you will never be able to have another child.
I cannot guarantee anyone's survival.
What is over the falls, I do not know.
I can only guarantee my best efforts to keep us alive.
And I cannot do that if we remain here.
Ready! And up!
Now heave!
He's not dead long.
There is no sign of a wound.
A grand ring…
for a farmer.
From your mother.
Jorundr, why would you do this?
I didn't kill her.
I was trying to save her.
Think about it, Kolr!
Harekr wanted her dead.
She threatened him.
So did I.
So he used me to get rid of us both.
And he will kill anyone to maintain his power.
Today, it is me.
Tomorrow, it can be any of you.
I'm sorry.
Move out.
To your oars!
Pull!
The massacre was my fault.
I'm sorry. And I'm leaving.
- Where are you going? - To get my son.
Harekr will never let you have him.
Then I will kill him or he will have to kill me.
It is the best I could find.
It is good enough for my needs.
Leave us.
Surprise.
This man,
the Bear.
Were there signs that he had been murdered?
No.
But I'm sure Godwin was behind it
as well as the false assassination attempt
to gain your gratitude.
I do not put such things beyond the imagination of Godwin.
What about Aelfwynn?
He wrote me to ask my permission to wed her.
I said yes.
Why would he create a situation
that would lead to his betrothed being tortured to death?
What could he possibly gain from that?
I do not know.
But I'm sure there was a reason.
Were you sure when you had her killed?
No.
I am not saying that you are wrong, my love.
But Godwin is a complex man
who has endured great losses
and found a way to survive.
This is not proof of the crimes that you accuse him of.
And now he has lost something much greater,
which cannot be returned.
Love.
- King Canute. - Sire.
Your Highness, welcome home.
I heard from your soldiers
just how resounding your victory was against the Wends.
I am not the only one who has been keeping England safe.
The queen tells me that you saved her life while I was away.
I am grateful.
She also told me about your betrothed.
Aelfwynn.
The queen had no choice, but to act the way she did.
I acknowledge that. But it does not ease my pain.
I understand.
In my experience,
the best way to forget about a great woman
is to find another who is superior.
You should be married.
If it pleases the king, I shall try to find a suitable bride.
I already have.
I have decided that you should become part of my family.
Gytha, my niece, would make a most wonderful wife.
Your Highness…
words escape me.
Then say nothing.
You have my blessing.
My queen, we have cause for celebration.
Godwin is to marry Gytha.
Gytha…
I am so sorry.
Why are you sorry, Your Highness?
- You're glad? - How could I not be?
I'm going to marry the kindest, most loving man in all of England.
How can you think that?
Aelfwynn told me.
If he could love me even half as much as he loved her,
I would be a lucky woman.
But Gytha, you are of a royal line.
You're right.
At least there is one thing I can give him that she could not.
And what is that?
Aelfwynn said it was Godwin's dream to have a son who would be king.
She could not. But I can.
Gytha! Where are you?
Coming.
Harekr!
Freydis.
Harekr!
She wants her baby.
But she's dead.
You said she's dead.
Harekr!
Maybe it's her spirit. Pray to her.
- No, no, this is a trick.
We must find who is doing it and punish them.
- Harekr! - She is here!
She is outside the gates. Open them.
The gates! Open the gates!
It's her!
It is! It is Freydis!
It's Freydis!
Freydis,
we thought you were dead!
Come. Let us help you.
You cannot help me, Harekr.
You are the cause of my pain.
You have taken my son and I want him back!
We are taking care of him, Freydis. We only want what's best for him.
I am what's best for him!
Any mother will tell you that.
I'm taking him back.
That's not going to happen.
Are you challenging me?
No.
It would not be fair in your condition. Come to the temple to recover.
Let the gods decide what is fair and unfair.
Yes, let the gods decide.
- We must trust in the gods! - You have Odin on your side.
All right.
If you wish to fight me, Freydis,
I am ready.
Take her to the temple.
No.
I will kill you if I must.
Then do it.
I will not give up my son.
No!
No.
- Stop it. I order—
- Stop!
- Evil one! - Traitor!
He stole a child!
- Kill him! - Yes!
- Kill him! - Kill him!
Kill him!
Here.
- All right. - What about you?
Don't worry.
We're doing this together.
Ropes ready.
Push off!
Row! And row!
Row!
And row! Row!
And faster!
Oars in!