He stood his ground valiantly against multiple English soldiers.
But he tragically took a spear to the back.
You have my deepest sympathies, Your Highness.
We were eating our rabbit soup,
and he just jumped up and left...
What?
That's so strange.
He was just here...
But...
We must prepare to leave at once.
Get ready.
Don't leave his side, Thorfinn.
What? You can't be serious!
I'm not doing it!
Hey! Wait!
Protecting His Highness is your job.
I don't want to!
Beyond the night skies I'm trudging towards, a lone crow lies in wait
Cawing as if to hasten my gait
From the annals of history, shadows of skulls laughed at me
Laughing in my face with glee
So I just bleed and feel the blood I have inside me
Holding to the creed and blade to slay thee
Carry on the oath until my last scene
Higher than the sky and deeper than the sea
Keep your precious justice to yourself, bud
Use it till they're torn, become a pile of mud
I don't need their choice or voice to judge me
The one and only way I had and always seek
Anyone, everyone, I will crush 'em all
Enemies, let 'em see, now I see you fall
Kings and gods, change the odds
I'm the one who makes my final call
My scars, my past and even my solitude
I'll quell them all with just my feud
Keep your crown, I'll take you down
I'm the one who makes my final call
He couldn't even stand straight.
Are you sure about that craven prince?
I think your plan's bitten you in the arse, Askeladd.
History of Beasts
Was killing Ragnar really the right move?
Don't tell the whole world about it.
The men don't know the details.
The story is he was killed by the English.
Don't blow the plan.
I just don't know.
You and Ragnar never saw eye-to-eye about anything.
Even a coward might wise up to the truth.
As long as there's no proof, it will be fine.
And the prince is a coward because Ragnar spoiled him rotten.
I needed to make him disappear sooner or later.
The fact that he's a coward is a good thing.
It makes him easy to control.
It's perfect if you want to use the kid as a stepping stone.
Bjorn.
Why have you stuck with me for all these years?
Well, because...
I wanted to follow you.
That's how I work too.
I too choose my own master.
And the man I follow should make me want to follow him.
But who's keeping score?
It's a gamble, Bjorn.
Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll be reborn a new man.
And what if it doesn't turn out well?
What if he stays down and never recovers?
Then I'll cut him loose.
He won't be worthy of me.
How goes it? Will he talk?
He's making me sick!
The sack of meat won't let out a single scream!
He thinks he's a fucking martyr or something.
It's the one thing I can't stand about these Christians!
It's because you didn't kick him hard enough.
I'll show you how it's done.
A real kick looks like...
this!
Oh! Splendid.
That wasn't any better.
You have to go straight for the jaw.
No, no. I'm next!
Knock it off!
Good grief.
You guys have to go easy on him.
How do you plan on getting answers from a dead man?
D-Do your worst.
God sees everything.
He's seen all of the wicked deeds you wretched Danes have done.
He still has some fight left in him.
Got any shears?
Bring me a pair.
What?
Shears, right?
Well, then.
I'll repeat myself, Mr. English Captain.
I'm looking for three things.
The size of your allied force.
How long it will take for them to arrive.
And how you knew that we were here.
Tell me these things, and you'll live.
Y-You wicked beasts.
You wretches shall be punished.
A death befitting of you rogues
awaits you...
Hey.
Will these shears work?
Yeah.
This won't do, captain.
Your nails are too long.
It's unsanitary.
You really ought to trim them.
Oh, sorry!
Went a little too deep.
Hold him down.
I'm looking for three things, as you know.
Oh! Too deep again!
Twice this time!
Nasty stuff.
Why doesn't he just give in?
Burn in hell, you accursed Danes!
You deserve nothing less!
If only you hadn't come...
You bastards burned down my village!
You tortured and killed my wife and daughter!
This is our land!
Begone, you foul beasts!
I see.
So we're beasts. Is that right?
Let me provide you with a little history lesson.
Listen well, Saxon. You'll thank me later.
Or were you Anglos around here?
Well, doesn't matter. They're the same.
This land did not originally belong to you.
The first inhabitants were the Celts.
They lived in the forests and worshiped the spirits.
They were the ancestors of today's Welsh people.
Later came the Romans.
Yes, they ruled this island,
but they lived alongside the Celts
and shared their knowledge, technology, and culture.
Then the Romans left,
and you Anglos and Saxons were the last to arrive.
That was about five centuries ago.
You did not bring anything for the Celts.
In fact,
you drove them to the barren part of England
and seized all the fertile farmland for yourselves.
Lies!
They're not.
If we Danes are beasts,
then surely you Anglo-Saxons are as well.
You stole this land with violence.
And now we Danes are taking it back with even greater violence.
You can't really complain about that.
Silence!
Who would believe the words of a barbarian?!
Teacher doesn't like it when students won't listen.
What's this?
Captain.
Now that I've got a good look at your face...
Your nose could use a trim as well.
Askeladd!
How many are there, Ear?
I'm not sure.
But there's a lot.
They're coming from the south!
Enemy reinforcements?
What? But it's the middle of the night!
I didn't count on the English mounting a night attack.
They're here!
It's too late now!
You will all die!
May the ground be stained with Danish blood as you devour your own kind!
Other Danes?
I'll tell you now!
It's Thorkell on your heels!
He should be more than a match for you!
Thorkell!
Did he just say Thorkell?
The hell do we do now?
Hey.
Did he really say Thorkell?
D-Dunno. I thought that's what I heard.
If he's for real, then we're screwed.
Thorkell?
Did they say Thorkell?
No way!
Did I hear that right?
Thorkell's coming!
Is that the village?
Looks like it.
Let's flank the sons of bitches!
Vali and Ingolf, your men take the left.
Oddr, take the right!
I'll go up the middle.
Expect to massacre the whole lot of them!
Just don't kill the prince.
Also, you might come across a short one wielding two knives.
Don't kill him either.
He's mine.
Thorkell's coming!
Unhand me, you brute!
You dare defy my orders?!
We cannot leave Ragnar in this place!
I'm not going anywhere without Ragnar!
You must relent, Your Highness.
We only have three sleds.
There's no room for a body.
Then at least hold a funeral for him!
We must pay respects to the death of a great warrior! That's an order!
I'm afraid we don't have the time.
How dare—
No! I'm not going anywhere!
Ragnar! Ragnar!
Ragnar is dead.
And he's never coming back.
You...
Askeladd!
Deserters.
They were planning to join Thorkell.
Found 'em hiding out in the straw piles.
Ragnar was right!
Luck's not on your side right now.
I ain't the only one.
Everyone else is thinkin' it too.
We can't take our chances. This time...
Thorkell has you by the tail, don't you see?
Do as you will.
Listen, men.
Choose your leader.
If you want to abandon me, then do so!
I will not curse your names.
But if you do want to come with me,
then march!
March until we've thrown Thorkell off our tail!
Eat as you march,
and sleep as you march!
Keep your wits about you!
To fall behind means death!
Hear us out, Thorkell!
W-We're not with Askeladd anymore!
We're here to join your side—
So your leader's name is Askeladd?
Oh, nice sword we've got here.
Don't mind if I do!
Huh, not bad.
If his men are trying to desert,
then they must be pretty unsettled.
The poor sods.
We could've let them join us.
Better dead than among us.
We don't need cowards who'd flip sides at the first sign of trouble rather than fight like men.
We go east!
Let's hunt ourselves a prince, men!
We'll run 'em down like rats!
Yeah!
Right! It's leaning right.
Tilt the other way.
Not that way! My right!
JANUARY 1014: UPPER SEVERN, EARLDOM OF MERCIA
That's right. Keep going.
Take your time.
Heave ho!
Get a fuckin' move on!
You're holding us up back here!
Torgrim. Atli.
Come with me.
Aye.
We're taking down the bridge behind us.
You're in charge.
Make it quick.
On it.
We're tearing down the bridge!
If you have an ax, you're helping out!
I'm so tired.
Is Thorkell nearby, Ear?
They're being too loud. I'm not sure.
We might have enough time to destroy the bridge.
Hey!
Whoa, not so fast, friar!
What do you think you're doing?!
Is there any drink in here?
Even if there was, you wouldn't be gettin' any.
We hardly have enough for the rest of us.
What makes you think we have any for you?
Don't you see we're in a bit of trouble here, priest?
The water's freezing!
Hey! The water barely comes to my waist.
They'll wade right through it!
Is there even a point to cutting it down?
Better than doing nothing, I suppose.
At least this will harry them a little.
Has he run out of brilliant schemes?
What's Askeladd thinking?
Bjorn! Thorfinn!
What's wrong?
Come over here.
What's going on?
Bjorn. Move the prince over to this sled here.
You be the driver.
Thorfinn, ride with the prince and be ready.
Huh? Wha—
Oh?
No...
Askeladd!
Are you certain?
It's my special skill.
One look is all I need to know a man's true nature.
Whether he's great or small. Cunning or foolish.
I can even detect when traitors lurk in the midst of the faithful.
What?
Steal the prince, Brother?
Pipe down, you fool!
The band is done for, Atli.
Let's give the prince to Thorkell as a gift and join his army.
More than half the men are with us on this.
And the rest will see sense very soon.
So we're betraying him?
Askeladd?
"Betrayal" is such a dirty word, Atli.
He's done well by us. He's a good leader.
All we're doing is holding him accountable for his actions as chief of the band.
We'll be fine, Brother!
We'll make it out clean!
We always have, right?
Until now we have.
But what's happened lately?
His plans are thwarted at every turn.
He's run out of luck.
We were supposed to have lost Thorkell for good, yet he's right on our heels.
Don't look at me like that.
Well, you're right.
He's been a good leader, aye.
But why'd he mess with a monster like Thorkell?
Brother...
It pains me to do this.
But there's no other way.
Askeladd took his gamble and lost.
That's all there is to it.
Very well done.
This will create quite a problem for them when they try to drag their sleds across.
What if they just leave 'em behind?
It'll force them to spend time scrounging up food.
And they won't get far on empty bellies.
All right!
Resume the march!
They're here!
Oh, I saw a flash!
I found...
you!
No way!
What just—
A spear?
How in the hell did he get three? Wait, he got four!
Oh shit.
Shit, shit, shit!
We're really fucked now!
All right!
Calm yourselves, you fools!
They're still in the distance.
And we destroyed the bridge.
Forget about the damned spear.
Bridge?
Who cares about the bridge?!
They'll walk right through the stream!
This entire ruse was pointless!
You think so?
Then we'd better stop wasting time and get marching.
Time is of the essence.
Not again!
March, march, march!
Don't you know how to say anything else?
We cannot beat Thorkell.
Stay vigilant for one more day.
Collapsing the bridge will pay off.
They can only march as fast as they can move their supplies.
They're going to have trouble getting their cargo across.
If they leave their provisions behind to continue their pursuit, they can't resupply.
They'll only be able to march for a day at most.
Do I make myself clear?
Now march!
There's no guarantee that we'll survive a day!
Oh, really?
Then this is where we part ways.
I won't waste my time trying to convince you.
I feel like I'm almost there, but I'm not
Hounded by bones drifting along on silent winds
Unceasing echoes of voices won't ever fade
We can't well turn back without knowing what lies ahead
We may see in the same colors
But the breaths we draw are shaded differently
You're gonna make me go
You're gonna make me drown
I've nothing left to even lose
You're gonna make me go
You're gonna make me drown
No I don't want it, I don't want it,
I don't want it
Don't let me go
You're gonna make me drown
I'll head towards an answer that affords no footing
You're gonna make me go
You're gonna make me drown
No I don't want it, I don't want it,
I don't want it
But I know no one's there
I will stay right here
I'll walk the precipice