Trama

Married by Beocca to Gisela, Uhtred joins Ragnar and Alfred's nephew, the reluctant Aethelwold, and others including Hild and Beocca to travel north and defeat Sigefrid and Erik - and ultimately Kjarten, meeting up with Brida on the way. An early victory sends the treacherous brothers into exile and later brings Uhtred's party to visit a contrite Guthred, who now approves the storming of Durham, and release of Ragnar's sister, Thyra. The town is successfully captured and Ragnar faces Kjartan in single combat, a victory for justice, though Thyra does not react as hoped.—don @ minifie-1

Allegedly incurring Alfred's wrath for 'unlordly' saving a village from slavers over the Mercian border, Uhtred accepts a mission with his retinue and Alfred's man Steapa to free Northumbria from the raids of Danish brothers Erik and Sigefrid. First they perfectly execute a surprise raid on the brother's camp, Uhtred personally takes one prisoner, having cut off one hand, and gets the other to promise they leave on one boat never to return. Then Uhtred requisitions at York the troops of weakling king Guthred, who abjectly apologizes from having traitorously sold him into slavery, to wrestle the other great Northern stronghold Durham from even more-hated Kjartan, who killed his and Ragnar's father and abduct their sister Thyra, actually keeping her as kennel slave. While Ragnar and Aethelwold distract the garrison with a regular attack, Uhtred leads a small party to a weak door in the wall and wins the day. Ragnar accepts to limit the bloodbath by dueling with Kjartan, whom he ultimately cuts to mince meat. Thyra sets the starved hounds on Kjartan's son and nearly on her 'traitor' brothers, by father Beocca talks her over.—KGF Vissers