Harald and Leif arrive in Novgorod, where Harald’s uncle, Prince Yaroslav, refuses to provide an army for fear of upsetting his trade routes. In London, Queen Emma survives an assassination attempt and suspects the ambitious Earl Godwin of treachery. Meanwhile, Freydís arrives at Jomsborg and is proclaimed the "Guardian of the Faith," though she quickly notices the community's rigid and unequal social structure.
The story resumes with Sweyn Forkbeard installing his grandson, Svein, as King of Norway and forcing Olaf Haraldsson to serve as the boy's protector. Freydís and Harald, hiding in the wilderness, are reunited with Leif but soon must flee Olaf's bounty hunters. With the help of the Jomsviking Jorundr, the trio separates: Freydís heads toward the pagan haven of Jomsborg, while Leif and Harald travel to Novgorod to seek an army from Harald's uncle. Harald and Leif arrive in Novgorod, where Harald’s
The journey to Constantinople hits a crisis when the travelers' sled becomes trapped on a frozen river; a miscalculation leads to the death of the merchant Vitomir, whose daughter Eleana survives and reveals her true identity. In London, Emma’s brutal interrogation of Ælfwynn results in the girl's death, leaving Godwin devastated. In Jomsborg, Harekr massacres refugees who worshipped with Freydís and subsequently imprisons her, just as she is about to give birth. The story resumes with Sweyn Forkbeard installing his
In Novgorod, Harald recruits a diverse crew—including a con man, a warrior, and a blind Pecheneg—to protect a merchant's boat on a dangerous journey to Constantinople. In Jomsborg, Freydís begins to clash with the leader Harekr over his treatment of refugees. Back in London, Emma discovers that the assassin was the brother of Godwin's fiancée, Ælfwynn, heightening her paranoia. The journey to Constantinople hits a crisis when