Free The Guests of Odin by Gavin Chappell

and Asmund, and a daughter named Ingibjorg. Hring ruled with the aid and counsel of two men; Earl Thorfinn, who was foster-father to his children, and Earl Thorir the Strong, a mighty warrior who had been cursed by a trollwife so that he could not stand the sight of blood.
    One morning, Princess Ingibjorg awoke from a restless sleep. She had been dreaming, and she told her foster father, Earl Thorfinn that in her dream she had been by the shore.
    “I saw what looked like ducks out to sea, but when they came closer, I recognised them as ships. From out of the ships came a pack of wolves, led by two foxes, and the wolves and the foxes ravaged the land.”
    She asked the Earl what this dream signified. He told her: “It means war is coming, and I will soon no longer be the king’s counsellor.”
    That evening, when the king was feasting in his hall, Thorir the Strong entered followed by his men, and he reported that Vikings had landed. “Two brothers, Soti and Snaekol, lead them and Soti wishes to marry the princess.”
    The king asked Thorir the Strong to describe his daughter’s suitor, and the earl said, “He is a berserk, and is bald, except for a single hair on top of his head: he wears no clothes and his body is blue on one side and red on the other.”
    The king did not think Soti was a suitable match for the princess, and said, “It would be better to fight him than let him carry her off.”
    When they heard that the king was resolved to fight them, Soti and Snaekol gave him two days to gather troops and then they would fight. The evening before the battle, the king’s son Halfdan told his brother Asmund, “I want to go down to the ships and see what Soti looked like.”
    Asmund did not like the idea, since he thought it would lead to his death, but when Halfdan taunted him for his cowardice, he grudgingly agreed to accompany his brother.
    They came to the Vikings’ camp where Soti received Halfdan hospitably and spoke courteously with him, giving the brothers silver. When Halfdan and Asmund returned to the town and told people of this, all were impressed. The next day, the Vikings attacked.
    They split their forces in three and attacked the town’s three gates. The king was defending one gate, with Thorfinn at another (accompanied by Halfdan) and Thorir the Strong at the third. Soti led the forces against the king, while Snaekol attacked Thorir the Strong. Thorir fought well but when he saw blood shed, he fled back into the town where Snaekol slew him.
    Thorfinn saw this and led some of his men to defend this gate, leaving Halfdan behind. The battle grew furious, and Thorfinn saw that Soti intended to kill the king. He went to King Hring’s aid, and went to defend him but Soti split his shield and then cut off the king’s feet. Then he slew the king and Thorfinn fell among the corpses, weary and wounded. Night fell and the Vikings returned to their ships.
    Earl Thorfinn awoke among the slain. He searched the bodies and found that the king was dead, as was his son Asmund. Halfdan, however, still lived but he had fallen through weariness. Thorfinn led him to Ingibjorg’s bower, where they told the princess what had happened. Thorfinn took them away from the town and concealed them at the farm of a woman named Grima. Earl Thorfinn returned to the town.
    Soti and his men came ashore the next morning and when they came to the town, they searched the bodies, plunder ed them, and discovered that Halfdan was missing. Then Soti went to Ingibjorg’s bower and found that she had gone, too. They questioned Thorfinn about the missing children, but he would not cooperate, even when Soti threatened to tear him limb from limb. The Viking did not carry out this threat, but made himself king of the land, although he was unpopular with his subjects. Soti searched for Halfdan and Ingibjorg but could not find them.
    In the spring, Earl Thorfi nn visited Grima’s farm and took the children down to the shore where they saw a