Chapter One - Beginnings
Being the events of 19th Einmánuğur 727AD at the home hearth of Solmund Vigavagn, Silken Tongue, Rig-Jarl of Birka & son of Vandrad Shortshanks.
It is the eve of the first day of summer & preparations are in full flow for the great feast, which is to be held in honour of King Ottar's visit & to celebrate the arrival of summer, a national holiday has been granted & even the thralls will be allowed to join with all freemen to honour the end of the winter months.
Thorfinn, tired of the endless bustle as preparations are finalised has escaped to the seclusion of his fathers lodge in the hills overlooking Birka, however not wishing to be alone he is accompanied by several friends/his fathers retainers, Anora Glum - a scribe from Hedemark, Ragnar Geirstein - a household carl & companion as well as Grimhild Ravendatta - a warden of his fathers lands.
A pleasant, if still cool, evening passes before the friends curl up & sleep before the still smouldering fire, however late into the night all are woken by a tremendous battering as the barred door is barged aside, as Thorfinn rises, indignation slips from his lips as he is faced by a half dozen heavily armed warriors & his fathers most trusted & ancient retainer, Yngvar Bodvar, a Slavic.
From the tears in Yngvar's eyes, Thorfinn knows all is not as it should be.