Chapter 30

"His Majesty sent Prince Canute into this war... to have him die on the battlefield. Know this, Askeladd... Prince Canute's true enemy at this moment... is none other than his own father, King Sweyn... Flee into exile, it is the only choice left..."

- Ragnar

Master and Servant at the Table (主従の食卓) is the 30th chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Ear hears a small force flanking them along the woods to the East. Askeladd deduces the English have found them; as the forces seem to be waiting for reinforcements, he sends Bjorn out with some men to neutralize them, tasking him with taking one of the enemy leaders alive to question him about how they learned of where they were hiding. He rushed his carpenters to finish the sleds they were working on, as they'll only have a small window to escape. Ragnar convinces Thorfinn to give him and Canute the hare he caught so that they can make soup. Thorfinn eats with them, surprised to see someone of Canute's station knows how to cook. A messenger tells Ragnar of the small battle that has started with the English. Ragnar, angry when he learns Askeladd still intends to go further into enemy territory instead of turning back to Wales, demands he be brought to him. On the way there, Ragnar is stabbed through with a spear by one of Askeladd's men, who was hiding in the snow. The messenger says it was Askeladd's orders and Ragnar calls them traitors. Aware he will die from the wound, he still demands to speak to Askeladd about important matters regarding the prince. Askeladd agrees to speak to Ragnar privately. He thanks him for keeping the weak prince alive for so long, and for likely spurring further growth in him with his tragic death at the English's hands. Ragnar reveals that the nobles have split into factions, one supporting Canute and the other his brother Harald, and that King Sweyn had likely made the decision to kill one of his sons to prevent the kingdom from splitting. To Askeladd's shock, Ragnar tells Askeladd that King Sweyn had sent Canute to war to have him die on the battlefield, and tells him his only option is exile, which his brother in Gainsborough has arranged for. Ragnar requests to see Canute one last time to say farewell, but Askeladd refuses.

Summary
Men are flanking Askeladd's band along the woods to the East; Ear cannot tell Askeladd just how many of them there are. Bjorn wonders how they found them so fast. Askeladd tells two carpenters that they're leaving tonight. They are startled, as they've only finished two sleds and have just started on the third the day prior. Askeladd tells them to finish the third by that night and to discard supplies that can't fit on them. The carpenters say they can't do it with just two of them. Askeladd explains that the English forces have found them and seem to only be waiting on reinforcements to attack, which means they only gave a small window of escape. He tells them he'll send some men good with their hands their way to help. Askeladd tells Bjorn to get the men ready for battle and to try to take one of the enemy leaders alive to question him about how they knew of their location. Before Bjorn leaves, he adds that this is the perfect chance to put their plan into motion. Askeladd's men are surprised that the English are onto them. One man is unworried, as he thinks the English are weak, while another is concerned that it means trouble, as Askeladd's plans are betraying him in succession and his luck seems to be running out.

Thorfinn hunts rabbits in the forest, taking one down by throwing one of his shortswords. As he's walking by the house Ragnar and Canute are staying it with the rabbit swung over his shoulder, Ragnar says it's a fine-looking coney and asks Thorfinn if he caught it. Thorfinn looks at him but does not reply. Ragnar asks if the rabbit is his dinner, if he always eats alone, and if he'll cook it. Thorfinn tells him to buzz off. Ragnar tells Thorfinn that a meal that consists only of meat isn't healthy and that it should be stewed with greens to keep him from growing tired faster, especially in the winter. He tells Thorfinn to give him the rabbit and that he'll make soup with it. Thorfinn tells him to mind his own business and that he'll eat it the way he wants. Ragnar persists and says that he should come inside and use their fire, as he'll be needing one anyway. Ragnar walks in and tells Canute they have beans, cabbage, and a hare that Thorfinn caught. Thorfinn is shocked to see Canute cooking by the stewpot. Canute compliments Thorfinn's catch and tells him to bleed and skin the hare so that they can wash the meat. Ragnar and Canute chop the vegetables, prepare the meat and make a palatable soup out of the ingredients. Ragnar thinks it isn't bad and Canute thanks Thorfinn for the hare, since it made the soup work and he was tired of salted meat. He tells Thorfinn to eat. Thorfinn takes a bite and brightens at the taste, quickly slurping away the soup. Ragnar cheerily tells him to catch a deer next, so that they can really have a meal. Thorfinn comments that he thought the nobility had everything cooked for them. Canute says that he likes to do it and doesn't get a chance to often, and that only Ragnar knows he can cook. He tells Thorfinn not to tell anyone; Thorfinn wonders why anyone would care. Canute tells him he once made a dish of cod, which he brought to his father to enjoy since it had turned out well. King Sweyn however knocked the food off its tray in a rage and told Canute no son of his should pretend to do a slave's work, prompting Thorfinn to never officially cook again, since a prince had no need of the skill. Ragnar tells Canute that King Sweyn was preoccupied with the beginning of the war at the time, that he does not like cod much, and that they should offer him a good fowl he's sure he'll love after the war is over. Canute says he's never cooked poultry and Ragnar says he can show him. As Ragnar and Canute happily talk about the duck Canute had at the winter solstice festival, Thorfinn keeps eating, until he hears something near the door.

Thorfinn leaps up and rushed to the door, holding one of his shortswords to the throat of the man entering the cabin. The man, one of Askeladd's, says he's just bringing a message: that the English forces have found them and that a battle's begun in the forest to the east. He tells Ragnar that there's only a few of them and that they're unlikely to reach them with arrows from where they are, but that they should still be cautious. In the forest, Bjorn leads the attack against the English with some of Askeladd's men. Inside, Ragnar throttles the messenger, asking how the English learned of them hiding there after only ten days. The messenger says that he doesn't know and that they're all disappointed about it, since they'll have to leave some of their plunder behind to escape. Ragnar laments the fact that they killed so many innocents for what was ultimately no reason. The messenger tells him that they've built sleds and will be leaving once the English forces already there have been neutralized. Ragnar says he'd always said they should go back to Wales, but the messenger specifies they're heading the other way, to Derby. Ragnar, angry they're heading deeper into enemy land after everything, demands that Askeladd be brought to him. The messenger says that he cannot, since Askeladd is leading the battle, but says he can bring Ragnar to him if it's urgent. On their way to Askeladd's position, Ragnar complains that Askeladd's men, just like him, have no shred of courtesy. He complains that he and Askeladd have never seen eye-to-eye and that he's defied him at every turn, leading them to this mess. He wonders what proper Norse warrior wouldn't be able to see that his luck's run out, and angrily claims he'll teach him a lesson about his ignorance with his blade. Ragnar stops walking and tells the men leading the way that the voices are coming from another direction. The messenger, surprised he only just noticed, calls him dense. Ragnar realizes something is amiss and starts to pull out his sword, but he is stabbed through with a spear by a man hiding in a snowbank behind him. Ragnar calls them traitors and the messenger says it was Askeladd's orders. He asks Ragnar if he wants to finish the fight, though he adds struggling will only make things more painful, since he won't survive the spear through his guts in any case. Resigned, Ragnar demands that they bring Askeladd to him, as he must speak with him directly regarding the prince. Askeladd, who was observing from nearby, walks to Ragnar and says he will hear his final words, since they seem to be important. The messenger asks Askeladd what about the battle, but Askeladd says they were mostly farmers and that he left things to Bjorn. Ragnar tells Askeladd they should speak privately. In the cabin, Thorfinn notes that there are no more voices and that the battle is over. Canute grumbles that the soup's gone cold. In the forest, Askeladd says he is grateful for Ragnar, who somehow kept the weakling prince alive that long. He adds that Ragnar's death will likely spur further growth within him, and that after his tragic death at the hands of the English, he will take over his duty to him. Ragnar asks him to swear he will carry on that duty to the best of his ability and protect Canute. Askeladd swears it in the name of Odin. Ragnar tells Askeladd it sickens him to leave Canute with a man like him. Askeladd points out Ragnar has already lost most of his blood and should finish his message quickly. Ragnar tells him that he should know about the succession before he goes to Gainsborough. He says that the courtiers at Jelling are forming two factions to determine who should become king, one seeking to place Canute on the throne, and one who favours his brother Prince Harald. He adds that King Sweyn, to prevent the kingdom from splitting, likely forced himself to decide to kill one of his two sons. Askeladd is shocked that King Sweyn is the one who orchestrated it. Ragnar says King Sweyn sent Canute into the war to have him die on the battlefield, and that he is Canute's true enemy at the moment.

Ragnar tells Askeladd that fleeing into exile is the only choice left, and that when he reaches Gainsborough, his brother will have arranged things. He spits out blood and falls in the snow, face forward. Askeladd says he would've liked to know all of that earlier. Ragnar says he has one last request, to get one more glimpse of Canute to say farewell. Askeladd denies him. Ragnar thinks back to Canute as a happy young child, and with his dying breaths, says they'll cook a bird the King will love together once the war is over.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Ear
 * Thorfinn
 * Askeladd
 * Bjorn
 * Ragnar
 * Canute
 * Sweyn
 * Harald