Chapter 81

"If only Gardar and the other men hadn't left for battle... if only they had let the storm pass by... none of us would have had to suffer."

- Arnheid

Storm (嵐) is the 81st chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Badger takes the bound Gardar away. Snake orders Fox to have five guards posted around him. Einar asks if there's a way Gardar could be set free; Snake says there's not, as he's killed several people and means to murder Ketil and steal Arnheid. Einar tries to convince Arnheid they should fight for her freedom and plan to save Gardar, but she asks him to let the storm pass and do nothing. She tells Thorfinn and Einar of her past: she lived a happy and peaceful life with Gardar and their son Hjalti, until Gardar's friend convinced him he should join the fight for the rights to an iron deposit in a forest far away. Gardar brought the matter to the men of the village, who happily decided they'd all join, to the women's consternation. Several weeks after they left, enemies took advantage of the men's absence and raided the village, burning down the houses and killing the old. They took the women to sell them as slaves. As female slaves fetched higher prices when they were unmarried, Hjatil was killed. Arnheid says that she was frightened by Gardar today. She reveals that she recently realized she's pregnant with Ketil's child, and means to raise the child happy and healthy on the farm. Later that night, she leaves to go treat Gardar's wounds.

Summary
Badger ties up Gardar and takes him away as he yells for Arnheid; Arnheid blocks her ears. Snake tells Fox to assign five men to keep an eye on Gardar and tasks him with telling the Carrock family that he's been apprehended. Badger, on horseback, tells Gardar to start walking if he doesn't want to get dragged. Snake tells Einar he knows he has things he wants to say, but that a slave's opinion is trivial. Einar tells him it's pitiful and asks if there's any way Gardar could be released. Snake tells Einar that letting Gardar go is out of the question — he killed one of the guests, is suspected of killing multiple other people, intends to murder Ketil and wants to abduct Arnheid, whom Ketil cares for. He tells Arnheid to forget about Gardar, as it's not her husband, but a deranged slave. Snake gets on horseback to leave; he tells them not to concern themselves about it anymore and asks them to care for Sverkel.

Inside, Arnheid makes food as Thorfinn and Einar sit at the table. Einar impatiently stands, but Arnheid asks him to sit down, as dinner is almost done. Einar says that they might be able to slip in and free Gardar if they act in the middle of the night. He asks Arnheid if she realizes that her husband will be executed if they don't do anything. Arnheid tells him that some things cannot be changed, and that in those moments it is better to do nothing, to stay still and wait for the storm to pass. She notes that she doesn't want Einar to get caught up in it. Einar asks her if she doesn't love her husband; Arnheid replies that she does. She says that although their parents arranged their marriage, he was kind and gentle with her and their son. Einar says that if that's the case, they should do something, even if it means fighting Snake and the others. He tells her that there are times they have to fight to win freedom, and aks Thorfinn if that's right. Thorfinn seems troubled and doesn't answer. Einar starts to tell Thorfinn he'll need his help to lure away the guards, but Arnheid interrupts him. She says she lost her son because of pots and pans and asks Einar to let her share a bit of her past. Arnheid says she once lived in a village in Svealand. Her family was neither rich nor poor, but their lives were peaceful. Iron deposits were found in a forest far away and conflict about who controlled the rights to it soon arose. Gardar's friend was involved in the fight and asked him for assistance; Gardar gathered the men of the village, who held a meeting to discuss whether or not to join the fight. As they'd obtain a source of iron if they won, they unanimously decided to participate in the fight, to the village women's shock. They did not lack for iron goods and wondered why they'd put their lives at risk unnecessarily. The morning they left for battle, Gardar held their son Hjalti and told him he was going to battle to protect him. Arnheid was dumbfounded, as she thought Gardar should stay by Hjalti's side if he really wanted to protect him. The young men all left the village, leaving the women and children behind in the village for several weeks. When they spotted ships sometime later, they assumed the men had finally returned, but enemies had come to take advantage of their absence. They burned their homes, slaughtered the old and carried off the women on their ships. Arnheid says her son was killed that day, as female slaves fetched a better price if they hadn't married yet. She laments that none of them would've had to suffer if Gardar and the others had let the storm pass and hadn't left for battle. Arnheid says that she was frightened by her husband when they finally reunited some hours ago; she notes he has now become the storm and must have gone through a lot of pain and suffering to change like that. Arnheid says that this time, she's decided to protect her child from the storms of men; just the other day, she realized she was carrying Ketil's child. She's sure he'll welcome the news, as he'd been wanting another child for some time, and that she'll be able to raise them happy and healthy on the farm. She notes that now is the most critical time, and asks Einar to let the storm pass by. Later that night, Arnheid checks on Sverkel, then gathers some supplies and goes to leave. As she reaches the door, Sverkel says he thought she'd wait out the storm. Arnheid is surprised he was listening; Sverkel says they might think he's turned completely senile, but that he's still hanging in there. Arnheid says she just wanted to go treat Gardar's wounds, at the very least. She asks if Sverkel thinks she might be better off not meeting with Gardar again. Sverkel tells her she can do as she pleases and that he won't criticize her; he apologizes he cannot be of more help. Arnheid tells him she'll return soon.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Gardar
 * Badger
 * Arnheid
 * Snake
 * Fox
 * Einar
 * Thorfinn
 * Hjalti
 * Sverkel