Chapter 55

"Though it sickens me to admit it, they were right. Striving wildly for freedom was pointless. Home war far away, and there was no help on the way. "As long as I act a proper slave, I won't starve." In time, I gave in to my plight."

- Einar

Slave (奴隷) is the 55th chapter of the Vinland Saga series, and the first chapter of the Slave Arc.

Overview
Einar, a man of approximately twenty who used to tend fields in Northern England, is enslaved and brought to a town by boat along with other slaves. He tries to escape a few times, but faces obstacles such as hunger and is ultimately always caught. Eventually, he accepts his plight: that it is pointless to seek freedom when no one is coming for him and his home far away, and that as long as he acts like a proper slave, he will at least not starve. Leif comes to the slave market and takes a look at Einar; exasperated, he reminds the slaver that he is looking for a small, blond boy named Thorfinn, who looks nothing like Einar. He asks the slaver if he knows anything, as Leif is certain Thorfinn was sold in this town, but the slaver knows nothing more and Leif leaves disappointed. A bearded man named Ketil comes after Leif and buys Einar, bringing him to his farm in Jutland, Denmark. They arrive at the end of June. Ketil shows Einar his extensive farm and the forest that will become his next wheat field. He calls Thorfinn out of the forest to introduce him to Einar.

Summary
In stormy waters, men on a boat attempt to catch loose ropes and start to toss things overboard to prevent it from sinking. A man in a rough tunic emerges from the boat's makeshift shelter and tells the men that a woman is sick. He asks them what to do and tells them that no one noticed she was sick until it was too late and she already had an awful fever, since no one could speak her language. As a man with a scar on his face takes a look at her, the man in the tunic warns them that others are getting sick and that they'll need medicine. The scarred man who was looking the woman over suddenly tosses her overboard, prompting the concerned man to shout and ask him why he'd do such an inhuman thing. The man who tossed her only laments the waste of her worth in silver that he's just tossed overboard. He then checks the concerned man's mouth, noting that he has no swelling and asking him if he has chills or a fever. One of the men enters the makeshift shelter to give furs and drinks to the people inside, reminding them that they're valuable merchandise and cannot get sick without their master's approval. He warns the slaves to stay healthy until he can sell them off to their new owners. The slave man in the tunic, still looking overboard in disbelief, thinks to himself that he never truly understood how slaves are no different than livestock until he became one himself. They're not killed as often since they are a costly investment, but they're never free.

Having reached land, the slaves are fed to improve their colour and are instructed to scrub themselves clean of filth and lice in the cold river. Their hair is brushed and styled, the men are shaved, and some of the women have makeup applied to make them look a bit younger. The slave man thinks to himself that he does not have the customers' luxury of complaining, as he simply belongs to anyone who pays for him. The slaves are lined up and presented to a prospective buyer; the slaver with the scarred face brags that this haul has good women who have never birthed children. The buyer says he doesn't want women and is looking for a young man. He approaches the slave man, asks if he speaks his language, and asks to see his body, calling him "sweetheart." The slave complies and lifts his shirt, startled when the buyer pokes his nipple and starts patting and fondling him. He weakly tries to answer the buyer's quick-fire questions as he is patted down: his name is Einar, he thinks he is twenty years old, and he's never been sick. Einar is shocked further when the buyer reaches into his pants and gropes him; the slaver clues into what the buyer is in the market for. The prospective buyer claims Einar is not bad, but asks the slaver if he has anyone cuter. The slaver leads him away, confirming they have "special offerings" for men of his taste. Einar is momentarily relieved. Einar is shown running away and he explains that he escaped several times, thinking it wouldn't be that hard since he wasn't chained. He explains that it turned out to be quite hard; he is shown being chased after getting hungry enough to steal food, and he is soon caught by the scarred slaver, who asks him if he still doesn't get it. Einar is bound and beaten by the slaver, who tells the onlooking slaves that even if they escape the camp, they have nowhere to go, having no way to reach their homes across the sea on their own. He reminds them that no one in the country will help them escape, since they are slaves: penniless outsiders. The slaver adds that before they go off on an "adventure," they should think of the fact that they could spend their lives in honest servitude to gentle masters, eating much better than they would on the run. He finishes by saying that if they work hard and their masters like them enough, they might someday earn their freedom. Before he walks away, he tells one of his men to whip Einar thirty times. Standing bruised and solemn in a busy slave market, Einar thinks to himself that although it sickens him, the slavers were right: trying to get his freedom is pointless, especially with no help coming and his home far away. Einar accepted his circumstances and that as long as he acts as a "proper slave," he won't starve. Leif takes a look at Einar and sighs, exasperated. He reminds the scarred slaver that he is not looking for a worker, but for someone blond and small, and that Einar looks nothing like that. He explains he is only in the slave market to free a relative, and asks that he not make things harder for him after he's followed the traders' trail this far. He asks the slaver if he knows anything more, as he's sure a boy named Thorfinn was sold in that town. The scarred slaver simply shrugs and Leif walks away. When he's out of earshot, the slaver comments that Leif will never find what he's looking for, and wonder if he would even have the money for it. Einar thinks that the slaves who have people out there looking for them are the lucky ones. A bearded man approaches Einar. He asks him if he speaks his tongue and asks to see his teeth. He asks Einar for his name and what he did before; Einar tells him he worked the fields in Northern England. The man, named Ketil, becomes Einar's new master after paying a price a little higher than two cows for him; Einar concludes this means he will likely at least be treated better than a cow. They leave by boat and reach Ketil's Farm in Jutland, Denmark, at the end of June. Ketil, on horseback, asks Einar to follow him. He tells him the family is working and that he will be introduced to them at dinner, then asks Einar to take a look at his farm. Einar is impressed by the extensive wheat field; Ketil tells him it will be time to harvest soon and that he doesn't have enough hands in the family alone. He smiles and adds that the next planting will bring even more harvest now that he has extra hands. Einar thanks him for his confidence, but notes that he doesn't think he can handle the vast fields alone. Ketil tells him he wasn't talking about him, and that he'll see what he means shortly. He specifies that he didn't buy Einar mainly for the reaping and shows him an expanse of trees. He asks Einar what it looks like to him; Einar supposes it's a forest. Ketil confirms, but clarifies that it is actually his next wheat field. Einar cannot believe that a man who owns so many fields would still be looking to make new ones. Ketil calls out to Thorfinn; Einar scratches his head and wonders where he's heard the name before. Einar notes that was the first time he met Thorfinn: Thorfinn emerges for the forest, axe in hand, his lanky hair now hitting his shoulders.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Einar
 * Leif Ericson
 * Ketil
 * Pater
 * Thorfinn