Volume 13

Volume 13 is the thirteenth volume in the series.

This volume makes up the first half of Volume 7 in the English-language release of the manga.

Chapters

 * Chapter 87: The First Move
 * Chapter 88: Punishment
 * Chapter 89: The Eve of Battle
 * Chapter 90: Price of the Food
 * Chapter 91: The Battle of Ketil Farm
 * Chapter 92: Hundred-Count
 * Chapter 93: Birth of a Warrior

Cover Characters

 * Thorfinn
 * Canute
 * Einar
 * Snake
 * Thorgil
 * Ketil

Plot Overview
In October 1018, Leif's knarr arrives at Ketil's farm. Thorgil orders everyone on the farm to gather weapons and all the able-bodied men; he tells them there's a war coming, but does not tell them who the enemy is. Thorfinn, bound at the guests’ lodgings with Einar, regrets resorting to violence with Snake, as he views violence as the last option. He wonders what the first option would be, as it's eluded him so far. Snake refuses to let Leif take Thorfinn or see him, but agrees to go see Ketil with him. Ketil’s wife tells him of Arnheid's attempted escape. Ketil goes to see Arnheid, bound in the barn, and begins to beat her with a stick. She tells him she's pregnant, but he refuses to believe the child is his and beats her further. Snake arrives and holds the stick back, telling Ketil he'll kill Arnheid if he keeps going. Ketil walks away. Ketil agrees Leif can take Thorfinn and Einar, but states that Arnheid is his and that he will not sell her to him. Pater treats Arnheid’s wounds, but she does not regain consciousness and he doesn't know if she'll survive. Ketil riles up his gathering of 350 men (only 100 of them with proper armour and weapons) and tells them they'll be fighting against King Canute, who framed him and has come to confiscate his lands. Once Canute and his 100 men land, he sends Ketil a messenger sentencing Ketil and his family to 10 years of outlawry and bids them to accept their punishment. While Ketil is emboldened when Thorgil tells him of Canute’s lower numbers, Snake notes that they're elite special forces, king's guards and Jomsvikings and that Ketil's farm doesn't stand a chance. At the guests' lodgings, Snake tells the other guests to run away if they want to, although he himself intends to stay and fight. When the conversation turns to Iron Fist Ketil, Snake reveals that he first came to the farm seeking the Iron Fist Ketil he knew in his youth, but that the Ketil here is a fraud taking advantage of their shared name and similar age and figure. He tells the guests a fraud is not worth throwing their lives away for, but they join him, as they think running away after mooching off of a fraud for years would make them even more disgraceful than Ketil.

Ketil sends his men forth to fight despite Snake’s warnings that they will lose; they are quickly slaughtered by the Jomsvikings. On Snake's orders, Fox tells everyone to retreat and Ketil's men flee, to Ketil’s despair. Wulf tells Canute it looks like one of their men just slayed Ketil; Canute is displeased, as he wanted him arrested. He lets Wulf go confirm the man's identity and sends forth Floki to keep his men in line, as they are cutting down the fleeing farmers against his orders. Swimming, Thorgil reaches the king's ships from their unguarded rear. With Canute’s officers now gone, Thorgil takes his chance and attacks him from behind. Canute surprisingly parries him, but Thorgil quickly regains the upper hand and is about to deliver a killing blow when Wulf throws his sword into Thorgil's arm. They fight; Wulf loses an eye, but stands back up, ready to fight Thorgil. The soldiers make their way back to defend the king and Thorgil realizes his opening is over; he runs towards the water. Snake takes the chance to leave the battlefield. He finds Ketil, unconscious and wounded but alive, and carries him off. Thorfinn, Einar, Leif and Bug-Eyes take advantage of the commotion to take Arnheid away. Arnheid opens her eyes and asks where they're going; Leif tells her they'll go to his village. When Arnheid inquires, Leif has to admit that there are slaves there, that there has been war and that there might be war again in the future. Arnheid says she'll go somewhere else far away instead, where Gardar and her children are waiting for her. She thanks Thorfinn and Einar for their kindness. Einar begs Arnheid to stay with them, but she can feel her new child has already gone to the other side and asks why she must keep living when her loved ones have already gone and life is painful. She stops breathing and Thorfinn tries to revive her. Einar tells her he loves her, but they are unable to bring her back. Thorfinn tells her of Vinland. Snake, carrying Ketil, comes upon them on the road. Einar is determined to kill Ketil; unable to stop him with words, Thorfinn eventually punches him to stop him, not wanting Einar to become cursed like him. They bury Arnheid. Thorfinn and Einar make a deal to go to Vinland to make a land of peace, for Arnheid.

Plot Summary
In October 1018, Leif's knarr arrives at Ketil's farm, Canute and his ships two days behind. Thorgil orders everyone on the farm to gather weapons and all the able-bodied men; he tells them there's a war coming, but does not tell them who the enemy is. At the guests' lodging, the guests discuss Thorgil's orders and lament their lack of fighters — no matter who the enemy is, they are in a bad position. Nearby, the bound Thorfinn and Einar wonder about Arnheid's fate. Thorfinn regrets resorting to violence with Snake, as he views violence as the last option. He wonders what the first option would be, as it's eluded him so far. Ketil’s wife tells him of Arnheid's attempted escape. Pater leads Leif and Bug-Eyes to Snake, who refuses to let Thorfinn go until Ketil tells him about the deal, but agrees to go see Ketil with Leif. Pater asks Leif if he could buy Einar and Arnheid. Ketil goes to see Arnheid, bound in the barn, and begins to beat her with a stick. She tells him she's pregnant, but he refuses to believe the child is his and beats her further. Snake arrives and holds the stick back, telling Ketil he'll kill Arnheid if he keeps going. Ketil walks away and tells Pater to tend to Arnheid’s wounds. Leif asks him if he can buy Arnheid and Einar; Ketil agrees he can take Thorfinn and Einar, but states that Arnheid is his and that he will not sell her. Later, Thorfinn, Einar, Leif and Mols see Arnheid's poor state. Pater tells them she's yet to regain consciousness and that he doesn't know if she'll survive.

Ketil riles up his gathering of 350 men and tells them they'll be fighting against King Canute, who framed him and has come to confiscate his lands. Fox tells Snake that only about 100 of the men have proper armour and weapons. Thorfinn thanks Leif for coming all this way for him, but says he cannot leave Arnheid at the farm in her state. Leif says he will wait one day to see if Arnheid wakes and can be moved. Canute's ships and 100 men land sooner than expected. Canute sends Ketil a messenger sentencing Ketil and his family to 10 years of outlawry and bids them to accept their punishment; they will wait until the morning for their reply. When Thorgil tells Ketil of Canute's numbers, Ketil is emboldened by the fact that they outnumber them more than three times over and still intends to fight. Observing the king's troops with Fox, Snake notes that they're elite special forces, king's guards and Jomsvikings and that Ketil's farm doesn't stand a chance. At the guests' lodgings, Snake tells the other guests to run away if they want to. He himself intends to stay and fight since he's the commander — to pay off his free meals over the years and keep as many overconfident farmers from dying as he can. When the conversation turns to Iron Fist Ketil, Snake reveals he learned the ways of the battlefield from him when he was 15 or 16 and saw him as a brother. Finding himself on the run later, he followed rumours of Iron Fist Ketil's presence on the farm, as he was the only man who'd shelter him. He was surprised to find the Ketil here was not the same man at all, but someone of a similar age and figure taking advantage of their shared name. He tells the guests a fraud is not worth throwing their lives away for, but they join him, as they think running away after mooching off of a fraud for years would make them even more disgraceful than Ketil. Thorgil tells Olmar that their own troops don’t stand a chance and that their main purpose is to distract the king for a short time. Ketil sends his men forth to fight the Jomsvikings despite Snake’s warnings. Thorfinn, Einar, Leif and Bug-Eyes take advantage of the commotion to take Arnheid away. Arnheid dreams she is healthy and in a cart steered by Gardar, Hjalti on her lap and her baby in her arms. The cart stops and Gardar tells her he'll wait while she says goodbye to the people who've helped her. Einar notices Arnheid open her eyes and tells Bug-Eyes to stop the cart. On the battlefield, Ketil's men are getting slaughtered. Canute tells Wulf to send their men forward to arrest Ketil quickly.

The battle wages on and Ketil's men get massacred. On Snake's orders, Fox tells everyone to retreat and Ketil's men flee. Ketil unsuccessfully tries to get them to keep fighting. Wulf tells Canute it looks like one of their men just slayed Ketil; Canute is displeased, as he wanted him arrested. He lets Wulf go confirm the man's identity and sends forth Floki to keep his men in line, as they are cutting down the fleeing farmers against his orders. Swimming, Thorgil reaches the king's ships. With Canute now unguarded, Thorgil takes his chance and attacks him from behind. Canute surprisingly parries him, but Thorgil quickly regains the upper hand and is about to deliver a killing blow when Wulf throws his sword into Thorgil's arm. Wulf launches himself at Thorgil and tries to strangle him, but Thorgil jabs through his right eye with his fingers and gets him off. As Wulf stands to face him, the soldiers make their way back to defend the king and Thorgil realizes his opening is over; he runs towards the water. Snake takes the chance to leave the battlefield. He finds Ketil, unconscious and wounded but alive, and carries him off. Meanwhile, Arnheid asks where they're going and Leif tells her they'll go to his village. When Arnheid inquires, Leif has to admit that there are slaves there, that there has been war and that there might be war again in the future. Arnheid says she'll go somewhere else far away instead, to her house, where Gardar and her children are waiting for her. She thanks Thorfinn and Einar for their kindness. Einar begs her to hang on, while Thorfinn wonders if there are words he could say that could keep Arnheid with them. Einar begs Arnheid to stay with them, but she can feel her new child has already gone to the other side and asks why she must keep living when her loved ones have already gone and life is painful. She stops breathing and Thorfinn tries to revive her using the technique he once saw Thors use. Einar tells her he loves her, but they are unable to bring her back. Thorfinn tells her of Vinland. Snake, carrying Ketil, comes upon them on the road. Einar is determined to kill Ketil; unable to stop him with words, Thorfinn eventually punches him to stop him, not wanting Einar to become cursed like him. They bury Arnheid. Thorfinn and Einar make a deal to go to Vinland to make a land of peace, for Arnheid.