Two days are spent at Sicvarp while men recuperate from wounds and more of the Freed regain their Brew-addled wits. During this time Linda Wulfinga, Wistan’s cousin, ranges around the island seeking tidings. She returns with the news that from beseiging Borgholm, Wiglaf is now in turn besieged there himself by an army of up to 3000 Eowan. She also learns from her cousin Cuthraed that the Geatish Fleet under Ealdorman Beornfrith of Nordhafn is loose and plans to ravage its way down the west coast of Eowland and then northwards. They hope that the Eowan fleet will be drawn out of Ossby, where it is based upon the East Coast, to face them. Ossby is but a day’s sail south of Sicvarp. They request that Thegn Osgar meets them there. If the Gods smile he might find it unguarded and take the harbour as they have Forchafn and Sicvarp.
The Geats under Thegn Osgar determine to feign a retreat and sail all the way back to the Isle of the Weather Geats – some two days to the east. They are followed to within sight of the Isle by an Eowan shell, commanded, they believe by a shapeshifting Eowan witch in gull form. The Geats enter the harbour of Beornholm in the south the island. They spend a day there recuperating and buying what supplies they can. Bumoth the Wade-Priest shifts into Seal-form to keep an eye out for Eowan. He is joined by Tohrwulf who obtained a shapeshifting sealskin cloak from the loot of the Nicor. Tohrwulf becomes lost but Bumoth returns to the Geats, to let them know that the coast is clear.
The Geats set off again at dawn, sailing south-west on a heading they believe will bring them to the coast just north of Ossby. The Fat Belly and crew stay in Beornholm along with the bulky loot from Forchafn. They find Tohrwulf forlorn upon a skerry where he has spent the night and haul him aboard. Sailing on through the night they have a mishap in the dark when the Osprey accidentally rams one of the captured Eowan shells manned by a crew of Freed slaves. Several are killed and others lose valuable equipment. However, by the afternoon they find themselves not north of Ossby but immediately to the east. They attack with all speed.
The Eowan keep a poor watch and indeed have a large work party of slaves and guards flensing a dead whale on the inner strand. As the Black Pig approaches, several slaves rise up against the guards. As the Black Pig’s crew storm up the steps to the Sea Gate, the rest of the Geats, armed with a ram, assault the Main Gate under command of Eoppa. Both assaults are successful although Wistan, Herefrith and Hrothgar are all sorely wounded in the fight.
It seems the Gods were with the Geats that day for the entire Eowan fleet had sailed away, leaving but one ship’s crew and some garrison troops, who in the event kept a poor watch, having been assured that the Geats at Sicvarp had returned home. The Geats free over two hundred slaves – though many prove to be domestics and field labourers. They took a witch amongst their prisoners – a Seith-Witch called Arna, who swore to be co-operative should they spare her life. Another witch was slain and a third escaped by turning into a gull and fleeing, leaving all her equipment behind. They took a goodly haul of treasure.
That evening a Witch comes down from the nearby town of Ekethorp, said to be the biggest settlement in Eowland, under flag of truce. She tells them there has been a great battle at Borgholm. Wiglaf and the greater part of his best men have been slain. The Geats in Ossby should get into their ships and leave Eowland now. Thegn Osgar declines to agree.
The following morning Cuthraed Wulfinga appears to say that the Geatish Fleet have had the better of an engagement off the settlement of Morbylanga on the west coast. They have broken through the Eowan fleet a should arrive in Ossby tomorrow if all goes well. That night Cuthraed disappers once more.
The next morning another Wulfing arrives at Ossby. Sygbald Wulfing has grave news. It seems that the Witch spoke true and Wiglaf is indeed slain along with a hundred of his best warriors – chosen by lot. He died a hero for he and his men dedicated themselves to Tiw, the War God, and broke out of Borgholm, driving deep into the ranks of the Eowan host, so that the remainder might escape by boat. All the Tiw-Priest died there too. There is an anxious wait that day for the Geatish fleet to come and it is but a few hours before dusk when a dozen or so ships approach the harbour from the south, rowing, wearily into the wind. It is Beornfrith and the Fleet.