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Chapter One

AD 830—north-east Sweden

Sayrid Avildottar stood in the ice-cold pond, fish spear raised, her eyes on a particularly large sea trout

She and trout were old adversaries Fishing helped to hone her eye and her hand when she was at ho food for the table And out here in the pond, no one ever complained that she was far too tall, too clumsy or too unwomanly Not that anyone did much these days She’d proved her worth with five seasons of profitable sea voyages

It was aold in your purse, a reputation as a canny trader and a sword by your side that you kne to use

The jaarl would surely relent and allow her to lead a felag further east where fortunes truly could beto pay tribute to the various sea kings who prowled the sea lanes And after that, she would never need to go on a voyage again She would be able to stay at hoive her half-brother, Regin, time to becoive her half-sister ti forced into an unwise alliance with a man who had little respect for her

She simply had to work out a way to make the jaarl see it was in his best interest

The trout spun round and started back towards her,its final bid for freedo for that precise heartbeat when her spear would be most effective

‘Sayrid! Sayrid!’ Her half-brother’s voice resounded about the pond at the very instant she was about to thrust the spear

The spear fell harmlessly into the pond and the fish flashed away

‘This had better be good, Regin,’ Sayrid called back, retrieving the spear and vowing that next tihtly ‘You’ve cost me a fish supper’

‘Blodvin has sent an urgent e’

‘What can be i to spot the trout again ‘The bride price orn last jul-tide It was more than it should have been, but dewy eyes, honeyed curls and a sizeable portion of land come at a price’