Bjorn watches Ylva sail her drakkar toward Torne and argues that Harald will kill them all once he has what he wants. He urges Ylva to turn back, free Freya from the warded island, and fight Harald instead of trusting a prisoner exchange. Ylva refuses because Leif matters more to her than Skaland or Freya, blames Bjorn for Snorri's death, and condemns Freya as a Hel-child whose magic has already brought mass death. When Bjorn keeps pressing the point, Ragnar beats him and gags him.

Bound and in pain, Bjorn thinks about Freya's danger, his guilt over Snorri, and his fear that he made a fatal mistake by not letting Freya use her power sooner. As Torne comes into sight, Bjorn sees that the shore is close enough to reach if he can break free. He secretly calls Tyr's fire, burns through his ropes with his axe, and prepares to dive overboard. Before he can escape, Skade appears on the dock and shoots him with her green magical brands, piercing his shoulder and then pinning his arm to his leg so he cannot fight effectively.

The warriors overwhelm Bjorn despite his attempt to keep fighting with his axe in his left hand, and Ylva orders them to keep him alive for the trade. At the dock, Skade confirms that Leif is alive and offers to escort Ylva to him and to Harald. As they move inland, Bjorn notices that Torne feels disturbingly normal: people work, trade, and shout in the market instead of behaving like a conquered population waiting for punishment. That ordinary appearance convinces Bjorn even more strongly that Harald has staged the situation and that Ylva is walking into a trap.

Chained in a wagon, Bjorn removes his gag and quietly tries to persuade Ragnar. Bjorn points out that Grindill and Torne should not have fallen so neatly if Snorri had left defenders, and he warns that Harald will never let Ylva and her followers leave alive once they know Harald's secret. Bjorn argues that someone must stay free to spread the truth and gather aid, even if Bjorn himself cannot do it in his wounded state. Ragnar resists and dismisses Freya as likely dead, but he listens; soon after, he leaves the wagon under the pretense of relieving himself and is not present when the party reaches the hall.

While guarding Bjorn alone, Skade admits that she has always known Harald is a child of Loki and boasts that she is Harald's daughter and intended heir. She says Harald has promised her power, wealth, and status, and she makes clear that she wants Bjorn dead while Harald needs Ylva alive for a larger plan. Inside Grindill's great hall, Ylva is seated to await Harald and asks where Leif is. Instead of Harald's entrance, Bjorn hears Leif's laugh and sees his brother walk in healthy and unafraid beside an even greater shock: Snorri, alive and apparently hale, with his arm around Leif.