Freya rides hard toward Grindill, abandoning Bjorn's horse and trading her exhausted mare for a fresh gelding at the town of Torne. Consumed by grief and rage over her mother Kelda's death, she arrives at the fortress and immediately attacks Ylva, punching her and drawing her sword to kill her. Ylva denies betraying Freya's location to Harald, but Freya is unconvinced. Before Freya can deliver a killing blow, Bjorn arrives and deflects her sword with his axe, warping the blade. Warriors tackle Freya into the mud, and Snorri demands an explanation in the great hall.

Inside, Bjorn explains the trip to see Kelda and Skade's attack. Freya lays out her case against Ylva: the hooded figure in Fjalltindr, the rune-carver in Halsar's forest, and Ylva being the only person who knew about the trip to Selvegr. Ylva insists Bodil vouched for her innocence, but Snorri notes Bodil is dead and Steinunn has left. Before a verdict can be reached, a horn sounds—Harald's Nordeland forces have landed at Torne with dozens of ships, demanding Freya's surrender.

Snorri refuses to flee, and when Bjorn urges retreat, Snorri strikes him and accuses him of cowardice. The confrontation escalates as Snorri puts a sword to Bjorn's throat, accusing him of lusting after Freya and undermining her destiny. Bjorn disarms his father and warns him the gods will punish men like him. Freya announces she will leave so there's no reason for battle, but Snorri reveals he has taken Ingrid hostage. Geir, on his knees with Ragnar's blade at his throat, begs Freya to stay—revealing Ingrid is pregnant. Unable to abandon her family, Freya agrees to fight.

Bjorn kisses Freya and swears to stay at her side. She raises Hlin's shield wall around the fortress as Harald approaches under a white flag, offering peace if Freya surrenders. Snorri insists it's a trap. When Freya refuses, Tora begins bombarding the shield with lightning. The bolts rebound off Freya's magic and strike civilians from Torne who have been pushed forward by Harald's forces as human shields, killing and maiming them. Freya is horrified as the carnage mounts.

Remembering Saga's prophecy that tens of thousands would die in her wake, Freya drops her shield and leaps over the wall, sprinting toward the waterfall with the intention of killing herself to end the conflict. The specter appears and briefly halts her, and Bjorn catches her, refusing to let her die alone. Tora pursues them along the riverbank. Bjorn hurls his flaming axe at Tora, and when she deflects with lightning, he uses the distraction to pull Freya into the river rapids. They are swept toward the falls, and despite Freya's terror, Bjorn tells her to trust Hlin's protection as they plunge over the edge.