Freya wakes late in Bodil's tent, having slept through dawn after drinking too much mead the night before. Bodil informs her that Bjorn carried her to the tent and then stood guard outside, threatening anyone who tried to wake her. Bodil also hands Freya the salve Bjorn made for her scarred hand, reminding her to use it. Freya tucks it away unused and prepares for training.

As Freya follows Bodil toward the beach, Bjorn approaches and Freya snaps at him, telling him she doesn't need to be coddled and that she'll pull her own weight. Though Bodil approves of Freya putting Bjorn in his place, she notes that Bjorn cleaned vomit off Freya's face the night before. Freya privately acknowledges that Bjorn didn't deserve her harsh words, but she fears the consequences of their closeness. She reflects that Ylva has been conspiring to eliminate Bjorn, and that if Ylva could prove Freya broke her marriage vow, Snorri would disinherit Bjorn in favor of Leif. Despite knowing this, Bjorn treats Freya as though she were his own, which fills Freya with both warmth and icy fear for him and her family.

Bodil's maidens train Freya for hours in shield wall tactics and single combat, battering her with wool-wrapped weapons. Freya learns a great deal but lacks the passion she felt when training with Bjorn. Afterward, Bodil confronts Freya about her refusal to use the salve on her scarred hand, suggesting that Freya believes she deserves the pain. Freya breaks down and confesses that she murdered her husband Vragi—not in self-defense but in cold-blooded rage after he threatened Ingrid—and that she feels no guilt over it. She fears this lack of remorse and punishes herself with physical pain to compensate.

Bodil comforts Freya, arguing that Vragi brought his death upon himself by attacking someone with Hlin's protective blood. She insists Freya doesn't deserve to suffer and urges her to apply the salve. Freya asks for time alone, and Bodil departs with a warning not to wander. Freya finally applies the salve and lies back, attempting a breathing exercise Bodil taught her to quiet her mind. Just as stillness settles, she hears a crackling sound and smells charred meat. She sits up to find the specter walking along the waterline, trailing embers and ash.