Freya finishes processing the fish Vragi beached, reflecting on her miserable marriage and her desire for a life of fighting and adventure rather than domestic drudgery. Walking through the forest toward her mother's home, she practices swordplay with a stick, yearning for the warrior's life her older brother Geir has achieved as a member of Jarl Snorri's war band. Geir surprises her on the path and they catch up, though he chastises her for risking her marriage to Vragi, explaining that Vragi's wealth and influence with the jarl secure Geir's position and their mother's care.

Their reunion is interrupted by the arrival of Jarl Snorri and a party of warriors, including Vragi and—to Freya's shock—the handsome stranger from the beach, who she now learns is Bjorn, Snorri's son and heir, a god-blooded child of Tyr. Snorri reveals that Vragi has told him Freya wants to fight, and orders Bjorn to test her in combat—to the death. Bjorn protests but is threatened with exile and disinheritance if he refuses. The two fight, Bjorn clearly holding back at first, mocking Vragi along the way. Freya reveals she used lemon juice to prevent pregnancy with Vragi, provoking fury from her husband.

As Bjorn finally presses his attack in earnest and Freya's shield burns from his flaming axe, terror overwhelms her and she involuntarily calls upon the goddess Hlin. A shield of silver light explodes from her, hurling Bjorn into a tree and revealing her secret: she is a child of Hlin, a shield maiden with divine magic. Vragi confesses he discovered her secret by following her and sold the information to Snorri for gold. Snorri reveals a prophecy from nearly two decades ago foretelling that a shield maiden born under a red moon would unite Skaland under the one who controls her fate—and he intends to be that ruler by making Freya his second wife.

Freya refuses, but Snorri pressures Geir, who holds authority over her marriage. When Geir also refuses, Snorri threatens his position, and Vragi threatens to use his gold to buy Ingrid—Geir's beloved—as his new bride. Cornered, Freya agrees to marry Snorri on the condition that Geir keeps his arm ring and place. Snorri accepts but punishes Geir for hiding Freya's identity by breaking his shin with the flat of an axe. Snorri then thinly veils a threat against Freya's family to ensure her compliance.

As Vragi rides off taunting that he'll still pursue Ingrid, Freya headbutts Bjorn to break free of his grip, seizes his flaming axe despite it burning her hand, and hurls it into the back of Vragi's skull, killing him.