"I see a land." "A land where the Mudborn roam freely... amongst the broken stones... and empty halls... that were once our homes." "Our enemies can detect Herot's weakness because it is ruled by a woman." "If war is coming, we need to prepare." "Some say there's no bond stronger than blood but I don't believe that." "Iron, threat, opportunity brought us here." "May the ancestors forgive me, but that's stronger than blood." "This land needs a warrior at its heart to bring its people through this darkness." "The Shieldlands need a jarl who will protect us... a man of strength who will take control." "For glory!" "We must be strong." "And I must be Jarl!" "Abrecan's army will be upon us soon." "Let Slean command beside Beowulf." "The Huskarla look to him." "They'll" " They'll do as I say." "Beowulf is in command." "He was willing to die for you..." "for all of us." "Does that mean nothing?" "The only reason he's not in chains is because we need every fighter we have." "Even traitors." "I'm glad Rate didn't kill you." "Well, that makes two of us." "You wanted something?" " I've been thinking..." " Careful." "What were you thinking?" "Maybe we could..." "Maybe we could find a way to..." "Anything is possible." "Now, go." "I should have held them longer at that bridge." "I should have died there." "Whatever else you've done, you put your father's sword to good use." "Hrothgar would be proud." "It's you who he wanted to hold this." "Hrothgar's gone." "You're his blood." "Rheda will forgive in time." "And one day, like that sword, Herot will be yours." "But right now, we've a battle to win." "It'll take time for their army to assemble." "We're protected on our right by these cliffs." "And our steep slopes to our left mean any attack that way would cost them half their force." "So they'll come at us head-on." "Ready yourselves!" "I know what it is to be ignored by a father who favours another." "What it is to be always passed over." "How it can cripple a child." "It didn't cripple you, did it?" "Men are weaker." "Your father underestimated you." "As you underestimate Slean, again and again." "What he did, he did because he was robbed of his dignity by Hrothgar... of his future by you." "He reached out for power because he is ready for it." "Step aside." "Let him show you." "Tread carefully, child." "An army of thieves." "When the rest of their army arrive, let them bring the fight to us." "Herot." "This time, I enter as a conqueror." "Not as a supplicant." "Or a younger brother." "Which one is Beowulf?" "The one next to Slean." " And with him?" " Breca." "Some thief he calls his friend." "As you all wait patiently for the rest of my warriors to gather, let me introduce to you some of those who will end your lives and take your women." "Beltane!" "First of my warriors!" "Son of the fearsome Einar!" "Grandson of the great hero Greyblade!" "Beltane has already cut down more than 40, 40 of your Shieldlanders," " killing beasts with his bare hands!" " Spear." "And single-handedly raising..." "Argh!" "No one likes a show-off." "Archers!" "Beowulf." "You swore your man would see the Varni join us." "Do two lone Norsemen frighten the Wulfings?" "What brings you to Herot?" "A change of heart?" "An offer I couldn't refuse." "They won't make their attack yet." "Rate." "Thank you for coming." "How could I refuse the invitation Varr delivered?" "Varr." "Rheda." "Invitation?" " I don't see your warriors." " They wait on my signal." "Rheda swore on her ancestors' blood that if the Varni came to Herot's defence, she..." "What was it?" "That I would take you as my husband." "And the important part?" "That you and I would rule over all the Shieldlands... as joint Jarl." "The letter Varr delivered was a last resort." "Only he and I could know." " Are my people ready?" " They are." " And the attack?" " Will come soon." "The things that happened... in the past." "Between us." "Lying to Hrothgar on Slean's behalf?" "Having me banished?" "You're more blunt than usual today." "I did it to protect him." "Why did you return to a lying woman with a jealous child?" " I came for Hrothgar." " Hrothgar was dead." "And you stayed." "Why?" "You're my blood." "You're my son." "Nobody else knows." "I'm the Reeve." "We're not fighting today... for the iron they smelt in the pits." "We're not fighting for a thane or a jarl." "We're fighting for family." "For friends." "For those we care for." "For this walled piece of dirt we call home." "For Herot!" "Tell the smelters to stand ready." "Today, we shall restore order." "And rekindle strength... by marching together into the fire!" "Wulfings!" "For glory and plunder!" "Huskarla!" "The gate is holding!" "Take positions!" " Slean!" " I'll stay here till I die!" "Move!" "Now!" "What are we waiting for?" "The bride must prepare." "Send for the Varni warriors now." "Not until I have what I came for." "Hold the pulley." "On three... release." "Two... three!" "Release." "Hold!" "Well, I smell victory." "I won't wait any longer!" "Abrecan's army have almost reached the smelting pits." "Now send for your men." "I'm not married yet." "Don't be a fool." "You have my word." "Rheda, you will marry me or Herot will burn." "Do not doubt my resolve." "You married your son off for Herot's sake." "Surely you'd make the same sacrifice." "There can be no truth-telling ceremony." "They're fighting by the stones." "I brought a Varni so we could be married in accordance with our custom." "Now, let us begin!" "Come on!" "You have the bride's gift?" "If you were my wife, I would always hunt for you." "You will never go hungry." "Do you accept this meat from my best horse as proof of this?" "How could I turn it down?" "Urgh!" "Get him!" "Get him now!" "Argh!" "Argh!" "You." "Wanna try your luck?" "Wait." "Now!" "Mudborn braves." "Say hello to my little pet." "Let us out!" "Open the gate!" "If you are my husband, I will always share my blanket with you." "And..." "They are only words, Rheda." "And bear you all the children you wish." "Go!" "Go!" "Go!" "Move!" "Aaargh!" "We loot when we win." "We must press the advantage." "Back to the barricade!" "The Wulfing have almost reached the barricade." "Once your blood is mixed, you will be wed." "Then I shall summon my men." "Come on!" "Grab anything you can!" "Move!" " Brinni." " Look, I'm fine." "I'll take you to Elvina's." "Is Slean all right?" "They've pulled back to the barricade." "That's all I know." "There must be wounded out there." "You need to see to them." "I have to get back." "Come with me." "Vishka!" "Just take care of yourself." "Slean!" "Rate is here." "Rheda has offered to marry him." "What do you mean she's gonna marry Rate?" "Mother." " Have you no shame?" " Slean!" "Selling your body and my birthright." "You have no birthright." "You gave it up when you joined your uncle in treason." "Oh, for once in your life, can you please just be honest with yourself?" "You never had any intention of stepping aside for me, did you?" "I did." "At first." "Well, good luck to you." "Slean." "Slean, I swore to you I would do whatever I had to to see you were Thane." "And I will." "Whatever must be done." "Whoever stands in your way." "All that matters now is that we save Herot." "Time's short." "Shall we?" "You are man and wife now." "No kiss?" "Signal your men." "Hold your ground!" "The Wulfings are behind us!" "Huskarla, hold your position as long as you can." "The rest of you, to the hall, now!" "The Wulfing are coming down the cliff." "Move the wounded to the hall now." "Do as he says." "Get up!" "Move." "Quickly." "We can't hold them any longer!" "Pull back to the hall." "Herot is ours!" "Leave her alone." "Breca, behind you!" " Agh!" " You wanted what's ours?" "Now you have it." "Thank you." "Breca!" "Oh, Breca." "They'll kill you for this." "Hold your tongue or I will make him suffer." "Listen to him, Lila." "For me." "Yes." "Tell Beowulf that Skellan did this." "And it isn't half of what he owes... for killing my brother." "Yes." " I'll go get help." " Lila." "Aaarghh!" "She's a Skinshifter!" "Get out!" "And not a word to anyone!" "You murdered your protector." "Leave." "I'll come." "You killed... for that thing!" "That thing has a name." "A name I gave it." "Grendel." "He's my son." "Vishka!" "Vishka!" " What is it?" " It's Breca." "He's hurt." " Where is he?" " In the Reeve's hut." "I'll help him." "Take your mother to the hall now!" "Move!" "We have to get you out of here." "No." "This is it." "Being good never worked out well for me." "You'll enter the Halls of the Dead... have a place among the heroes." "Droning on about honour and bloodlines." "I have no honour and no father." "I should say I'm sorry for all the bad things I've done." "But I've enjoyed doing them too much." "Skellan... the Wulfing leader... kill him for me." "Slowly." "I will." "Beowulf... are you my friend?" "I am." "I never had one before." "Until we meet again... on the far side, my friend." "Skellan!" "Aarrgh!" "Put your weight on it!" "Get that beam down!" "Push!" "Push together!" "Push!" "Pull it down." "Leave us." "Would your new master approve?" "How's your new life?" "It's the one I chose." "This is mine." "Do you remember how we used to practise our blade work in this chamber?" "How Hrothgar would watch... judge." "I remember." "Beowulf, you are my brother... in everything but blood." "Stop!" "Stop wasting your time." "They're almost in." "Why stop now?" "Set the hall alight." "Burn it to the ground." "The doors are almost broken." "We storm it." "Let the flames take those inside." "We will pick the molten gold... from their bones." "Kill them all!" "Except Beowulf." "He's mine." "That wasn't the agreement." "What agreement?" "I'm a Wulfing, huh?" "Those are my people in there." "As much as those of Bregan." "I see no love for you here, Abrecan." "If you rule this place, you will only rule ashes." "Pick it up!" "Break the doors down!" "No." "No." "No." "No." "Let him die with his people." "The Varni!" "Wulfings to the main gate!" "Ready?" "Attack!" "Let the Wulfings fight the Varni." "Break down the doors!" "Open the doors." "Rheda, they'll kill us all." "They'll be in here soon anyway." "I'll do this my way." "Hold your ground!" "Hold your ground!" "Hallam." "It's Hallam, isn't it?" "I remember you from my days in Bregan." "You were a fisherman, I recall." "So tell me, what brings you and your friends to call on your jarl?" "Is it that my brother has told you I am weak?" "Too weak to face our enemies?" "Yet, here I am." "And he is the enemy." "So where do you stand?" "With a traitor?" "Or with your true ruler?" "I am their ruler, Rheda." "Kill her." "Kill her!" "Argh!" "Oh, look at you all." "So enthralled by her." "Kill her!" "Kill her!" "Rheda." "Argh!" "As I love you... please." "Rheda!" "I think you might be my... favourite wife." "People of Herot... warriors of Bregan... let's not leave all the glory to the Varni." "Huskarla!" "Beowulf." "Skellan." "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come." "You think I would leave without your blood on my blade?" "I gave your brother what he'd been asking for his whole life!" "Everything he deserved." "My brother was a great warrior, was he not?" "He died like a thief." "That reminds me." "How is your friend?" "What did your friend die for exactly?" "Huh?" "To protect somebody surrounded by a wall." "Where's the glory in that, Beowulf?" "I'm gonna see you cry like a baby... watch your blood fill these golden channels... see you beg me for mercy... as you wish yourself dead!" "Beowulf!" "That's for Breca." "And that's for me." "Thank you." "This belongs to you." "Thank you... for all that you've done." "Without you, Herot would be lost and the Shieldlands doomed." "You played your part." "I did, didn't I?" "Abrecan may be dead and the Wulfings bloodied... but we're not safe yet." "Great Master of the Giants..." "I have come to seek your help in driving mankind from the old realms... that they call the Shieldlands."