With time on his hands, Eyvind observed. He saw that Ulf was much away. At first he was establishing boundaries, planning houses and a hall, negotiating the purchase of stock and supplies. Later, he seemed to spend a great deal of time with Engus’s translator, the Christian priest. Tadhg was a slightly built, harmless-looking fellow. Nobody took his ideas seriously; nobody, that is, except Ulf. Ulf found them interesting. Indeed, he found them so interesting he would be gone for days at a time, traveling to that island where the fellow and his followers lived a life of privation and solitude, quite happy to exist on a fish or two, a broth of boiled seaweed, and a day shaped by prayer. Each time Ulf returned from these sojourns he was quieter and more remote. His dark features began to assume the same serenity of expression as one could see in the eyes of the translator. Folk started to talk, and the talk was uneasy. Surely their chieftain would not abandon the old gods? Was it possible that Ulf, whom they so admired and respected, might turn against Odin? It could not be so. Still, the whispers continued.

Somerled had surprised Eyvind. Somerled, accustomed to the clever talk and complex games of court, did not chafe at the restrictions of this new life. He did not long for home as Eyvind did. Somerled, who had ever been a solitary fellow, now had a tight circle of friends and followers, and they were not smooth courtiers such as himself, but tough, working men. Among them were the crewmen from the knarr, and others who were, at best, on the periphery of Ulf’s household: a farrier, a smith, one or two who had been housecarls. All were men without families, men who had made the voyage alone. There were no islanders in Somerled’s group. They would meet of an evening at the dwelling house that the knarr’s crew shared in Hafnarvagr and drink ale together, and Somerled would teach them games with dice and tell tales that made them roar with laughter.

It was at about this time that Somerled acquired another name, and increased his popularity still further into the bargain. Ulf’s people lacked horses, and in this land horses were an essential commodity, since the gentle contours and complete lack of forests made riding the most efficient means of getting about. Engus had provided Ulf with some strong, heavy creatures for farm work, and a riding animal for his personal use; any further requirements must be purchased from the local landholders, and not all of them had much need for the silver jewelry or fine furs offered in exchange. This was a frugal country where each animal had its own unique value.