Two days later when Somerled’s men came up to the isolated building to relieve the guards on duty, they found one fellow sprawled in the entry to the bolted cell, quite unconscious, with a red lump the size of a goose egg on his head, and a bowl of cold porridge splattered all about on the ground. If the man had borne any weapons, they were gone now. The other guard was face down over the stone dyke that ran from hut to farmhouse; his skull bore a nasty gash, as if struck with some force by an iron rod or bar. Now that they looked closer, it seemed the very bolt that served to keep the prisoner in had been wrenched from its pins and used to render this fellow insensible, for the great length of rusted metal lay there in the field beyond; a flock of ewes with early lambs at foot grazed peacefully around it. When they saw that, the men muttered and threw glances at one another. Perhaps it was true what folk said, that this was no ordinary warrior but a vengeful ghost come back from beyond the grave. Did not such a feat demonstrate a strength beyond the purely mortal? As for war fetter, Somerled must have been wrong. This was no shrinking invalid, but a warrior best avoided unless you had a troop of heavily armed men at your back, and even then you couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t fell you with a neat little tap of the fist. And what about the dog? The dog might be back at any time, creeping up with its bloody fangs ready to rip you to shreds. The man was best left alone, if you asked them; trying to get hold of a fellow like that was a bit like trying to bring a dragon or hill troll to heel, both exceedingly daring and very, very stupid.

But when they took the news to Somerled, he sent them straight back out again, and two of his Wolfskins with them. They must spare no effort, leave no possibility unexplored. Eyvind had been his friend; Eyvind was to be found and brought back alive. What the man had done could in no way be disregarded. He had stood against his chieftain’s forces at the very moment of their great endeavor and shouted words of basest treachery; lies, poisonous lies. He must be brought to justice and made to see the error of his ways. Eyvind was an oath breaker, and he must pay the price.