Original subtitles

(WlND HOWLlNG)

Brother.

SVEN: My Lord Beothric.

He is mortally wounded.

Brother, you're a king now.

Rule well as father would have wished.

-Eirick. -Eirick. Brother.

ElRlCK: Everybody has a story to teII about their Iives.

My story begins the day I died.

There is in nature, an irreguIar occurrence

when the sun burns red as the moon crosses its path.

This is the BIood EcIipse.

A time when a pathway couId be opened between heaven, earth and hell,

which the Vikings called Valhalla, Midgard and Helheim.

The Viking gods used holy relics as keys to unlock the gates to reign over man.

But over time, the tale faded into myth.

Men abandoned the Viking gods

and embraced the new Christian god and his son.

Yet one god, the god of thunder, did not forget.

He resolved to take on human form, find the keys

and re-establish the Viking gods for all eternity.

(SlGHS)

Huh?

Row!

Jesus.

Norsemen! Norsemen! Norsemen!

-Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm! -(BELL TOLLlNG)

(PRAYlNG lN LATlN)

CLEMENT: Norsemen! Norsemen! The Viking, Norsemen!

-They've come for it. -Close the door!

(YELLlNG)

Charge!

(lNDlSTlNCT YELLlNG)

(YELLS)

(GROANS)

-None enter the abbey before me. -Aye, My Lord.

(YELLlNG)

Ahhh!

(ROARlNG)

(SCREAMlNG)

(GRUNTlNG)

God is our sword. Faith is our shield.

(GRUNTlNG)

-Where is the abbey? -This way, My Lord.

(GRUNTS)

(YELLS)

(BONES CRUNCH)

Be gone! This is the house of God!

l am a god!

-Blasphemy! -Silence!

l am Thor, son of Odin, brother of Balder.

l've come for that which is not yours, nor your one god, nor his son.

The necklace!

lt is a holy relic.

-lndeed. -lt is the necklace of Mary Magdalene.

ABBOT: You are no god!

Your blood runs as red as a man's!

Fool! Even gods must travel in the body of flesh here in this middle realm.

Was not your own Jesus pierced and broken?

WOLFRED: My Lord, we are ready to sail with the tide.

Good!

Hmm.

l shall give you what you truly desire.

Closer thee to thy god.

(WlND WHlSTLlNG)

(SNARLlNG)

(SNUFFLlNG)

(ROARS)

(BEAR GROWLlNG)

(YELLS)

(PANTlNG)

Forgive me, old friend.

State your business.

-My Lord Frey. -There's no need for that, my friend. Rise.

God, that stench of bear is very strong.

Better l stink of his blood than he of mine.

(CHUCKLES)

Eirick Bloodletter, High Thane of the Jomsberg.

A huntsman.

l was never fond of that name.

Most of your kind would kill to make such a name.

(BOTH TOAST lN FORElGN LANGUAGE)

Eirick.

A decade in these woods, how have you kept your wits?

l would have lost them sooner had l stayed, My Lord.

And you managed to find a measure of peace

-up here with the bears and the wolves? -l have.

Then my heart is heavy.

Then lighten it with what you came here to say.

l bring you news of coming war.

Thor has returned to the Midgard

and gathered around him the Northern Kings of the mortal,

the Trøndelag.

There is turmoil in the world.

l was there, Eirick,

at the battle before time.

And l've seen what will become of this world if the Jötun giants are set loose again.

l would not see such things again.

Thor is here to open the gates of Valhalla, Midgard and Helheim.

-You must stop it. -How?

l'm a man.

l am no match for a god.

But you are not just a man. You are far more.

Ordinary men are not brought back to life.

(lNDlSTlNCT YELLlNG)

FREY: My sister gave you the gift of life because of her love of you.

For years, you lit her world with your love,

the ultimate love, that between a man and a goddess.

She brought you back because she could not bear a world without you.

She never asked for anything in return.

Eirick.

-Freya. -Live.

My lover.

Live.

Eirick, you are now an undead.

Only an undead can pass through Helheim and return to Midgard.

Not even a god, not even me, can enter and return.

But you can.

There is in Helheim a gilded horn.

That once blown in the very face of Thor will destroy Thor's human flesh

and send him back to the place of spirits where he belongs.

You can choose to deny me.

You can stay here.

But the pathway will be opened during the coming Blood Eclipse.

Retrieve the horn.

Make your way to the Henge of Stones inside the fort at Trondheim.

Blow the horn there, and Thor will be defeated.

What you ask of me is impossible.

l would have chosen a weaker man had it been a simpler task.

Go first to Osberg.

There you will find a wizard by the name of Alcuin.

He will lead you to the Gates of Hell.

Wind to your back, Viking.

Clear skies above.

(MAN GRUNTlNG)

lf you're gonna stand there and watch,

l'd sooner you come here and give me a hand.

l should have known it was you. Stink of fucking bear shit for miles.

So l'm told.

l've got to say it's good to see you, so bear shit be damned,

'cause you're still my king even if you do live like a hermit.

No longer.

-l need your boat. -Well, l knew it wasn't a courtesy call.

Look, to be honest with you, it's not mine any more.

lt belongs to another.

But l have a feeling we could work something out.

-We'll have to collect it in Osberg. -Osberg?

That's where l'm headed. Then to Trondheim.

Well, it's a long way, so we best get going.

No, Sven. This journey of mine, it's dangerous.

You have a wife, family, child...

Yeah, and l'm a Viking first and foremost.

So give me a moment to collect my things and bid farewell,

and l will be back.

You know, it's 1 0 years.

Ten years.

l thought you would have shown your face here before then.

(LAUGHlNG)

Hey, my friend, can you give us a ride to Osberg?

Osberg? Everyone's going north, not east.

Kings of the Trøndelag are spending silver like they have a mine of it.

Wood, iron, warriors. Anything that can go north for war, they buy.

What business have you in Osberg?

None of your fucking business.

Well, can you pay?

Yeah, we can pay you in fur.

lf you were virgin girls, l'd take your fur for pay.

Come on. Give me a hand here.

(HORSE SNORTlNG)

MAN: Help! Help!

-(BANGlNG) -Help! Help!

Help!

-There's something inside. -Pay no attention to that. lt's just a slave.

SVEN: What the... (CHUCKLES)

What manner of man is coloured yellow?

(SPEAKlNG lN MANDARlN)

Who are you?

SVEN: Maybe he's a Laplander or a dwarf. (CHUCKLES) Way too ugly to be an elf.

Damn you.

(SPEAKlNG lN MANDARlN)

Son of a bitch!

l will kill him.

Enough!

-Release him. -What?

You heard me, release him.

(LlVELY MUSlC PLAYlNG)

That's the one.

USTUS: Welcome to Osberg.

Did you think you could mess with Ustus and live?

Now put your weapons down, and you might live to regret them words.

Smart tongues don't waggle for long. Kill 'em.

(YELLS)

(GRUNTlNG)

(STRAlNlNG)

(GRUNTlNG)

You free me. l repay debt. We're even.

-lt's gonna be worth keeping the wee man. -ElRlCK: Will you join us?

Food.

(CHUCKLlNG)

-l'm looking for King Karl Redbeard. -GUARD: What do you want?

Tell him Eirick the Bloodletter of the Jomsberg is here

and wishes to seek his counsel.

KARL: Alcuin, the wizard.

Strange fellow. l never really understood what was in his head.

Well, he's no longer with us, as you can see.

l'm afraid you've come a few moons too late.

Not that any of us will miss him very much, l shouldn't think.

-ElRlCK: What happened? -A group of warriors.

Geat warriors, they were.

Came to trade. Not many in number. That was the last we saw of Alcuin.

The Geats have taken him to Gotland.

KARL: Yes, Gotland.

They must've taken him to their leader, Heflar.

From what l understand, he's not very fond of visitors,

if you know what l mean.

Anyway, if you are sincere in finding the druid Alcuin,

then you're going to need ships.

-We have a ship. -Well, then you're going to need men.

You're going to have to cut your way through there.

Yes, here. Here.

Thank you, my dear. (CHUCKLES) A pleasure as always.

Well, anyway, let me see what l can do to help you gentlemen out this evening.

ln the meantime, let's drink, shall we?

(SNlFFS)

By the way,

who's your friend?

-We found him. -l think he might be an elf.

But he fights like a Valkyrie.

(LAUGHlNG) An elf, you say? Well, a big bastard, isn't he?

Yang Fu Sun.

Yang? ls that your name?

Eirick. Sven.

Karl. (CHUCKLES)

Eirick. (MlSPRONOUNCES) Sven.

That's close enough.

Yang. Strange little name for a strange wee man.

-Sven. -(SPEAKlNG lN MANDARlN)

Ugly name for an ugly man.

Cheers!

(CROWD CHEERlNG)

(LlVELY MUSlC PLAYlNG)

Friends, friends,

kinsmen, Thanes,

(MUSlC STOPS)

Lords, good fellows all, eh!

(CHUCKLES)

And the rest of you bastards.

(ALL LAUGHlNG)

Well, we have guests, guests of great fame and grim repute.

Welcome, Eirick Bloodletter, once King of the Jomsbergs.

That same Eirick who smashed the Danish army at Jutland,

who fought outnumbered on Zealand.

And back to back with his great friend, Sven Stavanger,

fought from noon until night.

Eirick Bloodletter,

so beloved of the great goddess, Freya,

when he was struck down in battle, he was raised, raised, raised

by her divine intervention.

Come now, brother. Come. Let us see your face, sir.

That face, that until this night, we have all known only by legend.

Sir!

(ALL MURMURlNG)

l stand here today for a god has asked me to write a song

for people to sing in years to come.

A sombre song it may be. lt requires a journey to Helheim and back.

Yet we are Vikings and unafraid of anything that hell may fling on us.

So any man here who would be a Viking, come. Follow me.

-Not exactly an inspirational speech. -lt's been a while.

You're telling me.

We're gonna be rowing our fucking selves to Gotland.

(MURMURlNG)

-l'm Olaf, son of Redbeard. -Welcome.

-And l am Gregor, also of Redbeard. -Welcome.

Anyone else?

(SPEAKlNG lN MANDARlN)

Let's go.

Yamar, l'm a hunter, and my bow is yours.

ElRlCK: Thank you.

l'm called Henrik.

-Will there be any fighting? -There will, lad.

Then l'm with you.

Any chance of gold?

(SCATTERED LAUGHTER)

Not really.

Well, little enough to be made here, l suppose.

-Can you do with an old bugger like me? -We can.

(PEOPLE WHlSPERlNG)

-Bernard. -Killer of women and children.

l ask again.

Any more men?

Brynna the Fair, daughter of Hildegard, reader of wind.

-This is not a quest for a woman. -(CROWD LAUGHlNG)

Thank you, brothers.

Toast. Toast now!

To honour, to glory, to a valiant death, and then on to the hall of heroes.

(TOASTlNG lN FORElGN LANGUAGE)

Please, take one of my ships. Not this bucket.

-Does it float? -SVEN: What do you care?

The man promised you a good death, and drowning is as good as any other.

Olaf's right. We should take his father's longship.

No, in this, we'll pass unnoticed.

Hopefully, leave the same way.

Sven, l told you that woman was not to come.

-Well, l'm afraid she has to. -Why?

Well, you remember the conversation

-we had about the boat? -Hmm.

Well, that is the new owner.

And captain your crew.

On my ship, you'll do as ordered as any man here will.

lf you don't like it, l hope you swim well.

(MEN WORKlNG)

WOLFRED: My Lord, we had nothing but success.

We've raided as far south as España, across the Anglesey,

and down their rivers as far as the village of Paris.

But still no word on the Horn of Helheim.

Hmm.

Whoever possesses the horn possesses the power to stop me.

WOLFRED: My Lord, l cannot see how.

Our warriors and our ships are ready. Christianity lies at our feet.

With you, a god made man, nothing can stop us.

Even a god can be stopped.

l know you had no choice to take me.

But l will say this wind won't abate anytime soon.

What does a woman know about winds and waves?

As much as anyone whose mother died in childbirth

then whose father took her on the longboats.

l have sailed the great seas to Angle lsle and Greenland

and woven a course between mountains of ice.

l've been shipwrecked on the Great lsland

and almost died of thirst, becalmed on the Sea of Sighs.

Perhaps voyaging to Helheim will be easier than that.

You can still get it wrong.

l say by nightfall, we will all be rowing.

And l say we won't.

-(lNDlSTlNCT WHlSPERlNG) -Hmm.

We go to far Gotland to the Fjord of Jörmungandr.

Wolfred, get 50 men.

You, guard the Henge of Stones. lt has begun.

ElRlCK: I couId feeI the bad bIood.

That's what you get when there are strangers sleeping next to you.

I couId smeII the stench of a traitor amongst us.

Men are just so full of wind.

YANG: Eirick. Eirick.

Land ho, elf eyes!

Gotland. We're here.

This is way too quiet for my liking.

Stay close.

(MAN SCREAMlNG)

(SHOUTlNG)

(GRUNTlNG)

(GRUNTS)

(GRUNTlNG)

GREGOR: l got one.

(SHOUTS)

(YELLS)

(GRUNTlNG)

(GRUNTS)

Henrik!

(GROANlNG)

To Helheim!

Bloodletter!

Eirick!

(PANTlNG)

The broach, it's up there.

God, what a jail.

Prison for a wizard of the earth. No contact with the ground.

Are you Alcuin?

Heflar of the Geats was many things.

None of them virtuous, most of them cunning.

And l have you to thank for his death, Thane of Jomsberg.

You know of me, wizard?

l saw the possibility of your arrival.

Will you let me down?

lf you promise to take me to the Gates of Helheim.

Any man may find those gates. Most eventually do.

l plan on returning.

None who cross that bridge may ever return, Thane of Jomsberg.

The dead know me as one of their own.

Ah!

Freya's mortal lover.

l heard tell, but did not believe.

l hear many things from many voices, Eirick Bloodletter.

-Will you help me? -l'll show you the way.

Close it is to any man's heart that truly seeks it.

(PANTlNG)

(SOFTLY) Lower me, please. Please, please let me down.

Soldiers come from the north. Many horses.

You have powerful enemies, Thane Eirick.

Come, wizard. Time is against us.

(lNAUDlBLE)

A wizard was kept there, sire. lt was as you said, an iron cage, no roof.

THOR: Good. Now, we shall see if he's all you think he is.

Who is this wretch?

(STAMMERlNG)

(PANTlNG) My Lord, raider ship killed our men.

Killed our great King Heflar.

Took the druid.

Who took the druid?

l heard the druid call him by his name.

Eirick, Thane of Jomsberg.

Heflar called him Bloodletter.

THOR: Eirick Bloodletter, a fine name.

You know him, sire?

We return to Trondheim. lt is done.

My Lord, surely we should pursue them.

No. He will come for me.

-How much further? -Oh, not far now.

ln Helheim, there are many things you must beware of,

but one thing you cannot avoid.

At the Gates of Helheim lies a massive hound,

a hound called Garm.

He has no eyes, but he can smell out the living and the dead.

You may not escape.

lt is there.

-How do l reach it? -Swim far and deep.

Follow the current as it gets colder and colder to the very depths.

There you will see the gates.

Eirick, are you sure about this? lt is madness.

Aye! Madness, it is. All bravery is.

You're gonna need tallow.

Are you scared?

-Terrified. -You should be.

l don't know if you're the bravest man l've ever met

or the biggest fool.

-lf l don't return by sun-up, go home. -You just make sure you come back.

-Eirick go? -ElRlCK: Eirick go.

-Yang no go? -ElRlCK: Yang no go.

-Full wind with you, my friend. -Clear skies above.

(CHUCKLES)

(NElGHlNG)

ALCUlN: Swim far and deep.

Follow the current as it gets colder and colder to the very depths.

There you will see the gates.

(GASPS)

(PANTlNG)

(SOFT RUMBLlNG)

(SCREAMlNG)

(GRUNTlNG)

(SNARLlNG)

(PANTlNG)

Father?

Of all the torment in this place,

none has caused me more pain than seeing you here.

l always believed you'd stand at the right hand of Odin.

l was the picture of a king, a coward of the worst kind.

Too afraid to live.

The door of heaven never opened for me.

Here l have been. Here l shall stand.

-How did you know l was here? -A whisper in my ear.

This is a place for torment, a settling of account.

Eirick, you are not my son.

Lies.

We are the dead. Lies offer no comfort here.

Truly, you are not my son. Your mother never knew.

He came, had my face, my image,

and she was deceived.

You are my father whether you seeded me or not.

ALFRED: (SHOUTS) Why are you here?

-l seek the Horn of Helheim. -(ECHOlNG) And then?

Then l will return.

No, my son.

You will remain here among the dead forever.

Not without a fight.

That's the difference between the living and the dead.

Hope.

Will you help me find it?

ALFRED: Hmm.

You will find the horn within the Gate of Souls.

(lNDlSTlNCT VOlCES CALLlNG)

(WOMEN GlGGLlNG)

Alive.

Stay with us.

Forever.

Father, now!

(SHOUTlNG)

Damn you!

You will not have him!

WARRlCK: Maybe we should go.

What need have we with Helheim?

He said it himself. lf he doesn't return by sunrise...

Yeah, l know what he said. But a ship stays on course, and so do you.

l say we leave! Who's with me?

He's been in there the whole night. He's probably dead by now.

-How many more of us do you want killed? -BERNARD: Coward.

Where is your honour?

You're a killer of women and children. What do you know of honour?

All my life, l was a farmer.

But then the raiders came.

Blood of the same Geat cowards we killed yesterday.

Burned down my farm, my father's home,

killed my wife and my children.

Carved me hollow.

Left me blank.

So the only thing l crave is the death l deserve.

So l killed those raiders. l killed them all.

l killed their wives. l killed their children.

Burned their homes and their ships.

And l listened to their screams

as they watched their seed wiped from the middle kingdom.

They meant to take all that l had.

But they could not take my honour.

And l'd rather die with honour than to live a coward.

That's a man spoken like a true Viking.

We wait.

Wait! Look out for Garm, the hound of Helheim.

He is the gatekeeper.

l passed it before. lt let me through.

Just because he lets you in doesn't mean he'll let you out.

(GROWLlNG)

Run!

(PANTlNG)

ElRlCK: Come on.

Come on! This way!

We can't outrun him. He can smell your blood.

Turn around.

Turn around, boy!

Think well of me always.

l am here!

(YELLlNG)

Think well of me, son, always.

Things aren't always as they seem, my love.

You must blow the horn in the face of Thor to stop him.

(HORN BLOWlNG)

YANG: Brynna, wake up.

He's there.

MAN 1 : Eirick. WOMAN: Eirick.

MAN 2: Brother. MAN 3: Eirick.

WOMAN: Eirick. SVEN: Eirick.

-Eirick. -(GRUNTS)

So you're back?

Are you gonna be all right?

Eirick, sit down and drink this.

-l saw my father. -SVEN: No, you never.

What you saw was some type of spirit made in his image.

No, it was him.

-He told me l wasn't his son. -Well, that can't be true, can it?

l grew up with you. l know your face, and l know his.

And he is your father for sure.

lt makes no sense.

But you got what you went for. You did it.

lf only l knew what she gave me when she gave me the gift of life.

l would have lived, Sven. l swear, l would have lived.

Yeah, well, it's not over yet, is it?

No.

So let me say something,

something l should've said a long, long time ago.

l've never met a man so brave and so afraid to be what he actually is.

Eirick, listen to me.

You are a great man. You were born to lead men, to inspire men.

But ever since l've known you,

all you've ever done is try and prove that you're just like everybody else.

But you're not.

l am pleased to see you, My Lord.

l doubted you would return,

and l did my best to turn aside the crew and sail for home, My Lord.

Warrick, you seem so frightened.

Often the most cautious are the most wise.

Warrick the Wise, there's a fine name for a Viking.

Welcome back.

-Did you decide? -What?

-Am l brave or a fool? -Both.

l have to blow this horn in the face of Thor.

Tell me what l should do.

He will be at Trondheim at the Henge of Stones.

-For the Blood Eclipse? -Yes.

But you will have the gathered armies of the Trøndelag to face.

-We have an army. -lt's been a very long time.

Hmm.

Do you think your brother's gonna be glad to see you?

No.

ElRlCK: So Eirick the BIoodIetter has become Eirick the Harrower of HeII.

But my story is far from over.

l now have to make a journey to the place l dread most, home.

With the horn and the protection of Lord Frey and Freya,

I believed all would be well,

and the Jomsberg would fight with me once more.

But nothing prepared me for the biggest betrayal that is yet to come.

Sven, drop the anchor.

Look, Jomsberg!

ElRlCK: This doesn't feel right.

Not all of us should go.

l'll stay behind if it pleases you.

Perhaps you'll keep Yang. He's a prize to men who keep slaves.

ALCUlN: That will be safe with me.

Yang no go?

Good.

Brynna, you stay behind. Keep an eye on Alcuin.

YORlCK: State your business.

This is the fortress of Jomsberg. We suffer no visitors.

You suffer no visitors?

What if that visitor pulled your unconscious body out of the Sea of Zealand?

Eirick, is that you?

-lt is. -Welcome home, My Lord.

Good to see you, old friend.

Hardly a moon goes by

when our swords don't wet the ground with some poor bastard's claret.

We only fight for gold now.

Not like the old days.

No more rushing off for desperate battles with terrible odds.

No more raids.

What would your father say?

The Jomsberg, mercenaries to the highest bidder?

l'll not be questioned by you in this hall again, Jorgen.

lf you don't like it, then give back your share and go!

My Lord Beothric and great Captains of Jomsberg,

l present Eirick, son of Alfred.

Let my brother step forward.

-Beothric, brother. -Eirick.

-l never thought l'd see you in this hall again. -l never thought to come.

But now that l have, it feels good.

But l have to say, your hospitality leaves a little bit to be desired.

You've not offered us even a sip of water, let alone a drop of the hard stuff.

We drink mead in this hall to celebrate and to mourn.

Your being here is cause for neither.

We were warned you'd come.

Come here to take back the throne of our father's.

Brother, no.

But then look around you, brother.

See you the poor trappings of our father's era?

No. No, you do not.

Twenty thousand gold coins l'm paid by the Byzantine emperor

for a squadron of our warriors.

Arthur of the Angles pays me 30,000 in silver, so that l may keep his throne safe.

For l, the younger and lesser brother, sit on this throne,

and our kingdom is rich.

And now, you come.

You're mistaken, brother. l did not return for the crown.

lnstead l've been asked by the gods to take on a battle with impossible odds.

-With whom? -The god, Thor.

(SCORNFULLY) Thor?

Just because he came back from the dead, he thinks he can take on the god of thunder?

l came here to ask for your help. Not to be mocked.

-Let's go. -No, brother.

l cannot allow you to leave.

A listening ear for all who despise my reign,

a figurehead for those who would overthrow me.

Forgive me, brother.

Take them away! Search them, and bring whatever you find to me.

l'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

Why don't you just give Lord Beothric what he wants?

Then we don't have to do this.

(GRUNTS)

(WHlP LASHlNG)

Someone's approaching, and it's not one of us.

You are friends of My Lord Eirick?

-We are. -YORlCK: Then know this.

He has been betrayed. He and his fellows are in the dungeon.

l might get you into the keep,

but by oath, l cannot raise a sword against my brothers.

But you might get him out, get him back to the boat.

Eirick needs us.

-Eirick need Yang? -Yes.

YORlCK: These Jomsberg are no brawlers, my lass. They're the finest warriors on earth.

Good. Arrogant men fall easiest.

(WlND STARTS BLOWlNG)

We'll not pass that courtyard unseen.

l wouldn't be so glum, good Yorick.

BRYNNA: Alcuin, hurry up.

Go! l will join you in due time.

GUARD: l can't see a thing. What is this mist? On your guard.

Keep it steady.

(GRUNTlNG)

This leads straight to the dungeons. Your friends are down there.

(SLlTHERlNG)

GUARD: The King is sending us north. We're just slaves for barter.

(GUARDS TALKlNG lNDlSTlNCTLY)

-Did you hear that? -(SHUSHlNG)

(GRUNTlNG)

(GROANS)

(GRUNTlNG)

(BRYNNA SCREAMS)

Brynna! Good?

Yes, Yang, l'm fine. You?

l'm fine. Come.

-Open the gate. -Fuck you, whore!

-Open the door. Open the door! -Whatever you say, my lady.

Hey, it's the little man.

-Yang good? -No, Yang, you're fucking brilliant.

-Where's Eirick? -SVEN: Next cell.

(BRYNNA PANTlNG)

By Odin's blind eye.

What have they done to you?

Brynna, where is the horn?

With Alcuin.

Where is he?

The druid and the horn, where are they?

Cut them down.

l'd stay still if l were you, My Lord.

See how he betrays his brother.

May he not treat you the same.

What did Thor offer you to betray me?

Why, all of the Angle lsles to rule as l see fit.

You see, brother, you're not the only one with the counsel of the gods.

You can keep your Angle lsles and the throne.

But understand this,

when l have subdued Thor, l will come back for you.

We will have our reckoning.

lt is you who does not understand, brother.

The horn itself commands the highest price.

Without it, you're worthless.

ALCUlN: King of Jomsberg.

Would this be what you seek?

You bastard! Traitor!

My, my. This is a fine thing.

You see, brother, the message was very simple.

"Your brother's coming, and he carries the Horn of Helheim.

"Retrieve it and capture him."

And with the help of your friend here, l have.

So now it's time for my reckoning with you.

Take him away. Treat him as befits a royal. Use the sword.

Throw the rest off the cliff.

Druid, come. Drink with me.

-l thought that there was a traitor among us. -lt's Alcuin, the wizard.

-He owes us his life. How could he do that? -(SVEN GRUNTlNG)

OLAF: ln return for Beothric's gold.

(SPEAKlNG lN MANDARlN)

We are all going to die,

aren't we?

My Lord, we are with you.

We will take you away from this place and give you shelter.

We will also gather our group of men to join you to fight the Trøndelag.

-What about the other captains? -For them, it's treason.

That looks like it hurts.

Let me.

lf this quest goes on too much longer, there won't be much of you left.

We've lost the horn. The odds are against us.

Could we not fight without it?

The horn is the only thing that can stop Thor.

Maybe l have no right to ask the men to go on.

Or you.

l know you said you would ask no more of me than any man.

But what if l wanted to give you what only a woman can?

Brynna, l promised my heart to another many years ago.

FREYA: l wondered how l ever loved such a human fool.

-Freya? -No, be still there.

Don't turn around.

We are far from one another right now,

but through this l can speak.

l barter myself with the gods so that you might live again.

But your life came with a condition,

that you and l can never experience love again.

But at least you lived.

l'd rather be dead than live my life without you.

You must.

l brought you back so that you should live.

We can no longer be.

Eirick, stop living in memories.

lf a man spends his life looking backwards, he'll miss what is right in front of him.

And what is right in front of me?

Hope.

A chance for joy, happiness.

A chance for the one thing that mortals have that the gods desire,

love.

lt is no shame to love again.

For what little time is left, Thor has...

Then fight for your right to tomorrow.

Fight so that your name is whistled down the ages

as a name for goodness, for worth and for light.

l'm sorry.

l didn't mean to...

lf you'd take me, l'm yours.

l'll think about it, My Lord.

(BlRDS CHlRPlNG)

(MARCHlNG FOOTSTEPS)

l know that look on a man's face.

-Amazing what a good night's sleep can do. -More like a night of not sleeping.

There's your army, My Lord.

You do your men and Jomsberg proud.

This will be a great battle.

They'll sing songs about the few that went to Trondheim

and smashed the armies of a god.

Men, we leave soon before Beothric finds out.

Forgive us, sire. We have traitors in our midst.

Some of our brothers have sided with your brother, sire.

The King is dead.

The druid.

What are they to do with only a few hundred men?

They are the Jomsberg. Who knows what they'll do?

l care little. Tomorrow l shall have the horn,

and no army in this middle kingdom will be able to stop me.

The gates of Valhalla, Midgard and Helheim will swing wide.

My Lord, what is this plan? What are you saying?

THOR: l shall open the pathway to open the gates of heaven and hell.

lt will wreak havoc upon our world.

THOR: l care little for your world.

Thousands of our people will die.

These people fell our fields, build our ships.

Surely, you cannot be unaware of the havoc this will cause.

Fool! Of course l am aware.

Only by my forging mayhem upon the world can the Christian god be destroyed forever.

This is not about our Viking quests or extending our realm.

lt's about you and the gods at the expense of mortals.

What care have l for mortals? l am a god.

You may care little, My Lord,

but l'll not let you lead us into our own destruction!

(GROANlNG)

(SCREAMS)

You forgot one thing.

Only those of the blood of the gods can use the weapons of the gods.

You, Wolfred,

suffer from a lack of vision.

Kings of the North, prepare your men.

Battle for the middle kingdom starts at sunrise.

Captain.

l name you King of Nordland in place of Wolfred.

So many.

Your men probe the shield wall right to left,

and throw our full weight on the left flank once the wall is broke.

-And if we break it? -Then we push through.

And if Thor shows up before then?

l shall call him out, and we'll fight to the death.

(SPEAKlNG lN MANDARlN)

Or we end up dead...

...and all our problems are over.

SVEN: The eclipse, it will begin soon.

ElRlCK: Men, we camp here for the night.

Men of Jomsberg, Vikings, brothers,

across the ridge is the army of the North, more than 1 ,000 strong.

We are but a few. Five to one.

lf you wish, l'll ride to their captains and ask for an extra day,

so they can gather more men. lt only seems fair.

(CHUCKLES)

Some of you know me. Some of you have bled with me.

Some of you have heard tall tales of battles won, gods and goddesses.

This is me, Eirick of Jomsberg, and my song is not yet finished.

The measure of a man is not measured in his battles won,

the dead by his swords, or the gold he has stored away.

A man is measured by his courage, his devotion to family,

his willingness to grab his destiny.

lf we do not fight this day, there will be a generation of terror,

and the gods will unleash horrors of the old age.

Today, you do not fight for yourself.

Today, you fight for your wives,

your sons, your daughters.

lf you should die this day,

die with the faith that you have stood shield to shield with your brothers

and die as a Viking should, with honour.

Come.

Follow me!

(SHOUTlNG)

Now, that's more like it.

(MAN CALLlNG OUT ORDERS)

KANUTE: They don't stand a chance against our mighty army.

RAlDER CAPTAlN: Take position!

The wall!

(HORSES GALLOPlNG)

(YELLlNG)

Arrows, fire!

Take cover!

(SCREAMlNG)

First wave, form a new line!

(BATTLE CRY)

(GROANlNG)

-Retreat! -Retreat!

(YELLlNG)

(CHEERlNG)

(SHOUTlNG)

(GROANlNG)

(NElGHlNG)

(GRUNTlNG)

(BONES CRUNCH)

Come on, you bastards! Come on!

(GROANS)

(WHlP CRACKlNG)

We've broken down the wall, Captain, but we've lost many of our men.

We have to win. This is theirs or ours, we will fight to the very end.

(MEN CHARGlNG)

Another captain comes!

(YELLlNG)

My Lord, your brother is dead.

We pledge ourselves to you and your noble cause.

Come. Let us join the fight.

-Sire. -Speak, man.

They've broken to the left, sire. They've reinforced.

KANUTE: Let's ride.

(STRAlNlNG)

(SCREAMlNG)

OLAF: Gregor!

(GROANlNG)

-KANUTE: We're broken. -Who will tell Thor?

To hell with him. l'll ride to my ships and beyond.

-Stay if you wish. -Save yourself if you can.

You're not Vikings.

To hell with you, too, King of Nordland.

RAlDER CAPTAlN: Back to the fortress! Retreat! Retreat!

(BATTLE SOUNDS)

(GROANlNG)

(YELLS)

-There's going to be none left for us. -Fine with me.

l didn't come here to be a casual observer.

(YELLlNG)

l won't let you do it.

So, what now, Eirick? You cannot stop me.

Did you come just to see me open the Gates of Helheim?

l may not have the horn, but do you see me running?

l've come to face you, Thor, and die if l must.

Ah, yes, the horn.

By blowing this here, you thought to send me back to Valhalla?

l will try.

You cannot stand against me, my son.

(THUNDER CLAPPlNG)

Your father did not know the truth.

He took after his form to lay with your mother.

l did not need such artifices. She was a willing whore to my desires.

Did you truly believe a mortal man could rise from the dead,

could drink from a cup of Frey without dying,

could lay with the goddess of love without being driven insane by desire?

The blood of the gods is in your veins.

My blood is in your veins.

Yield to me, and together we shall rule the world with our fist,

and we shall drive the one god and his son from the face of the earth.

l will not let you destroy the middle kingdom.

Then fight.

(YELLlNG)

(BOTH GRUNTlNG)

(GROANlNG)

(GRUNTS)

(ElRlCK YELLS)

(SCREAMlNG)

(STRAlNlNG)

(MOANlNG)

(SCREAMlNG)

(CHOKlNG)

No. Eirick!

(GASPS)

(SCREAMS)

(PANTlNG)

Your weapon holds no fear for me!

l have the blood of the gods in me. l have the blood of the gods.

(GROANlNG)

(BREATHlNG HARD)

(WHOOSHlNG)

CLOAKED FlGURE: May l have the Horn of Helheim?

Lord Frey.

Poor Thane of Jomsberg.

You can blow this until the sea freezes over, but it was never meant to blow Thor away.

No, it was meant for another, higher purpose.

-But you said... -Yes.

l told you only an undead could enter hell.

Being gods, both Thor and l needed you to obtain this horn.

You see, three relics are needed to open the gates of heaven, earth and hell.

The necklace of Mary Magdalene from Midgard,

the hammer of Thor from Valhalla,

and the gilded Horn of Helheim.

You poor fool, the horn is the final key,

and you've brought it to us.

Why are you doing this?

Men are ungrateful.

We have protected you for ages. Then you abandon us for some new god?

lt is time for man to pay the price.

My son, together we could have ruled the world.

(GRUNTS)

(SCREAMlNG)

-FREY: The horn is breaking. -Something's wrong.

(CRYlNG OUT)

Why is this happening?

Because it's a fake. l gave a false horn to Beothric.

l listened to what the earth told me.

l knew your plans, Frey, and l learned you would betray us.

Nature will always tell the story of a traitor.

No one, god or mortal, should rule the earth.

(FREY SCREAMlNG)

(SCREAMlNG)

(BRYNNA COUGHlNG)

Brynna.

lt's a good death.

lt should have been me.

No one chooses their fate.

You're not responsible for my life or anyone else's.

Only your own.

(MOANS)

l'm at peace.

l have a glorious death.

Send me back to sea.

ElRlCK: Behold Brynna the Fair.

Do you see your mother awaiting you in paradise?

Behold Gregor the Formidable. Do you see our kinsmen?

Behold Warrick the Wise.

Do you see your rest awaiting you in paradise?

Behold Bernard the Viking. His paradise is his honour and family.

And there l see my friends surrounded by those who have gone before.

For when my time comes, l shall join them there gladly.

ElRlCK: Such marks the passing of the old gods

from the middle kingdom.

Mankind is now free to choose their gods, their friends, their enemies.

I became known as Eirick, Thor's son.

My men and l have become the guardians of the holy relics.

Not many know of our existence.

So, our song, our song is not yet sung.