The hours since leaving Fjell?rn had taught Sigrida the rhythm of Helga's karve - the way it responded to each wave, the gentle rise and fall growing more pronounced as the wind strengthened from the northwest. Standing near the prow, she watched clouds gathering on the horizon, their dark masses creeping steadily closer. A fine spray occasionally misted her face when the bow cut through a larger swell.

  The fleet stretched ahead, their square sails still hanging slack in the fitful breeze. She searched for Brandr's ship among the vessels, but distance and the thickening air obscured her view.

  "Sigrida!" Helga called. "Come join us."

  Steadying herself against the karve's wooden side, Sigrida made her way to where Helga sat with Sigmund and Beowulf by the steering oar.

  Helga's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Tell me, girl, how much battle experience do you have?"

  Sigrida straightened, aware of her limitations but determined to show her worth. "I've trained with Astrid and Erik, and I fought raiders when we were attacked on our way back from Honningdal. But this will be my first large-scale battle."

  "Raiders?" Sigmund leaned in. "That's a worthy test for any warrior. Tell me how you fared."

  "I held my own," Sigrida replied, a hint of pride in her voice. "I suppose this will be much different, though."

  Helga smiled. "So what do you expect of this battle? How do you think it will unfold when we encounter Gunnar's forces?"

  Sigrida considered the question carefully. "I imagine we'll sail until we find Gunnar's fleet," she ventured. "Then we'll engage them directly, ship against ship."

  Sigmund and Beowulf exchanged knowing glances, while Helga's laugh boomed across the deck.

  "There's more to it than that," Sigmund said. "Gunnar has the advantage in numbers, both in men and ships. Torbjorn's forces are hidden in the mountains, while Gunnar holds Skogstrand and Torbjorn's longhouse. On land, the forces are nearly matched, but at sea, Gunnar has the upper hand."

  Sigrida's eyes widened as she absorbed this new information, feeling a mix of apprehension and eagerness to understand more about the complexities of the impending battle.

  Beowulf, who had been listening intently, looked to Sigrida. "How many do you think will fall in this battle?"

  Sigrida considered carefully before responding. "Even if the forces were equal, many would fall on both sides," she said thoughtfully. "But with Gunnar's greater numbers..." She hesitated, leaving the grim conclusion unspoken.

  Sigmund leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Sigrida. "And is that what makes a good leader? Losing good men needlessly?"

  Sigrida hesitated, caught off guard by the question. "I... I suppose not," she said. She looked between Sigmund and Beowulf. "How would a military leader prevent such losses?"

  "Magnus has a plan," Sigmund said. "One that could turn this battle in our favor, with far fewer of our warriors dying."

  Sigrida's eyes widened with interest. "What is this plan?" she asked eagerly.

  "We'll lead them into a trap with a decoy fleet," Beowulf said with a grim smile. "We'll lure Gunnar's ships over underwater rocks that nearly break the surface. Watch them shatter on what they can't see."

  Sigmund nodded. "That young friend of yours from Skogstrand gave Magnus the idea."

  "My friend?" Sigrida murmured, not understanding. The memory came slowly - that first morning of their escape, the sun bright on calm waters as Erik pointed out to sea. She could almost hear his voice again, explaining the danger that lurked beneath the deceptively serene surface.

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  "Erik!" Her eyes lit with recognition. "He showed us those rocks when we sailed from Skogstrand. They're just beneath the surface - close enough to tear through a ship's hull, but you'd never know they were there unless you knew exactly where to look." She remembered his words: "He said knowing these waters could mean the difference between life and death."

  Helga pulled a wooden tablet from her cloak. "Your friend made these maps for us." Her mouth curled in a fierce smile as she looked at it. "With these to guide us, we'll weave these waters true. But any ship following blind will find only death."

  "It's a risky game," Beowulf said. "One wrong move near those rocks and we too could crash against them."

  Helga grinned, a gleam in her eye. "But if we thread that needle right, we'll smash half his fleet before they can raise a sword. Though mind you, girl - we might all meet the gods before this day's done."

  Sigrida swallowed hard, the full weight of their task settling on her shoulders. The plan was as brilliant as it was perilous, and she realized that every member of their crew would be putting their lives on the line with each passing wave. The stakes were impossibly high, with death lurking beneath every wave.

  Sigrida's brow furrowed as she considered the plan. "Will our ships be nimble enough to navigate through the rocks?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

  "Our fleet is swift and light," Sigmund said, with pride. "Karves that can dance through narrow channels. This is the kind of water they're made for."

  "Gunnar's smaller ships might slip through," Beowulf said. "But those great drakkars of his? They'll shatter on the rocks, taking their warriors down with them."

  Helga laughed, glancing appreciatively at Erik's map before handing it to Sigrida. "Let's hope your friend's memory serves us true, girl. If he marked even one rock wrong, we'll all be dining in Rán's hall."

  Sigrida ran her finger along the delicate contours, remembering the quiet hours in Honningdal watching Erik practice his craft. She marveled at his memory - every treacherous rock marked precisely where he and Asbjorn had learned them, following their fathers through these waters again and again.

  Looking up from the map, Sigrida watched the strengthening swells slap against their hull. This plan wasn't just clever - it was crucial. Without it, Gunnar's superior numbers would overwhelm them. Yet even with Erik's careful mapping, success hinged on Gunnar taking the bait. Her stomach tightened at a sudden thought.

  "But what if Gunnar doesn't fall for the decoy?" she asked, looking up at Helga and her husbands. "What if he realizes it's a trap and refuses to follow our ships into the reefs? Why would he waste his drakkars chasing a few karves?"

  Beowulf straightened. "Magnus planned for that. He fed Gunnar's spies what they wanted to hear."

  Sigrida leaned in, her curiosity piqued.

  "A story about our ships carrying warriors to a hidden cove near Skogstrand," he said. "From there, they'd slip into the mountains to join Torbjorn's forces."

  Sigrida nodded, comprehension dawning. "Gunnar thinks our ships carry additional fighters to bolster Torbjorn's forces."

  "And he'll want to stop those warriors before they reach shore," Beowulf said. "He won't be able to resist the chance to weaken Torbjorn's defense."

  Sigmund said, "We'll sail close to Skogstrand, pretending to deliver these extra troops. Once Gunnar is convinced, we'll turn towards the reefs, with him in hot pursuit. Their desire to destroy will be their undoing."

  Sigrida felt a whirlwind of emotions. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

  "A war captain doesn't share plans with every warrior," Beowulf said firmly. "When you joined this crew, you accepted the risks. Every warrior knows that."

  Helga touched his arm. "Peace, husband. The girl means no offense. Her question comes from curiosity, not cowardice."

  Beowulf nodded at Helga's words, though his expression remained stern.

  Helga regarded Sigrida thoughtfully. "Tell me, what would you have done if you'd learned of this plan sooner?"

  Sigrida considered the question. "I... I probably would have told Astrid," she admitted. "Maybe Rannveig too."

  Helga nodded. "That's why we kept it quiet. A secret shared with one friend becomes a secret shared with ten."

  Sigmund added, his voice low, "And Gunnar's spies are everywhere, girl. Even now, some may dwell among us."

  His words made Sigrida think of Skogstrand, where she had known every face since childhood, compared to the constant flow of strangers through Fjell?rn's gates. Anyone there could be watching, listening, carrying words back to Gunnar. Looking down at the map again, she marveled at how many pieces had to align.

  The plan brilliant in its complexity - Erik's knowledge, Magnus's deception, Helga's skill, all woven together. But one mistake in these treacherous waters would mean death for them all. Her eyes drifted to the karve's narrow hull and shallow draft, uncertainty crossing her face.

  Sigrida took a deep breath. She looked up at Helga. "Helga, why did you choose me for your crew?"

  "Because I see someone ready to prove herself," Helga said. "Someone who knows who she is and what she wants and will fight for it. That's what I need by my side." She studied Sigrida. "Are you ready?"

  Sigrida felt the weight of what lay ahead - the deadly reefs, the pursuit, the battle. But in that moment, she also saw her chance to write her own story. "Yes," she said firmly.