Chapter 91: The Battle of Ketil Farm

Near the shore Thorgil sketches the situation in the sand for Olmar, explaining that the king's undefended rear reflects confidence that Ketil owns no warships. He dismisses an ambush and Olmar's timid idea of a night raid as beyond their untrained peasants, admitting their army will simply be butchered. When Olmar asks why they bothered to assemble it, Thorgil answers that its only purpose is to distract the king for about a hundred seconds. Across the field the Jomsvikings stare down Ketil's line. Ketil calls for the vanished Thorgil, then orders his archers to loose despite Snake's final warning that they cannot win, and the shields of the Jomsvikings turn the volley aside.

Farther off, Thorfinn sees the fighting begin and prays for Pater's safety on the line. He hurries to Sverkel's cart, where Einar, Leif and Bug-Eyes wait with the still-unconscious Arnheid. Leif brushes aside Bug-Eyes's unease about stealing a slave, saying he left fair payment and could not abandon Thorfinn's friend to certain death under Ketil. The battle's confusion, he notes, is the safest moment to slip her away, and Einar worries only that a farmer defeat will doom Ketil's whole family.

Arnheid dreams she rides a cart driven by Gardar, cradling her baby with Hjalti on her lap, the children lulled asleep by the rocking. Gardar promises their hardships will soon end, then halts the cart and tells her to go bid a proper farewell to those who helped her while he waits. Remembering she must thank Thorfinn and Einar, she opens her eyes in the real cart, and Einar has Bug-Eyes stop to check on her. On the battlefield Ketil's men are slaughtered as Canute deems his second line unnecessary and orders Wulf to send troops forward to seize Ketil fast. Unable to match Thorgil, Olmar swims back to shore, while Thorgil reaches the royal ships and closes on the king from behind.

Thorgil admits the assembled farmers exist only to distract Canute for roughly a hundred seconds. Ketil orders an attack over Snake's warning, and the Jomsvikings repel it. Thorfinn, Einar, Leif and Bug-Eyes use the battle's chaos to carry the unconscious Arnheid away in Sverkel's cart. Arnheid dreams of riding home with Gardar and her children before waking. Ketil's forces are massacred, and Thorgil swims to reach Canute's unguarded rear.

The chapter appears in Volume 13 and adapts to Episode 43 of the anime. Its Japanese title, Ketiru Nōjō no Tatakai, translates directly as the battle of Ketil farm. The featured quote is Gardar's dream instruction to Arnheid, telling her to go say her goodbyes while he waits for her.