811 AD(/, a family, is- olated i?@ n their hom_=$e]+(,@ de:ep in the woods a few days` travel from-[ Birka. Th#ey are poor. The hun:\#ting and fishing has/[: been# # bad for s
?ome ]!tim]_,e, and the fa;t:her, Joar, ta`.`kes the desperate measure of going o,/n a Vik\ing rai)?d. \?Joar does, % not^ \\retu_.]rn f o# r* $ \-#a long tim:!
e, 
and; - ,_!the f+]amily %star-t(s to !f(*ear * he n%ever will. Runa, the oldes *t daug=hter, @_: t:akes:) over h
e %[r fathers
[chores,. in
hi=\;.s/ `abs#/`ence. [@She miss e+\(]s him dearly/\ and nour@)i^shes a t ender hope that he,!*# onc(e agai`,[;\n, wi.!l#
?l -:return^-# to=\ t]h/ #em. But in (her+` heart, somehow she kno`_w+ s, (@t hat the su/ \ffering of -
the family has$\ just be$gun. T\\]he+re is something in the. air, ][something in the water, the! wi,n.d (and =\in t-$he soil. .R_+?una is becoming aware of ,s$; omethi--ng vile, some%+thing d?#angerous out in(= the forest. :/O$.ne d_+ay when she _+!!is+ out hunting, she finds a bleedi_?ng man, a warrior, !-almost unc o#ns^;cious]. S`:^h]e brin:^+gs him inside /and  the family t/.en? d to his woun/
ds. As he heals, she re/alize;s he i%s sent :t\#o p`rot^\ect^,# the [_,family 
f \ rom an ap .proa!=chi -ng evil\%..;$ And he brings news?]^[# of her father.