Inghen stepped closer. There was the slightest note of desperation in her voice.

'You don't understand,' she said. 'This isn't just for me, or for my family - the reputation of all my crew is being dragged down by this! I haven't killed my father's killer. What do you think people say about us? They can't feel respect for a woman warrior who hasn't avenged her father - they say it just goes to show that women shouldn't be allowed to be fighters. And all your reputations are dragged down by this, by association. If I kill this berserker, we'll go up in people's estimation, all of us, not just me. It affects you as well, and your brothers, and your comrades.'

Gunnholm shook his head. 'I'm no oathbreaker,' he mumbled obstinately.

'Couldn't you kill him when he's out of his fit?' asked Thorir. 'I know berserkers are always weak after going into their frenzy...'

Gunnholm nodded shortly. 'Aye,' he replied briefly. 'Aye.'

'But what about the other berserkers?' asked Inghen. 'There are five of them... Only Varg was berserk before.'

Gunnholm nodded again, then shook his head. 'The others won't be affected,' he said. 'You couldn't get to him if they were around.'

Inghen cursed. 'Well, how in Odin's name am I going to kill him, then?' she demanded. 'Gunnholm - you must tell me how to kill him.'

'I can't,' the berserker said desperately, stumbling over his words as he struggled to explain himself. 'I spent many years learning the magic arts that make a man immune to fire and iron. I'm part of the Order. I'm sworn to serve my lord - or lady - faithfully. But my first loyalty is to the Order. If I told you how to deal with a berserker, then soon everyone would find out, and we would lose our edge. One day there might be no berserkers - we would be wiped out. We're not popular, especially when we get out of hand, like this Varg. But we're needed. As soon as someone learns how to deal with us, then we're doomed. And if we are doomed, then so is the Viking way of life.'

His words hung in the chill sea air, and Inghen looked around to see the faces of her companions. She could see that they all understood.

So did she, but what could she do? Her father had to be avenged; all the laws of honour insisted that she hunt down his killer and carve the blood-eagle upon his back. But how could she fulfil her duty if, as Gunnholm said, the whole of Viking society would be threatened?

She shook her head. That was too big a thing for her to understand, and she found it difficult to believe anyway; there would be Vikings until the end of time, she was sure of it. One way or another, she would have to kill Varg.