The next morning, a sharp kick to the head woke Hakon. He cursed and sat up, blinking in the hazy light. It took his sleep-filled mind a few moments to grasp the chaotic activity around him. Like a nest of angry hornets, men scurried this way and that, shouting commands and grabbing their weapons. Hakon grabbed his cloak and sword and sprang to his feet.
Everyone ran for the ships. One glance seaward explained why. Three mighty longships had rounded the southern shoulder of the bay. They were so close that Hakon could see the ocean foam dripping from the dragon-headed prows as they cut through the swells.
“To the ships, Hakon!” somebody yelled.
Hakon sprinted for Egil"s ship, where men laid their shoulders to wood in a desperate effort to get the knarr into the sea. Egil stood at the st
