Honor and DeathThe battle was finally over, but the Vikings had paid a dear price for their victory. Half the men lay on the sand, torn apart or struck dead, and many of the survivors had wounds and bruises all over their bodies. Ambjorn's group had suffered the most casualties, because they knew little of the ways of the battle and were badly equipped. There was a gaping hole in Ambjorn's boat, but so was the case with Ambjorn himself. He was lying on the sand, gasping for breath like a fish on dry land. A trickle of crimson blood flowed from the side of his mouth, tangling with his red, messy beard. Jofrid sat at her husband's side, trying to mend his broken body in vain. The sculpted pride and harshness had vanished from her bearing, washed away by genuine fear and worry, which was some
