A strong northerly gusted down the Skaggerak and churned the sea into a seething onslaught of whitecaps. Unable to use their sails, the men rowed, though the angry ocean made it tough for them to find their rhythm. They were close. Hakon could see the island and the headlands that guarded the entrance to the Viksfjord, within which Kaupang lay.
“Put your backs into it!” Egil called above the wind, as if reading Hakon"s mind. It had been five days since they had left Avaldsnes, and though they had made good time, Hakon was anxious to reach his nephews to make sure they were safe. The men grunted at the oars and pushed on through their pain.
As they reached the headland, they smelled the smoke. It lingered on the wind, too heavy to be campfires or beacons. Hakon glanced at Egil, who had st
