Avaldsnes, Rogaland, Early Summer, AD 935
Sunny, cloud-filled skies graced their journey south around Agder, then north along the western coast. Though the constantly shifting wind forced the men to row and a light rain fell on their fourth day, the trip was uneventful. The men used the time to rest their weary bodies, mend clothing and weapons, and give the gods thanks for their lives. Hakon basked in the sun"s warmth and the easy banter of his men, and did his best to avoid the malignant stares of Erik, who was tied to the aft-deck upright that they used to hold the sail when it was furled.
On the seventh day, Hakon"s army reached the Karmsund Strait, a narrow waterway formed by the island of Karmoy on the west and the mainland of Rogaland to the east. They had come here because it was
