I take up my chronicler’s pen because I dandled my grandson on my knee while his father rode into Jorvik, thus I cannot report the events directly, as before. Forgive me if I miss out or blur any details of what happened since I can do no better than recount what Aella told me. He pitched camp near Jorvik and had to wait several days until the fierce and intimidating veterans of jarls Oitir and Gragabai arrived from Ireland. Reinforced by these battle-scarred Vikings, Ragnall grouped his men into three battalions and, in this disposition, they marched or rode towards the Tyne.
On the eve of the battle, Aella was summoned to Ragnall’s tent and there a plan was hatched to face the Scots on the morrow. Ragnall hand-picked a company of warriors he considered his best fighters and united them
