The five strangers, clearly Norsemen, came in peace to Ragnall’s longhouse at Strandhall on the Isle of Man. Their arrival provoked speculation and curiosity among his followers. These were unsettled times when rootless Norse-Irish roamed the seas searching for a home as their chieftain had done. After his profitable raids from the island base carved out for himself, the young leader had gained a reputation, and more warriors. His ruthlessness was a byword; nobody dared cross him, for he was swift to chide but slow to bless. Successful forays into Ireland, Alban, and Wales, had filled his coffers, and it was his soaring reputation that had brought the five sturdy strangers, who now left their weapons outside his door. The doorway alone spoke volumes about the man who owned the building. Ca
