Many Vikings thrived on war, rejecting diplomacy as a sign of weakness. For them, spilling an enemy's blood held more honor than securing a peace treaty. They cared little for the cost in innocent lives—the elders, the children, the mothers who would be caught in the crossfire. But Eivor was not one of them. She understood that war is a fire that consumes everything in its path, not just warriors. Treading upon lands already ravaged by plague, the shieldmaiden witnessed people suffering even without the sting of steel. She saw weeping children and desperate adults wailing over the dead, piled high for burning. It seemed these lands had a more pressing enemy than Vikings, yet their ruler had decided the "barbarians" poisoned his lands like rats and pestilence. He commanded vast resources, and a battle with the Raven Clan would bleed both sides dry.

"Of course, I do not doubt my own appeal, but allow me to ask. What does the Count's daughter gain from marrying a Viking?"