Thorfinn is determined to face the brutal challenge of having to endure one hundred punches in order to speak with Canute. His father's words resonate with him as he undergoes this brutal but necessary task.
Thorfinn is caught off guard and knocked unconscious in a fight with the servants. In the midst of this, he had a dream in which he sees his father and his arch-enemy. How will they respond to the current state of Thorfinn?
Thorfinn begins his duel against Askeladd with Canute and Thorkell as witnesses. However, Thorfinn is unable to strike as he stands overwhelmed by the extraordinary mood that overtakes Askeladd after Bjorn's departure.
Thorfinn is told to think about what he has to do to beat Thorkell. Askeladd treats Thorfinn's wounds so that he may fight again someday, and proposes a joint strategy to help the two of them survive longer.
Thorfinn kills his first man. As more time goes on Thorfinn kills more men and becomes more skilled. One day when Thorfinn is in battle he gets shot with an arrow and ends up unconscious. An English woman and her daughter help him recover.