Ragna and Cat teach Osbert to count. Ragna spends most of her time—seven months at this point—at the lodge teaching the children. A guard named Elfgar tells her about new Viking attacks in West Country, led by King Swein. The truce is over. Mercifully, Wigelm comes once a month now, and Ragna learns that Agnes is suffering from the pox as well.

Ragna takes hope in the Viking attacks; If Ethelred brings an army to fight the Vikings, he will probably discover her. Aldred encounters the army near Dreng’s Ferry and sees Blod working the raft. The king’s men will not pay the toll until Aldred intervenes and says they will have to ferry their men across under their own power. The leader, Cenric, says they will need all of the monks’ food and drink.

Aldred meets with King Ethelred, who is furious that he must take the ferry; he did not know about the bridge’s destruction. At the monastery, Aldred asks to take tolls to raise money for the new bridge. He needs a charter that will grant independence to the monks. Ethelred agrees.