Valgar of Valta has won Skarperdinn to his cause, but will the chieftain's word be enough to sway the Council of Elders? The two men set out to seek the aid of Skarperdinn's father, Njall the Burnt, but their quest is menaced by the dread serpent Jonnung, and Berrga, collectress of corpses. Meanwhile, vowing to win back Valgar at any cost, Skarperdinn's wife Hildegirrd journeys to see her cruel sorceress sister Sosjia Black-Cloak, whose son Hanserr wields formidable magic from a mad bard. Little does Valgar know that, under an evil spell, his beloved Astridr no longer even remembers him...