Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands

Beowulf, why come so far to watch an old Thane die?

You're nothing, Beowulf.

Your father was nothing.

Kill him.

There'll be no more blood spilt in this hall while I'm Reeve.

- I'm here to see Hrothgar. - Hrothgar is dead.

One Thane must rule us all. Why not you?

Would you rather it was someone else? I saw you.

Talking to him?

- You're different to the old healer. - I know.

All yours.

A Mudborn killed Bayen.

If I'm not avenged... I'll never enter the Halls of the Dead.

I will avenge you.

The wound wasn't from a beast. He was stabbed.

You don't belong here. Never did.

Slean is your half-brother. You're my blood. My son.

Herot will need you, and you will come.

Today... Hrothgar, Thane of Herot,

will enter the Halls of the Dead.

But my husband is not lost to you.

Take off your father's sword.

Raise it.

Higher.

Rate, the others might be at Herot already.

Ride ahead and tell Rheda

the Varni Thane will come in his own time.

For now... I feel like fishing.

Hyar!

What are you doing here?

- These are the Reeve's quarters. - Now he's gone, what will you do?

It's my responsibility to find Bayen's killer.

I'll leave you to it.

Bayen used to talk about you all the time.

Mostly about how he thought Hrothgar wished you were his son, not Slean.

Old men like to tell stories.

When people stop listening, they tell them a little louder.

Make them a little bigger.

Beowulf...

I never thanked you. You saved my life.

I wasn't there for you. I was there for the beast.

Still... thank you.

- May I ask you a question? - Go ahead.

Are you Slean's woman?

Only, I saw him leave your home this morning.

You did?

I did.

I don't belong to any man.

Then...

We're close.

- Is Breca awake? - He has company.

- Wife? - Children.

Quick, even for him.

I'm feeling lucky.

Feeling lucky.

Oh, yes!

Let me win back what I lost.

- Won't happen. - Her parents'll beat her.

Really?

It's character-building.

Take what's yours and get out. And you.

- Children? - Find me a proper game.

If you want a proper game, don't use loaded knuckles.

I'm a married man. I've got responsibilities now.

Up.

The healer said I have to rest.

Up. I need the mind of a murderer.

I told you - it was an accident.

What? You mean, the man you stuck a knife in... ?

All right! All right.

That mark on Breca's throat - you know it's from a noose, don't you?

Somebody had a reason to put it round his neck.

- What do you think you're doing? - Living.

Huh!

Vishka, it's six years since your father died.

Why now? Why this one?

Er...

Vishka, we were going to...

the snares.

They need checking.

Hrothgar wasn't only Thane of Herot. He was also Jarl,

leader of all the tribes across the Shieldlands.

And, to succeed him, you need a majority

of the votes at the Gathering. I'm not a child.

Then tell me how they'll vote.

The Thanes will be here by sunset.

The Wisdeth are farmers.

They need our iron, our warriors. Their vote can be counted on.

Scorann is a good Thane and a friend of Herot, but nothing can be counted on.

Go on.

Bregan is Abrecan's.

And my vote is yours.

And the forest people?

The Banning Thane has a weak spot for you...

but his vote is uncertain.

Which leaves the Varni.

Rate wishes to see himself made Jarl of the Shieldlands, instead of you.

But, in order to do so, he'd have to convince the others you're weak.

So you lose the vote.

And if I do... ?

Rate could challenge you.

You'd have to defeat him in single combat.

Ah...

What was that?

Bayen's body was here. Imagine you stabbed him.

You make it sound like I'm an expert at this.

Varni.

Varr. They said you were licking boots here, but I didn't believe that.

Even of you.

Take me to the woman who claims to be Thane.

Rheda will see you when she's ready.

You may wait in her chamber.

You said Bayen was alive when you found him.

If I was the killer,

why would I leave him breathing, with my name on his tongue?

- You were interrupted. - Or I was wounded.

Then you'd have bled.

The black blood of a Mudborn.

The one that killed Bayen?

The beast carried no wound. I saw it.

Then there were two Mudborn here.

Leave us.

Where's Rate?

The Varni Thane will come when he's ready.

I'm to see you're prepared for his arrival.

Inspect his quarters.

Are you his handmaid?

I'll have you shown there, and you can turn down the bed.

- You insult me. - As your presence here insults me.

But that's the point, isn't it?

There's only one thing that's blood can turn from black to red,

that can shift from Mudborn to human.

Tell him: if he wishes to be Jarl,

he will have to do better than that.

- Rheda... - I'm fine.

- The thing that did this... - ... was a Skinshifter.

And it's living among us.

How could you let this happen?

Let this thing get into my sister's private chamber

and threaten her life?

Slean's Huskarla are responsible for the Thane's safety.

If you'd done what I asked and found Bayen's killer,

this Varni wouldn't be dead.

How was I to know it was a Skinshifter? None have been found here for years.

Leave us. Now.

We're sure this Skinshifter killed Bayen?

Well, if not...

... who else?

People fear Skinshifters more than any other Mudborn,

because they can live amongst us...

undetected.

The Thanes arrive here in a few hours for the Gathering.

You'll never win their support if you can't even control Herot.

Then we ride out to meet them.

Delay their arrival.

Slean, ride west to meet Scorann.

You and I, brother, will ride north to meet the others.

You swore you'd avenge Bayen's killer. Can you find this thing and kill it?

If it's still here.

What happened to you?

You expect me to run towards a Skinshifter?

Give me a man to fight, or even a beast.

But one that's both?

What's that?

It used it to kill the Varni. Maybe Bayen, too.

It's been repaired. Dark edge on the solder. See?

The only other place I've ever seen that... is on this.

Your technique - you don't have any.

My leg - it still hurts.

What's wrong with you?

I'm better with a blade than you, but I can only make them.

You get to use one in battle.

You're not better than me.

Well, not yet.

And I didn't ask to be born a Huskarla.

But you were, and I wasn't.

An ancestor of mine saved some ancestor of Hrothgar's.

You don't appreciate what you have.

You don't want anything. What's the point of even being you?

I'm sorry.

It's not you I'm angry at.

Vishka... I do want things.

Like what?

Another chance to plant your backside in the mud.

Show a woman has no place holding a sword.

A woman?

Come on. And this time, think.

Don't just hack and slash.

- Is this Vishka's work? - Yes, it's hers.

But she's out, playing at being a Huskarla.

As soon as she's back, I'll send her over.

If it's Bayen's killer you're looking for,

there was an argument at the feast the other night.

Him and a smelter, Tarn.

That's all I know.

That's helpful.

You go on. Look into it.

I'll catch up.

Take a cold bath first.

He likes to think he's funny.