The Damned

We should not be here.

Magnus said it was a place of opportunity,

if you could endure the cold,

the long nights,

the hunger.

This time last year, all these racks were full.

Yesterday, we started eating the fish

we had set aside for bait.

The men don't want to think of anything but the next day at sea.

Perhaps it's the only way they can survive.

But walking blindly into the dark is something I will not do.

- Hello, Helga. - Evening, miss.

- Oh, yeah. - Feels good.

I saved you the head, miss. - Thank you, Helga.

Will you sit down now? You've been on your feet all day.

Thank you, miss.

Yeah!

Bad enough that we're eating into our wages, but when they taste like that...

- If you don't like it, you know where the kitchen is.

You should swap places. Bet Helga can row faster than you.

Well...

Am I a liar?

No, not at all.

I found at least three seasons

when the midwinter catch was as poor as it is now.

We still had enough to sell come spring.

I meant no disrespect, Ragnar,

my concerns are less to do with the catch

and more to do with the well-being of the men.

In each of those years, not everyone survived the winter.

This is a fishing station.

Any man here that doesn't have scars on his hands,

salt in his blood, a rumbling in his stomach

from morning to night is in the wrong fucking place.

Father.

If you'll pardon my language.

Seeing as the mountain roads are snowed under till spring,

you know, we may as well... tighten our belts,

stop complaining,

because no one's going anywhere.

You know, Miss Eva,

your husband, God rest his soul,

he made it a tradition

to give a toast to the men on midwinter's night.

Things may seem dark now,

but we're already blessed with good fortune.

As of tomorrow, each day will be longer than the one before it,

until the springtime,

when you'll all be reunited with your loved ones,

wherever they may be. I'm sure they'll be very happy to see you.

Truth be told,

the only thing they'll be happy to see is the money in our pockets.

May the Lord protect you from hidden rocks,

harmful sea creatures and dangerous pirates.

Skål.

Skål.

That'll make you a man in no time.

Shut up.

There were two brothers I heard of

from a town a little north of here.

They were fishermen.

One was handsome,

one was plain...

They worked hard every winter.

And in time, became wealthy.

Now,

the plain brother spent his money wisely,

but the handsome brother did not.

The older he got,

the more he came to envy his brother's beautiful wife

and his fine house.

So,

one day,

when they were out at sea,

he took up his oar

and struck him!

Three times at the back of the head,

pushed him overboard and rowed home.

Told everyone that that there had been a terrible accident.

A year went by.

He married his brother's beautiful wife

and moved into the fine house.

Then,

late one night,

when everyone was in bed,

there was a knock at the door.

He sent one of the servants to see who it was.

But the man never came back.

He sent his wife...

But she didn't come back either.

Finally, the handsome brother went to the door himself.

But there was no one there.

Just the bad smell

of seaweed and rotting meat.

Then,

at the back of his neck, he felt...

Get out! Get out!

I was quite surprised at how merry everyone seemed last night.

Fisherman's way, ma'am.

You drink deep when times are good,

and deeper when they're bad.

Besides, I won a wager.

Seeing Ragnar part with money always cheers everyone up.

What was the wager?

Uh... I don't quite recall. It's...

Go on.

It's somewhat embarrassing, to tell you the truth.

It concerned you.

Me?

Merely...

Some of the men thought you wouldn't return this season.

After what happened with Magnus, they...

thought you'd sell the fishing station quickly

and move back to your family.

Magnus was my family.

-Yeah... -This fishing station is all I...

All I have left.

Come on! One, two, three...

Heave!

Poor bastards.

They must have got stuck on the Teeth when the tide turned.

What were they doing this far north?

Almighty God,

protect these men

and give them the help that they need.

And save them from the perilous sea.

Amen.

-Hey! Where the hell are you going? -Getting the bonfires lit.

Anyone still alive out there will be freezing by the time they get back to shore.

That...

That is not our business.

- It could be us out there. - But it isn't!

If they had any sense worth a damn, they wouldn't have taken a ship that big

so close to the shore in the first place.

We lost Master Magnus out in those rocks.

And you'd still have us take the boat out there?

Risk all our necks...

for strangers?

Foreigners.

We're not going to help them?

You heard what Miss Eva said last night, didn't you?

We can barely feed ourselves.

There might be 10, 20 people still aboard.

If you don't like how I run things,

find another boat to work on.

I'm the helmsman, dammit! It's my decision.

No, it's not. It's hers.

She owns the boat, not you.

I'm afraid Ragnar is right.

Helping those men will put all of your lives at risk and I cannot do that.

I cannot.

We will not fish today out of respect.

That's good.

We should search the other beaches.

Be a waste of time.

What do you mean?

It's a damn stroke of luck this ended up where it did.

I know the currents around the Teeth.

Whatever wreckage can float will stay close to them.

For how long?

Till the tide turns.

After that, who knows?

Could we get a boat out there before then?

We'd have to leave now.

Hey! Keep rowing!

Whoa, whoa! Stop! Stop!

There!

Watch it, you fool! You'll have us all tipped over!

Ragnar, get up here.

- Let's go through the back of the boat. -Push us off, damn it!

Can't we help them?

There's too many of them! They'll swamp the fucking boat!

Get to the back of the boat, ma'am!

Move it, now!

Go!

Get away!

- Push us back, damn it! - Get away!

They'll have us over!

Stop it! Stop it! Stop! Stop! Stop!

- Get off! - Get off!

Stay back!

Hey!

Ragnar!

Where's Ragnar?

Ragnar!

Ragnar's in the water!

- Where's Ragnar? - Can anyone see him?

Ragnar!

Oh, my God!

Help! Help!

-Help! -Stand back! Stand back!

Five jars of lamp oil,

six bottles of brandy.

That's it.

Well, at least we won't feel the cold.

You think we should be thankful?

It's better than nothing.

We lost our helmsman, you damn fool!

-How are we supposed to fish? Me? -You! You were standing right...

There's nothing he could've done!