Dawn of the North by Demi Winters

Here is a summary with spoilers for Dawn of the North by Demi Winters

The prologue opens with Queen Signe mourning the death of her daughter while King Ivar remains focused on his war plans. Signe has spent years living under Ivar's control and violence, and his treatment of her and their family has contributed to the hatred she holds toward him. She is also interested in finding Saga Volsik, the surviving Volsik heir, because Saga represents both a threat to Ivar and a potential tool in Signe's own plans.

Silla Nordvig is now living openly in Kopa as Princess Eisa Volsik, the daughter of the late King Hrolf and Queen Runa. The northern jarls believe that the princess who disappeared seventeen years earlier has returned, although Silla knows that her upbringing makes her feel more like an imposter than a princess. Her immediate political objective is to convince the northern jarls to unite behind her and overthrow King Ivar Ironheart. She is also dealing with the much more personal problem of Myrkur. A shard of the god of chaos lives within her, and after the events of the previous book she has discovered that giving Myrkur access to her Ashbringer magic allows him to influence and eventually control her. To suppress him, she takes hindrium, a magic-quelling substance, and wears hindrium shackles around her wrists.

Silla's official presentation takes place before the northern jarls. She is dressed and instructed to behave like the queen everyone expects Eisa to become. During the ceremony she trips on her dress, and both Rey and Atli catch her. Jarl Hakon then formally presents her to the assembled people as Eisa Volsik. The celebration does not last long. Hekla and Eyvind arrive after traveling from Istré, both covered in ash, and announce that Istré has been destroyed. The deadly mist that the Bloodaxe Crew had been investigating is real, and it is spreading beyond the original village. The victims are not simply dying. Those exposed to the mist can become draugur, undead creatures that serve the force behind the mist.

Hekla's arrival with Eyvind also brings the first major development in the complicated relationship between them. Hekla and Eyvind had already formed a strong attraction after their time together in Istré, but Hekla discovers that Eyvind is betrothed to a woman named Liv. The revelation is particularly painful because Hekla had begun to believe that what existed between them could become something real. Eyvind explains that the engagement is rooted in obligation rather than love, but Hekla is unwilling to simply become involved with a man who is promised to someone else. She is also determined not to allow herself to become dependent on a man again after the abusive marriage she survived. Their relationship therefore becomes a repeated push and pull: Eyvind clearly wants Hekla, while Hekla wants him but refuses to ignore the fact that he is still engaged.

Across the sea in Zagadka, Saga Volsik is being held captive by Kassandr Rurik. Saga's Sense does not work properly on Zagadkian soil, leaving her without one of the abilities that normally gives her confidence and independence. She is confined to her rooms but has begun finding ways to occupy herself. She draws Kassandr's face on her walls and uses the portrait for knife practice. Kassandr eventually visits her and proposes marriage. He argues that marrying him would give her protection and political status, while Saga sees the proposal as another attempt to control her. She refuses and stabs him in the shoulder with a dining knife. Kassandr does not punish her for it and instead reminds her that she is technically a queen without a throne.

Kassandr's own position is precarious. His father, the High Prince of Zagadka, is furious that he brought Saga into the country and has endangered their political relationship with Ivar. Kassandr is publicly whipped as punishment. Saga hears the beating and goes to investigate. When Oleg, another member of Kassandr's family, confronts her, he shifts into his animal form. Kassandr also shifts, revealing more of the beast that exists within him. The High Prince intervenes before the confrontation becomes fatal. Kassandr is ordered to go on pilgrimage, while Saga is forced to write a confession accepting responsibility for the destruction at Sunnavík. She does so because refusing would put her in greater danger.

Back in Kopa, Rey is preparing to leave Silla again because the Bloodaxe Crew needs to investigate the spreading mist. Silla is also expected to begin acting like a queen rather than a Bloodaxe companion. Lady Tala begins teaching her the rules of royal behavior, including the expectation that a queen should not apologize, should not behave submissively, and should not publicly attach herself to a common guardsman. Rey and Silla's relationship is complicated by their separation and by Kaeja, Rey's former lover. Kaeja becomes one of Silla's ladies-in-waiting and eventually challenges Silla to a sparring match. Kaeja's Harefoot galdur gives her extraordinary speed, and Silla initially struggles to follow her movements. Silla nevertheless manages to adapt and defeats her. Immediately afterward, Silla publicly kisses Rey, making it clear that their relationship is no longer something they intend to hide. Kaeja accuses Silla of stealing Rey from her.

Silla and Rey have a private reunion afterward. Rey uses his smoke galdur to bind Silla's wrists, but she manages to break through the magical restraints. Neither of them initially understands how she managed it. During the encounter, Silla also experiences another vision involving Myrkur and an old king. Myrkur's influence is becoming more obvious, and Silla is beginning to realize that her magical abilities are changing. Rey gives her an ivory-handled dagger and promises that he will continue communicating with her via letter while they are separated.

Before Rey leaves, the separation is especially difficult for Silla because she has only just begun to feel secure in their relationship. Rey promises to send her letters and even makes arrangements for messages to reach her regularly while he is with the Bloodaxe Crew. Silla remains in Kopa to continue her queenly training and political work while Rey returns to the Western Woods and Istré with the others.

Once Rey is gone, Silla begins spending more time with Atli Hakonsson, Jarl Hakon's son. Atli initially shows obvious interest in her and even flirts with her, but Silla makes it clear that she is with Rey. Atli does not simply abandon the friendship, instead offering to help her navigate the unfamiliar political world of the northern jarls. Silla accepts, and the two gradually become genuine friends. Atli knows the names and relationships of the jarls, understands the customs Silla is being forced to learn, and helps her remember details that Lady Tala's formal lessons do not make easier. Their friendship gives Silla someone her own age who understands the politics of Kopa and can make the overwhelming transition into royalty feel less lonely.

Silla also begins to rely on Atli during moments when she is struggling with Rey's absence. Atli takes her riding and accompanies her into the meadows, and the two spend time talking without the formal expectations surrounding Silla's position as queen. Silla does not stop loving Rey or become romantically involved with Atli, but she genuinely enjoys his company and begins to trust him. Atli's feelings are more complicated. He continues to be attracted to Silla and is aware that a marriage between them would be politically advantageous, but he accepts her insistence that she loves Rey.

Jonas Svik's (a former member of the bloodaxe crew) story begins with him arriving in Sunnavík after losing his brother Ilías. He blames the death on Silla, who at the time he was courting. He is physically damaged and emotionally consumed by grief. He encounters Queen Signe and is eventually taken by her guards. Rather than killing him immediately, Signe sends him to Volund, who introduces Jonas to the Corpse Bringers. Jonas is forced into increasingly brutal circumstances and eventually fights draugur in the pits. He survives by using whatever weapons are available to him, and Volund recognizes his potential. Jonas is brought into the Corpse Bringers, putting him on the opposite side of the conflict from Silla and Rey.

Saga, meanwhile, is gradually exposed to more of Zagadka. She is introduced to the enormous winged stallion Havoc, a creature that previously killed the heir Radomir. Havoc is kept in a cage because nobody has been able to control him. When Saga watches him attack a handler, she does not simply see a dangerous animal. She recognizes something familiar in his fear and isolation. That night she manages to step onto her balcony, something that would previously have triggered her severe agoraphobia. Her ability to leave the room becomes an important indication that she is beginning to regain control over herself.

Kassandr eventually returns from his pilgrimage. Instead of forcing Saga to remain isolated, he begins spending time with her and teaching her Zagadkian. They walk together to a temple of the seasonal gods. Saga suffers a panic attack during the walk, and Kassandr helps her through it using a repetitive tapping technique. He tells her about the clans beyond the river and an old prophecy concerning a warrior who will ride Havoc. According to the prophecy, the person who succeeds in riding the winged stallion will become an important warrior in the coming conflict.

The Bloodaxe Crew continues following the mystery of the mist. They encounter villages where people have been transformed into draugur. At one point a chained draugur repeatedly says "Rökksgarde," the name of a place associated with the mist and the creation of the undead. Rey realizes that the phenomenon is not a random magical disaster. Someone or something is deliberately creating the draugur. The crew continues investigating while trying to stay ahead of the spreading corruption.

Silla's position becomes increasingly dangerous. Myrkur shows her visions of Ivar's forces and continues speaking inside her mind. She attempts to behave like a normal queen and spends time meeting citizens of Kopa. One of the citizens gives her a woven cloth, and Silla begins developing a genuine connection with the people rather than simply treating them as political supporters. She also meets Fallgerd, an elderly warrior connected to her mother's history. Fallgerd is one of the people who knows more about what happened to the Volsik family and about the bargain with Myrkur.

At one point, Silla experiences a disturbing incident involving a poisoned cup. A woman named Ástrid drinks from Silla's cup and dies. The incident increases suspicion around Silla and reinforces the feeling that someone is deliberately trying to create fear around the returned princess. Myrkur continues whispering that Silla is a murderer, making it increasingly difficult for her to distinguish his manipulation from her own thoughts.

Silla seeks out the Weaver for information about Saga and the bargain. The Weaver can sense that Saga is alive, but Saga's thread has diverged from Silla's. When Silla asks whether there is a way to remove Myrkur's influence, Myrkur takes control of her. Her eyes turn black and the Weaver is overwhelmed by the power coming from her. The Weaver falls into a coma. This demonstrates that the danger is not theoretical: Myrkur can take control of Silla's body and use her magic against other people.

Silla later meets Fallgerd again because he possesses information about her mother and the history of the Volsik bloodline. He tells her about an old book connected to King Hrolf that may contain information about a possible cure. Myrkur becomes increasingly agitated by Fallgerd's knowledge. Eventually Silla loses consciousness. When she wakes, Fallgerd has been murdered and she is beside his body with blood on her hands. Silla believes that Myrkur used her body to kill him. The murder is then used politically against her, making it easier for her enemies to claim that the returned princess is unstable and dangerous.

Hekla's investigation takes her back into the Western Woods. Her apparently ordinary squirrel companion, Kritka, is revealed to be a grimwolf-shifter. He has been following Hekla because he wants her to free his mistress, the Forest Maiden. Hekla and the others eventually locate a split hjarta tree. Her blood allows them to open it, revealing the Forest Maiden inside. The Forest Maiden explains that the forest is being corrupted and that the mist is connected to something much larger than the original outbreak in Istré. She identifies Silla/Eisa as the Protector who will ultimately have to confront the corruption. The Forest Maiden's explanation gives the mist a more specific origin. It is essentially a leech associated with Myrkur's power. It spreads through the hjarta trees, infecting the network that connects the forest. As the corruption spreads, the mist creates more draugur. The Forest Maiden and her creatures therefore have a direct interest in helping Silla stop it.

Hekla's feelings for Eyvind continue to complicate her involvement in the mission. She is angry that he never told her about Liv before they became involved, but she also cannot simply stop caring about him. Eyvind repeatedly protects Hekla and makes it clear through his actions that his feelings for her are genuine. Hekla, however, refuses to be someone's secret or second choice. She would rather leave than enter another relationship where a man has the power to hurt or control her. This becomes one of the central conflicts in her personal storyline as she tries to determine whether she can trust Eyvind without surrendering the independence she fought to regain.

Meanwhile, Ivar prepares to attack Zagadka. His fleet approaches Kovograd, and the Zagadkians realize that diplomacy is no longer going to prevent war. The city is vulnerable because many of its structures are made from timber. Kassandr helps organize the defense. Fireships are sent against the city, while the defenders attempt to stop the flames from spreading. Shifters fight on the walls and in the streets. The battle becomes a full-scale siege.

Saga becomes increasingly involved in the defense rather than remaining a prisoner. She studies the city's vulnerabilities and helps devise ways to fight the siege. Kassandr is wounded while fighting in his beast form, and Saga helps care for him. Their relationship changes from the antagonistic arrangement at the beginning of the book into a relationship based on mutual dependence. Saga still does not fully trust him, but she begins to recognize that Kassandr genuinely intends to protect her.

While Rey remains away, Silla's friendship with Atli becomes increasingly important. She spends time with him learning the political landscape of Kopa and gradually becomes comfortable enough to joke with him and confide in him. Atli also becomes one of the people she can turn to when she is frustrated by her queenly duties. Their friendship is innocent from Silla's perspective, but it creates the appearance of a possible political match to other people because Atli is Jarl Hakon's heir. Atli himself is aware that his position makes him a logical husband for a Volsik queen, and some members of his family begin treating Silla as though that possibility should be considered.

The problem becomes worse because Rey's letters to Silla mysteriously stop arriving. Silla does not know that her correspondence is being intercepted, so she begins to wonder whether Rey has simply become too occupied with the Bloodaxe Crew or whether the distance between them has changed his feelings. Atli becomes the person who is physically present while Rey is absent, which makes Silla's growing friendship with him look more significant than it actually is. Rey, meanwhile, has no idea what Silla has been told or how close she has become to Atli.

The siege eventually reaches the stables. Saga frees Havoc from captivity while the city is burning. The winged stallion takes flight with her. Oleg attempts to stop her, but the High Prince intervenes. Saga's ability to ride Havoc is the fulfillment of the prophecy Kassandr previously told her about. Rather than simply escaping, Saga uses Havoc to get beyond the immediate battlefield and seek help from the clans beyond the river.

Saga reaches the horsemaidens beyond the river. They initially distrust her, but Saga warns them that Ivar's ambitions will eventually threaten their people as well. Because she has Havoc and has demonstrated that she can ride him, they recognize the significance of the prophecy. Saga convinces roughly three hundred horsemaidens to join her. She returns toward the war with a cavalry force rather than as a captive princess.

Saga's plan becomes more aggressive when she decides that killing Ivar may be the fastest way to end the war. She returns toward his army carrying a fire flask. She allows herself to be captured and is taken to Ivar. He physically abuses her and strikes her over what happened at Sunnavík. Saga keeps the fire flask concealed, intending to kill him when she gets close enough. Before she can execute the plan, Havoc arrives. Saga escapes on the stallion, conquering the fear that had previously made leaving enclosed spaces almost impossible for her.

The battle at Kovograd continues. Kassandr confronts Thorir the Giant, one of Ivar's most dangerous warriors. Thorir tells Kassandr that Saga is dead. Kassandr loses control and completely shifts into his beast form, killing Thorir by tearing out his throat. Saga then returns with Havoc and the horsemaidens. Her arrival changes the balance of the battle. She uses the fire flask against the siege equipment, setting the siege tower ablaze. The attack is eventually pushed back, although Kovograd has suffered severe damage.

Silla's political situation reaches a parallel crisis in Kopa. The northern jarls are supposed to unite behind her, but someone is intercepting letters and manipulating information. Rey suspects Atli, while Atli accuses Rey of stealing Kaeja from him. At the Shortest Day feast, the disagreement becomes public. Rey punches Atli, and Silla leaves the gathering. Rey follows her into the garden and explains his history with Kaeja. Silla decides to trust him rather than allow the rumors to destroy their relationship.

The conflict is especially painful for Silla because Atli had become a genuine friend during Rey's absence. She does not understand why Rey has returned convinced that Atli has been trying to replace him, while Rey does not understand how naturally Silla and Atli's friendship has developed in his absence. Rey is jealous of the time Atli has spent with her, particularly because Atli was there when Rey could not be. Atli has also become comfortable enough with Silla to tease her and behave casually around her, something Rey immediately notices.

When Rey finally returns, Silla is hurt because Atli knows that Rey is back before she does. She has received none of the letters Rey promised, and she initially interprets the silence as proof that he has changed while away. Atli tells her Rey has returned, and Silla realizes that the man she has been waiting for is already in Kopa. Rey is furious that Silla has been spending so much time with Atli, while Silla is furious that Rey has apparently returned without telling her.

Rey is prevented from immediately seeing Silla by Jarl Hakon, who keeps him occupied with political matters. By the time Rey finally reaches her, Silla is drunk and emotionally overwhelmed. She has been drinking because she is hurt by the lack of letters and confused by the possibility that Rey no longer wants the relationship they had in Kalasgarde. Rey learns that Silla has been spending time with Atli and becomes even more jealous, while Silla interprets Rey's anger as another attempt to control her.

Their reunion eventually takes place in the chicken house, where Rey shows Silla that he actually did write to her every day. He has kept the letters and proves that the problem was not his lack of interest but that someone has been intercepting their correspondence. He even gives her a heart-shaped rock he found among the ruins of Istré, showing that he had been thinking about her while away. Once Silla realizes that Rey never abandoned her and that the distance between them was created by someone else, the anger between them finally breaks. They reconcile intensely, and Silla finally believes that Rey's feelings have not changed.

Silla's magic continues developing. She discovers that she can siphon galdur directly from other people. Rey's smoke galdur is one of the first powers she accidentally draws into herself. She also learns that she can draw power from magical minerals called halda stones. This ability is different from the ordinary Ashbringer abilities she has been learning. It allows her to take magical energy from external sources and potentially combine different forms of galdur.

During one incident, Silla and Atli are trapped by a deliberate rockslide. Silla uses the magical minerals in the surrounding stone to pull enough power into herself to clear the obstruction. This demonstrates that her siphoning ability can be used offensively and defensively. Myrkur is interested in the ability because it potentially gives Silla access to powers that are not naturally hers.

The conspiracy against Silla becomes clearer. Lady Tala, who has been helping Silla learn royal behavior, is secretly connected to Queen Signe. The missing letters have been part of an effort to prevent the northern jarls from trusting one another. The goal is to keep the North divided so that Ivar can continue ruling without facing a unified rebellion.

Myrkur's control over Silla becomes more severe. At one point he takes over her body and attempts to kill Ingvarr. Rey finds her in the garden while she is possessed. Myrkur uses Silla's body to siphon Rey's smoke galdur. Atli eventually intervenes and sedates her. Rey notices that Silla has defensive injuries she does not remember receiving, reinforcing the conclusion that she is being controlled by something outside herself. The circumstances surrounding Fallgerd's death also begin to look more like a deliberate frame-up than an ordinary murder.

Jonas's relationship with the Corpse Bringers develops further. He becomes involved with the people responsible for the experiments at Rökksgarde. He eventually comes into contact with Queen Signe, who recognizes that his hatred and grief can be used. Signe tells him more about her own plans and the experiments being conducted with the undead. Jonas becomes increasingly willing to work with her, even though his loyalties remain complicated by his history with Silla and his brother's death.

Signe eventually reveals more of her own history to Jonas. She tells him that she killed her sister Eylín by pushing her from a tower because she wanted the crown. Her relationship with Ivar has been built on violence, power, and manipulation. Signe has spent years appearing to be a victim while quietly positioning herself to take power.

In the Western Woods, Hekla and Eyvind continue working together despite the complications caused by Eyvind's betrothal to Liv. Hekla eventually learns that Eyvind's engagement is a political obligation rather than a relationship he actually wants. Their relationship becomes increasingly intimate, although Hekla's previous abusive marriage makes her reluctant to give another man control over her life.

Hekla also has to deal with the fact that she loves Eyvind while believing that she cannot have him. She tries to distance herself from him and refuses to let their attraction become an excuse for him to break his obligations without making a clear choice. Eyvind, however, continues choosing Hekla in smaller ways, protecting her during dangerous situations and defending her when others criticize her decisions. Their arguments often hide the fact that neither of them has actually stopped caring about the other.

At the same time, Hekla faces another complication when Gunnar asks for her hand in marriage. Gunnar has suffered through a dark period following Ilías's death and has begun recovering, and Hekla does not want to be responsible for sending him back into grief by rejecting him outright. She asks for time rather than immediately accepting or refusing. This leaves Hekla caught between two very different possibilities: Gunnar offers stability and commitment, while Eyvind is the man she actually loves but is still technically promised to someone else.

Hekla and Eyvind encounter Gjalla, the enormous spider-like creature associated with the forest. The confrontation becomes catastrophic. Hekla and Gjalla fall over a waterfall, and Hekla survives but loses an arm. Eyvind is badly injured at the same time. Hekla uses her remaining hand to stitch his wounds and keeps him alive while they are stranded. Eventually she receives a prosthetic arm and returns to the fight.

The waterfall incident changes Hekla and Eyvind's relationship because there is no longer room for either of them to pretend their feelings are unimportant. Hekla has nearly died protecting Eyvind, and Eyvind has nearly died alongside her. When Eyvind finally explains the truth about Liv, he tells Hekla that the betrothal was arranged when they were younger and that Liv herself does not want the marriage. He has ended the engagement because he no longer wants to live a life based solely on obligation. Hekla is still frightened of trusting another man, but Eyvind refuses to pressure her into surrendering herself. Instead, he makes it clear that he has chosen her. Hekla finally allows herself to admit that she loves him, and they kiss.

Hekla eventually ends her previous entanglements and acknowledges her feelings for Eyvind. Despite her fear of becoming dependent on another man, she chooses to pursue the relationship. Eyvind likewise abandons the idea of marrying Liv for political reasons.

Saga and Kassandr's relationship reaches another turning point. The political alliance between Zagadka and the Volsik rebellion requires a formal arrangement. Marriage is proposed as a way of joining their interests. Kassandr does not want Saga to believe that she has no choice, and he gives her an opportunity to refuse. Saga ultimately tells him that she genuinely wants the marriage. They marry in a Zagadkian ceremony involving birch smoke, pearls, seasonal traditions, and salted bread. The marriage is both politically useful and personally meaningful to them.

Back in Kopa, Silla finally decides that continuing to pretend to be Eisa without explaining the truth is no longer sustainable. She tells the northern jarls that she is actually Silla Nordvig and explains that she is not the princess in the conventional sense they expected. She also tells them about Myrkur and the shard inside her. Instead of destroying her credibility, the confession earns respect from the jarls because she has chosen to tell them the truth rather than continue manipulating them.

Lady Tala's involvement in the conspiracy is exposed. She is arrested, and the northern political factions begin moving toward a unified rebellion. Silla's position as the leader of the northern resistance becomes stronger. The North is finally moving toward the united front that she has been trying to create since the beginning of the book.

At the same time, the mist continues moving through the Western Woods. Silla, Hekla, Eyvind, Rey, and the other groups eventually realize that they have to attack the source rather than continue fighting individual draugur. The Forest Maiden begins gathering an army of magical creatures, including grimwolves, bears, foxes, and other beings connected to the forest. Silla assembles her own northern warriors. Saga and Kassandr bring the Zagadkian forces into the larger alliance.

The different groups eventually converge on the Heartwood. The corrupted hjarta trees are covered in the black influence of the mist. The Forest Maiden explains that the corruption is connected to the leech created by Myrkur. Destroying the individual draugur is not enough because the leech is using the forest's magical network to continue spreading. Silla therefore has to confront the source of the corruption.

Silla enters the final battle knowing that Myrkur is going to try to take complete control of her. Myrkur manifests an enormous bear-like avatar. The creature is vastly more powerful than Silla, and conventional attacks do little against it. Rey and the other warriors attempt to protect her while the forest creatures fight the draugur surrounding the Heartwood.

The bear begins using black flames. Rey studies its movements and identifies patterns that allow Silla to anticipate its attacks. Rey's smoke galdur helps protect her, while Eyvind uses his Ashbringer fire to push back the mist. The battle becomes a combination of physical combat and magical warfare.

Hekla arrives with the Forest Maiden's forces and encounters Gjalla again. The spider has captured Kritka. Hekla attacks despite having only one natural arm. She uses her prosthetic as part of the confrontation, allowing Gjalla's fangs to close around the artificial limb. Hekla then uses the opportunity to reach the spider's vulnerable underside and kills it. Kritka survives.

Silla attempts to siphon the bear's power and discovers that Myrkur's avatar is fundamentally different from ordinary sources of galdur. There is no conventional magical power for her to take. Instead, she encounters a void. Myrkur begins consuming her consciousness, and Silla starts losing her sense of identity.

Saga arrives on Havoc during the battle. She realizes that Silla is being overwhelmed and uses their connection to reach her. The sisters, who have spent seventeen years separated, are finally together. Saga's presence helps Silla hold onto her own identity instead of allowing Myrkur to completely consume her.

Silla realizes that she does not need to absorb Myrkur's power directly. She can use her siphoning ability to take someone else's galdur and use it against him. She draws Runný's Shadow Hound galdur into herself. The power manifests as shimmering threads that Silla can manipulate.

Silla creates a reflective shield from the Shadow Hound magic. When Myrkur's bear releases its black flames, Silla redirects the attack through the shield. The reflected power strikes the avatar and the corrupted hjarta tree. The tree splits and is destroyed, breaking the connection between the leech and the forest. With its source destroyed, the mist's corruption begins to collapse and the immediate threat of the draugur army is ended.

After the battle, the Forest Maiden's creatures begin restoring the damaged forest. Silla and Saga finally have the opportunity to spend time together as sisters. Their reunion is especially significant because they have spent most of their lives separated and have repeatedly been forced into different roles by the political circumstances surrounding their family.

Saga introduces Kassandr to Silla, establishing the new political connection between the Volsik family and Zagadka. Saga is now married to Kassandr, while Silla remains with Rey. The northern jarls, Zagadkians, and other allies have a common cause following the destruction of the mist's source.

Silla continues practicing her magic. She no longer views her unusual siphoning ability simply as something dangerous. She understands that it can allow her to combine different types of galdur, although Myrkur remains a presence within her. The black hawk that has appeared throughout the story returns to her. Rather than treating it as an omen, Silla feeds it, and the bird remains with her.

The political situation changes again when Silla and Saga participate in a council involving the northern jarls and the Zagadkians. Saga and Kassandr arrive with grain as part of the new alliance. The meeting is interrupted when Kraki arrives with alarming news: Kraugeir, an ancient dragon, has awakened.

The epilogue moves to Sunnavík, where Ivar is dying. Eldrún, a Galdra assassin working for Signe, has attacked him and managed to gut him. Ivar kills Eldrún by breaking her neck, but he is already too badly injured to survive. Signe enters his chamber and reveals that Eldrún was acting on her orders.

Ivar realizes that Signe has finally turned against him. Signe has spent years enduring his cruelty, abuse, infidelity, and control while quietly preparing for the opportunity to remove him. She takes the dagger from his body and watches him die. With Ivar dead, Signe takes control of the kingdom. The final development is the report that Kraugeir has awakened, while the events surrounding the Rökkur continue to unfold.