Trama

The Viking army causes panic in the English countryside as King Ecbert and Aethelwulf plan the defense of the Kingdom of Wessex.

Egil and his warriors attack Kattegat, but Lagherta and her army defeat the invaders and captures Egil. She tortures him and he discloses that King Harald has paid his army. Aethelwulf joins a great army to defend Wessex and they head to intercept the Vikings. However Ivar plots a scheme to defeat the Saxons and Bjorn follows the plan. Who will win the battle?—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

King Ecbert's family reconciles as Wessex is under grave threat, prince Aethelwulf accepts command for a presumed last stand after their envoy is returned tortured near death. Ubbe and his brothers wave Ivar's plan for an alternative strategy, but Bjorn hears and adopts his complex plan. Aethelwuf is denied the choice of a battle field, tossed around by hit and runs combining into pincers until he desperately decides instead to march hastily to the Viking fleet site, as expected, hence straight into a perfect ambush. Back in Kattegat, king Harald finally gets his beloved in bed after murdering her husband, only to need brother Halfdan killing her before she exacts marital revenge. Egil leads an attack on the fortifications, which runs dead on fires. He resists roasting alive without betraying his master, until his beloved is brought in begging for his confession, so Lagertha learns Harald is the pretender to Ragnar's throne.—KGF Vissers

Torvi had seen strangers entering Kattegat through the main gate and they looked suspicious to her. Torvi kept an eye on the strangers who met with men inside the city. One of the men had sailed in with other sailors that morning into the city but was not buying anything from any of the traders.

As Torvi prepares her bow and arrow, the men start his attack from inside the city. The attackers are swiftly killed, and Lagertha realizes that the men were inside the city to weaken their defenses and hence expected an attack shortly thereafter.

Kattegat is attacked by Egil and his men. While a force attacks from the land side, Egil and his men enter the city via the port and make their way to the Great Hall. Lagertha and Astrid leave the fortifications in the hands of Torvi and go to confront Egil and his men. The attackers are repulsed and Egil is captured. Torvi is severely injured.

Lagertha is confused as Egil is neither an Earl nor a King, and so she cannot understand how Egil got control of a relatively large force to mount an attack on Kattegat. Under torture, Egil confesses to Lagertha that he had been paid by King Harald to attack her.

Meanwhile, in Mercia, terrified villagers flee before the advancing heathen army who had traveled to Mercia on their ships. The Vikings make camp at Mercia's borders. Ivar says that the Saxons are frightened and timid, but Bjorn warns him not to take them for granted. Ivar is still adamant that he is the true heir to the legacy of Ragnar.

Harald pretends to forgive Ellisif, then kills her husband Vik (Gary Buckley). Ellisif later pretends to forgive Harald, seduces him, and is about to kill him but is instead killed by Halfdan.

Tanaruz runs away from Helga, but Floki manages to find her and convince her to return.

The Bishop of Aelle reaches Wessex and dies shortly after informing Aethelwulf of the large Viking invasion force. Aethelwulf wants more time to prepare a bigger force, but Ecbert wants Aethelwulf to ride out and face the Vikings before they reach Wessex. As Ecbert sees his power waning, he asks Judith to return to Aethelwulf and says that he will need her strength and support.

Prince Aethelwulf gathers a large army in Wessex and moves to intercept the advancing Vikings in Repton. There he connects with a large Mercian army and together they plan to confront the Vikings on the battlefield. The Vikings are between 3-4000 soldiers strong. Before they meet, Ivar persuades Bjorn to scout a potential battlefield and plan to use the terrain to defeat the Saxons. Ivar says that both forces have a relatively large army and therefore they cannot be expected to fight in the same, traditional way.

The next day the 2 armies face each other on the battlefield. The Vikings then harass the Saxons on the battlefield with archers hidden in the surrounding woods. Prince Aethelwulf decides to move his forces toward the Vikings' ships, but the Vikings then ambush them in a tight valley. Ivar has anticipated this and was well prepared for Aethelwulf's tactics.

In panic and frustration, Aethelwulf orders a charge.