Mord

Mord is enthusiastic, ambitious, and eager to be taken seriously as a warrior. His understanding of combat comes largely from stories and cultural expectations rather than direct experience.

He shares the competitive excitement of the other young villagers preparing to sail with Thors. That confidence diminishes quickly once they encounter mercenaries who have spent years killing professionally.

His attraction to Ylva also places him among the young men competing for attention within the village's social life.

Mord has basic familiarity with weapons and maritime labor appropriate to a young Icelandic man, but he is not an experienced professional warrior.

Thors never intends to take Mord and the other inexperienced volunteers into the actual Danish campaign. His plan is to remove them from danger before reaching the battlefield.

The ambush in the Faroe Islands exposes how little practical preparation the village youths have for fighting organized mercenaries.

Mord volunteers for the expedition after Floki's summons creates excitement among the village's young men. He boards Thors's vessel alongside Ari, Magni, and the others.

The voyage is intercepted by Askeladd's mercenary company. Thors fights in order to protect the inexperienced crew rather than involve them in a battle they cannot realistically win.

Mord returns to Iceland after the confrontation, having encountered the reality behind the heroic image of war that originally attracted him.

Thors commands the ship Mord joins and intends to keep the village youths away from actual combat.

Thorfinn secretly boards the same voyage despite being much younger than Mord.

Ylva is the young woman Mord and several other villagers are attracted to.

Ari and Magni are fellow volunteers from the same village.

Askeladd commands the mercenaries who intercept their journey.