Hasteinsaga (The Viking Wars Book 2)

Eric experiences his first vikja in the company of Ivar (Boneless) and Hastein. Together Eric and Hastein go to join the civil war but they are too late; it is over before they discover where the fighting is. They are asked to join an army intending to sail to Valland (France); its leader hoping to trade on the fact that they are two of the sons of King Ragnar. Hastein is asked to lead the army (nominally) when its leader is killed. In France King Charles (III ‘The Bald’) agrees, to save trouble for himself, to an alliance with Hastein and to re-open the trade routes closed by his grandfather. He also allows Hastein to settle land that he has occupied in the region of Chartres.
Hastein leaves his men to settle his new land while he sails to Lenuria (The Channel Islands) and from there to the Basco Sea (Bay of Biscay) where he agrees to help Danii settlers against Moorish aggressors. He sails to Spania to attack the Moors but when news reaches him that The French King has retaken his land and possibly killed, Bjorn, another of his half-brothers; he swears vengeance. He sails back to Lenuria and prepares to return to France. Before he is able to return to France, however, he is overtaken by the onset of winter; but he also receives news that Radbard, another of Ragnar’s sons; is preparing to take an army to France the following spring. Hastein waits out the winter and then meets Radbard; together they invade France. The year is 853.