Mirza Aaqib Beg
In the twenty-first episode of ‘Vinland Saga’ season 2 titled ‘Courage,’ Canute orders his men to let Ketil’s men surrender and not engage with the enemies unnecessarily. Meanwhile, Olmar finally witnesses the dark side of war and goes into a state of shock. Thorgill on the other hand is determined to continue fighting but Sverkel reminds him that the decision now rests in the hands of Ketil’s successor, Olmar.
Thorgill Plans to Fight Back
After Ketil’s men run away, Canute’s forces gather all the bodies in one place. Instead of allowing his men to go to the farm and run amok, he sends his men to give Ketil another chance to surrender. Meanwhile, Olmar witnesses the unnecessary loss of life with his own eyes and is quite shocked. When he visits the injured people and hears their cries, he can’t help but vomit on the spot. Meanwhile, Thorgill is preparing to continue the battle.
Ketil is not in a state to make any decision, so Sverkel reminds Thorgill that his father has chosen Olmar as his successor, so he gets to make the final call. When Olmar is called to the hut, he expresses his heartbreak at the loss that he just witnessed and takes the decision to surrender. Naturally, Thorgill does not seem happy and simply walks away. Snake accompanies Olmar as he goes to announce his official surrender to Canute.
Meanwhile, Einar meets Leif and learns that Thorgill has gone to meet the King as well. He immediately gets concerned for his friend’s well-being and asks Leif why he allowed him to go. Interestingly, Leif had seen in Thorgill’s eyes that he was driven by a purpose that far exceeded any other concerns he and others could potentially have. This is why he felt that letting him go was the right choice. However, Einar does not feel the same and rushes to find his friend before it’s too late.
Why Does Thorfinn Want to Meet Canute?
After arriving at Canute’s camp, Thorfinn expresses his desire to meet the king to the guards standing outside. When asked about his identity, Thorfinn says that he is a slave working on Ketil’s farm and is there as his representative. Unfortunately, no one really takes him seriously and laughs at his face. Thorfinn tells one of the guards named Drott that King Canute knows him as he used to work for him as a guard four years ago.
Thorfinn asks him to simply tell the King that Thorfinn, the son of Thors has come to meet him. He is hopeful that this would certainly guarantee a meeting with Canute but the guards continue not to take him seriously at all. Meanwhile, Wulf tells the King about the commotion and Canute appears quite shocked after hearing Thorfinn’s name. But he does not express any desire to see him.
Meanwhile, Canute’s men are making fun of Drott as Thorfinn is still adamant and easily manages to stand upright despite being punched hard by him. People start betting on how many punches it will take Drott to make Thorfinn run away. He realizes this is his chance and agrees to get hit 100 times by Drott. If he manages to withstand the beating, then he gets to meet Canute.
Although Einar feels that his friend’s plan is suicidal, Thorfinn is quite confident. He expresses his gratefulness that he got the chance to become a better man after his arrival at Ketil’s farm. Thorfinn appears thankful for the lessons he has learned from Sverkel, Pater, and others. In order to repay the debt he owes to the land, he wants to meet Canute at any cost so that he can convince him to stop the bloodshed.
Thorfinn is determined to put the mindless killing to an end and save the farm which has been his home for quite some time now. It would have been much easier for him to turn his back and simply run away with Leif and his men. However, this decision shows the remarkable transformation that he has undergone since his enslavement. Leif could also see that Thorfinn was not the same anymore, which is why he allowed him to follow his heart.
Read More: Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 20 Recap and Ending, Explained
