The Icebound Land

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and substance use.

Will and Evanlyn, both teenagers captured from their homeland of Araluen by Skandian raiders, huddle on raiding captain Erak’s wolfship on a calm sea. Will is pleased by the calm seas, but Evanlyn—and Erak—are concerned about an oncoming storm. Erak notes to his second mate, Svengal, that they aren’t going to make it to the protective landmass of Cape Shelter before the worst of the storm hits them. As the waves grow more dangerous, Svengal helps Evanlyn and Will tie themselves to the mast, warning them that in a storm, the waves could wash them overboard.

Evanlyn and Will narrowly survive the storm. The waves and wind terrify them, driving Will to wish that the ship would sink to get it over with. Erak, Svengal, and the crew use all their skills to keep the ship afloat, although it gets brutally buffeted by the water and the gigantic waves, which are higher than castle walls. They eventually get the ship to run before the storm to escape the worst of the waves. They travel in this manner for seven days, driven far south, before the sun drives the storm away and they can begin to travel to Cape Shelter again.