This quest begins once you have pledged to Oxenefordscire from the Alliance Map in your longhouse at Ravensthorpe. You should begin by meeting Sigurd at in the alehouse at Buckingham, southwest of Ravensthorpe.

Find Sigurd in Buckingham¶

You’ll find the alehouse in the south of Buckingham, as shown in the screenshot below. Use your raven to get a proper view of its location in relation to the rest of the buildings, then make your way there. When you enter the settlement you’ll notice that the area is marked as a Distrust Area. Put your cloak on if it doesn’t happen automatically, and walk toward the alehouse with caution. When you reach it you’ll find a number of guards outside.

Your task is to enter the alehouse without drawing too much attention to yourself. The easiest way to do this is by approaching the alehouse from the south, and entering through a window at the back. Once inside, Eivor will note that Sigurd isn’t in the alehouse. You will now need to speak with someone in the alehouse for information. You won’t get anything out of the groups of men at either end of the alehouse, so don’t bother speaking with them. Instead, you should speak with the woman who is cleaning the table by the door.

When you speak with the woman you will need to do one of three things to obtain the information: pay her 130 silver, intimidate her with threats, or convince her to yield the information with your charm. The last option is the most desirable, but it does require that you have at least 2 charisma to succeed. Otherwise, either of the other options will give you the information. The woman will tell you that Sigurd jumped through the same window that you entered the alehouse from.

You will now be able to find Sigurd southwest of the alehouse, in a small fish hut just as the woman suggested. You’ll need to stay clear of the guards as you approach, but once you’re outside the building you can enter through the front door. When you enter a cutscene will play, during which you’ll encounter Sigurd and Basim. You’ll have a few dialogue options here, but none have any significant impact, so just choose as you wish.

Reach the Longhouse¶

After an antagonistic reunion with Sigurd and Basim, it’s time to reach the longhouse to free Geadric. It’s worth waiting outside the fishing hut for a few moments while Sigurd and Eivor exchange a few words, to ensure that they’re not interrupted by guards. When you’re ready, head north to the longhouse. The easiest way to do this without being seen is by following the river along its western shore.

When you reach the longhouse you’ll need to enter from the front door. This is easily doable without being seen by any guards if you do it from the north. Once you force the door open a cutscene will begin, during which see Geadric and Eadwyn for the first time. You’ll have a number of dialogue options here, but they’ll all result in the same outcome. You’ll need to defeat Eadwyn’s warriors after the scene, including a fairly tough Standard Bearer.

The Standard Bearer is reserved in his fighting style until you approach him. This gives you an opportunity to kill most of the regular warriors with ease first. When you do come to fight him, you’ll find weak points on his right arm and left leg, which once exploited will leave him vulnerable to stun attacks. Alternatively, you can face him away from Sigurd and Basim, who will then inflict massive damage from behind.

However you choose to fight the Standard Bearer, you’ll make short work of him with Sigurd and Basim at your side. The only other nuisance will come in the form of a Pikeman, but you should be familiar enough with these enemies by now to know what to expect. When the longhouse is secured a cutscene will begin, after which you’ll be tasked with travelling to the Leah Villa Garrison, southwest of Buckingham, to rescue the thegns.

Rescue the Thegns at Leah Villa Garrison¶

Despite the urgency of the cutscene, you can take as much time as you like when travelling to the Leah Villa Garrison. You’ll need to cross the Great Ouse River, then continue up the hill through the countryside. When you reach the outskirts of the camp, use your raven to scout it, and Odin’s Sight to highlight the location of guards. Sigurd will suggest that you charge the camp by force, but Eivor advices a more stealthy approach.

It doesn’t matter which approach you take, but you’ll find going with Sigurd’s suggestion is the swiftest and, in truth, the more secure in terms of ensuring the survival of the thegns.

Once you enter the camp a brief cutscene will play, indicating the imminent execution of the prisoners. You will need to kill all the guards in the camp as swiftly as possible, focusing on those near the prisoners and the executioner in particular. So long as you engage the executioner and prevent him from killing the prisoners, they will be safe. You should take out the Arbalists surrounding the crowd before you focus on the executioner to reduce incoming damage, but this can be done while kiting the executioner if you have Sigurd and Basim with you.

As you fight through the camp you’ll also encounter a Skirmisher, wielding two daggers. This enemy can be deadly quick, and will sometimes perform special attacks which involve numerous swift jabs in quick succession. You’ll want to maintain a high amount of health to ensure that you can sustain these blows without succumbing, should you be caught off guard. When you defeat the Skirmisher, loot their body for a Nickel Ingot.

When all the enemies in the camp are dead, free the thegns on the platform where you killed the executioner, then free the prisoners from the cages to the southeast. Once everyone is rescued, head northwest to the objective marker by the river. A cutscene will then begin, during which you’ll have a few dialogue options. It doesn’t matter what you choose here. When the scene ends, return to Buckingham and report back to Geadric to complete the quest.