Joined by a rogue Briton and on a new mission to locate rustled cattle the party finds them roaming in a picturesque valley.  As they approach the cattle scatter, but they are still too far away to be the source of the cattle’s panic.  From across the valley two hell hounds charge and attack, they’re defeated but Marien, the Briton, is knocked unconscious and taken to the nearest village with a surgeon by Athelgild.  Meanwhile Wulfwine, Oslaf and Geat are confronted by two chariots riding unnaturally over the rough ground.  Geat throws on his raven feather clock and appears to grow in stature.  The chariots have but one driver each, wearing strange armour emblazoned with celtic symbols and slightly glowing.  The lead driver, a woman, warns the party away but Oslaf, inspired by his new found Christianity, attacks.  He is followed by Wulfwine, but Geat, being staunchly Wotanic, holds back.  Oslaf fights defensively giving Wulfwine the opportunity to smote the woman in one mighty blow – who disappears in a wif of smoke along with her chariot.  With a second mighty blow Wulfwine defeats the second charioteer, a man.

Geat, Wulfwine and Oslaf, only have time to round up the cattle before dark, so must camp in the valley overnight.  Geat offers to keep watch all night while the other two sleep.  About midnight Geat sees the two glowing chariots approaching again across the valley about a mile away.  They are preceded by two hell hounds with glowing red eyes in the darkness.  Geat wakes the others and as they are mounting up the woman calls “I told you to leave”.  The three withdraw, easily out pacing the chariots, but within a mile they are caught by the hell hounds.  Geat and Oslaf are attacked, Geat dodging away.  Oslaf is knocked down and uncounscious.  Wulfwine kills one of the hounds with two vicious blows, while Geat is dragged from his horse and savagely mauled.  Wulfwine defeats the second hound.  He manages to revive Oslaf, and surveying the valley in the moonlight sees the chariots are no longer approaching.  Thus he takes time to assist Geat and for his troubles receives a gurgled breath – Geat lives!

On first light the three head to the nearest village and surgeon.  The locals know of a fire breathing demon dog living in the forest at the end of the valley, they call it Old Schuk.

It takes the wounded four weeks to heal enough to travel, during which time Wulfwine returns to Hilderberg to get a detachment of men to defeat the demons – he is granted one ceorl called Hengst.  He manages to convince some herdsmen to come and just retrieve the cattle, which they do.

Months pass, and back in full health the party, Wulfwine, Oslaf, Geat, Marien and Hengst decide to seek out and destroy Old Schuk.  They enter the forest and are immediately attacked by two hell hounds and kill them just as the attack is joined by two chariots.  The horses are spooked and bolt for the open.  All but Hengst gain control of their horses and turn to attack the charioteers, killing them.  Hengst finally gets his horse under control and the party follow the chariot tracks deeper in to the forest.  They hear a creek of wheels and see a chariot riding away.  The follow the tracks to an open barrow.  Inside the barrow is an ornate four horse chariot with a second smaller chariot behind it.  Each has a skeletal body on it clutching a spear.  The bodies begin to rise, scaring Hengst and Geat who run for the exit.  The others defeat the undead, as Geat and Hengst are attacked by two more hell hounds at the barrow’s entrance.  The hell hounds are also killed in time for movement from inside the barrow to be noticed, the bodies of the undead have risen again and are defeated a second time.  This time their skulls are removed and taken outside and smashed.  Then they barrow is set alight from the inside, but not before precious gems are prised from the chariots.  The barrow collapses.

In Hilderberg, Geat, desperate for any land, is granted the valley.