Trees Grow on the Stones Too

During the 860s, a band of Norwegian Vikings led by Thorir and Einar attack a Slavic village, where many men have fallen in fighting Danish invaders. The village is poor, with little to plunder except a moose hunted by a young Slavic boy named Kuksha. Kuksha boldly challenges the berserker Sigurd, who dismisses him as a mere thrall, and Thorir recognizes his potential and takes him captive.

On the way back to Norway, the Vikings are ambushed by Danish forces led by rival kings Atli and Atsur. Kuksha's quick thinking allows him to set one of the Danish ships ablaze, turning the battle in the Norwegians' favor. Einar dies in combat, and Thorir, grieving for his nephew, adopts Kuksha and renames him Einar the Lucky.

The Norse group spends the winter in a settlement ruled by King Olav. Signe, the king's daughter, falls in love with Kuksha, despite his status as a captive and outsider. Her affection complicates the camp's dynamics as loyalties and future alliances come into play.

Signe is promised to Sigurd, the most skilled warrior in Thorir's band, while Tyra, Signe's mother, favors Kuksha as a suitable match. The looming betrothal creates a tense love triangle that strains the leadership and threatens fragile alliances.

Tyra and Signe’s brother Harald conspire against Sigurd, resorting to poison and ambush attempts to remove him. Kuksha refuses to bow to their schemes and acts with a code of honor that resists manipulation. The settlement grows more unsettled as threats to Sigurd's position escalate.

Sigurd kills one of his attackers in self-defense, triggering a forced retreat as Thorir’s company flees the settlement. The eruption of violence exposes the fragility of rival loyalties and pushes the group toward separation.

Harald tries to capture Kuksha, but Signe, with the aid of Byzantine scholar Levius, helps him escape. The act deepens the rift between families and factions within the settlement, setting up a pursuit that will test everyone's loyalties.

Harald pursues Kuksha after the escape, and Levius dies in the pursuit, heightening the danger around Kuksha. Signe, torn between love and loyalty, bids Kuksha a tearful farewell as he leaves the settlement.

In the forest, Signe confesses her love for Kuksha to Sigurd, triggering a heated confrontation between rival loyalties. In despair, Signe throws herself onto Sigurd's blade and dies, leaving Sigurd grief-stricken. Harald discovers Sigurd’s actions and the stage is set for further vengeance.

Thorir and Kuksha sail eastward to Gardarike (modern-day Russia), where Thorir plans to abandon raiding and turn to trade. Kuksha, however, longs to escape and return to his homeland, determined to reclaim his freedom and identity amid the war-torn era.

During the voyage, Kuksha's resolve to reclaim his homeland grows as he faces the harsh realities of a world built on raids and shifting loyalties. He remains determined to find a path back to his people, even as the future remains uncertain.