The next year, Rollo, along with his brother Gurim and their father, Kettil, like other years, had embarked on another season of viking. Once again, they stopped at the village of Long. The village had prospered under the Danes working with the Ambiani. And, to Rollo’s surprise, his teen-aged wife, Derelie had given birth to a girl child named Apadeva.

Their stop in Long had been brief. Kettil had brought thirty-five longboats down river after having met little resistance at Abbéville. Their objective was an assault on the growing city of Amiens. Rollo was given his own longboat to command for the assault. It took less than half a day for them to reach Amiens from Long. Using the element of surprise, the fifteen hundred Norsemen met little resistance. There was plunder enough for all who survived the clash of French forces led by the Count of Amiens.

Once the battle was done and the treasures were loaded onto the longboats, Kettil had Hrólfr, as well as Kettil’s eldest son, Gurim take most of the men and the treasure back to their island kingdom in Scotland. Keeping four longboats, including the longboat that had been commanded by Rollo, he made a second stop in the village of Long.  Rollo road in his father’s longboat as Kettil had things that needed to be said to his son.

As they allowed the current and the sails to move the longboats, Kettil spoke to his son who had boarded Kettil’s longboat.

“Hrólfr, it’s my dream that someday you will build your own kingdom here in Francia. As you know, Gurim will become King of the Western Isles. Francia is getting weak as the Dukes and Counts carve out parts of the kingdom for themselves.”

Rollo already knew what his father’s intentions despite never openly talked about it. Being appointed Jarl of Long and married to Derelei, had told young Rollo this.

“Francia is falling apart while Flanders and Frisia grow stronger. Now is the time for us to claim a piece of Francia for our own. This land along the river would make a better home for our people. This land is richer than the thin soil in the Western Isles, even better than in Danmǫrk, your mother’s homeland.”

Though Rollo had seen very little of Danmǫrk, he had seen enough to know the truth of his father’s words. He would become a king in his own right, with his own kingdom along this river.

They stopped at Long. Tatha and the Ambiani council met with Kettil and his most trusted men, including his son Rollo. The setting for the meeting was in a forest glen with what looked like a sacred stone in the centre. Tatha commanded silence simply by standing up to address Kettil and his son.

“Kettil and Rollo. You must now take Derelie and Apadeva with you to your own kingdom. She is to stay among your people for two years to better learn your customs. Then, in the late spring of the third year, she will be returned to us with her children, Apadeva and a boy who will be named Lugos.”

Kettil stared at the Tatha with surprise. He knew that he had just been told another prophecy, one that would come to pass whether he willed it or not. How that prophecy would unfold was unknown and would not be told this old woman.

And so it came to be that Rollo took Derelie to the Kingdom of the Western Isles.