Floki hired Askeladd for multiple jobs over the years, not just to kill Thors.
In the first scene with Floki and Askeladd, Floki comments that Askeladd’s men are “as boorish as ever.” This isn’t the kind of dialogue that you would expect from someone you’re meeting for the first time. It sounds like he is familiar with Askeladd’s men.
Askeladd asking for double the payment can also be a hint that he’s had previous deals with Floki and therefore feels more comfortable/cocky in squeezing more gold out of him. Floki is a powerful man, and while Askeladd is certainly confident and cunning, I don’t think he’d risk the ire of a group of Jomsvikings right after meeting them for the first time. It would make more sense if he had a feel for Floki’s character and how far he could push his buttons before he actually pushed them.
Floki recognized Askeladd on sight when he came with Canute into Gainsborough (and seemed nervous about it). The way he addressed Askeladd directly implied that they were on closer speaking terms than ‘I talked to you once ten years ago and never again until now’. Additionally, his nervous attitude in this scene makes more sense if Askeladd had more than one piece of blackmail on him.
Look at Askeladd’s smug little smirk…he knows things about Floki that would end his entire career.
If Askeladd could do something like kill Thors and succeed with basically no losses and no snitching, it would be logical that Floki would hire him for other jobs of importance.
Later in the manga, Hrafnkell (Hild’s dad) immediately speculated that Askeladd’s men were hired to kill him by either Sweyn…or Floki. What if Floki was the one to hire them to assassinate Hrafnkell?
Askeladd also mentioned in this scene that they weren’t going to be paid anything if they didn’t kill Hrafnkell. I think it would be funny to imagine that Floki hired them for the job and refused to do a repeat of the payment for Thors’ assassination where he paid Askeladd half the gold upfront, so he was more stubborn about paying only after the job was completed this time.
love how exasperated he is here
A little extra: Adult Thorfinn said he knew Floki from numerous battles. If you assume that Askeladd’s band didn’t fully join up with the main Danish army until Sweyn launched his big invasion in 1013, then Thorfinn must have met Floki from Askeladd’s band being independently hired to fight with them (or for them).
I understand this might be a reach but I think it would be interesting to speculate on the implications of Thorfinn having done jobs for the man who ordered his father’s death without knowing who he was working for.
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