The Master of the Mountains — Jean Van Hamme

Thorgal and his family are back in Europe, where pregnant Aaricia insists on giving birth in Northland. Unable to find a ship to sail north in winter, Thorgal sets off by land to find a drakkar. His trip takes him through the land of Saxegaard, Master of the Mountains, a ruthless warlord who terrorizes the surrounding country. He meets Torric, an escaped slave, and finds a strange ring in the ashes. An extraordinary adventure begins.