Awesome / Brotherband

• The Outcasts:
  • When Karina (a small woman) gives Thorn (the former Maktig) a 'talking to' and Thorn goes from a drunken tramp to a shabby-but-scarily-competent figure who can legitimately serve as Hal's mentor. Lampshaded in-universe by Hal.
    Hal: When my mam gives you a talking-to, you tend to listen.
  • Hal saving Stig from drowning. Hal was watching Stig steal lobster traps when Stig lost his balance and fell into the absolutely frigid Stormwhite Sea. Hal, who unlike most Skandians can swim, grabbed the bucket Stig had brought with him and dove into the sea, giving Stig something floating to hand on to. Meanwhile, Hal dragged both of them out of the ocean and saved their lives.
  • Hal sailing Heron into the bay, barely skirting Erak's ship, Wolfwind .
  • When Tursgud starts acting up a little too much, Erak shuts him down epically.
    Erak: Actually, I can do that, even though my daddy's not the Maktig. Because I'm the Oberjarl. Understand?
  • Thorn scaring Tursgud. Do not mess with the Papa Wolf.
• Really any scene in which Thorn gets to show off his Maktig-ness.
• The Hunters:
  • The Heron and her small crew bring down the Raven in a sea duel outside Raguza.
  • Ingvar, still blind as a bat at this point, takes out Tursgud with one punch in a state of Tranquil Fury.
• The storming of Limmat in The Invaders. The Mangler, the three-pronged attack plan, and the firebolts send the pirates into a defensive panic. Especially noteworthy is one of Hal's mid-battle plan changes. The pirates raid the garrison for mattresses to stop shrapnel after getting struck by the flying splinters during the Mangler's initial hits. Hal turns their counterstroke on its head by shooting a firebolt.
  • Special points to Thorn for using two small shields to block all of the defender's arrows. Stopping one arrow would be impressive, but dozens? And even having the time for a little Casual Danger Dialogue? That scene alone really shows why no one else has ever been the Maktig three times running.
• Gilan is back in Books 4 and 5, and proves that Weak, but Skilled is better than Unskilled, but Strong, and that his reputation as a Master Swordsman is in every way justified.
• Slaves of Socorro: A non-action example. Hal orders Ingvar to throw anyone into the water who keeps saying certain words (messing with the crew). Soon after, Ulf or Wulf pipes up again. However, both insist they're innocent. Hal looks and thinks for a few minutes — and tells Ingvar to throw Stefan in instead. As he explains, Ulf and Wulf usually like to annoy everyone by blaming each other when they do anything, meaning their mutual protestations of innocence are probably truthful, and Stefan looked too highly amused to assume he'd done nothing.
• Scorpion Mountain:
  • The sparring matches between Stig and Gilan and then Gilan and Thorn. For most of the first fight, the two combatants are pretty evenly matched; despite Gilan's edge in experience, it takes him a while to score a winning blow. Then he gets into a match with Thorn. The old warrior opens by dealing Gilan a blow that would have been incapacitating if he hadn't pulled it and closes by anticipating the trick Gilan successfully used against Stig and knocking his sword out of reach. It's also an awesome moment for Gilan, however, in that he goes toe-to-toe with the Heron's two best warriors (while onboard ship, meaning that the deck is constantly shifting underneath him, which he isn't as used to as they are) and gives an excellent account of himself both times.
  • Selethen leads an attack on the fortified town of Tabork, and when things go pear-shaped, holds off many enemies along with two other men, and later by himself when they fall.
  • In a cross between awesome and funny, Stefan uses his skills when soldiers try to board the Heron, scattering them by mimicking the commander and yelling about a non-existent trap.
• Jesper taunting a bear and running away, in order to save a couple of kids. Despite the fact that he sometimes seems like The Load, he puts himself in mortal danger without a second thought to save innocents. Later, he somersaults over the bear to draw it away from the ship, before putting himself in an unescapable position to give Hal a clean shot.
• Stig giving Olaf an epic "The Reason You Suck" Speech, combined with Calling the Old Man Out, showing how he's matured. Olaf, who throughout the book has a Never My Fault and It's All About Me mentality, is left speechless.
• The Stern Chase:
  • When Erak announces that he'll be joining the crew of the Heron for this adventure, Hal stares him down and makes it clear that he, not the Oberjarl, will be giving the orders onboard. After a few seconds, Erak agrees.
  • At the end of this book, Erak sends a message to the ruler he suspects of being behind the raid on Skandia, threatening to hurt him financially rather than simply launching an assault as he would have done once upon a time, and ensuring that another politician takes charge of the effort to reverse the smear campaign performed against Skandia. Halt would be proud.