You're standing in the middle of a lush, rain-drenched field in Ireland, staring at a stone circle and wondering why on earth a Viking warrior is hunting for livestock. It’s the Wrath of the Druids DLC. You've met Ciara. You've dealt with kings. Now, you’re stuck on counting sheep AC Valhalla style, and honestly, it’s one of the most polarizing little mysteries in the game. Some players breeze through it. Others spend forty minutes circling a fence line because the quest markers in this game can be—to put it lightly—a bit temperamental.
The quest is called "Cost of Betrayal," but the "Counting Sheep" portion is the specific task given to you by Flann Sinna. It sounds easy. Find some sheep, find some answers. But Assassin's Creed has a habit of turning simple errands into a scavenger hunt across the Irish countryside.
The Reality of the Counting Sheep AC Valhalla Investigation
Most people get stuck because they expect a giant glowing icon to lead them directly to the finish line. Eivor is a master tracker, sure, but the game wants you to actually use your eyes here. You are looking for a woman named Gertrude. Or, more accurately, you’re looking for where she was.
The trail starts at a small farmstead. If you've played the base game, you know the drill: use Odin’s Sight. Pulsing that R3 button (or V on PC) is your best friend. You'll find traces of a struggle. There are broken crates. There’s some spilled food. It looks like a typical Viking-era bad day.
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What’s interesting about this specific mission is how it bridges the gap between the political drama of the DLC and the smaller, human costs of the war. You aren't just fighting cultists; you're tracking down a witness who is terrified. The trail leads away from the farm, through the mud, and toward a coastal area. If you hit the water, you’ve gone too far.
Why People Struggle with the Tracks
Navigation in the Irish fog is a nightmare. Seriously. The visibility drops to about ten feet, and those blue highlight "clues" from Odin's Sight disappear faster than your health bar against a Legendary Animal.
I’ve seen people complain on forums that the tracks just "stop." They don't. They just become incredibly subtle. Look for flattened grass. Look for the way the light hits the mud. It’s a very "Red Dead Redemption" moment in a game that usually rewards sprinting and jumping off cliffs.
Tracking Gertrude to the Sea Caves
Eventually, the counting sheep AC Valhalla trail takes you toward the northern coast of Meath. You’re looking for a shipwreck or at least the remnants of one near some sea caves. This is where the "counting" part of the title starts to make sense in a metaphorical way—you're looking for the survivors.
Gertrude is hiding. She’s not just going to pop out and say hello because, let’s face it, Eivor looks terrifying. You have to clear out some wolves first. It’s always wolves, isn't it? Or boars. In Ireland, it’s usually the wolves that get you while you're trying to investigate a clue.
Once the area is clear, you’ll find her tucked away. The dialogue here is actually pretty well-written. It’s not just "Go here, kill that." She’s genuinely rattled. She gives you the information you need about the movements of the conspirators, which ties back into the larger plot involving the Children of Danu.
The Technical Hiccups
Let's be real for a second. Valhalla is a massive game, and it has bugs. During the counting sheep AC Valhalla segment, sometimes the clues won't trigger. If you find yourself standing over a highlighted basket and nothing happens, the old "save and reload" trick is your only hope.
I’ve also noticed that if you enter the search area on horseback, the detection for the tracks can be wonky. Get off the horse. Walk. It sucks, and it's slow, but the game's engine seems to register the "investigation" triggers better when Eivor is on foot.
Connecting the Dots to the Children of Danu
This quest isn't just filler. It’s a prerequisite for unraveling the identity of one of the high-ranking druids. If you skip through the dialogue because you’re frustrated with the tracking, you’ll miss the hint about the "Mist" or the "Whisper."
The Wrath of the Druids expansion relies heavily on these breadcrumb trails. Unlike the Order of the Ancients in England, where you often just stumble upon clues in markets, the Irish cultists require a bit more active detective work. The sheep farm investigation is the game’s way of teaching you to pay attention to the environment.
Tactical Tips for Finding the Clues Quickly
If you want to get this over with and get back to the cool stuff—like dual-wielding sickles and taking down fortresses—here is the path of least resistance:
- Zoom out the map. The search area is a circle, but the clues are almost always on the periphery of the "disturbed" zones.
- Ignore the sheep. Paradoxically, the sheep are mostly flavor text. Don't waste time trying to interact with every animal on the farm.
- Follow the blood. There are faint bloodstains leading toward the shore. They are easier to see at night, weirdly enough, because the "glow" of Odin's Sight pops more against the dark ground.
- Check the hut. There is a specific note inside the main hut that triggers the next phase of the quest. If you haven't read that note, Gertrude literally will not spawn at the cave.
The quest ends with a choice—well, more of a conversation—that determines how you approach the next fortress. It’s a small ripple in a big pond, but it’s these moments that make Valhalla feel like a real RPG rather than just a map-clearing simulator.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
To finish the counting sheep AC Valhalla task efficiently and move on with the DLC, follow this specific order of operations. First, clear the farm of any immediate enemies so you can use Odin's Sight without interruption. Second, head straight for the main farmhouse and look for the letter on the table; this is the hard "trigger" for the quest progression. Third, move North-Northwest toward the shoreline. You are looking for a small alcove near the water's edge.
Don't bother fast-traveling away and coming back if you get stuck; just walk 50 meters out of the quest zone and walk back in to reset the environmental assets. Once you talk to Gertrude, make sure to loot the nearby chests—there’s often some decent silver and trade materials that you'll need for leveling up Dublin's renown later.
Move toward the coast, stay low to avoid the wolf packs if you’re under-leveled, and keep your pulse vision active until you see the green quest marker solidify over the cave entrance.