As the fourth volume begins, Prince Valiant, haunted by Aleta, seeks Merlin's wise counsel. This brief episode segues into one of Hal Foster's patented epics, 'The Long Voyage to Thule', which ran for seven straight months and featured Valiant's return to his birthplace and reunion with his father. Of course, Foster's astonishingly detailed and evocative depictions of Val's homeland contribute greatly to this sprawling epic.