Erik and his family are Norse who live on the island of Orkneyjar. Their world is thrown upside down when the King of Norway colludes with their jarl to take over their home. They flee to the land north of Mercia. Hoping for a life free from the tyranny of a king they have to fight Danes and Saxons. When King Harald of Norway sends ships to destroy them then the Clan of the Fox is forced to flee to the newly discovered land of ice and fire. They travel beyond sight of land into an uncharted ocean to face a future which is uncertain. Their only certainty lies that their navigator, Erik. He is their only chance to find a new home.
I have always been fascinated by the Vikings in America and this is my take on the adventure. There will be three books in the series. The first one shows the Vikings leaving for Iceland. In my research I found the main reason for the exodus to the ice rock in the North Atlantic was the ambition of the King of Norway. Many of the people did not want to be ruled by a king and they left. I have tried to show this through one clan.
The stories of the first settlers are well worth reading. The first three Norse to live on the island were a warrior, a female thrall and a woman. I wondered how they came to be there and then discovered that they were left by accident when the rest of the Norse returned to the Faeroes!
This was the first time I have published an e-book and a paperback simultaneously. It delayed the publication but many of my readers prefer hard copies. I will try to oblige in future.
Excerpt
Arne and Siggi had joined us and I heard more stones rattling against the enemy. We were no longer alone. Leif shouted, “We can take these bilge rats!” He raised his sword and blood ran down it.
I drew my dagger for the joy of battle was upon me, “Aye!” We ran to the side just as the next four warriors arrived. They had the brand. It was easier for us to climb on the gunwale and Leif and I stood on the gunwale and then jumped down. The four held locked shields before them and slashed blindly. The Norns had been spinning for they missed and we landed on the shields. We were heavy and the four of them were knocked to the ground. Before they could rise Siggi and Arne had joined us as well as two more ship’s boys who stood on the gunwale. The four of us had little skill but the four men were held on the ground by our weight and their shields. I plunged my dagger into the throat of one and repeatedly smashed my sword against the others. Arne and Siggi’s swords scraped across throats and the four lay dead or dying as blood oozed from mortal wounds.
That was when we should have stopped. We had done all that we had been ordered. We had done better than expected but when the two ship’s boys we did not know jumped from the drekar and ran to the open gate we had no choice. We rose to our feet and we followed them.
The four of us stayed together. We were not as reckless as the other two. As we entered the gate, I heard a cry. Turning into the open space before the church and tower I saw the two boys as they were butchered by three more pirates. The pirates came towards us. We could have run but we did not. The three had shields and we did not. They had helmets and we were bare headed. They wore boots and we were barefoot. All three had leather vests but we were bare armed. None would have blamed us if we had run but we did not. We prepared to die.
Leif saw that I had a sword and dagger. He pulled out his own. “Do as Erik does! Use your dagger as a shield.”
The three men began to run towards us. The surface upon which we stood was rough. I knew, although I knew not how, that we had to use our speed across the uneven ground to outwit the men. We outnumbered them. “Fight as a watch! Two to one!”
As the three came towards us I ran to the right and hoped that Siggi would follow me. He did. As the two warriors closest to us tried to turn, their boots skittered on the stones. It made them falter and allowed Siggi and me to turn and face the nearer of them. I swung at his shield as Siggi hacked at his sword. His companion was turning. I stabbed down with my dagger at his knee. The blade went through the breeks and into the flesh behind the knee. I felt it grate on bone. He opened his mouth to scream as the second warrior brought his sword to hack across Siggi’s neck. Then Siggi showed that he was not clumsy. His sword and dagger made a V and blocked the sword. The man smashed the boss of his shield into Siggi’s face. Blood spurted and he fell. His fall, however, allowed me to swing my sword at his left arm. It was without protection. I half severed it with the force of the blow. He dropped his shield. I turned for the man whose knee I had stabbed was trying to rise. I used my legs as a weapon. I kicked his good leg from beneath him and as he fell it made the wound in his knee worse. He screamed and fell backwards. I ran to him and putting my sword into his neck put all of my weight upon it.
Leif shouted, “Erik! Beware!”
I turned, with just my dagger in my hand as the man whose shield arm I had half severed came at me with his sword. Although I blocked it with my dagger I was off balance and I fell over the man I had just slain. He stood over me and I knew that I must die when Arne’s sword appeared through his chest as my brother saved my life.
I scrambled to my feet and ran to Siggi. His nose had been broken. He opened his eyes, “Am I alive?”
I laughed, “Aye cuz.”
