RuneWarriors: Sword of Doom

PROLOGUE

A VIGIL OVER THE VILLAGE

Though they called her a Goddess of Slaughter or Chooser of the Slain, the name she answered to most was Mist, and it seemed to befit her airy personality. And though she looked resplendent—riding astride her pearly steed, her coal-black hair spilling from her golden helmet down over a breastplate of bronze armor, her cloak of swan feathers aflutter in the rush of wind—she was anything but confident. Indeed, although she looked every bit the part of one of Odin’s corpse maidens, she did not feel as though she was ready to perform her duty. Her job, she knew, was not only to transport the fallen dead to Valhalla but to choose only the bravest warriors, for there were very high standards among the dead in Viking heaven. The worst mistake Mist could make was to choose a cowardly soul instead of a courageous one. If she erred, if she ferried the chicken-hearted through the gates of Valhalla, she would be stripped of rank and forever made to serve as a lowly galley wench, lugging buckets of mead in Odin’s hall of heroes, a fate nearly as demeaning as being bound in wedlock to a one-legged troll.

So Mist had to be careful. As she was new to the sisterhood, this was her first solo assignment. Today, in this very village, it would be up to her and her alone to choose whom to ferry to the afterlife. She peered down upon the simple thatched-roof huts, watching the carefree children at play in the rain and the older folk going about their business. Though it was the very picture of a village at peace, Mist knew it would not last. Soon innocents would be killed and the blood would run.

1

A DOWNPOUR OF INSULTS

"We’re doomed!"

We’re dead!

The gods are against us, thanks to the defiant one!

"It’s his heroics that got us into this mess—"

—and thus his duty to fix it!

Perhaps we should banish him—before it gets worse!

Surrounded by the many angry faces of the elders, Dane the Defiant stood in anguish in the center of the room, wishing they would all just stop talking and leave him alone. All right, so things in his village had gone terribly, horribly wrong. But why heap all the blame on him? It wasn’t fair! Outside, it was pouring rain, and inside, it was pouring insults, and Dane had had enough. He stood listening to their grumbles, gripes, and personal attacks, trying to avoid the accusing stares of the graybeards, and all he wanted to do was run. Run away and hide from all the trouble and turmoil. Hide from his failures and his responsibilities. Hide from everything and everyone. Life had become a nightmare from which he could not escape. And it had only been a few short months since they had hailed him a hero.

He heard a crawk! and, looking up, saw Klint, his black-feathered raven, perched on a crossbeam high off the floor. Ah, his friend understood him! Dane watched as the bird hopped along the beam, drawing nearer the smoke hole in the center of the roof. Fixing Dane with a look, the raven flapped his wings and gave a scrawk, as if to say, C’mon, let’s fly. And out the hole he flew, disappearing into the great outdoors to spend his time and enjoy his freedom as he pleased, leaving Dane bitterly wishing that he could do the same.

Just the past spring he had defeated the tyrant Thidrek the Terrifying and freed the people from his evil rule. Did that not count for anything? Thidrek had taken possession of Thor’s Hammer, the earth’s most powerful weapon of mass destruction, and threatened to use it to crush all his foes and conquer the world. But when Dane defeated him in combat, Thor sent down a mighty whirlwind to scoop up the hammer and return it to the heavens, where it belonged.

And, oh, how they had cheered him. Huzzah for Dane the Defiant! they had shouted as they carried him on their shoulders. Dane had tried to explain that he hadn’t been the only brave one. All his friends had helped, too—Jarl the Fair, Fulnir the Stinking, Drott the Dim, and others. But since Dane had personally dispatched Thidrek in front of the whole village, it was he who was decreed a hero. This, of course, had pained Jarl no end, for he hated when others received more praise than he did, especially when they actually deserved it.

During the week of celebrations, Dane had felt on top of the world. Kingly, in fact. Children came from leagues around to hear him speak and to touch a real live hero. Women, too, had found him especially desirable. But the skies had darkened, and it had begun to rain. Not a light drizzle, either. A downpour. The black sky burst open and down came a deluge. Night after night, day after day, the rain fell. Relentless torrents for weeks. The village became a river of mud.

Instead of letting up, it got worse. Winds blew. Lightning tore open the sky, soon followed by ear-shattering booms of thunder—Thor’s anger hurled earth-ward, or so the people believed. And then came hail, balls of ice as big as a baby’s fist. Crops were flattened, thatched roofs caved in. Panicked villagers took cover under the overturned hulls of their boats. Frightened cows and goats stopped giving milk and hens stopped laying. Even the fish in the sea sought to escape the fury and went deeper, beyond the villagers’ nets.

And still it rained.

Thor, the people said, seemed to be making up for all the time his hammer had been lost to him. Like a child who had found his favorite toy again, it seemed that now the god could do nothing but play with it, banging away until humans below begged for him to stop. And when he didn’t—when Thor’s storms continued unabated and the village had begun to go without food—the people did the only thing that made sense to them: They pointed accusing fingers at a scapegoat. Dane the Defiant.

And now he stood there inside the village meetinghouse, watching silently as they railed against him. The elders sat on benches in a wide circle round the fire in the center of the lodge as the younger members of the community stood shoulder to shoulder behind them. Though smoke from the fire wafted up through the roof hole, the room was still thick with haze and abuzz with conversation.

If not for you, Thor wouldn’t have his blasted hammer back! spat Gorm the Grumpy, shaking his fist.

"You just had to be the hero, didn’t you? stormed Hakon Large Nose. And now look at us. Ruined crops! No milk! No eggs! No fish to catch!"

"And not one hour of sleep thanks to ceaseless thunder and lightning! lamented Prasarr the Quarreler, always one to complain. If only Voldar the Vile were still among us. He’d know what to do."

Dane sat there enduring their ire. He knew Prasarr was right. If Dane’s father, Voldar the Vile, were alive, they wouldn’t be in such a fix. It was only when Dane tried to fill his father’s shoes that events had spiraled out of control.

Dane’s two best friends, Drott and Fulnir, rose to speak. Now listen! Drott began with authority. There’s something you’re all forgetting here. They waited for Drott to continue, but he’d forgotten his point and gave Fulnir a panicked look. Uh, you first.

What Drott means, Fulnir said, addressing the room, is you can’t blame Dane for all our misfortune.

Oh, no? asked Hakon. Holding up a slab of wood, he pointed to the runic inscription carved on it. The invitation to today’s meeting says ‘A Gathering to Blame Dane.’

Wait! Wait! Drott blurted. I just remembered my point—

Sit down! Gorm spat. You’re wasting our time!

Astrid, daughter of Blek the Boatman, stepped inside the circle of men. Tall and blond, she was a young woman of rare and dangerous beauty whose deadly skill at axe throwing had given her the nickname Mistress of the Blade. She hefted one of her razor-sharp weapons and said, Let them speak.

To which Gorm snorted, We’ll listen to whomever we like, young lady—only to scream in fright an instant later as Astrid’s axe came flying past his ear, slicing off a hank of his white hair as it buried itself in a beam just behind him.

"Oh, did I do that? said Astrid innocently. How clumsy of me." Dane, of course, knew that, had she wished, she could have lopped off Gorm’s whole ear. It amused him to see the other elders suddenly cease complaint as she retrieved the axe and turned back to her friends.

Go on, she told Drott and Fulnir.

I know times are hard, Fulnir said, continuing, "but think how bad things would be if we hadn’t defeated Thidrek the Terrifying."

Exactly! said Drott, regaining his faculties. "Have you forgotten what Thidrek had in store for us? Beheadings? Floggings? Being forced to dance with farm animals? Not my idea of a good time."

The one known as Jarl the Fair thrust himself forward. No one disputes that ridding ourselves of Thidrek was a good thing. A deed for which, I might add, he said, cocking an eye toward Dane, "we all deserve plaudits for taking part in. But winter nears and our food stocks are low. This calls for action, not words! And being Norsemen of pride and thunder, I say we raid and plunder!" A year older than Dane and half a hand taller, Jarl cut quite a fair figure, his gleaming white teeth and jutting jaw made all the more striking by his mane of long golden hair, which he kept well glossed with frequent applications of bear fat. And much to Dane’s chagrin, Jarl’s godlike looks were further complemented by an expertise in archery and swordsmanship that Jarl never tired of telling others about.

We must strike now, continued Jarl, strutting before the gathering, lay waste to our enemies and seize what we need before the winter snows! Hooting in loudest approval were Jarl’s pals, the massive twins Rik and Vik the Vicious Brothers. Always keen for a fight, the twins’ favorite contact sports were bloodletting and advanced bloodletting.

So it’s agreed, Jarl proclaimed. We will take up the sword and shield and show no mercy!

Rik and Vik began a war chant, banging their ale cups together as they cried, No mercy! No mercy! Dane knew it was madness. For even if a raid was successful, many villagers would die in the doing. He remembered what his father had once told him: that if you steal a man’s bread, he and all his kin will be your enemy forever. But help a man feed his family, and you not only have a friend for life, but also many invitations to dinner, Voldar had also quipped.

Now more council members, Gorm among them, took up the chant. Dane wanted to jump to his feet and tell everyone how foolish and reckless and dangerous it was. But since the elders had already blamed him for all that had gone wrong, he knew few would be eager to take his advice. No, the only one who could talk sense into these people would be the village soothsayer, the eldest of the elders, Lut the Bent.

Dane’s eyes found Lut seated across the room. The ancient one was leaning against a post, eyes shut, mouth wide open, and snoring. Dane picked up a pebble from the earthen floor and covertly tossed it Lut’s way, meaning to bounce it off his bald head and rouse him. The pebble flew straight into Lut’s open mouth and down his throat. Suddenly the old man began to choke and gag, and Dane rushed over and pounded him on the back with the flat of his hand. The pebble shot from Lut’s mouth and flew across the room, hitting Gorm in the face, drawing cries of pain from the grumpy one.

Lut recovered, getting his bearings. What in Odin’s name just happened?

You swallowed a pebble, Dane said.

How did a pebble get in my mouth?

I aimed higher. Listen, Jarl is calling for a raiding party. You have to speak.

Lut nodded—this was serious indeed. He cleared his throat and the room quieted, for every villager valued the wisdom of him who had endured one hundred and three winters, not to mention six wives.

So Jarl wants to go raiding, eh? Lut said. A fine idea! Dane shot Lut a look of surprise, having expected an argument against Jarl’s plan. "What do you think, Dane?"

Dane hesitated, not knowing what to say.

We know too well what he thinks, Jarl said. "That he should lead us. Be the hero like always. But this time this is my idea and I’m leading." The Vicious Brothers hooted approval, waving their swords about, nearly wounding a couple of elders.

Very well, said Lut decisively, so you shall lead us. Again Dane gawked at Lut. Had the old man finally succumbed to senility? But Lut beamed an insincere smile and said, "Tell us your plan, Jarl." And it was then Dane realized Lut’s stratagem.

Yes, Jarl, said Dane, eagerly turning back to face the pompous one. "We’re only too glad to follow if you tell us your plan of attack."

Well, said Jarl, taken aback, not expecting Dane to give in so easily, it’s like I said. We’re Norsemen! We should pillage and—

Plunder, right, Dane interrupted. "Can’t do one without the other. But if we’re to follow you, we need specifics. Exactly who and where do we strike?"

Jarl’s face went blank. He turned to Rik and Vik, who just gave him shrugs in return.

Dane made a suggestion. Forgive my presumption—I know you’re in charge, but perhaps it’s unwise to go north. It’s nearly winter, so the storms could be fierce and—

That was my thinking, interjected Jarl. We’ll go south.

Right, said Dane. But of the two villages we’ll pass, which should we attack?

Again Jarl looked at Rik and Vik for help. The Vicious Brothers were blunt instruments not known for strategic thinking or, for that matter, any kind of thinking. Their puzzled looks told Jarl he was on his own. We’ll attack…the first village?

The first village is well fortified on all sides and has over eighty men in its guard, said Dane. "The second village is larger, better fortified, with one hundred men. Both villages will see us coming and will fight and die to the last man, woman, and child to save their food. What is your plan of attack, Jarl?"

Jarl was clearly flummoxed. Silence settled over the room. The elders who had been earlier so roused by the prospect of mindless violence wore furrowed brows, now seeing the foolishness of the endeavor.

As support for his attack drifted away like the smoke through the roof hole, Jarl did the only thing a good Viking could do when logic and good sense were against him. He swept his sword heavenward, struck a heroic pose, and shouted, Who will follow me to the gates of Valhalla?

The only ones stupid enough to fall for this ploy were Rik and Vik, who raised swords and cried in unison, Valhalla! Everyone else either quietly eyed the floor or worked on hangnails. As the embarrassing silence grew, even Dane pitied Jarl. Finally, mercifully, Fulnir the Stinking emitted a roof-raising thunderclap of flatulence that cleared the room quite handily. Preferring to stand in the pouring rain rather than stay inside breathing in Fulnir’s stench bomb, everyone including Dane rushed for the exits. Everyone except Fulnir, that is. He alone stayed behind, relaxed and relieved, giving truth to the old Norse proverb: Every man loves the smell of his own wind.

Later on that gray morning, in the hut he shared with his mother, Dane sat morosely by the fire, picking out the same mournful tune on his wooden pipe. His mood was dark, for he knew that although he and Lut had stayed the cries to go a-viking, soon his hand would be forced. If the village food stores continued to dwindle, the elders would side with Jarl, and then everyone would have to strap on swords, take to their boats, and go steal grain from their neighbors.

Everyone but the elders, of course. While the young men oared off to do the dirty business of pillage and plunder, the graybeards would warm themselves before their home fires, waiting for the boats to return with booty.

Outside, the torrential rains continued lashing the hut’s sodden roof, sending rivulets of water dripping down the inside log walls. If only this ceaseless storm would stop! Dane thought. Then perhaps the fish and game would return before the snows came. Peals of thunder shook the hut, further darkening Dane’s mood, and he cursed the elders. Like it’s my fault Thor’s throwing a fit! They can all go drown in pig slop! His raven, Klint, gave an agreeing crawk! from his perch in the rafters.

Dane’s mother, Geldrun, a handsome, fiery woman still in her early thirties, gave her opinion on the subject. Remember what your father said about our people?

I believe he said, ‘They can all go drown in pig slop.’

That, agreed his mother, and that a leader’s life is thankless. No matter how well you keep the people fed, their children safe, and their pets free of ticks, a village will always find reasons to complain. It’s always ‘What have you done for us lately?’

"So why even be a leader then? All they do is blame you when things go wrong." Dane’s eyes went to the Shield of Odin hanging on the wall. In its center was a many-faceted jewel, the Eye of Odin, which was said to magically protect the shield holder against every hack and thrust of enemy axe and sword. Whoever possessed the shield was entrusted with great responsibility and honor, for it was his sacred duty to protect the village and its people. Voldar had held the shield with distinction and valor, and when he had fallen, it had been passed to Dane, the people hoping that he had inherited his father’s greatness. But wearied by the burden of such an inheritance, Dane now took the shield from its peg on the wall and told his mother he was going to turn it over to the village council. They could decide who now best deserved it.

Perhaps Jarl should carry it now, he said.

You will put that back, said Geldrun with iron in her voice. Giving up so easily does dishonor to your father. I didn’t raise a son to be a whimpering, whipped dog. She took the shield from his hands. "All men get beaten, son; life does that. But the strong risk failure again and again, refusing to remain beaten."

The icy rain pelted his cheeks as he sloshed through the river of mud, leaving the village behind and ascending Thor’s Hill, seeking some peace from his torment. This was the spot where Thor’s Hammer had last touched earth before being blown heavenward by a mighty godsent wind, and it was the one place where Dane would go to think.

Reaching the top of the hill, he gazed down at the deep impression still visible in the earth, the sizeable imprint Thor’s Hammer had made when it had fallen. To be here on this hallowed ground never failed to fill him with awe. But now, with the impression filled with rainwater and nearly gone from sight, it only filled him with sadness, for soon all proof that he had once been a hero would be gone.

He stood alone under the soot-gray sky, gazing out over the village to the bay waters beyond, thinking on what could have been. On this very spot, he remembered, his people had planned to erect a great granite runestone in his honor. Upon the stone there was to be carved the tale of his grand triumph over Thidrek the Terrifying, thereby commemorating for all time the heroism of the Rune Warriors of Voldarstad. What glory might have been his! But now, Dane knew with bitter certainty, the runestone would never be erected. The unceasing rains had washed away that plan and killed so many other hopes and dreams as well.

Clutching his Thor’s Hammer amulet at his neck, Dane lifted his face skyward. Mighty Thor, I beg forgiveness! he cried to the heavens. You see before you a man fully chastened, disgraced, and made humble by your supreme omnipotence! I get the message! Now if you could just show some mercy and stop the deluge, I do think we’ve suffered enough! For a moment Dane heard nothing but the rain. Then a sudden KA-BOOM of thunder sounded, as if Thor were saying, "I’ll decide when you humans have suffered enough!" And adding further insult, the rain instantly turned to hail, the iceballs pummeling Dane’s upturned face.

Dane dropped to his knees and closed his eyes, this time beseeching someone he hoped was listening from his ale bench in Valhalla. "Father! If you hear me…I’ve done my best to fill your boots…but I’ve made a mess of things, if truth be told, and, well…maybe my destiny is not to be a leader of men after all…which would suit me fine, really it would. Perhaps Jarl is better suited for it. I know he’s a fool at times…well, most of the time, but perhaps he’ll have better luck than I have. He wants to go raiding for food, but…is that the right thing to do? If you could just give me a sign…a thunderclap? A bird call? A chirping of crickets? Anything!"

The hail ceased, the rain eased a bit, and a moment later Dane felt a warm glow upon his face. He opened his eyes and saw a bright, shimmering light hovering above him, as if the thunderclouds had suddenly parted and the sun maid Sol had shown herself. The light filled him with tranquility, until it dawned on Dane that it wasn’t the sun warming him but an entity of an altogether different nature. He rose unsteadily to his feet and reached up to touch the thing within the dazzle of light, when a female voice cried, Behind you!

And turning too late, all Dane saw in his last moments of consciousness was the blur of a swiftly advancing stranger bringing a club down upon his head.

2

A DEADLY ARRIVAL

In the woods beyond the village the ten-year-old quietly stalked the enemy. There! A mere hundred paces away he spied him. The boy ducked behind a tree and drew an arrow to his bow, knowing this would be a difficult shot in the rain. Pulling back the bowstring as far as strength would allow, he let the arrow fly.

It landed a good thirty paces shy of his target—an ancient pine.

William the Brave swore at how badly he had missed. He had been sneaking off to the woods every day to practice against imaginary enemies, gradually building his arm strength to hit targets farther and farther away. From seventy paces or less he was deadly, but he lacked the muscle to launch an arrow accurately beyond that. Until the day he could kill reliably from at least a hundred paces, he would not be deemed a warrior worthy to stand in battle beside Dane the Defiant, the young man whom he had come to idolize in the short time he had known him.

William had been a Saxon orphan whom Dane had rescued from slavery just months before. William had shown a particular act of courage—an act inspired by Dane himself—and Dane then had dubbed him William the Brave, a name the boy longed to live up to. And so daily he visited these woods in secret to practice his art, even in the pouring rain.

He strung another arrow, envisioning an attacker skulking up behind him. He whirled to shoot—and was surprised to see a strange man standing there wearing a chain-mail shirt and helmet, brandishing a shield and war axe. Behind this stranger stood a dozen others. William had been so intent on his imaginary invaders, he hadn’t heard the real ones creep up. Thwack! An arrow hit the tree behind him, just missing his shoulder.

William ran. He heard the hiss of arrows as they shot past into the trees and brush. Behind him he heard the attackers crashing through the woods in pursuit. He knew he had to alert the village but was too far away to be heard. Emerging from the trees, he raced like a hare across the open field toward the village perimeter, expecting any moment to feel the impact of an arrow shaft. As he ran, he threw a quick look over his shoulder. The attackers were just reaching the tree line and were coming fast. But not being weighed down by chain mail as they were, William knew he had the advantage. And thus he ran, and gave a blood-curdling cry so high and loud, it scared even him to hear it.

"Attack! ATTAAACK!"

Geldrun rose from the goat pen to see her village under assault. Villagers, including Astrid and Jarl, Rik, Vik, Fulnir, and Drott, had quickly found weapons and engaged the invaders but were being pushed back by the onslaught. Immediately Geldrun thought of the children. In a blink she was racing through the village, taking control of the panicked women and wee ones, herding them away from the fighting to the ships beached on shore. If the village was overrun, she knew, the only escape route would be over water.

Hearing a familiar voice, she turned to see Lut the Bent emerging from his doorway, dragging a sword. The frail one planned to do battle, though he could barely lift the war blade. Geldrun grabbed the weapon from his hands, saying, Get to the boats!

No! Lut barked. I will defend the village! And he grabbed the sword back from her with surprising swiftness, iron resolution in his watery blue eyes.

But the women and children! she urged. You must get them to the ships and away! Geldrun knew he would give his life to see that no harm came to the children. He nodded briskly and started off, then suddenly stopped.

My dagger, he said, patting his cloak. It’s inside. He started back toward his hut, but Geldrun rushed in to retrieve it instead, knowing she could find it faster. Inside she rooted around and soon found his sheathed dagger beneath his furs. Rising again to her feet, she heard a scuffle. A cry of pain. Moving to the door, she saw Lut now sprawled facedown in the mud. Three attackers stood over him, holding the sword they had seized from him, and Geldrun heard their derisive laughter.

Your blade weighs more than you, old man! she heard the tallest one say. This drew more chuckles, and he lifted the sword over his head to plunge it into Lut the Bent. But before the laughter died in their throats, Geldrun flew out the door and thrust the dagger up under the tall one’s arm, the one place she knew a man in mail would be most vulnerable. He bellowed in pained surprise, falling to his knees. One of his cohorts whirled and slashed at her with his sword, knocking the dagger from her grasp. Kill her! the wounded one shrieked.

Geldrun backed away as the other two came toward her, swords drawn. But her back hit the wall of the hut. Her throat tightened. With nowhere to run, she knew it was over but still refused to cower. As they neared, she girded herself for the killing blow, too proud to look away from their blood-spattered faces, a brief thought of her son flashing through her mind. Both men raised swords to strike. Then the nearest one gave a sudden grunt, Geldrun just as shocked as he was to see a bloody arrowhead sticking out of his chest. The arrow had gone right through his chain mail. And her attackers barely had enough time to exchange looks of shock when—thhhummmp!—another arrow skewered the other man through his neck. Both men tipped over like stone statues, dead before they hit the ground.

Too stunned to speak, Geldrun was further struck to see, emerging from the smoke, a strange but striking figure in a white cloak, stringing his bow with a new arrow as he walked. Behind him strode twelve more hard and battle-scarred men loaded with spears, knives, and swords, the business of killing clearly their chief stock-in-trade.

Geldrun rushed to help Lut to his feet, relieved to