Page 40 (1/2)

At thirteen, he was to sail with his oldest brother, Hagan They would stop in the islands north of Scotland, held by Norse jarls, then head south and raid a village along the Hebrides where it was ruold fashioned by fine goldsile pieces of bone and ash so reverently contained in the gold vessels; they only wanted the precious ood; he loved it He didn’t ed ship when there was no wind, and he loved a storray, the black toss of the waves, all created a teainst the obstacles set forth by the gods

The islands where his distant cousins ruled, slave- He had never seen so many different peoples: e that he found fascinating There, on the isles, they were refitted for their travels; they practiced with arms, and held contests to o well until one of their hosts heard word of the treasure they had come to seize from farther south; the inhabitants of the isles felt that the treasure was u of swords and an all-out e fire in the jarl’s circular hall, Hagan boasted that his brother had been born under a special sign, therefore he could best a ht, and twice his size His brother, seventh son of the seventh son, born beneath the black est, ht to the death, and the men of the victor would be the warriors to seek the prize

Ragnor was stunned?as stunned as those laughing at hih he could not humiliate his brother, he wasn’t at all sure why it seemed his brother was intent on his nor informed him that this destined prowess of his had yet to be tested, but the jarl deested He called to one of his champions, a man called Olaf the Giant

Olaf had been aptly naht was staggering, but there was nothing in the man run to fat or drink His breadth was nor was lean despite his customary ith heavy weapons and the e when he stood before Olaf the Giant, but Ragnor could not meet his soon-to-be slayer without a look at his brother that indicated his feelings of betrayal He kneever, that it would be far better to fall to one of Olaf’s massive blows than to act the coward and face the fury of his fellow Vikings He stepped onto the dirt patch before the fire that was assigned as the fighting place He was granted three shields and three weapons He chose an axe, a mace and a sword

He had barely stepped forward, barely hoisted his wooden shield, when Olaf bore down on hiive him a quick and painless death and allow hi of his battle-axe shattered Ragnor’s shield into splinters He retreated, taking up the next shield handed to hi toward hi his battle-axe

This next tiiant axe swung hard into the earthen flooring

"Kill him now! It’s your chance!" his brother roared

But all he had known thus far was the role of student, and so Ragnor hesitated Olaf brought his weapon fronor ducked and circled around, to the great amusement of the onlookers When Olaf shattered his second shield, Ragnor dropped the mace as well as the remnants of protective wood; he then picked up his sword

When the giant canor sped forward, striking instantly and with dead precision

Ragnor caught him in the throat Olaf, amazed, dropped his weapon and clasped his throat with both hands

Blood gushed through the ers For seconds that seenor

Then he fell dead to the floor

Men all around him cheered His brother rushed forward and hoisted him on his shoulders He should have felt the elation of his fellow ht, the Jarl of the isles gave Ragnor a shield fronted with silver, an ancient bequest brought back froe on the mainland far to the south The jarl awarded hione a-Viking all the way to the lands of the yellow people

He didn’t s he had never iy required froht

He should have died

The next , he accosted his brother

"You were quick to risk my life"

"I never risked your life"

"He ice my size, brutal"

"But you are our father’s seventh son"

"So I’an put out a finger, touching him directly on the forehead "The seventh son of the wolf, who is the seventh son of the wolf And a child of deep ht, conceived of the hour, born of the hour You have the cunning of the wolf, and the hunger, and the loyalty"

"And that kept rin "Well, I had heard that it would do so And now I have proof"

"You riskeddoes not live forever And his place in the halls of Valhalla is great only if he has perfor day, they left, striking out for the rich treasure they sought

When they cae His brother’s eance