The Pagan Hammer: Harry Fox Adventure Book 5 by Andrew Clawson

Author:Andrew Clawson [Clawson, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Golden Idol Publishing
Published: 2023-09-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Avaldsnes, Norway

Harry stuck the phone in his pocket and pointed at the crumbling fortress in front of them. “Now what?”

Sara raised an eyebrow. “Want to tell me what that was about?”

“The Morello stuff?” Harry hesitated. “Later – I promise. It’s an idea I’m still thinking through.”

Sara didn’t seem to like it, but apparently she was now choosing her battles. “Do you see what I mean about Nora? She’s trying to help.”

“I know, I know. We’re a team, even if sometimes I want to scream at her.” His mouth tightened. “She’s too stubborn.”

Sara chuckled. “Know anyone else like that?”

“Not funny.”

“We’re all challenging in our own ways. Even me.”

“That’s the truth.”

“That’s enough out of you.” Sara pointed to the series of buildings hundreds of yards away, the structures huddled together as though to ward off the wind. Some still appeared suitable for habitation. Others were no more than empty shells pockmarked with holes. A three-story stone church stood over everything else. “The main buildings of Avaldsnes Kongsgård estate are over there. Whoever controlled the fortress controlled the strait, a major thoroughfare for traders up and down the coast. Lots of traders paying taxes to the lord of the fortress.”

Archways supported an exterior wall that was now mostly fallen down, though several turrets remained above the fortress’s main door. A crenellated battlement topped the entrance. The wooden doors meant to hold marauding hordes at bay had long ago rotted, leaving the doorway wide open. Arrow slits were cut in the stone wall running the entire length of the fortress’s front portion. The rear portion of the castle had been built atop the cliffside, which was at a nearly vertical angle. The ground was over twenty feet above the water, with the fortress wall another twenty feet above that. The wall stretched across hundreds of yards, from one edge of the cliff to another in a massive half-circle.

Sara watched him studying the walls. “They carved switchback stairs into the cliffside, and they had docks on the strait. If an army approached on land, the fortress’s inhabitants could escape over the water.”

“What if the intruders had a navy?”

“In addition to an army? Then the fortress might fall. Still, this was an incredibly stout fortress.”

“It also ties back to Odin. Is there a shrine inside?”

She marched off. “Follow me.”

As they approached the fortress Harry asked a question. “How much has this place been studied?”

“Extensively. Nothing has been found suggesting it is part of a hidden Visigoth path.” Her eyes sparkled. “Which is excellent news.”

“It’s a big fortress. Lots of places to hide things that no one was looking to find.”

“We have it to ourselves today,” Sara said. She pointed to the fields surrounding them. “Nobody else wants to visit when it’s so windy outside. If anyone comes, we stay out of their way.”

“Who owns this place? The city?”

“The village oversees it.” Again she pointed into the distance. “A dying village with few resources. We shouldn’t have any trouble from them.”

“Where do we start?”

“At this exterior wall.

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