Viking Kingdom (Dragonheart Book 4) by Hosker Griff

Author:Hosker, Griff [Hosker, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd
Published: 2014-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

It took a long time to load ‘Wolf’. Einar had to make sure that the drekar was well balanced. With only half a crew he could ill afford mistakes. We watched as he gingerly edged her towards the sea and, when he had safely negotiated the headland, we returned to the village. We spent the day burning the bodies of the Saxons in one pyre and burying our dead in a barrow. As the afternoon drew on we scouted the land round about the monastery gathering sheep.

We managed to collect a larger number than I had anticipated. We use the thrall pens to hold them. I found myself drawn, once again, to the monastery. I revisited the secret chamber we had searched earlier in case we had missed anything but we had not. I found Haaken and Cnut searching the church. The candlesticks and plates had been taken. The light from the dipping sun spread light and shadows across the stone floor of the church. I was about to leave when I noticed that, close to where they had had what the priests called the altar there looked to be a shadow.

I went to the stone and I could see that it was slightly lower than its brothers. Haaken joined me, “What is it, Jarl Dragon Heart?”

“It may be nothing but…” I drew my seax and ran it around the edge of the stone. “I think this may lift up.”

“I can see nothing to get hold of.”

“I know and that is why I think this is a chamber for secrets. Had the light not shone the way it did then I would have seen nothing.”

Haaken nodded and left the church. He returned with the broken axe from the warrior I had killed the previous day. The axe head was long. He laid it in the crack we had widened and he put his foot on it. Surprisingly it began to move quite easily. He kept the pressure on while Cnut and I put our seaxes in the crack to give added leverage. The stone suddenly popped open. A damp musty smell rose. This had not been opened for some time.

Cnut looked down. “It is empty.”

I looked and saw that there appeared to be nothing in the hole. “Get a torch.”

We had a fire going to cook our evening meal and Cnut went to get a burning brand. When he returned the Ulfheonar were with him, intrigued by our absence. Haaken held the torch so that its light shone into the dark space beneath the church. I looked down and saw another chest. This time it was a plain one but it was large. As soon as I stretched out and put my head and arms inside it became black again. I felt the edge of the casket. I ignored the things which crawled over my hands. I put the spider’s web which covered my face from my mind and I concentrated upon tugging the reluctant chest towards the opening. Gradually it moved.

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