Astrid pulled Harald and Rolf close to her. Hakon and Leif stood back a bit, not sure of their reception until Astrid beckoned them forward and they too were enveloped in a family hug. Eventually as the chaos calmed and people stopped talking, Sarah sat with the children who were not yet at their home.
Once more Hakon explained what had happened and Astrid stepped into full ‘wife of the Jarl’ mode. Arrangements were made for messengers to be sent to the families of the children who in turn were found places to stay amongst the families of Geir’s settlement.
Throughout this bustle of activity, Sarah made herself useful but would occasionally find either Ulf or Astrid looking at her thoughtfully. She knew it would only be a matter of time before she really would have to explain things and she wasn’t sure how she could do that when she had so many questions herself. Sarah decided that avoidance was probably the best choice.
Waking in the early hours of the next morning, Harald once more snuggled by her side snoring gently, Sarah thought she had done well during the previous evening. Hakon and Leif had told the full story of their adventures yet again, not mentioning Sarah’s gift, at least not directly.
There was some talk of the intervention of the god’s when it came to the storm and the rogue wave. Sarah had found it difficult for much of the tale to look at anyone and suddenly something on the floor looked really interesting.
She knew that everyone was looking at her and that they were remembering the words of the old prophetess. The two boys had taken turns at keeping her company and heading off any awkward questions. But the time had come, she needed to leave. Sitting up the knowledge of what she must do came to her. Dressing quickly, she crept out of the hall and made her way to the forge.
Standing outside the door of the forge in the early morning chill, she hesitated. She raised her hand to knock when the door opened. Sarah let out a little squeak of fright and stumbled back, Ulf swore as he too stepped back a pace.
“Gods girl! What are you doing lurking outside my door at this hour,” he demanded in a whisper.
“Sorry, but I need your help,” Sarah replied. Her eyes narrowed, “What about you? You look like you’re going somewhere?”
“Uhh, it don’t matter now, what help?”
Not convinced, Sarah was silent for a time then shrugged her shoulders in a manner reminiscent of Hakon, “I need you to take me back to the place where you found me”.
“What? Now?”
“No silly, sometime next week,” the sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“Can’t it wait?”
“No it can’t, please Ulf” Sarah pleaded, why was he being so awkward?
“I’ve got something to do first and then when I get back in a few days, I’ll take you there then”.
“Ulf, I have to go today. Well if you won’t take me, I’ll go on my own” said Sarah, determined that she was going home today.
“I’ll take her” came a third voice from out of the dark, startling Sarah and Ulf. It was Hakon.
“I’ll take her” he repeated. Sarah smiled and looked at Ulf.
“There problem solved. Where are you off to anyway?” she asked Ulf as she went to stand next to Hakon.
“He’s going to find Father and tell him and the king about the plot,” Hakon answered for Ulf.
“Oh. I am free to go though, aren’t I?” She said, fear taking root in her stomach.
“Sarah, your arrival was a mystery. This whole thing has been a mystery, I know that the boys have downplayed your role in the rescue and I have lots of questions, so does Astrid and I am sure Geir and the King will too. But I think that on this occasion not knowing might be for the better,” began Ulf, a snort from Hakon interrupting him.
“Perhaps” he continued with a glance at Hakon, “it would be best if you were to leave soon. It would make a good ending for the story,” said Ulf absentmindedly stroking his beard.
“He’s right Sarah, forget the goodbyes, I will say them for you. If you want to go we should go now. I know the way to Freya’s Rocks.”
Sarah looked from Ulf to Hakon. She was reluctant to sneak off in the middle of the night without saying goodbye, it seemed wrong somehow, although she also realised that they had a point.
“Okay, but give me a minute to get my stuff” she ran off quickly before they could stop her.
Sneaking back into the hall, she stood quietly for a long moment making sure that all were still asleep. Harald had curled the blanket around himself and she gave him a brief kiss on the forehead softly whispering goodbye. Reaching under the bed and grabbing her modern day clothes. She took one last look over her shoulder from the doorway and said a silent farewell.
Ulf and Hakon were still standing by the forge door when she returned, Hakon looking a little sheepish.
“Okay, I’m ready” said Sarah wondering what had been said whilst she was gone.
“Wait, before you go, here,” said Ulf handing her two little throwing knives identical to the ones she had sacrificed to Aegir. “Leif told me that you had given them to Aegir, these two are the rest of the set that wouldn’t fit on your belt. From all accounts, you might find that you will need them again one day”.
Sarah sincerely hoped that she wouldn’t but accepted the gift, giving the big man a big hug.
“Now, I am ready. Goodbye Ulf and thank you” she said, a lump in her throat. Turning, she followed Hakon who was already on the move.
Sarah and Hakon walked steadily through the early morning hours of darkness, marking the rise of the sun with a few oatcakes that Hakon had in his pack. Sarah wasn’t sure where the pack had come from or the oatcakes for that matter but was glad he had thought ahead. They walked on in silence, the only time Hakon spoke was to point out a deer or tell her to mind her step. It was not an uncomfortable silence and so it was that Sarah found herself not wanting to fill that silence. The sun had passed well over head when Hakon came to an abrupt halt.
“The rocks are just through those trees” he said.
“Thanks. Ahh, could you wait one moment” said Sarah, as she dashed off behind a bush.
When she emerged she was wearing her own clothes. It was going to be hard enough to explain to her father where she had been all this time, let alone why she was wearing Viking clothes. Hakon’s eyes were almost popping out of his head.
He had never seen a girl dressed in jeans and t-shirt before. Sarah handed him the clothes his mother had lent her. Silently he took them from her. As Sarah bent over to tie the laces on her boots, her amulet and the Thor hammer tumbled out of her t-shirt. The moonstone at the centre of the amulet had begun to glow.
“I don’t understand who or what you are but I would like to apologise for treating you badly, when all you wanted to do was help. Thank you Sarah” said Hakon, holding Sarah’s gaze.
Sarah felt her mouth go dry, she should reply but there was nothing she could say, so instead she took two quick steps towards him her lips lightly brushing his cheek.
“I will miss you all, please tell your family that,” she whispered, her throat tightening, turning away quickly before he saw the tears that threatened to spill.
Sarah walked alone through the trees, blindly tripping over tree roots, silently cursing the trees and her own clumsiness whilst at the same time, telling herself that she really did need to learn some forest craft. It was only a matter of minutes before she came upon the clearing in which stood a jumble of rocks.
Coming to a halt, she gazed at them; there was something familiar about them. As she walked towards them she realised that they were an ancient burial cairn. Trying to remember what her dad had told her she thought that maybe it was Neolithic or perhaps Bronze Age.
It seemed to her that this was another piece of the puzzle that was currently her life. She wished that she had the box so she could see the picture. Frowning she realised that this sounded very much like something her Dad had once told her about archaeology.
“
Archaeology is like a giant jigsaw puzzle, but you don’t have the box and only a vague inkling of what the picture should look like. Then, to make things worse, someone has gone and lost some of the pieces down the back of the sofa.” Sarah could hear his voice, laughing at his own joke. She really did miss him.
Standing in front of the cairn Sarah reached out to touch the rocks, one hand gently resting on the warm stone the other clasped around her amulet. There was a connection; a feeling of calm came over her. She felt safe.
Finding a sheltered spot tucked away in the corner, she sat down and waited. Letting her mind wander she thought about home. How am I going to explain my disappearance? Dad will think that I have truly lost the plot if I try to tell him that I can time travel. Time Travel? Can I actually time travel? She knew it had something to do with the amulet...but how...and why her? Questions tumbled through her mind, but the warm stone at her back and the sunshine on her face soon put a stop to the questions. She felt herself getting drowsy, her eyelids getting heavy and gradually sleep claimed her.
“Wakey, wakey my girl. This is not the place to take a nap, come on Sarah up you get.”
“Huh, what?” mumbled Sarah. Opening her eyes, she felt really very groggy. A man was kneeling over her, one hand shaking her shoulder gently. Slowly, her eyes focussed on the man looking at her, kindly concern on his very, very familiar face.
“Dad?”
THE END (for now)
Thank you or reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won’t you please take a moment to leave a review at your favourite ebook retailer. Thanks T M Rowe.
About the Author
I have been many things in my life, waitress, barmaid, child/dog minder, student, promo girl (eek!), journalist (briefly), customer service, archaeologist, teacher, wife to my biggest fan and now mum to two precocious children and of course author. But I have always come back to the things I love the most writing and the past. It is never far from my mind and I find inspiration in all that is around me. Having lived in Cornwall for eight years, where I met my husband (who is Cornish through and through), I also fell for the magic that permeates the land in that county. Although I now live in my home country of New Zealand, Cornwall, archaeology and magic are never far from my mind.
I have unashamedly used a member of my family for the basis of one of the characters in Sarah’s adventures – Brad the Dog is in fact my very own Brad the Dog, a great dollop of a Labrador who keeps me company when I’m writing and gives me a nudge when he thinks I’ve done enough for the day (strangely, it seems to correspond with him wanting to go for a walk...).
Other Titles
Cornwall in Prehistory 2005 Tempus (print only) – a basic introduction to the archaeology of this fascinating county in the UK.
A Megaltihic Moon – A Sarah Tremayne Adventure - Book Two
Connect with T M Rowe
www.tmrowe.com
Facebook – T M Rowe-writer
Email –
[email protected] Instagram - @tonimaree.rowe
####
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends