Wolves of Valhalla

By L. J. Bonham

What's meaner than a Viking Zombie? A Viking Werewolf, of course.

The summer solstice in the prophesied year of the apocalypse. Snorri Geirolfson sails home with his brother and Viking comrades after a successful raid. A sudden, unnatural storm sweeps out of the North Sea and bolts of mysterious lightning pulverize everyone aboard, except Snorri. Snorri's bad day turns to a night from hell when his shipmates awaken as brain eating undead. Desperate, he jumps overboard to avoid becoming their main course.

Snorri swims to an island shore where he finds a Norse fortress and seeks the protection of it's Chieftain, Thorolf Haeglson, who has his own issues. Thorolf is a werewolf and he hates himself. Nothing like an invasion of undead to lift your sagging spirits! Can this unlikely duo, thrown together by the web of the Fyr, defeat that which can not be killed and save Thorolf's people from annihilation?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sky Warrior Book Publishing/ Sky Warrior Books
• Release date: Sep 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301991655

Book preview

Wolves of Valhalla

L.J. Bonham

Sky Warrior Book Publishing, LLC

Smashwords Edition

© 2013 by L. J. Bonham.

Published by Sky Warrior Book Publishing, LLC

PO Box 99

Clinton, MT 59825

www.skywarriorbooks.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental.

Editor: Carol Hightshoe.

Cover art by Gilly Hathaway.

Publisher: M. H. Bonham.

Printed in the United States of America

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Chapter 1

The summer solstice in the Christian year 1000

Bjorn, you are bewildered by the sea and the storm wind approaches! Snorri grabbed the ship's master by the badger fur collar on his cloak and spun him so he could look the red headed Dane in the eye.

The one eyed master just scowled at his younger brother. "You are wrong to say I am hafvilla, little brother. I have made this voyage six times and know where I sail. He brought his left hand up and around and knocked Snorri’s fist from his cloak. See to the horses that they do not become excited." Bjorn pointed at the four Icelandic ponies that stood amidships; profit from their latest raid on the Hebrides Islands.

Snorri threw up his hands and stepped down the few feet into the longship's belly. His brother was an impossible man; convinced Odin smiled on him and all his ventures. In the nineteen years Snorri had known him, Bjorn had never admitted to any one he was wrong. He slipped his way past each horse and rubbed their necks and chins to calm them although they grew nervous as the storm approached. He took a dun colored mare by the halter and whispered in her ear. I think my brother may finally be proven wrong today. He tousled the mare’s thick mane and patted her forehead. The mare jerked her head back, flared her nostrils and sniffed the sea breeze. A good whiff and her eyes went wide in panic. She tried to wrench her head from Snorri’s grasp.

There, there, stay calm. Snorri cooed at the horse. The other ponies began to neigh and pull against their lead ropes hitched to the longship's gunwales. Several warriors jumped down into the hold to help. A cold gust blew across the ship and Snorri knew what unnerved the ponies; rotting flesh. Snorri almost gagged at the strong odor. He shifted around until he felt the wind from the approaching storm.

He looked back up at Bjorn and pointed toward the starboard beam. This is no natural storm, bother!

Bjorn laughed and spat on the deck. I have sailed through far worse, little Snorri, do not worry I am favored by Thor.

The storm came upon them with unusual speed. The wind tore at the large square sail and almost jerked the two men who worked its guide ropes off their feet. Rain and sleet stung the men and ponies. The warriors not involved in sailing the ship hunched down in the hold and pulled their cloaks over their heads. Moments after the first gust, large hail pounded everyone so hard, many men retrieved their shields from the storage rails along the gunwales and held them up for shelter.

Come on, is that all you can do!? Bjorn shook his fist at the hail as it pounded his face. Then lightning snapped and sizzled in the water all around the ship.

Thunder exploded so close Snorri’s ears rang. He could feel the lightning raise the hairs on his arms and neck. It felt like a thousand spiders crawled on his skin. He clenched his teeth and tried to hide under the mare's neck and head. The horse tucked its chin between its front hooves and arched its back to lessen the sharp hail stones' impact.

Thunder shook the whole ship and Snorri's chest. Bjorn cried out in agony. Snorri jerked his head around. His brother was caught in a bolt of lightning. The white hot light shook Bjorn and his body