Warrior Heroes: The Viking's Revenge

By Benjamin Hulme-Cross

Travel back in time with brothers Arthur and Finn to rewrite the past. Fascinating historical facts combine with action packed fiction to create a dramatic and gripping adventure. This fast paced and exciting narrative will leave the reader wanting more and more. Will the boys escape the grips of the Vikings and succeed in changing the course of history?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Jul 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781472907851

Benjamin Hulme-Cross

Ben Hulme-Cross has written over thirty books for struggling readers, including the Dark Hunter series. Ben is currently the director for Iffley Publishing in the United Kingdom and lives in Oxford.

Book preview

10

The Hall of Heroes is a museum all about warriors throughout history. It’s full of swords, bows and arrows, helmets, boats, armour, shields, spears, axes and just about anything else that a warrior might need. But this isn’t just another museum full of old stuff in glass cases – it’s also haunted by the ghosts of the warriors whose belongings are there. Our great grandfather, Professor Blade, set up the museum and when he died he started haunting the place too. He felt guilty about the trapped ghost warriors and vowed he would not rest in peace until all the other ghosts were laid to rest first. And that’s where Arthur and I come in…

On the night of the Professor’s funeral Arthur and I broke into the museum – we knew it was wrong but we just couldn’t help ourselves. And that’s when we discovered something very weird. When we are touched by one of the ghost warriors we get transported to the time and place where the ghost lived and died. And we can’t get back until we’ve fixed whatever it is that keeps the ghost from resting in peace. So we go from one mission to the next, recovering lost swords, avenging deaths, saving loved ones or doing whatever else the ghost warrior needs us to do.

Fortunately while the Professor was alive I wrote down everything he ever told us about these warriors in a book I call Warrior Heroes – so luckily we do have some idea of what we’re getting into each time – even if Arthur does still call me ‘Finn the geek’. But we need more than a book to survive each adventure because wherever we go we’re surrounded by war and battle and the fiercest fighters who ever lived, as you’re about to find out!

CHAPTER 1

Arthur shivered, wondering where the cruel screeching was coming from. His cold bones ached. His face was wet and his nostrils were full of the smells of leaves and mud. He didn’t want to wake up but as soon as you think that, you always do.

Find Blood Hunter!

He rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes, slowly letting in the thin dawn light. A spider crawled out of his hair and down his cheek. The birds kept screeching.

Finn! he croaked. Looking around he saw trees in all directions. I must be in a forest somewhere, he thought. He scanned the trees for any sign of his younger brother. Nothing.

Arthur had no idea where he was. He concentrated hard and an image of an old man looking down at him very seriously flashed before his eyes. His name danced around the edges of Arthur’s memory. Good luck, he said and be brave. Then another man stepped into view, huge and bearded, wearing a helmet. Arthur’s memories rushed into focus: Professor Blade; the Hall of Heroes; the Viking; Find Blood Hunter!

Somewhere nearby a stick snapped. Arthur leapt up into a crouch and turned to face the sound, praying that he would see Finn. A boy was peering out curiously from behind a tree. Not Finn. The boy took a startled step back and dropped the wood he was carrying.

OK, said Arthur, holding both hands up cautiously. It’s OK.

The boy didn’t move, just stared at Arthur with ice-blue eyes. Arthur stared back. It was a girl, he realised. Her blonde hair was cut short like a boy’s and around her neck she wore a thick metal band. Her clothes were brown, worn and rough but her face was definitely that of a girl. She didn’t speak but just stared unblinking at Arthur.

Arthur gave her his best reassuring smile but this did not have the desired effect. She turned and ran and in seconds she had disappeared into the trees.

Arthur frowned and brushed some small leaves off his face. He stood up, stretched and thought for a while about what to do next. He still hadn’t a clue where he was or where Finn was, and with no better ideas he soon began to walk in the direction that the girl had run.

He had taken barely three steps when he heard a hiss and a thud. An arrow quivered in the ground at Arthur’s feet. He jumped back and another arrow hissed into the earth to his right. He leapt behind a tree and waited for the attackers to show themselves. Soon enough the girl emerged from the trees. She was being pushed along by a huge, red-faced boy. Another boy followed with an arrow notched ready in his bow.

You there! shouted the boy with the bow. My name is Brand Hallvardson and this forest belongs to my father.

Get out from behind that tree, coward! yelled red-face.

"I have no weapons and