Mortimer and the Powerful Sword

By Kevin Kurtz

Mortimer finds a stick in the woodpile. With his imagination, he transforms into a mighty warrior. Mortimer finds himself battling ferocious dragons, murderous pirates and blood-thirsty trolls.
These are only the beginning of Mortimer’s adventures. When he meets the mysterious Queen Valora, Ruler of the Land of Ruen, Mortimer must choose his allegiance. His decision triggers the final epic battle for control of the Western Lands.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Dec 28, 2005
• ISBN: 9781412239226

Kevin Kurtz

Kevin Kurtz has loved books, science, and nature since he was a kid. His first children's book, A Day in the Salt Marsh, was published in 2007. He lives in Rochester, New York and continues to write books and do live and remote visits with schools around the country.

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Copyright 2005 Kevin J. Kurtz.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4120-7041-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4122-3922-6 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev.  04/10/2019

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The Books in the The Adventures of Mortimer Trilogy

BOOK ONE

MORTIMER AND THE POWERFUL SWORD

BOOK TWO

A KINGDOM DIVIDED

BOOK THREE

THE KING REVEALED

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my lovely wife, Wendy, who encouraged me to pursue my passion for writing, and who also inspired the character of Gwendolyn.

To my boys, Michael and Andrew. May they follow their dreams, and know that their God is with them always.

To Sue Clark, my teacher, editor and friend, who exhorted me to face my fears and complete this book. She nudged me to use stronger verbs and descriptive phrases, thus creating a more compelling story.

I also want to acknowledge my nephew, Shaun Smith, for his awesome cover art design and map illustration. You help Mortimer come to life on the first page.

Thank You.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1     Mortimer Finds a Sword

Chapter 2     The King’s Envoy

Chapter 3     The Troll and The Silver Shield

Chapter 4     Bullies And Journeys

Chapter 5     Pirates

Chapter 6     The Lion’s Paw

Chapter 7     The golden Helmet And The Girl

Chapter 8     The Garden and The White Castle

Chapter 9     Mortimer Meets The Queen

Chapter 10   At The Queen’s Table

Chapter 11   Gwendolyn’s Escape

Mortimer Finds a Sword

CHAPTER 1

I n the time when kings ruled the land and dragons roamed the countryside, there lived a young boy named Mortimer. Though Mortimer meant well, it seemed he was always getting into trouble for Mortimer had a vivid imagination.

When Mortimer should have been thinking about his schoolwork, his mind would be off slaying giants, finding hidden treasure, and other such nonsense. A favorite daydream of Mortimer’s had him riding on a white horse toward the king’s castle as the people of the village shouted their admiration, Hail Mortimer, Killer of Dragons.

One day at the thatch-roofed school, Mortimer imagined he was rescuing a beautiful princess. The classroom transformed into a green forest where the princess was trying to escape from an ogre. Help me, brave knight, she pleaded to Mortimer. Before he could rescue the damsel, a birch switch came whistling through the air and across Mortimer’s knuckles. Immediately, a red welt began to form.

Wake up! Pay attention, his teacher said as she glared at him. Stop daydreaming and do your lesson. She shook her head, then walked away.

The other children giggled. Mortimer could feel his face turn red. He rubbed his knuckles and sank under his desk.

When the school bell rang, Mortimer picked up his leather satchel and hurried for the door. Already, some of his classmates had gathered outside.

Mortimer the Dreamer, they chanted. One girl mocked him. Oh, Mortimer, rescue me. The biggest boy in school pushed Mortimer to the ground. Do you want to fight me? the boy challenged. Mortimer picked himself up and ran by them as fast as he could.

I will show them someday, Mortimer mumbled as he fought back tears. Then they will call me King Mortimer and Mortimer the Magnificent.

Since his father had died, Mortimer’s job was to help his mom around the house. Even when doing his chores, Mortimer’s mind wandered.

One morning, when a warm wind brought the scent of apple blossoms, Mortimer was collecting sticks to be used as kindling for their fireplace. He saw a straight branch about the length of his arm. It had a knot on one end, like the hilt of a sword. The straight branch came to a point at the tip. Brushing the hair from his eyes, Mortimer bent down to retrieve the stick.

I am going to keep it, Mortimer said. It is the sword of a king.

Later that same day, Mortimer and his mother were buying peaches for peach cobbler at the market, when a woman rushed screaming into the village.

The dragon is back. Run for your lives!

The people of the town came out of their corners to hear what the shouting was about. The woman tried to catch her breath as she said, In the forest… killed pigs for market… breathing fire. She held up her burned apron.

That was proof enough. Mothers grabbed their children and hurried for home. Everyone slammed their wooden window shutters and bolted their wooden doors. Some of the men of the village panicked, bumping into each other in the street, looking for places to hide. One dove into an empty barrel and another climbed a sycamore tree.

Mortimer’s mother grabbed him by the hand and headed down the path that led out of the village to their home.

Once in the house, Mortimer’s mother said, We must stay in here where it is safe.

Mother, I can kill the dragon. I have a powerful sword.

His mother gasped. No, I forbid you to go out. She squeezed Mortimer close to her. I will not lose you, too.

Mortimer shuffled across the floor and up the ladder to mope in the loft where he slept. He thought about the dragon. If there really were a dragon loose that was breathing fire, then being locked up in a house would not make one safe. Mortimer knew something had to be done.

I am almost eleven years old, practically a man. I could kill that dragon. Then mother would not be afraid and everyone would love me.

Mortimer tied his bed sheets together, slithered through the opening, lowered himself down the window, and plopped on the ground below.

A king would not be afraid of a dragon, Mortimer said once he was outside. He crept