Saxon Evening, Viking Dawn

By David E Lawrence

Rose and her Saxon family flee west ahead of the Great Viking Army. They decide to rebuild their lives in ancient Wychwood the land of the cruel Hwicce. Only then does the lone horseman Rose has seen following them make himself known.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David E Lawrence
• Release date: May 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005362355

David E Lawrence

Born in Rugby I live in Oxford where I worked in book publishing taking early retirement as Production Director. I now write for pleasure and for local outlets and sites such as this one. My favourite authors are CS Lewis, Haruki Murakami and Frederick Forsyth. I also compile cryptic crosswords and listen to a whole lot of music especially rock and jazz.

Book preview

Saxon Evening, Viking Dawn

by

David E Lawrence

Copyright 2021 David Lawrence

Smashwords Edition

SAXON EVENING, VIKING DAWN

The untold testimony of Rose, the first lady of Hans Borough

I have set down all I can for you, the future citizens of my home village. My hope is that you will find some solace in the founding of our community and the part that peace played, rising as it did like a dove from the violence that consumed the seven kingdoms. Codex 19.4.870 – Bodleian library

I was just a girl when my father said we should load our worldly goods onto the back of the waggon and leave our village. On a dull, rainy morning, the mule was hitched and we threaded our way out of the marshes. My father, Edgar, said we could no longer wait. He said the Mercians would never come to our aid. He said that when the storm comes you run for shelter you don’t stand and defy the lightening.

My mother, the beautiful Rosamunde would have stayed for her parents and her friends but father said we must learn to be pitiless if we wished to live beyond the next few days. Our friends prayed to the Christian god, the one that had come across with Augustine but father said it would do no good. Others cried out for the old gods to protect them; the ones who had been swept aside so easily.