09 October 2020 - Plague Journal Day 211

Micah 6:8
Hebrews 9
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is Leif Erikson Day, (more properly Leifr Eriksson) meant to celebrate the discovery of North America by the vikings. To me, this celebration means it's time for more shameless self-promotion. Here's an excerpt from my second novel, "A Rune With a View," wherein our protagonist, Jerry Lombard, is reading from a book documenting the involvement of a group of vikings in securing the safety of the Holy Grail. Enjoy this brief excerpt, but if you want to read the whole thing, I won't object to your purchasing it in print or kindle format at this link.

 [Jerry] settled into the seat, as much as he could, leaned it back on the two back legs, and dove back in to Chapter Eleven.

 Leifr Ericksson looked around the circle of his Anir comrades, hoping to descry one with a spark, or something to indicate that inspiration lay within.
 “So, my brothers, is there none with another thought? Are we all at wit’s end?”
 Einar Bjornsson met Leifr’s gaze. “I would not state it so, Leifr. While none here has found another option for our Service, the plan we spoke of last evening remains to be enacted.
 “I know you like it little – or not at all – but it seems more than clear enough to me – and, belike, to all of us here – that the Relics must move from Vinland.”
 Hjalti spoke up, “I agree with Einar, Leifr, though with a heavy heart. With the worshipers of the Æsir already here in Vinland, what other choice have we?”
 A cloud upon his brow, Leifr set his shoulders. “Aye. I long knew that this day would come. I’ll admit to you here that I had hoped it would not come in my day.”
 The cloud lifted, or was thrust away, and Leifr, now looking younger than he had in the fortnight since word of the Æsir’s arrival had reached the Anir, smiled.
 “Then it is decided. Our Vinland home will be left behind in two directions. The most of us will fare back to Greenland, while the few of us will move on to the West with the Cup and the Spear.”

 Mere days later, the Anir who were to take charge of the Relics had been chosen, and they were nearly ready to depart with the Cup and the Spear, along with their full households, for the unknown country which lay West of Vinland.
 “Now, my brothers and sisters, we come to that parting which we have all dreaded.” Leifr Ericksson was speaking to the whole of the Anir camp. The bright early-Winter sun shone on them, but gave scant warmth – not enough to thaw the pain felt in the hearts of all at the coming departure.
 “As we fare in our two directions, we shall have to take comfort in knowing that the God watches over His servants, and His servants we all have been, are now, and shall be while He grants us the grace and breath.”

 The dogs joined the Relics and the men aboard the smaller craft which had been readied for the Westward trip, while those few cattle and sheep which remained to the Anir were loaded aboard the longboats which stood ready for the return to Greenland – or to Iceland should they find no greeting at the first.

 The sun shone also on the small group of Æsir who had found the settlement only the night before. They took counsel as to which party to waylay first, and it was decide that the longboats would be first. That party would make much better time, and might well be beyond catching should they attack the smaller boats first, tackling them second would likely mean their escape.  The smaller boats of the lesser troupe would easily be caught, and thus could be addressed after the longboats.
 It was by the God’s grace that the Æsir knew nothing of the canoes of which the Anir had learned from the native Vinlanders. Further, the dogs were no longer simply hunting and feasting companions, but on the snow and ice which was beginning to accumulate, and which already lay heavily on the land to the North, they were the means of transportation, hitching them to the sleds which the Vinlanders had also shown to the Anir.

 Jerry wondered at the thought of Vikings in Indian canoes and Eskimo dogsleds. It made sense that they would have learned those skills – and maybe even in Greenland, before getting to Newfoundland in the first place – but it hadn’t occurred to him before he read it in the Book.

I hope you enjoyed that enough to want to know what the book's really about.


Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.