The Thrall (The Viking Hero Series Book 1) Read Online Free

these thoughts off. Such worrying
thoughts were meaningless. There wasn't anything that happened last
night that made any sense. So why should the sheep running in the
woods make any sense.
    After awhile, the trail began to lead into the
thicker trees and brush of the forest that went up the mountainside.
This area was seldom, if at all, ever ventured into by anyone fr om
the village. Superstitious or not, nobody wanted to chance venturing
too far into the wilderness and never being heard from again.
    Ahead of them,
Bjord noticed something whitish in color in the bushes. He stopped in
his tracks trying to see
what it was. Sven, not really paying any attention, kept walking.
Without looking away from whatever was in the bushes ahead, Bjord
reached his arm out and caught Sven by the shoulder
as he walked past him, stopping him.
    "Look," he
said to Sven, pointing at the bushes ahead of them. "There's
something in that bush."
    Sven looked around for
a moment, but didn't see anything. Then he noticed it and gasped.
    "Go see what it
is."
    With a gulp, Sven
looked back at his father horrified. But before he could answer,
Bjord stepped forward to look himself. "Never mind boy."
    Sven cautiously
stood behind Bjord to get a better look at what it was.
    It was one of the sheep.
    "That's one of them, " Sven confirmed as
he looked over his father's shoulder. "It's been freshly shorn
and its wearing one of our collars."
    All the livestock that belonged to the
blacksmith's house wore a leather collar that had a single iron ring
hanging from it inscribed with the word, "Bjord" to mark
his ownership of them.
    Even Rowan's neck collar was inscribed similarly
with the word, 'Bjord.' Except instead of leather, Rowan's collar was
made from iron.
    "You could tell it ran itself to death, its
eyes are still wide open from fear." Bjord pointed out while
still looking at it.
    Rowan said nothing regarding it and just stood
there looking around. This place made him feel uneasy. Something
about these woods just wasn't right and he knew it. He knew not how,
but he just knew they should not be here. The sheep weren't worth
whatever awaited them.
    Sven looked at Bjord for a moment and then said,
"I'm hungry, can we stop and eat?"
    Bjord turned around and looked at him for a
moment. He was just about to say something, but then dropped his
shoulders and softened up.
    "Yes, we should rest a moment and grab a bite
to eat. There is no sense continuing on with an empty stomach."
    Bjord removed his shoulder bag and sat on the
ground with his back to a tree. Sven and Rowan sat down next to him
as he reached into his bag and pulled out a thick slice of meat. It
was a slice from a haunch of smoked boar.
    He broke the chunk of meat in two and handed the
smaller half to Sven, keeping the larger for himself. Rowan wasn't
given anything to eat and just sat there awkwardly waiting for them
to finish.
    After about twenty minutes or so, Bjord satisfied
he'd eaten and rested enough, put the remainder of his chunk of meat
in his bag and stood up. He wiped his hands on his pants and dusted
off.
    Rowan taking the hint, stood up as well and
adjusted the rope he was carrying over his shoulder.
    Bjord looked down at Sven. He was still eating and
ignoring everyone.
    "Come on boy, you can eat that as we go. We
haven't got all day."
    Without waiting for him to get up, Bjord turned
and began walking through the woods, following the trail the sheep
had made. Rowan followed behind him, taking a final look at the dead
sheep on the ground.
    Sven got up and
followed, taking a few more bites off his chunk of meat before
deciding he had enough and tossed it into the bushes. Rowan heard him
throw it and heard it hit the ground as his stomach slightly
grumbled. He didn't give Sven the satisfaction of looking, he was
quite used to this kind of treatment. Besides, tucked under his
shirt, wrapped in a piece of cloth was one of Helga's honey biscuits.
He'll enjoy that himself later.
    As a thrall,