HUMANS (SAXONS) Jack: Age eleven at the beginning of the book
Lucy: Jack’s sister; age five at the beginning of the book
Mother: Jack and Lucy’s mother; a wise woman
Father: Giles Crookleg; Jack and Lucy’s father
The Bard: A druid from Ireland; also known as Dragon Tongue
Allyson: Thorgil’s mother
Colin: The blacksmith’s son
Brother Aiden: A monk from the Holy Isle
HUMANS (NORTHMEN) Olaf One-Brow: Leader of the Queen’s Berserkers
Sven the Vengeful: Member of Olaf’s crew
Eric Pretty-Face: Member of Olaf’s crew
Eric the Rash: Member of Olaf’s crew; afraid of the dark
Eric Broad-Shoulders: Member of Olaf’s crew; afraid of the dark
Rune: A skald who can no longer sing
Thorgil: A berserker wannabe; age twelve
Thorgrim: Thorgil’s father; a famous berserker
Egil Long-Spear: Captain of a ship, not a berserker
Gizur Thumb-Crusher: Village headman; an oath-breaker
Magnus the Mauler: Village headman
Einar the Ear-Hoarder: Village headman; likes to collect ears
Heide: Olaf’s chief wife; a wise woman from Finnmark
Dotti and Lotti: Olaf’s junior wives
Skakki: Heide and Olaf’s son; age sixteen
Thorir: Thorgil’s brother
Hrothgar: King of the Golden Hall
Beowulf: A famous warrior
Ivar the Boneless: Olaf’s king; married to Frith Half-Troll
Tree Foot: Friend of Eric Pretty-Face; leg bitten off by a troll
Pig Face, Dirty Pants, Thick Legs, Lump, and She-Lump: Thralls
Hilda: Olaf and Lotti’s daughter
ANIMALS Bold Heart: A noble crow
Cloud Mane: A horse whose sire came from Elfland
Maeve: An Irish wolfhound
Slasher, Wolf Bane, Hel Hag, and Shreddie: Maeve’s puppies
Golden Bristles: A troll-boar with a filthy disposition
Freya’s Cats: Nine enormous troll-cats with beautiful red-gold fur
The Snowy Owls: A family of four Jotunheim owls
The Dragon: A mother with a nest of dragonlets
The Capercaillie: A turkey-size grouse with ten speckled chicks
Ratatosk: Gossip-bearing squirrel that runs up and down Yggdrassil
JOTUNS (TROLLS) The Mountain Queen: Glamdis; ruler of Jotunheim
Fonn: The Mountain Queen’s daughter; speaks to humans
Forath: The Mountain Queen’s daughter; speaks to whales
Bolthorn: Fonn and Forath’s father; the Mountain Queen’s chief consort
UNCLASSIFIABLE Frith Half-Troll: A shape-shifter; daughter of the Mountain Queen and an unknown human; wife of Ivar the Boneless
Frothi: Frith’s sister; a shape-shifter; mother of Grendel
Grendel: A monster; his father was an ogre
The Norns: Nobody knows exactly what Norns are, but they’re very powerful
Chapter One
GATHERING THE LAMBS
Jack woke before dawn and listened to the cold February wind lash the walls of the house. He sighed. It was going to be another rotten day. He stared up at the rafters, savoring the last minutes of warmth. He was bundled in a cocoon of wool blankets over a bed of dried heather. The floor was deep, below the level of the ground. The wind that found its way under the door passed over his head.
It was a good house, with oak pillars planted the root end up to keep damp from rising from the ground. Jack had watched Father build it when he was seven. Father had thought a child couldn’t understand such a complicated task, but Jack had. He’d paid close attention and thought he could build a house even now, four years later. Jack forgot very little of what he saw.
At the far end of the long room Jack could see Mother stir up the cooking fire. The light danced on the loft. It was warmer up there, but smoky. His parents and sister slept up there. Jack preferred the fresh air near the door.
Mother scattered oats into boiling water and stirred the porridge vigorously. She added honey—Jack could smell it. A poker glowed in the coals to heat the cups of cider Mother lined up on a shelf.
“It’s so cold,” complained Lucy from the loft. “Can’t I have breakfast in bed?”
“A princess isn’t afraid of a little thing like cold,” said Father.
