THE LOST WARRIOR (standard:adventure, 755 words)
Author: 0-spell	Added: Sep 12 2000	Views/Reads: 4961/6	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
An adventure involving a Viking warrior, with a surprise ending. There is a little violence, but nothing graphic.

A large old Viking warrior steps from a small pond, sword in hand. He is
tall and very muscular, his hair and beard divided into several braids. 
 The man walks toward a young, yet mighty oak, where his clothes hang 
on a dagger jammed in the trunk. When his ship first landed on the 
beach nearby, he never imagined that there would be a place to take a 
freshwater bath. This pond was found behind a low hill less than fifty 
yards from the beach. As the large, bearded man stands dressing under 
the tree, he hears shouting coming from the beach. He quickly puts on 
his armor and scrambles up the hill. As the grizzled warrior nears the 
hilltop he drops to the ground. Peering over the hill he spots a larger 
ship further down the beach. It was at least twice the size of his own 
vessel. 

Realizing his shipmates were obviously overwhelmed and he could do
nothing but watch them die, an uncontrollable anger came over him. He 
leapt to his feet, raised his sword high above his head and stormed 
down the hill.  As he approached the beach the Viking let forth a 
battle cry that sounded more like a beast than a man. Lowering his 
sword with all the force he could muster he splits the first man he 
comes to clean in half. He was moving so quickly that he became covered 
in the first man's blood as he buried the blade in another's chest. As 
he pulled back on the sword it did not release dropping to his knees 
the warrior narrowly avoids an enemy blade. Thrusting his dagger up, 
the Viking hits his target, the other man's heart. The dead man fell to 
the ground with a thud. 

Grabbing the enemy's blade the warrior gets back to his feet. Quickly
surveying the area he realizes all of his shipmates are dead. Bile 
rises to the old man's throat as he is sickened by the smell of his own 
fear. Sickened, but not slowed, as he plunges full steam into the brink 
of hell! Raising his stolen sword the man blocks a glancing blow, from 
a larger man with an axe and rolled under him. Coming quickly to his 
feet he decapitates the axe-man with a single swing, spinning around to 
face an entire army! Realizing the Viking was the only one left 
standing, the enemy had gathered into formation and now stood sneering 
and laughing at him. 

Obviously tired, the old warrior rested on his knee's leaning against
the sword. Then he shut his eyes lowered his head and said something 
that was indistinguishable to the army in front of him. Suddenly, he 
jerked up his head leapt to his feet; sword raised, and ran headlong 
into the fray. Letting forth-another beastly battle cry he managed to 
cut down over half of the frontline. But then, too late, he heard a 
blade coming toward his head. As the warrior turned to locate the sound 
the world was reduced to a thundering crack. His vision was blurred by 
the pale tint of red, the world fades to black. 

Suddenly a boy who had been slumbering beneath an ancient oak tree awoke
with a jolt. Although unafraid, his senses were flared, heightened by 
his adrenaline flow. As he jumped up and began to run home he stopped 
and ran back to the tree. He had forgotten his jacket, which was 
hanging from his pocketknife jammed in the tree. When the boy looked 
under his jacket he saw a carving, it was barely noticeable beneath the 
bark. However the carver must have been very strong, for the carving 
was buried deep. It was a cross bisecting a circle, growing up on the 
coast of Iceland, he easily recognized the Pagan symbol.  Now with 
great urgency he ran home to tell his father what he had just 
experienced. 

When he got home and told the story his father said he must have made
the carving himself, and had probably imagined the whole episode. 
However the boy knew different, he knew that he wasn’t strong enough to 
put a carving that deep. That old Viking in his dream must have done 
it, leaving the only trace of his existence in that tree. That tree, it 
must have passed its knowledge to him! Although only a tree it was 
still alive, and all living things have a memory. But still, no one 
would believe him so he just went to his room grinning. 


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