Winter Solstice
Winter
A Viking Blood Saga
Book 1
E. J. Squires
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and
events portrayed in this novel are either products
of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Second edition April, 2015.
Copyright © 2013 E. J. Squires
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1493596543
ISBN-13: 9781493596546
For my husband, Aaron
For my mother, Unni
For my father, Thor
For my children Sophie, Joseph and Thomas
And finally for my Viking ancestors.
Also By E. J. Squires
Summer Solstice Summer
A Viking Blood Saga
Book II
(Now available)
Fall of the Nine Realms
A Viking Blood Saga
Book III
(Coming soon)
Wraithsong
The Desirable Creatures Series
Book I
(Now available)
Blufire
The Desirable Creatures Series
Book II
(Now available)
Álfablót
The Desirable Creatures Series
Book III
(Coming soon)
Savage Run I
A Young Adult Dystopian novella
(Now available)
Savage Run II
A Young Adult Dystopian novella
(Now available)
Savage Run III
A Young Adult Dystopian novella
(Now available)
Prologue
‘Long live the forgiving summer, and stay the deadly winter.’
Amber rays from the setting sun kissed the majestic Bergendal Mountains, as the deep sapphire waters from the old sage ocean veined through them, like they had for millennia.
Townspeople were industriously working to increase their food storage and insulate their humble homes in preparation for the winter that was just around the autumn bend. Bergendalers were well-familiar with the preparations they needed to do before the first snowfall, for generations had gone before them, from season to season, in the same manner. Life for the northerners had been the same year after year, generation after generation, with only small variances sprinkled through the monotonously repetitive days and nights.
‘Long live the forgiving summer, and stay the deadly winter’ the northerner’s had pleaded their Norse gods for century after century, but no such plea was ever granted, for the balance in Midgard needed to be kept.
The deceptively pure white winter was as ruthless as one’s nemesis, and though many might be granted a merciful death by her this year, many more would live to tell the tales of her prowling, silent assassinations. Winter changed boys' hearts into men and girls' innocence into wisdom – if one dared to stare winter in the face and stand up to the fears she forced into each mortal’s delicate heart. But winter was not here yet, only a looming promise soon to arrive.
The Northlandic Castle stood on top of a soft sloping hill in the center of the valley. A soaring square shaped impenetrable outer-wall with circular watchtowers at each corner protected the castle from possible attacks from Vik people.
From each of the watchtowers hung blue, red and gold Bergendal crest ensigns. Rectangular shaped banners displayed a red serpent dragon holding a golden torch of light in one hand and a diamond sword in the other. Freedom, Balance and Light were King Olav’s mottos for his reign. Around the beast was one blue square, signifying Midgard’s four protecting Sentinors and one brown square signifying the four corners of Midgard. Above the dragon hovered a circle half-shaded navy, half-shaded light yellow, representing the crucial balance between day and night, light and darkness, progress and rest.
Both the inside castle and the outer wall had been built out of a rare grey marble that carried a sheen and sparkled when it came in contact with sunlight, making it look lighter than it really was. Seven round, dark-grey steeples towered the skies on the inside keep, where the Sun Queen had resided for centuries.
‘Long live the deadly summer, and stay the deadly winter.’ But this coming winter would not be like other winters before. For this winter would be an eternal one, instigated by a dark being whom no one knew existed, and whose power was so consuming, that not even the gods of Midgard themselves could destroy.