Voyage with the Vikings Read online

  Praise for Voyage with the Vikings

  I want to know who Albert is. I want. . .

  more of these books.

  — Taylor, age 8 • Torrance, California

  We study the Vikings in our curriculum.

  These books will help my kids enjoy history.

  I can’t wait for the book on Rome.

  —Beth S., third-grade public school teacher

  Colorado Springs, Colorado

  Voyage with the Vikings taught me that when

  you face your fears, it will turn out better.

  —Rachel, age 9 • Eldersburg, Maryland

  Other books in this series

  Attack at the Arena

  Peril in the Palace

  Revenge of the Red Knight

  Showdown with the Shepherd

  Problems in Plymouth

  Secret of the Prince’s Tomb

  Voyage with the Vikings

  Copyright © 2010 Focus on the Family.

  ISBN: 978-1-58997-627-6

  A Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188

  Focus on the Family, the Imagination Station, and Adventures in Odyssey and the accompanying logos and designs are federally registered trademarks of Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995.

  TYNDALE and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of Focus on the Family.

  With the exception of known historical characters, all characters are the product of the authors’ imaginations.

  Cover design by Michael Heath | Magnus Creative

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Hering, Marianne.

  Voyage with the Vikings / by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker ; illustrated by David Hohn.

  p. cm. — (Imagination Station ; bk. #1)

  “Focus on the Family.”

  “Adventures in Odyssey.”

  ISBN 978-1-58997-627-6 (alk. paper)

  [1. Space and time—Fiction. 2. Vikings—Fiction. 3. Cousins—Fiction. 4. Christian life—Fiction. 5. Eric, the Red, fl. 985—Fiction. 6. Ericson, Leif, d. ca. 1020—Fiction. 7. Greenland—History—To 1500—Fiction.] I. McCusker, Paul, 1958- II. Hohn, David, 1974- ill. III. Title.

  PZ7.H4312580Voy 2010

  [Fic]—dc22

  2010031142

  Printed in the United States of America

  2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9/ 15 14 13 12 11

  For manufacturing information regarding this product, please

  call 1-800-323-9400.

  To Joey, Johnny, Justin, Kendrick,

  Marshall, and Nicholas—six would-be

  Leif Erikssons. —MKH

  Contents

  Whit’s End

  The Costume Closet

  The Note

  The Tidal Wave

  The Spear

  Erik the Red

  The Church

  The Ship

  The Thief

  The Feast

  The Full Moon

  The Bolted Door

  The Red Sail

  The Blue Stone

  The Second Note

  Secret Word Puzzle

  Whit’s End

  It all began on a Monday.

  Beth and her cousin Patrick were at Whit’s End. It was a soda shop in a large, old house. Kids thought Whit’s End was the best place in town for ice cream.

  But there was a lot more to Whit’s End than scoops and cones. It had more rooms than Patrick could count.

  Down the hallway was a radio studio. And a theater to perform plays. Plus a library.

  On the second floor, there was a large model train. And the Bible Room. It was like a kids’ museum.

  Patrick followed Beth from room to room with wide eyes.

  “Are there any video games?” Patrick asked. “The kind with sword fighters? Or guys who fight monsters?”

  “No,” Beth said. “But I’ll show you the Imagination Station. It’s kind of like a time machine.”

  Patrick liked the words imagination and time machine.

  “Where is it?” Patrick asked.

  “It’s usually in the corner of the Bible Room,” Beth said. “But it’s not there today. Come on. Let’s ask Mr. Whittaker. Someone said he’s in his basement workshop.”

  Patrick followed Beth down the spiral staircase and over to the basement door. She opened it. They went down another set of stairs.

  At the bottom, the cousins looked into a large room. It was filled with tables and benches. There were boxes, large drills, and sawhorses. Parts from old ovens and computers sat on the floor.

  “This is his workshop?” Patrick asked. He picked up a rusted spring from a nearby table. He dropped it. The spring made a ping sound. It bounced like a toy.

  “It looks more like a scientist’s junkyard,” he said.

  “Mr. Whittaker invents things,” Beth said.

  Beth picked up the spring. She put it back on a table.

  Just then Mr. Whittaker came around a corner. He was tall with white hair and a moustache. He also had a kind smile.

  “Good morning, Beth,” Mr. Whittaker said.

  “Hi, this is my cousin Patrick. He’s my age,” she said. “His mom is my dad’s sister.”

  “Hi,” Patrick said.

  Suddenly Beth said, “There it is!”

  She walked over to a large machine. The front part was round like a helicopter.

  “I wanted Patrick to see the Imagination Station,” she said.

  Mr. Whittaker said, “I’m sorry. It’s not working. That’s why I brought it down here.”

  “May we sit in it?” Beth asked.

  “Sure,” Mr. Whittaker said.

  Beth waved for Patrick to join her. She climbed onto the seat. Patrick followed her.

  “Look at all these buttons!” he said.

  He pointed to a long dashboard. It had lots of buttons, dials, and numbers on it. There was also a piece of paper sitting on the dash.

  “Too bad it’s not working,” Beth said.

  “What does this button do?” Patrick asked. He tapped a large red button with his finger.

  The machine came alive. A low hum came from the back of the machine. Lights and buttons blinked on the dashboard. Needles on round dials swung back and forth.

  “That’s very strange,” Mr. Whittaker said. “Come out again.”

  The cousins obeyed. The machine went dark.

  Mr. Whittaker climbed inside. He pushed buttons. Nothing happened. He got out again.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong,” he said. “It’s working for you, but not for me.”

  “May we try again?” Patrick asked.

  “Go ahead,” said Mr. Whittaker.

  The kids got into the machine. It lit up again. Whit rubbed his chin slowly. He looked puzzled.

  “It wants to take us for a ride!” Patrick said.

  “May we go?” Beth asked. “Please?”

  The Costume Closet

  Mr. Whittaker walked over to a computer table. Beth and Patrick watched as he typed some things on a keyboard. He turned some dials. He pushed a lot of buttons.

  “Is it all right?” Patrick asked.

  “Yes. You’ll be able to go on an adventure,”

  Mr. Whittaker said. “Maybe I’ll find out why it works for you but not for me.”

  “Can we go back in time?” Patrick asked.

  He was excited.

  “How would you like to visit a Viking ship?” Mr. Whittaker
asked.

  Patrick and Beth thought for a moment. Patrick didn’t know much about Viking ships. Beth knew a little about Viking explorers, but that was all.

  “The Vikings had swords, right?” Patrick asked.

  “They sure did,” Mr. Whittaker said. He turned to Beth. “Is visiting a Viking ship okay with you, Beth?”

  Beth didn’t care about swords. But being on a Viking ship sounded great.

  “Sure,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to see the ocean.”

  “Let’s go!” Patrick said.

  “Not so fast,” Mr. Whittaker said. “You have to be dressed for Viking times.”

  Patrick looked at his blue jeans and dinosaur T-shirt. He looked at Beth’s bright pink shorts and top.

  “Oh,” Patrick said. “The Vikings would probably notice we didn’t fit in.”

  “And you might get cold and wet,” Mr. Whittaker said.

  Mr. Whittaker walked over to the workshop wall. He opened two large sliding doors. Beyond them was another room. It was filled with rack after rack of costumes.

  Mr. Whittaker chose an armful of clothes. He gave them to Beth. He gave another armful to Patrick. “You can use the changing rooms,” Mr. Whittaker said.

  The cousins went to two small rooms the size of closets. They changed into the costumes. Beth came out first.

  She was wearing a long white dress. On top was a long green tunic. Two brooches were pinned at the shoulders. The tunic was neatly tied with a leather belt. Her animal-skin boots came up to her knees.

  “I feel like I’m in a fairy tale,” Beth said. “It’s fun to dress up.”

  “Take this, too,” Mr. Whittaker said. He gave Beth a small cloth sack. She opened it up and looked inside.

  The sack was full of chess pieces. They were carved out of wood. Some of the pieces were white wood. The rest were painted red.

  Beth tied the sack to her belt.

  “Why do I need a chess set?” she asked.

  Mr. Whittaker answered with a you’ll-find-out smile.

  Patrick came out of his changing room. He was also dressed in a costume. He wore a simple white shirt with a vest over it. The vest was made of tan leather. His dark pants were tucked inside his boots.

  “You look like a real Viking,” Mr. Whittaker said. “But you need one more thing.”

  Mr. Whittaker handed Patrick a fuzzy bundle. It was a cape.

  The cape was made from grizzly bear fur. It was silver with brown flecks. The cape looked thick and warm. Patrick put it on.

  “Thank you,” Patrick said. “I’m ready now. I can’t wait to meet a sword-fighting Viking!”

  The Note

  “Before you meet the Vikings,” Mr. Whittaker said, “I have a small favor to ask.”

  “Sure! We’ll do whatever you need,” Beth said.

  “While you’re with the Vikings,” Mr. Whittaker said, “find a Viking Sunstone.”

  “What’s a Viking Sunstone?” Beth asked.

  “I’m not sure—yet,” Mr. Whittaker said. “I read about it in that note.” He put his hand inside the machine. He pointed to the piece of paper sitting on the dashboard.

  Patrick and Beth noticed some things about the paper. It was thick and yellowed. It had fancy letters, and the paper looked very old.

  They also noticed Mr. Whittaker’s hand. He wore an unusual ring. The top was a gold square. Tiny pearls sat around the square. It was the kind of ring a king would wear.

  “I found this paper inside the Imagination Station,” Mr. Whittaker said.

  The cousins climbed inside the machine to look at the note. They read the fancy letters:

  To save Albert, I need a Viking Sunstone before the new moon. Or Lord Darkthorn will lock him inside the tower.

  “Who is Albert?” Beth asked. “And what is Lord Darkthorn’s tower?”

  “I’ll explain all that later,” Mr. Whittaker said.

  “But what if we don’t find the Sunstone?” Beth asked.

  “Then I’ll figure out a new plan,” Mr. Whittaker said. “Don’t worry about it. Just have a good time while you’re looking.”

  “I just want to meet the Viking who has the Sunstone,” Patrick said.

  He swung an imaginary sword in the air. Slash! Jab!

  “I think you’re ready,” Mr. Whittaker said. He stepped back and took his hand out. Beth noticed that the ring on his finger seemed to disappear.

  “You’ll be going back one thousand years,” Mr. Whittaker said.

  “How will we return to ‘now’?” Beth asked.

  “The red button will appear when you are ready to come home,” Mr. Whittaker said. “Get back to where you landed. Push the button and—presto!—you’ll be right back here.”

  Mr. Whittaker stepped away from the Imagination Station. He pushed a button on the side. The door slid closed.

  Patrick looked at the control panel. The red button was flashing in the middle. He pushed it.

  The Imagination Station started to shake. Then it rumbled. It seemed to move forward.

  Beth gasped. She shut her eyes tight. It felt like a roller coaster that was out of control.

  Patrick felt as if he were an astronaut in a spaceship. He leaned back, waiting for takeoff.

  Then the rumble grew louder.

  The machine whirled.

  Suddenly, everything went black.

  The Tidal Wave

  Beth opened her eyes. She saw bright green water. Tall mountains of white ice with a purple glow loomed over and around her. The ice sparkled in the sun.

  Beth was dazzled by the beautiful colors.

  Patrick was not.

  “Where are the Vikings?” Patrick asked.

  “And what’s with all the ice?”

  “I think we’re near the North Pole,” said Beth. “Those are icebergs.”

  Beth looked away from the scenery. She and Patrick were still in the Imagination Station. But she couldn’t see Whit’s End anymore.

  The Imagination Station appeared to be in a ship. An empty wooden ship at sea.

  The ship was long and narrow. The shape reminded Beth of a giant canoe.

  Beth got out of the machine and took a deep breath. She looked over the side of the boat.

  “The air smells salty,” Beth said. “But the water is calm. I’d say we’re on an ocean inlet.”

  “What’s that?” Patrick asked.

  “A long, narrow waterway,” she said.

  Patrick also stepped out of the machine. Right after he did, the machine faded out of sight. It disappeared.

  “Wow,” Beth said.

  “That’s so cool!” Patrick said.

  Patrick turned his thoughts to the Viking ship. He imagined it full of Vikings.

  “I bet this ship could hold a bunch of Vikings,” he said. “Plus all their stuff.”

  Patrick looked out across the water. There was only one place to get to shore. It was very far away.

  “Oh, no. There are no oars,” Patrick said. “We can’t row to shore.”

  “We’d better get there somehow,” said Beth. “I don’t want to just sit here.”

  Suddenly a black shadow passed under the ship. They watched it approach a large piece of floating ice. Then a huge white animal shot out of the water. A polar bear!

  The white bear stood on the floating piece of ice. It spread its front legs wide. It bared its teeth at the cousins and roared.

  RAAARRRHHH!

  The sound echoed off the ice.

  The cousins shivered.

  “Do polar bears eat kids?” Patrick asked.

  “I—I don’t know,” said Beth.

  Another black shadow passed under the ship. The cousins stepped back. They were afraid of another polar bear. But this time a seal popped its head up at them. It looked at them with jet-black eyes. Then it went under the water again.

  The bear growled. It leaped into the water headfirst. The cold water splashed Beth and Patrick.

  From a distance came a loud CRAAACK
!

  The sound startled them. They looked up.

  The top part of a large iceberg broke loose. It was the size of a small house. It hit the water with a whump! splash!

  The impact created a huge wave.

  “Hold on!” Beth shouted.

  The wave curled higher and higher. The crest of the wave lifted the Viking ship and carried it away.

  The ship moved fast. The prow crashed through the water.

  Patrick stood at the front of the ship cheering.

  “Oh, yeah!” Patrick shouted. “Keep the wave rolling!”

  At first Beth was afraid. Then she was caught by the thrill of the ride. The rush of the wind chapped her cheeks. The spray of water tingled her skin.

  The wave settled. The ship drifted near a rock jetty.

  “Get ready to jump,” said Patrick.

  Patrick stood on the edge of the ship. Then he leaped across to the jetty.

  “Come on, Beth,” he shouted.

  Beth looked at the jetty. From the ship to the rocks was farther than she had ever jumped.

  “Beth, hurry,” Patrick said. “The ship is drifting away now.”

  Beth jumped. Her front foot reached the jetty. Her second foot did not. Her boot slipped off the wet rocks. She started to fall backward.

  Patrick grabbed hold of her arm and pulled Beth to safety.

  “Thanks,” Beth said. She was glad to be on solid ground again.

  “Race you to the top of that hill!” Patrick said.

  The cousins ran across the jetty to a sloping open field. They dashed up the hill. The ground was rocky. The grass was thick and bushy. Tiny purple and yellow flowers bloomed in small clumps.

  Suddenly the cousins heard the clomp of hooves. They stopped running and listened.

  The noise grew louder. It sounded like thunder.

  A herd of reindeer crested the hill from the other side. About thirty huge brown animals charged onto the field.

  The two reindeer in front had black faces. Their antlers were brown with sharp points.

  And the reindeer were headed straight for the cousins.

  The Spear

  Beth froze with fear. All she could do was stare at the sharp antlers.