Off With Her Head!

Sorry. Not literally. You see, Anmair of north Wales, the heroine of my 973 tale PEACEWEAVER, has gone and gotten herself captured by Vikings.

"What!" you say. "The Vikings raided in England and France, right? Not Wales!"

Au contraire. They did indeed raid in Wales and for a while, were allowed to spend the winters on the island of Anglesey (a.k.a. Mona) off the northwest tip of the country. From this base they could sally forth every spring in their usual Viking hobbies of rape, pillage and destruction. Not nice fellas, these ancestors of mine.

Anyway, Anmair has been taken away to the Viking enclave near Dublin, Ireland, with the leader's intention to sell her and a few others as slaves. Wouldn't ya know it? His minions come down with the measles and the leader is cursing his bad luck. Has Odin turned his face against them all? Anmair rashly promises to help the measly horde and the leader promises that if she can't, if even one of his men dies, he'll offer her in sacrifice to the All Father, Odin. Only that way can he hope to turn his run of bad luck to good.

It's tense, all right. What will Anmair do to keep herself from being served up to Odin? I really have no idea. She has boldly told the leader that only the true God can be of help in dire situations, and she'll prove His power by saving the raiders. Can she do this? I don't know. Measles is no joke in adult patients. Does one of them succumb? Stay tuned -- our dauntless (so far, anyway) heroine is in a Viking longship load of trouble this time.