Runestone

They set sail from Norway, two swift-moving longships and their handpicked crews, following the route navigated by the legendary Leif Ericson. But for young shipmaster Nils Thorsson and his fellow Norsemen the real journey begins when they push on into the uncharted continent of Vinland.

There the explorers revel in the chance to penetrate a virgin land -until they trespass on the grounds of a primitive people who have seen enough of the light-hairs' cruelty to believe they are too dangerous to ignore. In one swift dawn raid, they deal with the invaders by letting go a swarm of fiery arrows Only three men from the sailing party escape: the intrepid Nils Thorsson, the hardened seaman Svenson, and an enigmatic native guide called Odin. Now. stranded in the wilderness with their one-eyed guide, Thomson and Svenson know that to survive they must master the ways of war, of the hunt -- and of a proud and fearless people.

"Here is a grand adventure pitting two...warrior castes against each other, with the fate of a continent hanging in the balance. The story should have been told before, but thank God it waited for Coldsmith to tell it." -- Loren D. Estleman, author of Edsel

"Gripping and imaginative...believable characters, realistic (and often witty) dialogue, vivid prose and nonstop action."

-- Publishers Weekly