Viking Ships at Sunrise (4 page)

“We found our story!” said Jack.

“Yay!” said Annie.

“Indeed,” said Brother Patrick. “But alas, Brother Michael has not yet completed his work. You will have to return for it.”

“Oh, shoot,” said Annie.

Jack was disappointed, too.

“I don't know if we'll be able to come back,” he said.

“I don't know if we can even leave without the story,” said Annie.

Brother Patrick looked puzzled.

The two kids looked at each other, then back at Brother Patrick. It was too hard to explain about the tree house and how the magic worked.

Jack shrugged.

“We'll just have to try,” he said.

Outside, the church bell began ringing.

“It is time now for our sunrise prayers,” said Brother Patrick. “Will you join us?”

“Thanks, but we better try to go home now,” said Jack.

Brother Patrick nodded and led them into the garden. When he opened the gate, they stopped.

The horizon glowed pink and purple. The sun had started to rise.

No one spoke as the great, fiery ball rose slowly over the ocean.

Finally, Brother Patrick broke the silence. “Shine, O light of the sun,” he said softly, “on this day filled with wonder.”

“That's beautiful,” said Annie.

Jack smiled. He agreed.

Brother Patrick turned to them. “It is such sights as this that inspire our bookmaking,” he said. “Now go, and may God be with you on your voyage home.”

“Thanks,” said Jack and Annie.

“Do you need me to guide you to your boat?” he asked.

“I don't think so,” said Jack.

“Follow the path to the top of the cliff,” said Brother Patrick. “Then use my rope to help you down the steps.”

“Okay,” said Annie. “Bye!” And she went through the gate.

Jack wanted to go home, but he hated leaving the monastery. It was filled with people doing his favorite things: reading and learning.

“I really like it here,” he said to Brother Patrick.

“I'm glad. But you must go now, while the weather is with you,” said the monk. “
Everything can change in an instant
.”

Then Brother Patrick turned and went into the church.

Jack hurried out the gate. Before he went further, he stopped and pulled out his notebook.

He quickly made two lists:

“Come on!” Annie called from the top of the steps.

“Coming,” Jack called.

He put away his notebook and ran along the dirt path to the edge of the cliff.

Overhead, flocks of gulls circled in the purple sky. Their cries sounded like screams.

“What's wrong with them?” Jack said.

“Maybe they always do this at sunrise,” said Annie. “Let me go first.”

Clutching the rope, she started down the steps.

Jack grabbed the rope and started down. The birds' cries went on. They worried him. They sounded like warnings.

Jack reached the rocky ledge and let go of the rope.

“Let's go!” Annie called from the tree house.

Jack looked at the horizon one last time.

His heart nearly stopped. A ship was outlined against the sky! Behind it, he saw two smaller ships.

As the ships came into view, their bright sails were filled with wind and their serpent prows blazed in the new sunlight.

“Oh, no,” Jack whispered. “
Vikings!
”

“Annie!” Jack cried. “Vikings!”

Annie looked out the tree house window. “Vikings?”

“They're headed straight for the island!” said Jack.

He turned back to the stone steps.

“Where are you going?” cried Annie.

“To warn the monks!” Jack said.

“I'll come, too!” cried Annie. She scrambled out of the tree house.

“Hurry!” said Jack.

Jack didn't even use the rope. He pulled himself up the steep steps with his hands.

As Jack and Annie climbed up the face of the cliff, clouds began to cover the sun. When they reached the top, a fog had almost hidden the serpent ships.

“Run!” cried Annie.

The fog blanketed the whole island. Jack and Annie could barely see the path to the monastery.

When they arrived at the gate, the misty white world was silent.

“Vikings!” Jack cried. “Vikings!”

“The monks are still in church!” said Annie. She yanked the bell rope.

Dong! Dong!

Jack and Annie watched as Brother Patrick and the other monks ran out of the church.

“The Vikings are coming!” Jack shouted.

Brother Patrick's rosy face turned white.

“Make haste!” he said to the other monks. “Gather the books and hide.”

The monks ran into the library. Brother Patrick turned to Jack and Annie.

“We have a secret hiding place, a cave on the other side of the island,” he said. “You can come with us. But I am not certain you will be safe.”

“Don't worry,” said Jack. “We're going to try to go home.”

“Do not use the steps,” Brother Patrick said. “The Vikings will climb them.”

“Then how do we get down?” said Jack.

“Go
that
way,” said Brother Patrick, pointing. “At the cliff's edge are two large rocks. A path between those rocks will take you down to the shore. Then you can walk around to your boat.”

“Thanks!” said Annie.

“Be careful!” said Brother Patrick. He hurried inside the library.

“Wait!” came a thin voice as Jack and Annie turned to run.

It was Brother Michael. He hobbled over to them, holding out his book of Irish tales.

“Take it,” he said.

“Are you sure?” Jack asked. He knew it was Brother Michael's life's work.

“Please,” said Brother Michael. “It is better that the world should have some of it than none at all. Just in case … ”

“We'll take good care of it,” said Jack. He gently placed the jeweled book in his leather bag.

“Good luck!” said Annie.

Annie and Jack waved good-bye to the old man. Then they raced to the rocks that Brother Patrick had told them about.

At the rocks, the sea gulls still screeched. Jack could barely see the steep path leading down into the fog.

“Go slowly,” Jack whispered to Annie as they started down.

“Whoops!” said Annie. She slipped and fell forward, bumping into Jack. “My foot got caught in my stupid dress—”

“Shh!” said Jack.

He held on to Annie. They listened as pebbles and rocks rolled down the cliff.

Jack took a deep breath.

“We've got to watch out for Vikings, too,” he whispered.

They started down the steep path again. They went one step at a time. The sound of the waves against the rocks grew louder.

Finally, they stepped down onto a flat strip of pebbles.

“Where are we?” whispered Annie.

“I don't know,” said Jack.

“Oh, look!” said Annie. She pointed to the shoreline.

Through the fog rose the serpent prows of the Viking ships!

Jack and Annie crept closer to the ships. Their sails were down. Each ship had been tied to a tall jagged rock. They seemed deserted as they bobbed in the shallow waves.

Jack really wanted to check out the ships. But he was afraid of wasting time.

“We'd better find the tree house,” he said to Annie.

They crept away from the three Viking ships.

Suddenly, they both froze.

Through the mist, they saw a group of Viking warriors. The Vikings were looking at the top of the cliff.

Their long yellow hair hung down from beneath their iron helmets. They carried round wooden shields and swords and axes.