A Bone to Pick. Gina McMurchy-Barber

      Dedication

      Dedicated to Children of Integrity Montessori School

      Acknowledgements

      There are many people who helped me bring this book to life. I am grateful to my editor, Michael Carroll, for his respectful editing of my manuscript and for being the first to see the potential of Peggy Henderson and her archaeology adventures. I also want to thank Victoria Bartlett who — as so often in the past — asked good questions and gave useful feedback. And, finally, I want to thank three fabulous authors — Lois Peterson, Mary Ellen Reid, and Cristy Watson — for their attention to detail, lively discussions, and great cookies.

      Epigraph

      There are no ordinary moments. There is always something going on. Be present, it is the only moment that matters.

      — Old Norse Saying

      Prologue

      Sigrid learned at a very young age to be decisive in the face of danger. That is why the second her eyes fall on the great white bear she drops the driftwood and snatches the infant boy into her arms. She backs slowly toward the settlement, never taking her eyes off the giant lumbering in her direction, its nose in the air following her scent. Sigrid knows to turn and run is futile. But the determination of the hungry old bear forces her to review her plan.

      As Sigrid quickly scans the barren, rolling landscape, she sees a large boulder a short distance away. It is her only option and, however slim, her only line of defence. When she reaches it, she pushes the little fellow under the slight overhang.

      “Freeze, Snorri,” she whispers. The child instinctively huddles against the cold rock as though it were his mother.

      Sigrid slowly pulls out the long silver pin holding her cloak together and throws the garment to the ground. For an instant the pin’s shiny shaft catches the light. She grips it by the intricately carved handle, and it is now a dagger in her hand. For a brief moment she thinks of her uncle’s sword, the one he takes wherever he goes. What she would give to have such a weapon now! Or even her tiny fish knife would be better.

      There is no time for wishful thinking. The bear is so close that Sigrid can hear its deep, heaving breaths. It must be painfully hungry, for it takes no caution and must think her an easy kill. For a brief moment she looks to the sky and pleads with the gods to give her courage to battle with this son of Aesben. Then she kisses the tiny hammer-shaped amulet hanging around her neck. It is the only thing she owns that belonged to her mother. “Thor’s Mjolnir — it will protect you my dear daughter in times of danger,” said Mother the day she gave it to her.

      Sigrid has only one objective and only one chance — to drive the cloak pin deep into the animal’s neck. In the very moment that the bear is nearly upon them, Sigrid clambers to the top of the boulder and springs onto the creature’s back, letting out her fiercest Viking battle cry. In that instant she is a fearless warrior, like those in the great Norse sagas — those epic tales of gods, of their wars, of heroism, of brutality. Each story prepared her for this moment, for this life-or-death battle.

      In one swift movement she raises the pin above her head and brings it down with all her might, driving it into the bear’s throat. The animal lets out a frightening bellow as its blood gushes out upon its white fur. The bear rises to its hindquarters, throwing Sigrid to the ground while her pin is still lodged in the beast’s throat. In a frenzy the animal whirls around. There, on the ground, is its attacker, no longer able to rise and defend herself.

      The bear lifts its mighty paw and, with claws protruding like blades, sweeps up the girl’s body and hurls her into the air. As she lands hard a second time, she hears her own bones crack in too many places and wails in agony.

      Just as the bear is about to bring down yet another pulverizing blow onto Sigrid’s small body, a hail of arrows whiz through the air and pierce, one after another, the creature’s massive white body, now nearly covered with its own blood. The animal roars in anguish and staggers a short distance until it falls onto its side in a heap, groaning. Before the bear heaves its final breath, Sigrid slips into unconsciousness.

      When she wakes, she no longer feels any pain. In fact, she no longer feels any part of her body at all. Has she died? she wonders. Then she hears in the distance the faint voices of the Norsemen fast approaching. It must have been their stream of arrows that finished the bear off. But then why did the arrows hail from the cover of the forest opposite the settlement? That is not her people’s way. Could it have been the skraelings again?

      Remembering her tiny charge, Sigrid calls out weakly to the boy. “Snorri, all is well. Come out.” The little fellow crawls to her side, his small mouth puckered in fear and his cheeks stained with tears. Were she able she would comfort him in her arms, but all she can do is set her eyes intensely upon him and hold his gaze.

      “Everything is all right, now. You’re safe and Papa Thorfinn is coming.”

      The toddler sniffles and rests his tiny head on her shoulder, sucking his thumb for comfort.

      Sigrid tries not to think about why her limbs do not obey her command to rise from the ground. But try as she might she cannot deny that her breathing is growing shallower with each breath.

      “Should I die today will my people remember me for this deed, Snorri? Is giving my life for yours the act of a fearless Viking?” Her heart burns within, for nothing greater could she want than to be remembered as a true warrior.

      Sigrid’s eyes are closing, and she knows her inner light is fading. Before it is too late she sends up a prayer to Odin, the god her father worshipped.

      “Oh, great Allfather, send your Valkyries to my side. Let them take me to live in Valhalla where I may sit at your feet in glory. Let not my death in battle with one of Aesben’s sons be in vain.” Sigrid heaves her last breath, hoping she will awake in the presence of the gods.

      Chapter One

      I let out an exaggerated sigh. “You know, Aunt Margaret, this brush is way too good to be used for painting the house.” I ran the soft bristles over my hand and admired its perfectly formed wooden handle, while at the same time appreciating it for its greater potential.

      “Too good to be used to paint? That’s a pretty lame excuse for getting out of painting the house with me today. C’mon, Peggy, surely you can do better than that.” Aunt Margaret pried off the lid and started stirring the turquoise paint she’d bought that morning.

      “I admit it’s not something I feel like doing. But I’m serious. This brush would be perfect for excavating —”

      “Ha! I should have guessed — excavating indeed.” Aunt Margaret snorted out a laugh — a trait of the women in my family.

      “Yes, excavating,” I defended, feeling annoyed.

      “I thought an archaeologist needed trowels and shovels for excavating.”

      “They do, but once they find something really old, they have to have a tool that can gently remove the sand or dirt from the bones or artifacts that won’t damage them. Imagine you found a perfectly preserved skeleton that was thousands of years old — would you want to be the one that came along and ruined it? That’s why an archaeologist needs a brush like this.”

      Aunt Margaret snatched it from my hand. “Well, today this isn’t an archaeologist’s tool, but rather a paintbrush that’s going to be used to give new life to our old house. And you, young lady, will have the privilege of using it.” She plunged the brush into the can of paint and slapped it on the side of the house, leaving a long streak of glistening turquoise. “There, you see. It’s going to be beautiful. Now get to it.”