SYNOPSIS:

In the year 928 AD, during the end of days of Norwegian King Harald Halfdansson, known as "Harald Fairhair", a young girl, the daughter of a Viking Chieftain, is training to become a "shieldmaiden" at the age of sixteen. ARNPORA, the only child of BJORN and wife DOROTHEA, are pleased with their daughter's progress toward becoming a Viking warrior. The clan of Surnadalfolk who live upon the Surnadal plateau, give thanks and praise to the God Odin, for its rich soils that has provided bounty of harvest and livestock for over two hundred years. The menfolk, as they do every year after the Spring planting is completed, ready for their annual seventeen week campaign on the Northern Isles. With three days to go before they voyage a monster storm sweeps in over the seas from the west. The longhouse on Bjorn's farm sits upon the highest bluff overlooking Tingvoll fjord, on soil soaked from the winter ice melt. Tor the God of thunder, cast lightning bolts upon the earth and cloudbursts that have inundated the lands further weakening the soil. On the evening of the approaching storm, three days from voyage, Bjorn reveals to Arnpora the mystery of the "Sunstone", and how to use it for navigating even when the sun was not viable due to heavy clouds, or thick fog. After the lesson had finished she pleads with her parents to take the sunstone to bed with her. Her wish granted she clutches the sunstone as the storm intensifies outside. In the middle of the night the entire bluff supporting their longhouse collapsed sliding toward the waters of the fjord below. Buried the folks searched for their Chieftain and family, finally, recovering Arnpora from the landmass of earthen mud and debris. Her parents weren't so fortunate, when unearthed they were found still clutching each other. The younger brother MAGNUS was assumed would become the next chieftain, when he is challenged by GUNNAR and a confrontation takes place following the vote, but the margin of 10 votes more than his opponent hadn't been met, and a chieftain would be decided by combat. Magnus, places more value on preserving life and the peace on the plateau, and waives his claim to the title of Chieftain, tossing down his sword and embracing Gunnar, to declare him Chieftain of the Surnadalfolk.

THE SUNSTONE