The Broken Sword
Poul Anderson
Language: English
Pages: 164
ISBN: 0575082720
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Thor has broken the sword Tyrfing so that it cannot strike at the roots of Yggdrasil, the tree that binds together earth, heaven and hell. But now the mighty sword is needed again to save the elves in their war against the trolls, and only Scafloc, a human child kidnapped and raised by the elves, can hope to persuade Bolverk the ice giant to make Tyrfing whole again. But Scafloc must also confront his shadow self, Valgard the changeling who has taken his place in the world of men.
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shouting voices and roaring war-horns and tramping feet. Troll vessels sailed more slowly than elf, being larger and heavier and made with less skill in sorcery, and morning found them still at sea. The trolls took shelter under black awnings which shut off the hated sunlight, and let the ships ride, invisible to mortal eyes. The next night found the grand fleet assembling, and Valgard was awed by its size. It seemed to carpet the sea out to the horizon, and every vessel swarmed with men and the
the high seat and signed to his guards. ‘Take her out and kill her,’ he whispered. Turning to Grum: ‘Hang Imric by the thumbs over hot coals until we have conquered Alfheim and can give some thought to his reward.’ Then rising, with his voice a shout: ‘Ho, trollsmen, make ready to fare! We sail at once!’ Though the host had been expecting a great feast in Elfheugh, none who saw the king’s face dared protest, and soon the black ships were sweeping southward out of sight. ‘So much the more for
AFTERWORD ALSO BY POUL ANDERSON 1 There was a man called Orm the Strong, a son of Ketil Asmundsson who was a great landsman in the north of Jutland. The folk of Ketil had dwelt in Himmerland as long as men remembered, and were mighty landowners. The wife of Ketil was Asgerd, who was a leman-child of Ragnar Hairybreeks. Thus Orm came of good stock, but as he was the fifth living son of his father there could be no large inheritance for him. Orm was a great sea-farer and spent most of
strakes. Ere dawn the vessel had reached the other shore, been drawn up on the beach, and lay hidden by spells. The elves took shelter in a cave, but Skafloc was about during much of the day. He climbed a tall tree and looked in wonder at the strange land rolling southward. He spied the gaunt gray hall of some baron, and thought briefly and pityingly of the narrow human lives that flickered in its gloom. He would not trade. When night came, the elves mounted their horses and rode inland swift
twilight in which many stars wavered and danced, of a music which seemed to sing through flesh and bone to thrill in the very soul, but it was not until they were in the throne room that he could see again. The elf lords stood tall and silent in the blue dusk, their beautiful pale faces closed and secret, their strange eyes seeming blind and yet looking deeper than mortal. In a throne of shadow sat the Erlking. Golden were his crown and scepter, and his robes of a purple that blent with the