To Hekja and her mother, life in their village is difficult, but safe. Hekja's mother, and her young dog Snarf, are all she has left. Hekja's father died while collecting eggs on the cliff. his fall was incredibly steep and his back shattered into pieces. Every one knows that it's dangerous, but gulls eggs are one of the village's main food staples. Hekja's father was a singer, no one clapped after one of his song's for they had so much meaning and truth that it left the village speechless. And that's all that Hekja had in common with her father; they could both sing the night away.
When Hekja is sent, along with all the other young girls, up the mountain to mind the cattle, her only comfort is her weak little snarf. All he is good at though is rolling around in fresh cow patches, and howling along to Hekja's songs. The girls up on the mountain have no respect for Hekja. She and her mother had always just barely made it through the winter. Slowly but surely they hear Hekja sing songs alone in the moonlit night and give Hekja more than just respect: they give her their trust.
Snarf begins to grow more and more, and eventually learns to hunt not only for himself, but the girls as well. In fact he no longer limps, and just barely reaches Hekja's lower thigh, instead he almost reaches her shoulders; already larger then any of the village dogs. He was smarter than most people as well, and could smell danger days before any one could even see it. But Snarf only obeyed Hekja, and never dreamed of leaving her side.
"Ships", cried Hekja, " come quickly". Snarf was barking ferociously. "We have to warn the village" Hekja gasped '"it could be danger" . "Probably just traders. Oh I do hope they have brought fabric, I mean just look at my dress", cried Reena one of the chiefs daughters. "Vikings"whispered Hekja," just look at the size of those boats". Snarf and Hekja were gone before any of the girl's could stop them. She had feet as fast as deer and as swift as the current, but she knew, once she reached the village, that it was too late. People lay motionless on the ground, white washed faces, and blood drenched clothing.
Hekja and Snarf ran quickly and quietly. If they were seen, they would be caught, if they were caught, they would be killed. Hekja hesitated before entering her home. There was no blood upon the floor, but her mother was not to be found. "Run!", screamed Hekja's mother. Hekja twirled around. Every thing was a blur. Some one, at least twice her size, plunged there sword into her mother's heart. It was a man Hekja realized, and he had just killed her mother. Hekja ran, she ran faster than the wind, faster than she ever imagined she could run. And then she heard him. The man who killed her mother was after her. He was fast Hekja thought, but she could out run him. Snarf bounded at her heals. Then Hekja felt some thing slice into the back of her knee. " Finnbogi, your getting old" laughed a tall woman. Hekja realized that the female viking had stopped her with the edge of her sword. They had caught her she realized, but they had not killed her. "Freydis" gasped the man to the woman," that girl must have feet like ravens". But Freydis just laughed, "keep her, she would be a good messenger!"
Hekja's journey begins as a thrall (slave), and meets Freydis' brother, Lief Erickson. Freydis comes to trust Hekja, and rely on snarf to smell out ice bergs that could easily wipe out the ship. Lief's thrall Hikki is also a runner, and is the only one, other than Snarf, that she can talk to. He understands how much she misses her village even though they get ten times more to eat under the vikings authority. Hekja soon becomes very close to Freydis, and once they reach Greenland (the vikings current settlement), she begins her job as a messenger; running to deliver messages.
She meets Snorri, a Norseman who singing reminds her of her father. Hekja finds that Snorri is singing about her, not as a thrall, but a princess. Hekja is very fond of Snorri, but even though she is very admired by Freydis, her master, she is still just a thrall, and Hikki keeps reminding her that. Hikki begins to despise Snorri because he plans to marry Hekja. Although Hekja thinks of Hikki more as a brother.
One cold day in Greenland, Freydis launches an expedition. Freydis wants to follow in her father's foot steps. He was the man who founded Greenland. Lief decides to journey with his sister, but when Freydis' father dies, Lief is forced to take his place as chief. Leaving Freydis with less then half of the men who originally planned on coming because they just couldn't trust, let alone follow a woman.
So they begin their journey to Finland. When they arrive they are greeted by skraelings (the viking word for native strangers), and begin peacefully trading with them. The land is beautiful to Hekja, and every thing is so calm. But then the skraelings attack. The Vikings were prepared, but the skraelings have an advantage, they have bows. Swords and axes are all fine for battle, but not when you are a great distance away.Snorri is badly wounded, and Hikki is killed. All this is to much for Hekja. She and Freydis charge after the enemy, and scare them away. Hekja doesn't waste one precious second, she rushes to Snorri's side. her relationship with him becomes so strong, that she never leaves his side. He and Hekja marry and travel to Snorri's home land. After mourning the death of Hikki, she can no longer stay in Finland. And although she knows she with miss Freydis,she agrees to leave. Together they visit Hekja's village and find that the girls on the mountain lived as well as quite a few of the other villagers.
Hekja and Snorri sing together about Freedom and the gift of courage that Freydis gave.
My thoughts
I did enjoy reading this book and the story was well thought up, twisting the truth just a tiny bit. However the author's writing was hard to get used to. It was very choppy, although that may have been the authors intention. I do prefer to read books with more of a flow, but once you adapted it was definitely a 'page turner' type of book. The book's main theme was freedom. Hekja is captured as a thrall, but eventually Freydis adopts Hekja as her own daughter. The book was given its title based on the capture of Hekja, and the journey she must endure to gain her freedom. I recommend this book to any history readers, and also those of you who like a lot of action because, yes, there is quite a bit of violence in this story.
Christian Perspective
Although this book wasn't written from a Christian perspective, there were several things in it that made me feel closer to God's heart. Like, for instance, when Hekja is told to stay in the mountain where she's safe, but choose to run and warn the village. It's amazing how God can use something so ordinary (like a sentence in a book), and make it into something extraordinary. This story taught me that no matter how much sorrow your eyes have seen, God will always strengthen you. Yes, it might seem scary at the time, but once you've gotten through whatever it is that's troubling you, all that time spent afraid will soon fade into nothing. And all you are left with is a heart full of gratitude.
