Lade, Trondelag, Spring, AD 958
Sparkling waterfalls, lush shores, and crisp skies greeted Hakon and his crew as Dragon slithered against the slack tide on its way to Lade. To the east, the Keel lorded over the land, its white peaks blending with the billowing clouds that moved slowly over them. Winter"s thaw was in progress, and spring"s gifts were on full display. Not that the men at oar could see it, or cared. The wind had been against them since yestermorning, and they were tired and hungry and ready to reach their destination. Hakon was not so forlorn, for the weather was fine, the sights that greeted his eyes were glorious, and the treasures that awaited him in Lade made his heart swell with anticipation.
The ship crept past rocky cliffs and quiet, low-lying pastures where the smok
