board. Slowly,
the plank lifted the boulder and dropped it with a crashing
walop, a little way from the original spot.
Leri cupped her chest and closed her eyes as Brochfael
jumped off the plank right before it fel with a loud thump.
“It looks like fun,” Branda’s tone reflected her growing
anticipation of finding the treasure.
“You can do it next time, Princess.” Brochfael grinned but the
upturned smile transformed into an open-mouthed look of shock
as he stared at what had been underneath the huge rock.
Al five of them gulped at the same time.
A nest of writhing, zigzag-striped adders, brown and black, as
wel as two-toned gray snakes aimed their flat heads in the trio’s
direction. Leri, Branda and Brochfael stepped back as forty or
more vipers slinked toward those who had disturbed them.
Leri let out a piercing scream as adders crawled over her feet.
Branda held her torch tighter and huddled against the wal of the
tomb. The two guards backed up against the tomb’s wal beside
tomb. The two guards backed up against the tomb’s wal beside
the Princess.
“Back!” Brochfael yeled at Leri.
She stepped back until she was beside Branda.
One of the adders was a span away from Branda’s feet. She
stooped down, held the flaming torch to the squirming vipers and
set them afire. She and Leri turned toward the wal as they
coughed from the smoke and gagging odor of flaming adders.
Brochfael and the two guards choked on the smoke as they
drew out their swords and clubbed the vipers. The men tried to
catch their breath while more adders crept toward them. Leri
and Branda stepped forward and set more adders on fire.
Finaly, the vipers were slaughtered. Burnt and mutilated dead
snakes scattered the chamber floor.
Brochfael coughed as he scraped the hilt end of his sword in
the dirt trying to see if anything lay beneath. Branda and Leri
wrapped their arms around each other.
Brochfael’s sword clanked against something.
“It sounds like rock.” He knelt down and began digging.
The two guards joined him.
“Wil you look at that,” one of the guards said when he
uncovered a long box, carved out of stone with a lid engraved in
ogham symbols.
Leri held the torch as she read the ancient Druid script. “The
man who steals this sword shal lose both his hands and no
physician wil be able to stifle the endless pain.”
“Wel, that’s morbid,” said one of the guards.
“God’s teeth!” Branda shuddered.
“Should we not open it?” Leri shrugged.
“Do you think there are adders inside?” Branda asked.
“I think this box holds something more deadly than adders.”
Brochfael grunted as he lifted the long, heavy box and set it on
the ground between the bodies of the dead vipers. A heavy chain
was wrapped around it with a lock. “Stand back.” He puled his
sword from its sheath.
“Beware, Brochfael,” Leri yeled out as she and Branda
moved close together.
He swung the sword down in strong whacks until he broke
the lock off. He unraveled the chains and pried the box open
with the tip of his sword. The moment the lid fel off it tripped the cord attached to it and caused a board to rise with an axe blade
cord attached to it and caused a board to rise with an axe blade
mounted upright on it. That triggered another cord which
propeled the deadly blade to swing side to side. Al five of them
gasped in unison.
Brochfael took a deep breath. “The box was rigged, meant to
sever the hands of anyone who opened it.”
Leri exhaled. “Brochfael, thank the gods you are unscathed.”
Branda held her hand over her pounding heart. Brochfael cut
the rigging with his sword and the axe blade and the board it was
mounted on dropped to the dirt. They al huddled around the
box. She held out the torch and peered down.
She saw a snake in the open box. “A viper!” She jumped
back.
Brochfael took the torch from her and held it to the box. “It’s
a sheath encasing a hilted
the plank lifted the boulder and dropped it with a crashing
walop, a little way from the original spot.
Leri cupped her chest and closed her eyes as Brochfael
jumped off the plank right before it fel with a loud thump.
“It looks like fun,” Branda’s tone reflected her growing
anticipation of finding the treasure.
“You can do it next time, Princess.” Brochfael grinned but the
upturned smile transformed into an open-mouthed look of shock
as he stared at what had been underneath the huge rock.
Al five of them gulped at the same time.
A nest of writhing, zigzag-striped adders, brown and black, as
wel as two-toned gray snakes aimed their flat heads in the trio’s
direction. Leri, Branda and Brochfael stepped back as forty or
more vipers slinked toward those who had disturbed them.
Leri let out a piercing scream as adders crawled over her feet.
Branda held her torch tighter and huddled against the wal of the
tomb. The two guards backed up against the tomb’s wal beside
tomb. The two guards backed up against the tomb’s wal beside
the Princess.
“Back!” Brochfael yeled at Leri.
She stepped back until she was beside Branda.
One of the adders was a span away from Branda’s feet. She
stooped down, held the flaming torch to the squirming vipers and
set them afire. She and Leri turned toward the wal as they
coughed from the smoke and gagging odor of flaming adders.
Brochfael and the two guards choked on the smoke as they
drew out their swords and clubbed the vipers. The men tried to
catch their breath while more adders crept toward them. Leri
and Branda stepped forward and set more adders on fire.
Finaly, the vipers were slaughtered. Burnt and mutilated dead
snakes scattered the chamber floor.
Brochfael coughed as he scraped the hilt end of his sword in
the dirt trying to see if anything lay beneath. Branda and Leri
wrapped their arms around each other.
Brochfael’s sword clanked against something.
“It sounds like rock.” He knelt down and began digging.
The two guards joined him.
“Wil you look at that,” one of the guards said when he
uncovered a long box, carved out of stone with a lid engraved in
ogham symbols.
Leri held the torch as she read the ancient Druid script. “The
man who steals this sword shal lose both his hands and no
physician wil be able to stifle the endless pain.”
“Wel, that’s morbid,” said one of the guards.
“God’s teeth!” Branda shuddered.
“Should we not open it?” Leri shrugged.
“Do you think there are adders inside?” Branda asked.
“I think this box holds something more deadly than adders.”
Brochfael grunted as he lifted the long, heavy box and set it on
the ground between the bodies of the dead vipers. A heavy chain
was wrapped around it with a lock. “Stand back.” He puled his
sword from its sheath.
“Beware, Brochfael,” Leri yeled out as she and Branda
moved close together.
He swung the sword down in strong whacks until he broke
the lock off. He unraveled the chains and pried the box open
with the tip of his sword. The moment the lid fel off it tripped the cord attached to it and caused a board to rise with an axe blade
cord attached to it and caused a board to rise with an axe blade
mounted upright on it. That triggered another cord which
propeled the deadly blade to swing side to side. Al five of them
gasped in unison.
Brochfael took a deep breath. “The box was rigged, meant to
sever the hands of anyone who opened it.”
Leri exhaled. “Brochfael, thank the gods you are unscathed.”
Branda held her hand over her pounding heart. Brochfael cut
the rigging with his sword and the axe blade and the board it was
mounted on dropped to the dirt. They al huddled around the
box. She held out the torch and peered down.
She saw a snake in the open box. “A viper!” She jumped
back.
Brochfael took the torch from her and held it to the box. “It’s
a sheath encasing a hilted
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