Hayden Miller Baynham Parker Mr Hogge English 9/3rd Block 15/3/2013 The Epic of Thane long !

ime ago" !here #as a $ord named Thane% He #as a fai!hf&l knigh! of !he 'ing of (alilee" )eif Erickson% The 'ingdom of (alilee had *een a! cons!an! #ar #i!h !he h&mans for +&i!e some !ime" and no# !hey #ere r&nning o&! of knigh!s !o send !o *a!!le% ,n !he day !he messenger from 'ing Erickson came !o call for !he knigh!s" Thane #as in !he fields #i!h his friend ,laf" a fello# $ord *&! ,laf did no! ha-e !he in!elligence of an a-erage $ord" They had *een in !he middle of a .o&s!ing ma!ch #hen !he horn from !he -illage so&nded" calling e-ery*ody !o !he -illage s+&are% Thane and ,laf ran !o !o#n !o find !ha! !hey #ere !he las! !#o !o ge! !here% The messenger s!ood in fron! of !he -illage and proclaimed !ha! any eligi*le knigh! sho&ld come for!h and figh! for his 'ing% Thane/s fello# -illagers #ere all #omen" children" and re!ired knigh!s #ho #ere no longer eligi*le for *a!!le *eca&se !hey had already fo&gh!" The messenger looked aro&nd a! !he people" fran!ic !o find someone yo&ng and eligi*le% s he looked o-er !he area #here Thane and ,laf #ere" his eyes seemed !o skim o-er !hem" *&! +&ickly dar!ed *ack !o !hem% He called !hem &p !o !he fron! #here !hey #ere #hisked a#ay in carriages and led !o !he 'ing/s cas!le% s !hey arri-ed a! 'ing Erickson0s cas!le" !hey sa# gro&ps from all o-er !he land1 $ords" 2#arfs" 3en!a&rs" 4ikings" and e-en !he 2ragon H&n!ers% Thane isn/! sen! !o !he 'ing" *&! he ge!s a le!!er from him saying !ha! he" Thane" m&s! go !ry !o reason #i!h !he h&mans and s!op !he #ar and !ha! he has &n!il morning !o accep! or decline !his pre!en!io&s offer% ,f co&rse" Thane accep!s" so he and ,laf se! of on !heir Epic ,dyssey%

The !#o $ords firs! had !o go aro&nd !o !he differen! lands " making friends" gaining allies" and preparing for !he final confron!a!ion #i!h !he h&mans % Thane and ,laf #andered aro&nd !he $ordic co&n!ry side" ga!hering s&pplies for !heir long !rip% ,ne day" along an old *ea!en do#n road" !hey no!iced a sign !ha! said /Horses for Trade/% They #alked &p !o !he co!!age" and no!iced !ha! !hey aren/! !he only ones here% They sa&n!er in!o !he co!!age and find a gro&p of $ords *ea!ing &p a man% Thane and ,laf *reak &p !he figh! only !o disco-er !ha! !he man #ho #as ge!!ing *ea!en #as !he o#ner of !he horses" and !ha! one of !he men had no! go!!en !he horse he #an!ed % Thane !akes !he man/s horse *ack !o !he s!a*le" ge!s !he one he #an!ed and sends him and his friends off % The o#ner !hanks Thane and sends him off #i!h a !#o free horses " one for him" and ano!her for ,laf% ,laf s&gges!s ge!!ing s&pplies" so !hey head !o !he local !rading pos!% Thane makes a men!al lis! of !he s&pplies !hey need" and sends ,laf off !o ge! !hem #hile he ca!ches &p on missed sleep% ,laf came *ack #i!h !he s&pplies" and a ca!% The ca! looked &p a! Thane" and a! firs! he !ho&gh! ,laf #as messing #i!h him *y p&!!ing fake an!lers on !he ca!" *&! !hen Thane !ried !o p&ll on one of !he an!lers and i! meo#ed in pro!es!" !hen *i! him% They se! off !o -isi! !he land of !he 2ragons and !he 2ragon H&n!ers" seeing !ha! once !hey go! !he hardes! one o&! of !he #ay" !he res! #o&ld *e easy% They go! !o !he ga!es of !he 2ragon !erri!ory and #ere me! #i!h massi-e mossy s!one #alls as far as !he eye co&ld see% Thane sen! ,laf &p !o !he #all !o see if he co&ld possi*le clim* o-er !hem" *&! ins!ead he disco-ered !ha! !he #alls e5!ended &p in!o !he m&rky sky !oo% Thane s!ar!ed sho&!ing a! !he #all" dis!ra&gh! a*o&! !he delay" and s&ddenly a ga!e and many g&ards appeared *efore him% He rode &p !o !he ga!e" and !he g&ards !ell him !o s!a!e his *&isness% 67 am Thane" knigh! of (alilee" fai!hf&l ser-an! !o !he king% 7 #as sen! here !o seek alligence from !he dragon kind%8 The g&ards h&ddled !oge!her" spec&la!ing his re+&es!% ,ne !&rned" and said 69o& shall pass

!hro&gh !he ga!es of !he 2ragon !erri!ory%8 Thane .&mps *ack on his s!eed and gallops !hro&gh !he ga!es !o find a *arren land #i!h *o&lders placed precario&sly and hapha:ardly !hro&gho&! !he plain% Then" e-er so sligh!ly" Thane sa# a *las! of orange in !he dis!ance% He looked again only !o find !ha! !he *las! of orange #as m&ch *igger and *righ!er no#" so he !&rned aro&nd !o lea-e *&! #as s!opped *y ,laf" #ho #as !rying !o ge! ;mi!!y" !he ca!" o&! of his *ag" and ge! his horse !o mo-e a! !he same !ime% Thane sho&!ed !o ge! o&! of !he #ay .&s! as a flaming *all of fire hi! !he s!one #all% gro&p of dragons

fle# !o#ard him" and he *oldly s!ood #here he #as as !he 2ragon <iders asked #ha! his *&iness #as% He repea!ed #ha! he had !old !he g&ards% 67 ha-e come !o recr&i! allies for !he final confron!a!ion #i!h !he h&mans% They ha-e a!!acked !he shores of !he 3en!a&ric land" and are progressing rapidly !hro&gho&! i!% 7f #e canno! s!op !hem" i! has *een proclaimed !ha! #e all #ill parish%8 The dragon riders #ere skep!ical a*o&! him as !he circ&ms!ances #ere" *&! #hen ,laf yelled in s&rprise *eca&se ;mi!!y had .&mped do#n &nder his horse" !he riders looked a! !hem #i!h pi!y" as if !hey needed !heir help% They agreed" and said !ha! !hey #o&ld spread !he #ord !hro&gho&! !heir land" and sen! Thane" ,laf" and ;mi!!y on!o !heir ne5! !ask1 !ra-eling !hro&gh !he mo&n!aino&s land of !he d#arfs% =or !#o #eeks" !he !#o $ords" and ;mi!!y" deal! #i!h *li::ards" hypo*aropa!hy" and ;mi!!y/s cons!an! opposi!ion !o !he !hin !rails !hey follo#ed &p and do#n !he mo&n!ains% s !hey s!ar!ed !o r&n o&! of s&pplies and food" Thane secre!ly s!ar!ed ra!ioning ;mi!!y/s por!ions% Making ;mi!!y ha!e him e-en more% They finally reached !he d#arfs and !he kind>minded crea!&res did no! agree" nor disagreed% They said !ha! !hey #o&ld in!er-ene if necessary%