Thundercluck! Page 10
Asgard had risen from its sleep, and the realm was grateful to its champions. When the travelers arrived, Valhalla’s army lifted Thundercluck and Brunhilde on their shoulders, and the Vikings carried the pair through all the kingdom.
Hennda swelled with pride in her son. Saga finally wiped the pie off her face, and she gave Brunhilde a nod. Even the lion statue, still clutching the yarn from Brunhilde’s graduation day, seemed to smile.
* * *
Back on the farm, Olga and Sven woke early to a knock on the door. There was no one on their doorstep, but a figure with a gray beard stood in the field.
“Odin?” Sven called, but the figure vanished in a beam of rainbow light.
“What’s this?” Olga asked, and she pointed at their feet. There was a bouquet of flowers and a scroll.
They unraveled the scroll, which read: HE SAVED US. WITH A VALKYRIE’S GUIDANCE, THUNDERCLUCK SAVED US ALL.
They heard a gentle squeak and looked up. On their roof was a new weather vane, crafted from Asgardian gold. It was chicken-shaped like their last one, but while the old vane had seemed bored, this one looked ready for adventure. It sparkled in the new dawn.
On the back of the scroll, they also saw:
THANK YOU FROM ALL THE REALMS. —THOR & ODIN
NICE MEETING YOU! —BRUNHILDE
BAGOCK. —THUNDERCLUCK
* * *
With Asgard’s glory restored, Thundercluck and Brunhilde surveyed the kingdom. Saga and Thor joined them atop Mount Fjell. The sun was setting in the west, and a thunderstorm rumbled in the east. Above the clouds, nine stars twinkled in the sky.
Thundercluck was the first to take flight, giving a triumphant “Ba-GOCK!” as he soared.
Brunhilde lingered behind, and Thor put his hand on her shoulder.
“You should join him,” Thor said. “You were there in his time of need; now, you can share his joy. You’ve made us all proud.”
Brunhilde smiled at Thor. She was almost ready to fly, but first she gave Saga a hug. Then she took off, leaving the Gods of Thunder and Vision together on the mountain.
Saga smiled as the friends flew by.
“Is it over?” asked Thor. “Is Gorman Bones forever gone?”
Saga turned to the west. She squinted into the sunset. After a pause, she looked to the heroes and said:
Perhaps the Cook will strike again; his fate remains unknown.
But with the Battle Maiden’s help, our feathered friend has grown.
When monsters come! When danger knocks! When evil runs amok!
We have ourselves a chicken now. We have our Thundercluck!
EPILOGUE
From the Valley of Dal, King Odin and Queen Frigg watched the heroes flying above.
“You’re sure, then?” Frigg asked.
“Yes,” Odin answered. “Saga confirms, and thus it is true.” The elder god stared at the sky. “We were lucky Thundercluck saw the Well of Eternity alone. Had Brunhilde been with him, she might have learned the truth.”
“So…” said Frigg, gazing at the Valkyrie. “Brunhilde still doesn’t know about her parents.”
“No.” Odin sighed. “Not yet. But as Saga has foretold, she will learn. Now the girl wields the Dwarven Blade. Someday she will meet the one who held it first.”
Frigg nodded and said, “We can only hope she’ll be ready.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Paul and Meg both thank their agent, Melissa Nasson of Rubin Pfeffer Content, and their team at Roaring Brook Press, particularly Connie Hsu, Megan Abbate, and Christina Dacanay.
FROM PAUL
Thundercluck! began as an animated short film; Paul thanks James Hunt, Dandy Barrett, and Brandon Bush for their crucial roles in the film’s production.
For feedback on early drafts of the book, Paul thanks Phil Bailey, Meaghan Walsh Gerard, Stacy Carter, Christopher Soucy, Jeremiah Kizer, and Mary Doll. Paul also thanks his family for their encouragement, and David Sterritt for his endless moral support.
Meg was the first person to read the book’s full first draft, and Paul remains deeply thankful she agreed to join the project.
FROM MEG
Meg would like to thank Paul, who trusted her enough to let her join him on Thundercluck! Life would’ve been worlds different without Brunhilde and Thundercluck.
For their never-ending support and trust, Meg gives her thanks and love to her wonderful parents, Elissa and Anthony. And for his words of encouragement, Meg thanks her brother Aaron.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
PAUL TILLERY IV lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He’s always loved drawing, storytelling, and off-kilter comedy. He earned his MFA in animation from SCAD Atlanta in 2014 and taught animation at SCAD in Savannah, Georgia. Thundercluck! is his first book. For more information visit thundercluck.com, or sign up for email updates here.
Co-illustrator MEG WITTWER was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She enjoys drawing and communicating with others through art and collaboration. She also digs birds (especially chickens). Meg earned her BFA in illustration from SCAD in 2016 and now works as an illustrator in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information visit megillustration.com, or sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
Roaring Brook Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on Paul Tillery IV, click here.
For email updates on Meg Wittwer, click here.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Prologue
Part I: Thundercluck Hatches
Chapter 1. The Power Hatch
Chapter 2. The Promise
Chapter 3. Separate Ways
Chapter 4. The Cosmic Tree
Chapter 5. The Chicken’s Call
Part II: Thundercluck Rises
Chapter 6. Return of the Thunder
Chapter 7. Golden Bird
Chapter 8. The Battle of Dal
Chapter 9. Home to Roost
Chapter 10. Frozen Chicken
Part III: Thundercluck Travels
Chapter 11. The Journey Begins
Chapter 12. Across the Realms
Chapter 13. Into the Fire
Chapter 14. The Breaking Point
Chapter 15. The Chicken’s Choice
Part IV: Thundercluck Returns
Chapter 16. The Roots
Chapter 17. The Well of Eternity
Chapter 18. Charging the Castle
Chapter 19. Cooking up a Storm
Chapter 20. Over and Done
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Copyright
Text copyright © 2018 by Paul Allen Tillery IV
Illustrations copyright © 2018 by Paul Allen Tillery IV and Meg Wittwer
Published by Roaring Brook Press
Roaring Brook Press is a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
mackids.com
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018936552
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
eISBN 978-1-250-15529-0
First hardcover edition, 2018
eBook edition, September 2018
ale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share