Reading on with Biff, Chip and Kipper See lereo ® «tthe Gates - RODERICK HUNT + ALEX BRYCHTA ¢ DaviD HUNT FH TTED their friends are on a mission! As Time Runners, they have to help the last Time Guetdien, Mortlock, in his battle to defeat the evil Virans- " Virans aim to cause chaos by going back in time and changing history = and it’s the Time Runners’ job to stop them! This story Is set during the reign of King Alfred the Great. iff, Chip, Kipper and ‘@ Read pages 46-47 together to give the child an insight into the historical background to this story. @ What does the child think it would be like for Biff and Chip, suddenly finding themselves in a war zone? © At the end of Chapter 1, what does the child think will happen next-for Rodor?~ ay © when the dild tia fell af far’9s the end of Chapter 3 ask: How will Biff and.Chip get themselves out of the sticky situations they are in? Can you predict what will happen t the peace treaty naw that itis in Wulfgar's hands? ind ChiP - At the end of the story, how does the child think Biff a elped to bring about peace between the Vikings and 52% ? Does he or she think peace was in everyone's interests: ? Scanned with CamScanner@ TREETOPS @ ze wy USAT sUI ST MEN RAJA PEREU RES, «-, "UALR Kenton, Stranger at the Gates KUALA KANGSAR. Written by David Hunt and illustrated by Alex Brychta OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Scanned with CamScannerOXFORD UNIVERSITY PRS Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, United Kingdom oxford University Press isa department of the University of Oxford refurthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, publishing worldwide, Oxford sa registered trade mark of Oxford Univer ee in the UK and in certain other countries ity Press ‘Text © Roderick Hunt and David Hunt 2012 ‘Text written by David Hunt, based on the original characters created bby Roderick Hunt and Alex Brychta ‘Mlustrations © Alex Brychta 2012 ‘The moral rights of the author have been asserted Pirst Edition published in 2012 llrightsreserved, No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any meai ‘without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, ‘or as expressly permitted by law, by license or under terms agreed with the appropriate ‘eprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction ‘outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press atthe address above ‘You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available ISBN: 9780192758613, 10987654 Printed in China by Imago Paper used in the production of this book is a natural, recyclable product ‘made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The manufacturing process ‘conforms to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Acknowledgements: The Publisher and authors would like to thank the following for their permission 1° ‘eproduce photographs and other copyright materia: ‘P46 Werner Forman/Corbis; Picsfive/Shutterstock; The Gall ee : ; Te Gallery Collection/Corbis: P4647 ra tSuttestock Baz KureBhuttestck; PA Ashmolean Miseumyary Bran: BettmannCats rans Picture Library; Ragnarockhutterstok;Picsfve/Shuterstock; Valentin Agapov/hutterstok — Scanned with CamScannerChapter t he Viran stood quietly, watching. From ye ridge where he was, he could see the Viking camp. Smoke from their fires gently rose in the morning air. It all looked so peaceful. His eyes wandered beyond the camp’s jagged wooden walls, over a forest to a muddy field some half-mile away. There, delicate trails of rising smoke marked another camp. The Saxon army camp. His camp. 3 Scanned with CamScannerThe viran’s mind drifted back to how it all began. Like an icy wind from the th, the Vikings had swept through the me, the Saxon not! ; Saxon kingdom. For a ti king, Alfred, had been on the run. Alfred’s kingdom was in chaos. The Viran smiled when he remembered this. He had joined King Alfred’s army for one reason only - he wanted to keep the war against the Vikings going, and ruin any chance of peace. But now things seemed to be going well for Alfred at last. The Saxons had driven the Vikings back and surrounded. their camp. The Vikings were trapped and had little food. They were close to surrendering. The Viran had to keep the battle going - but how? “Hey!” A voice interrupted the Viran’s thoughts. “Wulfgar!” It was Rodor, the son 4 a Scanned with CamScannerof one of King Alfred’s chief men. “Are you going to help me with this or not?” Rodor was standing by a heap of branches. It was Rodor and Wulfgar’s job to stack the branches into a bonfire, called a beacon. If there was any trouble, the beacon could be lit and the fire would be seen for miles, It would be a signal to tell the Saxons to fight. “Whatever you say, young sire!” mumbled Wulfgar. They stacked the branches in silence, till Rodor suddenly spoke. Scanned with CamScanner“J don’t see the point of this beacon,” he said. “I mean, the Vikings are hungry and weak, so they won’t fight. And as for King Alfred, he wants to make peace with the Vikings. We won’t be lighting this, I can tell you.” “Hmmm,” rasped Wulfgar, but he said nothing more. His Viran mind was working fast. x Scanned with CamScannerRodor threw the last of the branches on the stack. “Done,” he said. “Let’s go.” Wulfgar watched Rodor proudly straighten the gold brooch on his tunic. The brooch was from King Alfred. It meant Rodor was important. All at once, Wulfgar saw his chance to start the two sides fighting again. Rodor! Rodor was important. If he could remove Rodor ... He could then go back to camp, and make up a story about how some Vikings had surprised them and taken Rodor prisoner. The King and his chiefs would be angry. They would be sure to attack the Vikings then. Wulfgar and Rodor climbed down the tidge into the thick forest below. For Wulfgar, the moment had come. The moment to take Rodor. 7 Scanned with CamScannerIf Rodor had turned to look at Wulfgar at that moment he would have seen a blood-chilling sight. He would have seen the colour drain from Wulfgar’s face as a smothering darkness rose about him. He would have seen the Viran darkness in Wulfgar. . Scanned with CamScannerChapter 2 A Biff knew was that she was in thick, tangled undergrowth. She struggled free of branches and thorns and scrambled over a fallen tree. A little way ahead, Chip had found a path. He was nursing a long scratch on his arm. Suddenly there came the sound of squealing. A young boar burst through a mass of ferns and raced straight towards them. Scanned with CamScannerIn an instant, two arrows thwacked into the ground, just missing the boat’s legs. Biff dived clear as the boar leapt past her. But Chip was caught directly in front of it. All he could do was turn and run as the terrified boar plunged on after him. Biff started to run after Chip, but another arrow thumped into the path in front of her. She stood still, hardly daring to breathe. The forest fell silent. Then, without a noise, a Viking boy stepped forward from the undergrowth. He held another arrow taut in his bow. It was pointed straight at Biff. She opened her mouth to speak. “Sshh!” the boy hissed. “I’ve got you, you Saxon spy! Come with me!” Biff had no choice. The boy kept his bow and arrow trained on her, and they headed back to the Viking camp." ast 10 Scanned with CamScannerScanned with CamScannerMeanwhile, Chip continued to crash through the forest. As he ran, he turned to see if the boar was still behind him. But just then he stumbled over something solid, and fell heavily to the ground. To Chip’s amazement, a boy lay tied up at his feet. The boy opened his mouth to speak. “Rodo ... Wulf. Beware!” he managed to mutter. Chip was confused. A wolf? He nervously looked around - and found himself looking straight at the sharp end of a sword. A Viking girl stood pointing the sword at Chip. From her shoulder hung several dead rabbits. “So!” she smiled. “We lost a boar, but caught a couple of Saxons.” The boar! Chip opened his mouth to speak. He wanted to ask about Biff, but the girl raised a finger to her lips. 12 Scanned with CamScanner“Sshh!” she said. “Saxon soldiers, everywhere!” She flicked her sword towards Chip and Rodor. “You must come with me,” she muttered. “But do not make a sound!” 43 Scanned with CamScannerChapter 3 Mees back at the Saxon camp, Wulfgar had made up a story about how Rodor had been captured by Viking soldiers. The Saxon chiefs were furious. “War!” they all shouted. Wulfgar smiled to himself as he listened to their angry reaction, If only they knew the truth! That in fact, he had used the power of his Viran stare to wipe Rodor’s memory, and left him to the darkness of the forest. 14 Scanned with CamScannerLike a pack of barking dogs, the chiefs argued about what to do next. Only King Alfred sat as still as a statue, listening. In his hand he clutched a scroll. It was the peace treaty he had hoped to offer the Vikings. Suddenly he stood up and threw the peace treaty into the centre of the room. “War?” he shouted. “Are we to throw away the chance of peace so easily?” Chief Edwin, Rodor’s father, stepped forward. “But they have my son!” he pleaded. Alfred rested his hand on Edwin’s shoulder. “And how will attacking them help that?” he asked. Edwin lowered his head in sadness. “No!” continued Alfred. “The time has come to talk. It is only by understanding that we can settle our differences!” 15 Scanned with CamScannerThe King pointed to the treaty that lay at their feet. “It is the only way to end this hatred.” Wulfgar struggled to hide his Viran nature. The King’s words of hope raised an angry darkness in him. 16 a Scanned with CamScannerKing Alfred turned to Wulfgar. For a moment, Wulfgar thought the King might be on to him. “Wulfgar!” Alfred said. “As you can speak so many languages, I should. like you to go to the Vikings and read the Peace treaty to them.” 47 Scanned with CamScannerThe King looked around the room. “Are we agreed?” The room fell silent. Then slowly, Chief Edwin picked up the treaty and handed it to Wulfgar. “We are agreed,” he said. 18 Scanned with CamScannerChapter 4 iff’s Link signal kept breaking up. B Tyler sat in Control straining to hear her. The Link speaker hissed and whirred beneath her voice. “... Lost Chip ... Link. I .. caught by ... Viking boy ... 1am in Viking camp ...am.... frightened!” “OK, Biff. Stay calm,” said Tyler. “Pll try and locate Chip. Oh, and Biff?” he added. “Don’t worry about the Vikings. They’re not as mean and scary as history says they are. Download to follow. Out!” 19 Scanned with CamScanner“Rasy for you to say, Tyler,” muttered Biff as she closed her Link. She looked around. She was shut in a long narrow building. Through gaps in the wooden walls, Biff could see a bit of the Viking camp, the outer wall, and some large wooden gates. A group of soldiers crouched, playing a game with pebbles in the dust. A woman was cooking over a fire and singing gently to herself. As Biff listened, she thought of Chip and she felt very alone. 20 at Scanned with CamScannerChapter 5 “[[es no good!” said a voice from the undergrowth. The voice made Chip jump. From a bank of thick ferns, the Viking girl - her name was Inga - suddenly appeared. Chip and Rodor had been waiting while Inga checked to see if they could sneak back into the Viking camp, just beyond the trees where they hid. Now, she had returned, and she didn’t look happy. 24 Scanned with CamScanner“saxon soldiers!” she whispered. “We'll have to wait till ic gets really dark, One good thing, though.” Inga pulled some tree bark from her pocket. “I found this!” “What is it?” asked Chip, Inga glanced at Rodor who was still muttering to himself, as if he were in a dream. “Medicine,” she said. She began to grind the bark into a pulp. “An old Viking remedy. It is good for the head.” Suddenly, Inga whirled round. A little way from where they were hiding stood a wild boar. Even Chip could see it was acting strangely, It stood still, sniffing the air, with every hair on its back bristling. Just then, a horseman appeared, He was heading in the direction of the Viking camp, but also straight into the path of the snarling boar, 22, Scanned with CamScannerThe boar stood its ground and waited, as if frozen to the spot. At the very last moment, the boar sprung into life and charged. Just the sound of its snarl was enough. iy i Scanned with CamScannerThe horse reared up in terror. The horseman was thrown heavily to the ground, his face twisted in fury. Chip shuddered. He could see now why the boar had acted so strangely. It had sensed something strange. Something evil. It had sensed a Viran. 25 Scanned with CamScannerWulfgar got to his feet and tried to grab hold of the terrified horse, He raised his arm in anger, turned and bolted. Without stopping, Wulfgar began to walk. He didn’t even look round. Had he done so, he would have seen King Alfred’s peace treaty. It was lying on the forest floor where he had fallen from but it shied away, and the horse even for a moment, his horse. 26 Scanned with CamScan iChapter 6 nga broke the seal on the scroll of paper and read. “The Saxon language is similar to ours. I can understand bits of this, but not much.” She handed it to Chip to read, but he could only understand one word - “Alfred ...” Suddenly Rodor stood up. “Let me tead it!” he cried. “Alfred, King of Saxon England ...” He began to read, slowly at first but then with more confidence. 27 Scanned with CamScannerRodor’s mind was beginning to focus, Wulfgar’s mind-stare was wearing off. As Rodor read, his mind cleared and his memory began to return. “This is King Alfred’s peace treaty! That was Wulfgar who ...?” Rodor stopped. At the name ‘Wulfgar’, he shuddered. His mind had flooded with terrible memories of what had happened to him. “It was Wulfgar. He did this to me. I don’t know how he did it, but he wiped my mind.” “I think I know,” said Chip as he reached for his Link. “We need to stop Wulfgar, and I need to find my sister!” Scanned with CamScannerChapter 7 c o Chip’s Link had turned itself off. He must have knocked it when the boar chased him.” Tyler was talking to Biff on the Link. “Anyway, I’ve told him where you are. He’s not far from you. He’s with a Viking girl. They'll come and find you. But they've just seen the Viran in the forest. Chip thinks he might be coming to the Viking camp. They want to see what he’s up to first. Tyler out.” 29 Scanned with CamScannerNo sooner had Biff closed her Link, than she heard a cry from a guard on the camp wall, “Stranger at the gates!” moonlight, Biff could see the soldiers. With swords ned one of the In ther outline of Viking drawn they cautiously ope gates, A figure stepped forward from the shadows. It was Wulfgar. He was about to es in his quest for chaos. spin more li “What is it you want, stran, er?” asked one ) of the soldiers. “I bring news,” hissed Wulfgar. “The Saxons are sharpening their swords. They are preparing for war. Attack now, while you still have the chance.” “Why should we believe you, stranger?” asked one of the Vikings. “Then don’t!” sneered Wulfgar. “But can you really afford not to?” 30 Scanned with CamScanner“The Saxons believe you hold one of their sons,” Wulfgar continued. “He goes by the name of Rodor.” “There is no one here with that name,” answered one of the Vikings. “Bven if what you say is true,” sneered. Wulfgar, “the Saxons will never believe you. King Alfred is looking for a reason to fight.” Suddenly Biff heard a new voice. “You speak lies, Wulfgar!” Scanned with CamScannerWulfgar spun round as Rodor stepped out of the darkness behind him. “The Saxons and the Vikings shall know the truth of what you have done,” growled Rodor. Wulfgar looked confused for a moment. How had Rodor escaped? After all, he had tied him up and left him deep in the forest. Wulfgar turned to the Vikings. “This boy } has been sent to trick you,” he barked. “No!” shouted Rodor. “King Alfred wants to offer a peace treaty to you, Vikings!” “Where is your proof?” laughed Wulfgar. “Here!” Rodor raised his arm in the air. In his fist he clenched the peace treaty that Wulfgar had dropped. Wulfgar felt for the scroll Alfred had given him, but it wasn’t there. In a raging darkness, he charged at Rodor. } 32. Scanned with CamScanner_Rodor flinched in fear. But at that moment Chip stepped forward. His Zaptrap glinted in the moonlight. “The game’s up, Viran,” he said. “Never!” screamed the Viran as he turned and fled into the night. 33 Scanned with CamScannerChapter 8 C hip tore through the dark forest. He couldn’t see the Viran up ahead, but he could hear him. He knew Rodor and Biff would be safe as long as the Saxons didn’t attack. He hoped that Inga would show the Vikings the peace treaty. But his fear was that the Viran might have another trick ready that would restart the fight between the two armies. If a battle 34 Scanned with CamScannerstarted, what would happen to Biff? If only for her, the Viran had to be stopped. Chip’s legs began to feel heavy. He was breathing hard. He felt as if he were running uphill. He was. The Viran was heading up the ridge towards the beacon. He was going to light it. It would summon the Saxon army. Chip had to stop him at all costs. At the top, the Viran stopped at the beacon. He was fumbling in his pocket. His face twisted into a terrifying snarl as he watched Chip hurl a Zaptrap towards him. 35 Scanned with CamScannerChapter 9 nga had only just let Biff out when a mighty cry went up in the Viking camp. High on the ridge, a cone of flame lit the night sky. The Saxon beacon had been lit. Viking soldiers called to one another as they watched the Saxon army gathering. “Make ready! Make ready!” they cried. Biff’s Link whirred in her pocket. Tyler had senta message from Chip. Scanned with CamScannerDOWNLOAD FROM TYLER itp on ridge, Viran caught, Sparks from Zaptrap lit the beacon. It is up to you to stop the battle, Biff’s mind raced. How could she possibly stop a battle? She looked at Inga and Rodor. He stood clutching the peace treaty nervously. All around them, Viking soldiers were moving out of the camp, ready to fight. Suddenly, Biff grabbed Rodor and Inga and ran as fast as she could toward the Saxon army. Scanned with CamScannerFrom the ridge, Chip watched as the two armies gathered to face each other across an open field. Chip shook his head sadly. Though the Viran had been caught, he had won. The battle seemed impossible to avoid. Then to his amazement, he saw Biff, Rodor and Inga running past the Viking 38 Scanned with CamScannersoldiers and across the field towards the Saxons. On seeing Rodor running towards them, the Saxons started to cheer. King Alfred stepped forward to greet him. Many of the Saxon chiefs gathered round Rodor, Biff and Inga. 39 Scanned with CamScannerWith his army following behind him, King Alfred started to walk towards the Vikings. Biff held her breath as she waited for the | moment the two armies would meet. With every soldier holding a weapon at the ready, | she felt sure that a terrible battle was about to begin. A few paces away from the Vikings, King Alfred stopped. The Vikings tensed as the King drew his sword. Then, slowly, he sank its blade into the muddy ground at his feet. “Vikings. We could fight over these lands forever. But why, when there is enough soil for all to plough and grow their crops?” Alfred stepped forward and held out his hands. “Let us agree to divide this island between us and live side by side in peace. 40 Le —ad Scanned with CamScannerIAA Scanned with CamScannerYou rule by your laws, and we Saxons by ours. Our laws and our languages are so similar that, in time, we could even trade with one another.” Slowly, one after another, the Vikings pushed their swords into the earth. 42. Scanned with CamScannerNo longer invaders, the Vikings were here to stay. Biff opened her Link. “Time to go,” she said. 43 Scanned with CamScannerGlossary bolted (page 26) Ran off. He raised his arm in anger, tn horse turned and bolted. clenched (page 32) Grasped tightly. In his fist he clenched the peace treaty that Wulfgar had dropped. peace treaty (page 15) A formal agreement to make peace between two sides that have been at war. It was the peace treaty he had hoped to offer the Vikings. shied (page 26) When horses shy, they panic and kick out with their front legs. Wulfgar got to his feet and tried to grab hold of the terrified horse, but it shied away. smothering (page 8) Covering something thickly or in a way that makes you choke. He would have seen the colour drain from Wulfgar's face as a smothering darkness rose about him. surrendering (page 4) Giving in, or agreeing to let the enemy win in a battle. They were close to surrendering. undergrowth (page 10) Bushes and other plants that grow under trees. ... a Viking boy stepped forward from the undergrowth. Thesaurus: Another word for ... clenched (page 32) seized, gripped, grasped. 4 Scanned with CamScannerr Tyler's Mission Report pocation: Wessex, England. Mission Status: Viran Status: Successful. 1 zaptrapped. Notes: Viking Invaders? Saxon settlers? Here's a thought. Wherever you look in history, the people at that time are influenced by loads of stuff that is new and from other countries. We tend to think that countries, and the people who live there, stay the same. But in fact countries are always changing: accepting new people and new ideas. Soon, what was once ‘different’ becomes part of what is ‘normal’. It becomes part of what a nation is. Then at some point, new people come along and things change all over again. Take me, for example. I’m half French. | reckon if we all looked back far enough we'd find our ancestors come from somewhere else other than where we are today. We are all invaders and we are all settlers. eee lyon Sign off: socoee Scanned with CamScanner‘9 History: - downloaded! © Vikings and Saxons SEP ~The Saxons came to Boer the terrifying Viking raids ret : across the North Sea. Everyone knew what the Vikings wanted — treasure. The Saxons did their best to hide it, whilst the Vikings tore village after village apart to’find it, 4th Century things began to change. The | But by the treasure so much as land. They | | Vikings were not after wanted to settle. Sy By the 870s, Northumbria, East Anglia » and Mercia were all under Viking influence. Now the Vikings turned their attention to the last great Saxon Kingdom, Wessex — and its king, Alfred. Scanned with CamScannerWessex very nearly fell to the Vikings. Had itdone $0, history would have taken a very different course. But against all odds, Alfred and his part-time army managed to defeat the Vikings y and gain peace. “The Viking king, Guthrum, makes peace With the Saxons. Alfred’s peace treaty with the Vikings t was brilliant because both sides were given honour and dignity. Rather than treating the Vikings as foreign invaders, the treaty recognized them Q and their King Guthrum as part of Britain. It recognized the lands under Viking rule, known as Danelaw, t King Alfred and agreed laws to help the Saxons and the tt Vikings to live as neighbours. " For more information, see the Time Chronicles website: www.oxfordprimary.co.uk/timechronicles Scanned with CamScannerA voice from history When the Vikings came they hit us fast and hard. They hit us when we least expected it ... Christmas. Caked in freezing mud and forever hungry, we spent that winter hiding in a marsh. In those dark days, we often wondered if it was all worth it. | mean, what were we fighting for? A few scattered homesteads, and a handful of animals? Was that all we were? Was that all we stood for? In a strange kind of way, the Vikings did us a favour. They made us ask these questions of ourselves. And so, with our victory, we decided to rebuild our kingdom. I’m not just talking about building a proper army and navy, or fortifying our towns. All this we did. No, I'm talking about building a culture. Our history, written down in poems and songs. And books, the best we could find, translated into our language. Now that is worth fighting for. Scanned with CamScanneraE ~ TEACHERS % For inspirational suy \ 'pport plus free resources and eBook. www.oxfordprimary.co.uk (RENTS: Pap your child’s learning with essential tips, fun ctivities and free eBooks www.oxfordowl.co.uk Scanned with CamScanneroy 5 corsa rf ONIG ‘Ss pS ea Book 13 Niebelexas at the Gates iffand Chip find themselves caught up ina battle zone - where Vikings and Saxons are Penta ete voniaeeta Rees wn eet OU Chee Seep re ee eee A Le EEE LE oy eT Rtn aT es Oe ten ya beta cen tee) rE ee There are six titles at Stage 12 +: Saree tor at ert + The Stone of Destiny RUC Coa sc) CSC Logo | + Fire in the Dark Pau rLerv Gree y ert etsy For more about Time Chronicles, visit our websi | See rac | OXFORD Peete Help your child’s reading with essential tips, fun ‘activities and free eBooks owl.co.uk www. www.oup.com Scanned with CamScanner