A 'crossover' story for adults and older children about Edwin, a young man in an Anglo-Saxon monastery and a stray cat that will neither catch mice nor go away. The monks lead a peaceful life on the beautiful Northumbrian coast, growing food and building a library of wonderful illuminated books—until the Viking invaders arrive. Edwin and his friend are pitched into a dangerous journey of escape by sea and land, living by their wits and luck on their search for a new life. The novella tells what happens to them in a strange, threatening world—and to the cat. Readers of all ages will enjoy a story of survival and persistence in an era that was not 'dark' but troubled and yet full of dramatic events and brilliant culture.