It is the Dark Ages and the poet-monk Cynewulf travels alone, seeking answers to questions about his own faith and mortality. In the wilds of Northumbria he encounters horrors seemingly risen from the depths of hell, but is rescued by Arngrim, a mysterious Norseman with secrets of his own. Together, monk and warrior must confront the source of the horror — a mad sorcerer bent on revenge and served by a host of monstrous creatures. "The Dream of the Rood" is the prequel and first installment of "The Ravenglass Fragment", a new tale in Anthony Pryor's series "The Shepherd," also available from Smashwords.