Little Viking Olaf sneaks off with Frida, Fykus, and Bjorn to a distant island, where a strange giant pawprint leads them to a rustling forest.
Beyond the fjords, where the waves crashed white against the rocks and silver fish flashed in the water, stood a Viking village. There lived Olaf, the smallest Viking in the north, with bright red hair and a blue horned hat he had made with his father. Olaf loved Frida, her puppy Fykus, and Bjorn, who knew every bird call in the world.
One windy morning, when the air smelled of salt and honey, Olaf reached the harbour and found a ship waiting there. Its prow was carved like a fierce dragon, and the grown-up Vikings were busy preparing for a grand voyage. They were going to search for new stories and treasures. Olaf stared at the deck and felt his feet twitch. He wanted adventure too.
He leaned close to Frida. "What if we sail to the remote island?" he whispered.
Frida's eyes sparkled. "Now?"
She scratched Fykus under the ear, and a moment later the three of them were tiptoeing down the gangplank to a small boat tied nearby.
The sea was calmer than Olaf expected. The boat rocked gently, gulls wheeled overhead, and Fykus barked at every little splash. Olaf rowed as hard as he could, Frida pointed toward the dark green island ahead, and Bjorn joined them when they reached the shore, breathing a little fast from his run.
The island was thick with pine trees and whispering grass. Wild raspberries grew near the sand, and far ahead, between the trunks, something glimmered like a coin in sunlight.
"Let's see what it is," Bjorn said.
The friends hurried across the beach. Then Fykus stopped so suddenly that his paws skidded in the sand. He barked once, then spun in a circle.
Olaf looked down.
There, pressed deep into the shore, was the biggest footprint he had ever seen. It was not a human print. It was not a wolf print, either.
It looked like a giant paw.
Frida clutched Fykus close. Bjorn swallowed hard. Olaf stared at the strange mark, and from deep in the trees came a soft rustle, as if something very large had just moved closer....