EIGHTH CENTURY AD: Maldor, the mysterious and peaceful kingdom of mist and whispers in the ancient forests of Scotland's northern Highlands, succumbs to the onslaughts of longships, axes and violence at the birth of what would become known as the Viking Age. Its inhabitants are scattered and must find their way home or be stranded and separated forever. Most Maldorians escaped, while some were laid to rest in stone cists of the north. The Maldorian princess is left to ally herself to the ways and mores of a neighbouring Pictish clan if she is to survive the age of violence; others must learn to survive as Norse slaves until they can find their way to freedom. NOW: More than a thousand years later, archaeologists have begun uncovering the legacies left by Maldor even as inexplicable occurrences threaten to unravel their resolve. With every fresh discovery, they are increasingly faced with believing the unbelievable. The Cardinal is a two-part Science Fiction Fantasy novel.