Bernard Cornwell. Saxon Chronicles (№ 344198)

Once in Valhalla feasted the twelve gods, but Loki, God of mischief, at that time forgot to invite. And he played a cruel joke, persuaded the blind head to throw the escape of mistletoe at his brother Balder. Balder, the favorite of the gods, and he was a good God, but it could kill the mistletoe. And here he was killed by his own brother, and Loki laughed mischievously. Since everyone knows that thirteen - a very bad number. Thirteen birds in the sky portend misfortune, thirteen stones laid in a pot, will poison any food, but if the dining table will gather thirteen people - one of them is soon going to die. And now thirteen soldiers in my unit could only mean one thing - our defeat.