Read Online North Child by Edith Pattou - Free Book Online Page A

not be lost to us, not for ever. I know it.” She took Rose’s hand as she spoke.
    Rose was pale. She stood. Then she deliberately removed her hand from Eugenia’s and stepped away from her.
    â€œâ€˜East’?” Rose whispered. “‘East’…” she said again, louder, shaking her head. “No, not ‘east’, Mother. North. ” And her last word filled the room.
    Then the white bear was at the door. And before any of us could move, Rose had crossed to him. She reached behind a large wooden trunk that stood by the door and drew out a small knapsack. She must have hidden it there earlier.
    â€œI will go with you,” Rose said to the bear, and I watched, unbelieving, as the animal’s great paws flashed and Rose was suddenly astride the bear’s back as if he were some enormous horse.
    The white bear turned and disappeared through the doorway.
    Neddy let out a cry and ran after them, grabbing his coat as he went.
    I started after them as well, but Eugenia blocked my way.
    â€œShe must go. It is her direction. Her choice.”
    I looked back at Eugenia. Then looked from her to the empty doorway. I had lost everything I held dear. And there would be no reclaiming it.

I could see a blur of white ahead of me.
    â€œRose!” I shouted. “Wait! Rose…” I kept calling as I ran, till my throat ached. But somehow I kept the white blur in sight and they must have slowed, for I began to gain on them.
    Then I realized the bear had stopped altogether.
    The moon was very bright and I could see them clearly. Rose in a blue dress, sitting perched on the back of the massive beast. She looked unsure of herself, as though she wanted to find a way down but couldn’t. It wouldn’t be like dismounting from a horse. The bear abruptly kneeled and Rose managed to awkwardly slide off.
    Rose tentatively moved towards me, looking over her shoulder several times. “I chose, Neddy,” she said. “It is the right thing to do.”
    I wanted to grab her, to carry her back home to safety, but all I did was nod silently. I said, “Here,” and held out the four pieces of her cloak. “I pinned it together. You can sew it whole later. Truth or lie, it may be cold where you journey.”
    She took the ragged cloak from me and fastened it around her shoulders. “Thank you, Neddy.”
    â€œOne thing more,” I said. And quickly I blurted out the tale of the white bear’s rescuing her from the gorge when she was little. “If he did that,” I ended lamely, “then surely he can mean you no ill.” I believe I spoke these words as much to reassure myself as I did to reassure her.
    She leaned over and hugged me. We held each other for a long moment. Then she broke away and lightly crossed to the white bear.
    I watched as he once again lifted her to his back.
    And they were gone.



It is close now. Very close. And it shall unfold as I had planned from the beginning.
    â€œWould you like to play?” he had said. A boy with a curling-up mouth and a voice soft as fresh-fallen snow. With those words came the wanting. And all was changed. Irrevocably.
    I was Princess then, and The Book my father had given me was new. The Book had been a gift to me on the eve of my first journey to the green lands, to begin recording my royal days.
    Today I travel to the green lands and I can hardly believe it. Ever since I was a baby, Urda, my old nurse, has told me stories of the softskin folk. Now at last I shall see them for myself.
    When the king’s eldest child reaches the age of knowing, it is the tradition to take him or her to see the green lands that lie outside Huldre. It is a strange world, my father says. He says it exists mainly for us to use – a place to get slaves and the raw materials for some of our food and clothing.
    He says they are a very queer people, the softskin folk, not like us at all. They are backward and plain.