Read Online Troll Mill by Katherine Langrish - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Langrish
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know the truth?”
“Hilde, I know enough to be going on with. I know Bjorn loved his wife, and I believe she loved him. I know he’s in trouble, and I know he’s our friend.” She paused. “And I also know that we haven’t enough flour fortomorrow’s bread, so you’d better begin grinding the barley.”
Hilde groaned.
“As for Peer—” Gudrun lowered her voice. “—he’s upset about this. I don’t want him going down to the shore. Imagine if they find her, drowned! And I don’t want him to hang about brooding. Better if he has a different sort of day. He can take the cows up the fell and keep an eye on the twins if he can. And the sheepfold wall needs mending.”
“All right,” said Hilde in resignation. “I’ll go and tell him.”
She wandered back into the dark farmhouse. Peer was still staring into the fire. She sat down beside him.
“Ma wants you to take the cows up the fell, and look after the twins, and patch up the sheepfold.”
“I think I should go down to the shore,” said Peer gloomily.
Hilde hesitated. “Don’t you think there’s enough people searching already? In any case, if Bjorn’s story is true, they won’t find her, will they?”
“You were right, Hilde. I didn’t believeBjorn could have done it—but I was wrong. He trapped Kersten!”
“Yes,” said Hilde carefully, “but I’ve just been asking Ma, and she seems to think it’s more complicated than that.”
“I messed everything up last night.”
“No, you didn’t!” Hilde began to feel annoyed with him. “What more could you have done? Ma’s right, nobody could have found Kersten in the dark.”
“I ought to have grabbed her,” he said furiously. “I’m taller and stronger than Kersten. I could see she was upset. I should have grabbed her and hung onto her. But first I was holding that stupid fish. And then the baby. I should have put the baby down and run after her….”
“That’s just silly,” said Hilde. “Nobody in their right mind would put a little baby down in the sand dunes!”
“And I dropped the fish,” he added morosely. “It’s probably still there.”
“The gulls will have eaten it,” Hilde said without thinking. Peer winced, and she could see him imagining what else the gulls might be eating.
Why does he have to torture himself so?
“Hilde.” Peer put a shy arm around her shoulders. Sighing irritably, Hilde returned him a sisterly squeeze. Next moment, to her astonishment, Peer turned toward her, put both his arms around her, and dropped a damp, fumbled kiss somewhere near her right ear.
“Peer!”
she shrieked, shoving him away.
He sprang up in alarm. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he gasped, scarlet-faced. “Don’t be angry! I didn’t mean to. Oh, Hilde!”
“For goodness’ sake!” Hilde didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. He stared at her dolefully, tall and thin and gangly, with hunched shoulders and drooping neck. She burst out laughing. “Oh, stop it, Peer. You look exactly like a heron!”
Peer’s head came up. “Fine, make fun of me! I suppose it’s true, then, what Sigrid says.”
“What does Sigrid say?”
“That you like—” Peer gulped. “That you’re always thinking of Arnë Egilsson!”
Hilde’s eyes narrowed.
“For your information
, Peer Ulfsson, I’m not
always thinking
of anyone, but if I were, it certainly wouldn’t be a little boy like you!”
Peer’s mouth straightened, and his face went pale. “I’m very sorry to have bothered you, Hilde. I won’t do it again. And now I’m going down to the shore.”
“But Mother said—” Hilde started rashly.
“I don’t care what she said!” Peer yelled. “I’m going where I’m needed!” He blundered past and stormed out into the yard.
Hilde put a hand over her eyes.
Gudrun looked around the door. “What’s the matter with Peer? He’s gone tearing off downhill with Loki, looking like death. Have you been teasing him?”
Hilde exploded. “Me,
“Hilde, I know enough to be going on with. I know Bjorn loved his wife, and I believe she loved him. I know he’s in trouble, and I know he’s our friend.” She paused. “And I also know that we haven’t enough flour fortomorrow’s bread, so you’d better begin grinding the barley.”
Hilde groaned.
“As for Peer—” Gudrun lowered her voice. “—he’s upset about this. I don’t want him going down to the shore. Imagine if they find her, drowned! And I don’t want him to hang about brooding. Better if he has a different sort of day. He can take the cows up the fell and keep an eye on the twins if he can. And the sheepfold wall needs mending.”
“All right,” said Hilde in resignation. “I’ll go and tell him.”
She wandered back into the dark farmhouse. Peer was still staring into the fire. She sat down beside him.
“Ma wants you to take the cows up the fell, and look after the twins, and patch up the sheepfold.”
“I think I should go down to the shore,” said Peer gloomily.
Hilde hesitated. “Don’t you think there’s enough people searching already? In any case, if Bjorn’s story is true, they won’t find her, will they?”
“You were right, Hilde. I didn’t believeBjorn could have done it—but I was wrong. He trapped Kersten!”
“Yes,” said Hilde carefully, “but I’ve just been asking Ma, and she seems to think it’s more complicated than that.”
“I messed everything up last night.”
“No, you didn’t!” Hilde began to feel annoyed with him. “What more could you have done? Ma’s right, nobody could have found Kersten in the dark.”
“I ought to have grabbed her,” he said furiously. “I’m taller and stronger than Kersten. I could see she was upset. I should have grabbed her and hung onto her. But first I was holding that stupid fish. And then the baby. I should have put the baby down and run after her….”
“That’s just silly,” said Hilde. “Nobody in their right mind would put a little baby down in the sand dunes!”
“And I dropped the fish,” he added morosely. “It’s probably still there.”
“The gulls will have eaten it,” Hilde said without thinking. Peer winced, and she could see him imagining what else the gulls might be eating.
Why does he have to torture himself so?
“Hilde.” Peer put a shy arm around her shoulders. Sighing irritably, Hilde returned him a sisterly squeeze. Next moment, to her astonishment, Peer turned toward her, put both his arms around her, and dropped a damp, fumbled kiss somewhere near her right ear.
“Peer!”
she shrieked, shoving him away.
He sprang up in alarm. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he gasped, scarlet-faced. “Don’t be angry! I didn’t mean to. Oh, Hilde!”
“For goodness’ sake!” Hilde didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. He stared at her dolefully, tall and thin and gangly, with hunched shoulders and drooping neck. She burst out laughing. “Oh, stop it, Peer. You look exactly like a heron!”
Peer’s head came up. “Fine, make fun of me! I suppose it’s true, then, what Sigrid says.”
“What does Sigrid say?”
“That you like—” Peer gulped. “That you’re always thinking of Arnë Egilsson!”
Hilde’s eyes narrowed.
“For your information
, Peer Ulfsson, I’m not
always thinking
of anyone, but if I were, it certainly wouldn’t be a little boy like you!”
Peer’s mouth straightened, and his face went pale. “I’m very sorry to have bothered you, Hilde. I won’t do it again. And now I’m going down to the shore.”
“But Mother said—” Hilde started rashly.
“I don’t care what she said!” Peer yelled. “I’m going where I’m needed!” He blundered past and stormed out into the yard.
Hilde put a hand over her eyes.
Gudrun looked around the door. “What’s the matter with Peer? He’s gone tearing off downhill with Loki, looking like death. Have you been teasing him?”
Hilde exploded. “Me,
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