Troll Mill Read Online Free PDF Page A

and wiped his mouth with a sigh. “Old dry bones,” he repeated. “I kicked some with my foot. Looked like bits of a sheep’s ribcage, years old. Sigrid got a fright, but so long as it’s dry bones and not ones with meat on them, the trolls can have them and welcome!” He looked at Gudrun over the rim of his mug, and his eyes said,
Let’s talk about this later.
    “They’re always up to something,” said Gudrun darkly, plunking the bowls down on the table. “Eat up, twins, and then straight to bed.”
    “Oh, Ma …,” they complained together. But Gudrun shook her head. “Look at you both—pale as mushrooms, dark circles under your eyes! I hope this won’t give you nightmares again, Sigrid.”
    Sigrid blushed, but Sigurd spoke up for her. “She’s grown out of that, Ma. She hasn’t had a bad dream in ages.”
    For more than a year after being trapped under Troll Fell by the trolls and the Grimsson brothers, Sigrid had woken every night, screaming about trolls.
Best not make a fuss
, thought Gudrun, sighing. “Well, Ralf, as you say, it’s hard to see what harm dry bones can do. Unless the trolls killed the sheep in the first place, the thieves! Come and sit down, Hilde.”
    Hilde was bending over the cradle near the fire, admiring her baby brother. He lay breathing quietly, his long lashes furled on the peaceful curve of his cheek. The firelight glowed on his golden curls.
    “Has Eirik been good today?”
    Gudrun laughed. “I can’t turn my back on that child for half a minute. He tried three times to crawl into the fire and screamed bluemurder when I pulled him back. If it weren’t for the Nis, I’d be tearing my hair out.”
    “The Nis?” Hilde asked, intrigued. “Why, what does it do?”
    “Haven’t you noticed how it teases him and keeps him busy? It croons away and dangles things over the cradle; it’s very good with him. Of course, I never see it properly, only out of the corner of my eye, but I hear the baby gurgle and coo, and I know he’s all right for a while. It was a blessing when Peer brought that creature into our house.”
    A gust of wind rattled the shutters and the smoke swirled over the fire. The family bent their heads over their meal. By the hearth Loki lay, watchful, resting his chin over the back of Ralf’s old sheepdog, Alf. Suddenly he raised his head and pricked his ears. Alf too woke from his dreaming and twitching, turning his milky eyes and gray muzzle toward the door—
    —which burst open. In from the dark staggered a tall, tattered boy, white-faced, streaming with water, dragging a ripped and flapping cloak like stormy broken wings. He turned black, desperate eyes on Gudrun andshoved something at her.
    “Take it!” he gasped. “Please, Gudrun! Take the baby!”
    They all jumped up. Gudrun stared at the bundle he held out. She reached for it slowly at first, as if half afraid—then snatched it from him and peeled the wrappings back. The round, dark head of a tiny baby lolled onto her arm, and she clutched it to her chest and stepped back, mouth open.
    “Merciful heavens, Peer! Whatever …?”
    Peer sank on the bench, his head hanging. “It’s Kersten’s baby.” His voice quivered. “Kersten’s and Bjorn’s. She gave it to me—she said—”
    “Kersten’s? Where is she? What’s happened?”
    “She fell into the sea,” said Peer. He buried his face in his hands while they all gasped, then looked up again with miserable eyes. “At least … that’s not true. She ran into it. I couldn’t stop her. Bjorn went after her. Gudrun, I think that baby’s terribly cold!”
    Gudrun, Hilde, and Ralf looked at one another.
    “First things first,” said Gudrun, becomingpractical. “Peer, take off those wet things. Sigrid will bring you some hot stew. Hilde, warm a blanket. Let me take a look at this child.” She sat down by the fire and laid the baby on her knee, gently unwrapping it and chafing the mottled little arms and legs.
    “Poor little