Troll Mill Read Online Free PDF

thing,” she said softly. “Dear me, it must be weeks since Kersten had her. I’ve been meaning to get down and see her. But there’s always something else to do. There, there, now!” She turned the baby over and rubbed the narrow back. “Do you know her name, Peer?”
    “I didn’t even know she was a girl.” Peer was struggling into a dry jerkin. His head came out, tousled. “Is she—is she all right?” He came over and stared down at the baby in silence for a while. “She looks like a little frog,” he said at last.
    “She is rather cold, but she’ll be all right.” Gudrun swaddled the baby in the warm shawl that Hilde brought. “Now she’s warming up, I’ll try and feed her.”
    “Will you, Gudrun?” Tears sprang into Peer’s eyes, and he turned away. “I think she
is
hungry. She was chewing my collarbonehalf the way home,” he said over his shoulder.
    Hilde laughed at him shakily. “That wouldn’t do her much good!”
    They all stood around, staring at Gudrun as she held the baby, rocking gently. Even the twins were silent, one leaning on each side of their mother. The baby’s dark hair fluffed up as it dried, and she nuzzled into Gudrun’s breast, sucking strongly and blinking upward with vague, bright eyes.
    Ralf blew his nose. “Now, Peer. Tell us what happened!”
    “We were down on the shore. I was going to stay with Bjorn because of the rain. Bjorn gave me a fish to take up to Kersten—we were going to have it for supper. Then—” Peer broke off, trying to make sense of his memories. “Kersten came running down through the sand dunes. It was pouring with rain. She ran smack into me! She had the baby. She said … I can’t remember exactly what, but she pushed the baby at me and told me to take it to you, Gudrun. She said, ‘Is Gudrun still nursing?’ And then she ran past me and down the shingle. I shouted for Bjorn, but—”
    He stopped again. “She was wearing thisbig fur cloak,” he whispered. “Before Bjorn could get to her, she’d thrown herself into the sea.”
    Gudrun’s eyes were bright with tears.
    “She’s gone back to the sea,” she said softly. “Do you remember, Ralf, how they all said Bjorn’s bride was a seal-woman?”
    Ralf’s head jerked up. “Nonsense!” He punched his fist into his palm. “Utter nonsense. I’ve never believed it, and I never shall.”
    “Don’t you see?” Gudrun persisted. “That fur cloak will have been her sealskin.”
    “Explain!” demanded Hilde.
    Gudrun went on talking quietly, almost singing, crooning over the baby. “It’s the gray seals I’m talking about. They can be seals in the water but human on land, shedding their skins like fur cloaks. If a man meets a seal-woman while she’s in her mortal shape and he hides her sealskin, he has power over her. Then she must marry him and bear his children. But if ever she finds her sealskin again, then woe betide! She’ll return to the sea and break his heart.”
    Hilde was horrified. “Did Bjorn do that to Kersten?”
    “No, he did not,” said Ralf angrily. “Don’t fill their heads with this nonsense, Gudrun. Kersten and Bjorn were an ordinary loving couple.”
    “Then why did she throw herself into the sea?” asked Hilde. She leaned forward, touching Peer’s hand. “What happened, Peer? What happened to Kersten?”
    But Peer was no longer certain what he remembered. He rubbed his hands over his eyes, pressing till colored lights danced on the darkness. “I don’t know,” he groaned. “She seemed to roll into the sea. The waves broke over her and she disappeared. It was getting dark, and I was yards away. I thought … I don’t know what I thought. I thought she’d drown.”
    “What did Bjorn do?” Sigrid asked in a small voice.
    Peer put an arm around her. “He went after her, Siggy. He jumped in the boat and went rowing out.”
    “Will he find her?” Sigrid’s eyes were round and scared. “Will he?”
    Ralf stood. He paced up and down, shaking