Song Breaker by Annette Lyon

Author:Annette Lyon [Lyon, Annette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fairy Tales, Folktales, and Mythology
Publisher: Blue Ginger Books
Published: 2017-08-07T16:00:00+00:00

I’ll be back, my dear girl.

Return will I in two days’ time.

And then, dear Aino, you will be mi ... ine.

The last word carried for several seconds.

Holding her ears with both hands, Aino slid to the floor and sobbed. Two days, he said. Now she knew exactly when to expect him. There was not a thing she could do to stop him.

“That was him, wasn’t it?” Her mother sounded excited. Hadn’t she been terrified by the storm he’d caused only moments before?

With a disappointed shake of her head, Mama strode back to the table to finish with the cream, which had sloshed out of the bucket during the storm. At the table, she paused and looked around the room. “Wait. Where are the birch bundles?”

When Aino didn’t answer right way, Mama came over to her on the floor, where she was still sat in a curled-up ball. “What’s the matter with you?”

I’m losing my life. But aloud she answered the first question. “I dropped the bundles when I fled Vane.”

Her mother opened her mouth to protest, but Aino would have none of it. She shook her head to silence any protest. Tears streaked down her cheeks. She rose to her knees and cried, “I have enough cause for complaining. I’ve now lost all my jewelry. I’ve lost my ribbons. Even my belt is gone, destroyed. Is that reason enough for weeping?”

She crossed to a chair, where she dropped, spent. What could she do now? Two days before he returned. Even if she stayed inside then, Vane would find a way around the protection of the roof. She couldn’t stay inside forever. He’d wait, find a way.

But he probably wouldn’t need to wait at all; given the opportunity, her mother would simply open the door, and invite him inside. With an invitation, he could cross the threshold. And then Mama would hand over her youngest living child.

“Do not weep, sweet daughter.”

Aino looked up, surprised at the sudden gentle tone. Their eyes met, and Mama went on.

“I have a surprise that will dry your eyes. I’ll show you in the morning.”

“Very well.” Aino couldn’t utter a word of thanks for the unknown gift. She hoped that the surprise — whatever it might be — would be something to dry her tears. But it would likely be a new belt and some rings to replace the ones she’d lost. Trinkets wouldn’t make her happy.

If only I could have my solki back.

She had two days. No more. But then a sudden happy realization followed: he’d sung the promise. That meant his words were binding, a promise made while nature listened. Such a vow even he could not break.

That meant Vane would most assuredly return in two days ... he had no choice.

That also meant he could not come any sooner. She would not be a prisoner of the house until his return. She could leave at any time without fear. She could visit the alder grove and search for her broken solki.

She would visit Paavo.

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