The Sorrow Stone by Kári Gíslason

Author:Kári Gíslason
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Published: 2021-12-19T23:29:00+00:00

Hilda was not a kindly woman, but I admit she did me a favour that night. Aud and I spoke for a long time, and I was beginning to think that I was wrong, and I wouldn’t get to sit with Grim. I’d spend the night with my brother’s choice.

‘Stein and Gils are already so close,’ Aud said. ‘Gils makes him happier than I’ve seen for a long time. It’s like he was before he married. Gils comes and works all day for Stein without asking for anything back, not even loans of tools. Your brother’s the first truly selfless man I’ve ever met.’

Selfless, yes, but also so sure that what he did for others was right. In his own mind. I listened to Aud telling me about my brother’s goodness and panicked to think that Grim would leave the feast without seeing from me what I saw in him. What if we never met again, or someone else sat next to him while I was here, hearing all about Gils?

But then, Hilda came and lifted me by my sides. She said, ‘Come along’ and stopped at Grim’s back and put her hands on his shoulders. ‘This is Grim,’ she said. ‘He’s from Helgafell. You asked Gerd about him before you made him move from near the fire. There’s no point saying you didn’t, because she told me so – that’s how Gerd is. She tells everyone everything. Grim isn’t bothered, are you, Grim? You like it when everyone’s talking about you. Here, Disa. Sit down and drink and talk to Grim. He can cheer you up and make you forget all of Aud’s bad news.’

‘There was no bad news!’ I said.

Hilda wasn’t interested. She pointed to the seat next to Grim and said I had no choice now. ‘Go on! Sit down. The seat won’t give way. You’re not fat!’

I looked at the nape of Grim’s neck; he didn’t turn around to see what was happening. It was the same as when he’d stood outside and didn’t turn, even though he knew I was watching him.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked. I was a little drunk. ‘If you’d rather not sit with me, I’ll find somewhere else.’

At last he turned to face me. I had his interest, and it made me feel so light that it was like starting over.

‘You’ve spent the whole night with Aud,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think you’d speak to me.’

‘Move over, then,’ I said. I nudged him along the bench with my hips. The talking in the hall had dropped; people were watching us. ‘Say something.’

He spoke softly, but it wasn’t a whisper. He’d had too much to drink to manage whispering. ‘I’m glad to meet you at last,’ he said.

I waited. ‘Is that all that you’re going to say?’

‘No.’ He took a moment. ‘Here’s what I’ve been thinking about: I’m going to move from Helgafell to the fjords so that I can be closer to you.’

‘You’re doing better now,’ I said.

He could see the drink in my eyes and on my cheeks; I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me.

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