Troll Mill by Katherine Langrish

Author:Katherine Langrish [Langrish, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-06-204391-7
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2006-08-19T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

SIGHTINGS

PEER AND RALF sat on an upturned boat talking to Harald Bowlegs and old Thorkell.

“I just think some of you could go out with Bjorn!” Ralf was arguing. Harald, a spare, bony man with a bald pate and a ring of long, thin hair descending over his shoulders, wagged his finger at Ralf.

“It’s easy for you to talk, Ralf. You don’t live down here on the shore like the rest of us!”

“Bjorn’s doomed,” wheezed Thorkell. His white hair and beard fluttered in the breeze, and his pale blue eyes blinked and watered.

“That’s right!” Harald nodded emphatically. “He stole from the sea. Now he’ll pay the price. You think any of us want to pay it with him?” He glanced up and saw Hilde crossing the shingle toward them. He paled indignantly. “She’s got that creature with her, hasn’t she? The seal brat! I’m off!” And he hurried away up the strand.

Hilde watched him go, with a disgusted toss of her head. She wanted to tell Ralf and Peer about the seal she had seen, but if she talked about it in front of old Thorkell, it would be all around the village in half an hour. “Where’s Bjorn?” she asked.

“At home, they tell me.” Ralf got up. “Well, Thorkell, we’ll go and knock on his door. Won’t you come too?”

Thorkell shook his head. “No, no. I’ll have nothing to do with him.” His pale eyes grew wide. “The draug boat’s a-following him, Ralf, drawn after him like a seagull to the plough, or a raven to a fresh carcass! Aye, it’s a-smelling out death, and it’s drawing closer. But you won’t be told. You’re rash folk. Even the lad!” He shot a sharp look at Peer.

“Me? What have I done?” Peer asked in surprise.

“Meddled with Grimsson’s mill, that’s what,” said the old man.

“It’s mine now,” said Peer rather stiffly. “You’ll soon find out, Thorkell—it’ll be a great thing for the village to have it running again. We worked it yesterday, and it ran perfectly.”

“Oh, aye.” Thorkell pointed a gnarled finger at him. “Working at night, too, are you?”

“At n-night?” Peer stammered. “No.”

“I thought not!” Thorkell slapped his knee. “I thought you didn’t know. Well, it does work at nights, laddie! You’ve stirred up a heap of trouble there. I’ve heard it, when the wind blows off Troll Fell; I’ve heard it clack-clack-clacking away, working all by itself! A sound to make you shudder. I wouldn’t go past that place at night, not for a pocketful of gold!”

“And you’ve heard this often?” Peer asked. “Recently?”

“Many times.” Thorkell nodded fiercely.“Many times!”

Peer didn’t quite believe him. But he made up his mind then and there to slip down to the mill that evening and see if anything happened.

“Working, all by itself!” Thorkell repeated, glaring at them.

Ralf clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks for the warning,” he said cheerfully. “Peer will keep his eyes open, won’t you, Peer? And now we’ll be off. Good day, Thorkell!”

He turned away, leaving Thorkell sitting on the boat, staring sourly after him.

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