AHMM, April 2011 by Dell Magazine Authors

Author:Dell Magazine Authors
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dell Magazines

Fiction: THE WITCH-COUPLE by Mike Culpepper

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Art by Tim Foley

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In those days, many people in Iceland knew some magic. Some had learned the Sami art of finding lost things. There were those who knew words that kept away elves and trolls and others who used enchanted serpent-stones to help prevent disaster. But there were also people who used magic for evil purposes.

There was a couple east of the Trollfarm, near Helgafeld, who were said to practice night-magic. Their names were Ogmund and Agdis. They were old and bent and ugly to look at. Their faces were covered with warts and growths. They both had long noses and few teeth so, when their mouths were closed, their noses almost touched their chins. People avoided this couple and tried not to go near their house.

The year after the berserk feud, when the snow melted in the spring as elsewhere, dead horses were discovered. Then some cows dried up all at once. A young man was killed in a rockfall and his mother died soon after without a mark on her. People said it was a very unlucky year and spoke of uncanny events—lights moving out on the lavafield and the birth of deformed lambs and a two-headed calf. There was a great deal of talk about these matters and eventually someone said these happenings might be the result of curses or night-magic. Many thought of the witch-couple but no one spoke their name aloud. Finally, though, Ketil went to Thorolf to tell him what people were thinking. He had a peg-leg now, to replace the one the berserk had cut off, so people called him Ketil Tree-foot. Ketil took some others with him. They all thought someone had cursed them.

Thorolf brought them all into his house and ordered skyr and beer served to them. He noticed that many of them were wearing their best clothes, the ones usually reserved for Althing, so he knew they thought this an important matter. The men were agitated and ate little, but they drank all the beer that was served. They shifted about on the benches, muttering nervously to one another. Ketil looked around at them, and they quieted while he spoke. “It isn't right that these things are allowed to happen and we do nothing about it. A young man and his mother dead, not to mention the horses!"

"Why do you think this bad luck is caused by night-magic?” asked Thorolf.

"Well, what else could it be?” said Ketil, and others murmured assent.

"A hard winter, perhaps, and a late spring. A careless lad, a woman struck by grief."

"And the lights? The two-headed calf?"

Thorolf shrugged. “These are things we have seen before."

"Perhaps we were cursed then, too,” said Ketil. People nodded. “Perhaps we should have done something about it then."

"Perhaps we should quit spreading this kind of talk and tend to our farms,” said Thorolf. “I have often noticed that hard work leads to luck and good fortune."

Ketil said, “Perhaps you should be more attentive to our needs.

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