The Stepdaughter by Margit Sandemo

Author:Margit Sandemo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jentas A/S
Published: 2019-09-12T08:19:22+00:00

Chapter 8

When they had all recovered from their experiences at Ansgar’s Klyfta, the four of them sat and talked until the morning. Gradually, the night faded and as dawn approached the dew formed on the grass and the birds began to twitter.

Sol had thought of staying with her new-found friends, but the words that the old woman had said repeatedly about her being needed at home in Norway had made her feel very uneasy.

She also reminded herself that she mustn’t forget Meta, who was waiting for her. It had briefly slipped her mind. She wanted to see the poor child properly placed in a job with a roof over her head, preferably at Fulltofta. After that, she was to meet Jacob Skille again. She was looking forward to that.

But first of all, she was determined to take her ride to Blakulla which she’d been dreaming about ever since she left Norway. Now, at last, she had all the herbs for the ointment that would send her on the long journey over mountains and valleys. She felt that she couldn’t allow herself to wait any more. If she didn’t go now, she wouldn’t have the chance once she had fetched Meta, and then she’d have to wait until she was back in Norway, and she didn’t want that. It was imperative that she was alone and undisturbed. As she was now.

Meta could wait a while. Sol had said a couple of days or three. No more than that.

It crossed Sol’s mind that she should have a bad conscience because she’d left the raped young girl alone in the wilderness, but Meta had been alone since her mother died, so she was probably used to it, thought Sol.

She took a warm leave of her new friends and went back to the spot where her horse was tethered.

There was a deserted spot on the Linderöd Ridge where one could see for miles. Far, far away in the distance she could see a few houses. Otherwise the whole area appeared desolate. Her three friends were traveling south to where the old woman lived and where they would spend a few days. She could see them as tiny specks very far away.

They had asked her whether she’d join them before she left for Norway, but Sol had explained that she wanted to try the black nightshade. They understood that she wanted to be alone.

“Have you got the strength for that after what you went through last night?” asked the man.

“It can’t possibly get any worse,” replied Sol.

“No, it won’t get any worse,” laughed the sick woman. “Quite the opposite. Have you never been there before? Because if not, you’ve got something to look forward to!”

“But first of all, you must take a rest,” advised the old woman. “Then you can begin your journey, but you must realise that the trip to Blakulla will take quite some time.”

“How long?”

“That will depend on you. Some take a short route, others a longer one.”

She followed the small specks with her eyes until they’d disappeared.

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