Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish

Author:Katherine Langrish
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780007285655
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2004-07-02T17:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

Bad News

The days grew shorter as the summer passed. The weather took a turn for the worse, and sheets of stinging rain drove in on strong gales from the sea. People went about their work with sacks over their heads. Troll Fell vanished behind thick white mists and low grey clouds.

Autumn arrived with crisp biting mornings when the breath smoked on the air. Skeins of wild geese flew over, heading south. The birch leaves turned a clear pale yellow and fluttered to the ground. Some mornings the hilltops were white and the dips in the fields were blue with frost.

The trolls grew bolder. Things went badly at Hilde’s house. Dishes mysteriously broke and things were mislaid. The animals strayed, rain came through the roof, the children quarrelled and old Eirik kept losing his temper and saying that peace and quiet were what a poet needed, and could he not have them in his own son’s house? As autumn grew older, the trolls became very active indeed. The family often saw them now at twilight, hiding near the walls, sending looks of ill will on the house, or scuttering short and squat from behind the cow shed. They often heard their shrill wailing cries. The little ones, Sigurd and Sigrid, met one rounding a corner one evening, and were frightened by its pattering feet and slate-grey skin and odd eyes like live pebbles.

And, safe inside in the warm, smoky room, the family sat worrying about Ralf. Gudrun expected him home daily. Every evening she sat at her loom, weaving a piece of good woollen cloth to make new clothes for him: “His old ones will be worn out for sure!” Nobody spoke of it, but everyone knew he was late, late, late.

And one frosty morning someone knocked at the door. As Hilde jumped up, it was pushed open and Bjørn Egilsson ducked inside, followed by his brother Arnë. They stood awkwardly while Gudrun exclaimed and fussed, finding them seats and offering them breakfast.

Arnë looked tired and weatherbeaten. His hair and eyes were startlingly light against his brown tanned skin. His clothes were water-stained. Hilde smiled at him, trying to coax an answering smile from his blue eyes, but he looked down nervously. Alf, the old sheepdog, shambled stiffly over to greet him, swinging his tail. Arnë stroked his ears as if grateful to have something to do.

“So – Arnë, tell us your adventures!” said Gudrun brightly, but Hilde could tell there was a slight edge to her voice, and her hand shook as she poured ale for the visitors.

Bjørn and Arnë looked at each other. “Go on,” said Bjørn quietly.

Arnë cleared his throat. “Well – as you know, I wanted to join Ralf’s longship but missed the sailing. It was a week or two before I followed in my own boat. I was hoping to catch her at some point further south…”

He stopped and looked down at the floor again. Gudrun clutched Hilde’s arm.

“At first I got plenty of news of her from villages along the coast.

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