Page 2 of Song and Sword
“Well, well, what do we have here?” asked Astrid briskly, her floury arms folded.
“She didn’t mean to do it,” said Hakon quickly. “It was because of me anyway.”
“Ididmean to do it,” said Sif stubbornly. “Gunnar was being a bully, and that branch was much too big to use as a sword. He could have really hurt you!” Her voice had a small tremble to it.
“So I think we have where things began,” said Kasia, raising an eyebrow. “But where did they end, I wonder?”
“Sif, what did you do?” asked Astrid sternly. As Hakon drew breath, she said, “I’m not asking you, young man. I’m asking my daughter.”
Tears welled up in Sif’s eyes. Whatever had happened, the shock was wearing off. “I didn’t mean to, Mama. When Gunnar struck Hakon with that big branch, I just told Gunnar tostop, and it was like the air twisted the words as they came out of my mouth. He cried out, dropped what was left of the branch, and he’s just been sitting there! He won’t even let us look at his hand!”
Kasia strode forwards and went down to one knee in front of her oldest son, whose face was red with the effort of not crying. “Open your hand, Gunnar,” she said softly.
“It hurts!”
“I know. But we can’t fix it until we know what’s happened to it,” said Kasia, keeping her voice calm and low.
Slowly, Gunnar uncurled his fingers. Most of his hand appeared unchanged and undamaged, but on the meatiest part of his palm was a raised weal that looked as if the boy had been marked with a tiny brand. Kasia forced herself not to gasp and said in an artificially calm voice, “Astrid, come and have a look at this.”
The flesh was raised and an angry red in the shape of azthat had been reversed and placed on an angle.
“Eihwaz,”murmured Astrid in disbelief. “She marked him with a rune.”
“Gunnar, my dear, let me take you inside,” said Kasia soothingly. “I have a salve that will make your hand feel better.”
“Wait,” said Astrid. “Sif owes you an apology first.”
Sif looked to the left and right, paused then finally stepped forwards. “I’m sorry, Gunnar,” she said. “I didn’t know that was going to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It’s okay, Sif,” replied Gunnar, his voice a bit shaky. “I shouldn’t have hit Hakon with the branch. Itlooked so much like Father’s battle-ax, and I got carried away.”
“Alright, children,” said Astrid, “let Kasia tend to Gunnar. Hakon, Sif, if you two behave, you can help me with the pies, and we can all enjoy them together once they’ve cooled.”
***
“She’s powerful,” said Astrid. “More powerful than either Kasia or I were at that age.”
“Or older, really,” added Kasia. “Sif did that without any instruction of any kind. She just thought it up and did it.”
“So what would you have us do?” asked Huw, a shade gruffly. “We agreed that the Ironwood was to be by her choice only, and Sif’s too young to make that choice.”
“I know,” sighed Astrid. “Maybe if we fostered her with Ignetha and Thorulf? They’ve two children of their own, now…”
“I’m not sure how that would make sense,” observed Brynn. “She’d be as likely to have some sort of accident there as she would here. And Ignetha andThorulf are homesteaders. It’s a little more dangerous, farther north, even if they are close to Visby.”
“I just thought Sif might be less prone to magical accidents if she wasn’t near Hakon,” explained Astrid. “She always seems more agitated and less focused around him…”
She was surprised by the laughter of the other three. “Have you not figured out why that is?” asked Kasia, bemused.
“No…” said Astrid, disbelievingly. “Sif has a crush? So young?”
“Only since they were old enough to walk,” scoffed Huw. “They both do. Honestly, my love, how have you not seen it?”
“Hmph. I just thought they were close because they were the same age,” mused Astrid. “I mean, I wondered, but I put it down to wishful thinking on my part, I suppose. Well. I agree with the three of you that she’s too young to be sent away. But we all have to keep a watchful eye on her! Another magical accident could end up much worse.”
Six years ago
Huw and Brynn regarded the figures of Gunnar and Hakon standing in front of them, knees slightly bent, each with an unsheathed sword in one hand.
