Ottar, he’s called. He’s about the same age as Sigurd. Isn’t that right, Gunnar? Is Ottar there?”
“Of course,” said Harald, before Gunnar could answer. “Remember Ottar, Father, the day we left? Climbing onto the roof of the house and waving to us?”
Gunnar grinned and nodded.
“His little boy is there?” asked Gudrun doubtfully.
Hilde flung her arms around her mother and gave her a squeeze. “Oh, please, Ma, let me go. Please?”
Gudrun faltered. It was hard for her to resist this sudden embrace.
Peer took a breath. He ought to tell Gudrun and Ralf everything he knew about Harald. Surely they would never let Hilde sail away with someone who had forced a quarrel onhim, and threatened him with a sword. And yet … Hilde wanted to go so very badly, and he loved her for it—for being herself, adventurous and brave. How could he wreck her chances?
“Oh, Hilde.” Gudrun’s voice trembled. “How can we let you go when we don’t know these people? Of course, they seem splendid, and I can see that Astrid ought to have another woman with her, but …” She stopped and tried again. “If your father had been going, he could have looked after you, but as it is—”
“Ma, you do know Arnë,” pleaded Hilde.
“Arnë isn’t one of the family,” said Gudrun desperately.
Peer’s heart pounded. He looked across the table and met Harald’s bright, amused, contemptuous stare. He saw himself through those eyes:
Someone who builds boats, but never sails in them. Someone who won’t take chances. Someone who might dream about crossing the sea, but would never do it. Someone who’d stay behind while Hilde sails away.
“I’ll go with her,” he said.
Hilde swung around with wide, incredulous eyes. “You, Peer?”
Ralf gave him a long, steady stare. “You really mean this, Peer?” he asked gravely. “You’ll take care of Hilde? You’ll look after her?”
“Yes.” It was like swearing an oath: the most serious thing he’d ever done. He didn’t know how he’d manage, but he’d do it, or die trying. “I will. Don’t worry, Ralf. Gudrun, I promiseI’ll bring her home again.”
There was a moment’s silence. Then Ralf gave Peer a tiny nod, and looked at Gudrun. With an enormous sniff, Gudrun nodded too.
“Thank you! Oh,
thank you
!” Hilde nearly danced on the spot. Then she threw herself at Peer and hugged him. “Oh, Peer, I never thought you might want to come too. But you do, and it’s perfect—absolutely perfect!”
She let him go. He looked dizzily around the room. No one else seemed very happy. Arnë was scowling. Harald lifted an ironic eyebrow. Gunnar frowned. “Who
is
this?” He jabbed his thumb at Peer as though he’d quite forgotten meeting him on the jetty. “What use will he be to me? Why should I take him on my ship?”
And Hilde said cheerfully, pulling him forward with her arm around him, “Oh, this is Peer. He’s terribly useful. He can do anything with wood. His father was a boatbuilder. He’s helped Bjorn make a new faering. And he’s my brother. He’s my foster brother!”
CHAPTER 5
The Journey Begins
P eer opened his eyes and saw a dark roof space crisscrossed with sunbeams like golden scaffolding. Straw prickled under him. To one side of him was a plank partition. Behind the planks something large was champing and stirring.
Slowly he remembered. He and the twins were sleeping in the cowshed to leave more room for the guests. “Do you mind, Peer?” Gudrun had whispered last night. He’d minded very much, but of course he’d lied and said he didn’t.
He remembered more, and a pit of dread opened in his stomach. What had he done? Had he really promised to go away for an unknown period of time, on a strange ship, to a strange land? Spring was on the way. He’d been looking forward to seeing the lambs being born, watching the barley come up, rowing out of the fjord with Bjorn and Sigurd togather seagulls’ eggs from the islands. Now all that
“Of course,” said Harald, before Gunnar could answer. “Remember Ottar, Father, the day we left? Climbing onto the roof of the house and waving to us?”
Gunnar grinned and nodded.
“His little boy is there?” asked Gudrun doubtfully.
Hilde flung her arms around her mother and gave her a squeeze. “Oh, please, Ma, let me go. Please?”
Gudrun faltered. It was hard for her to resist this sudden embrace.
Peer took a breath. He ought to tell Gudrun and Ralf everything he knew about Harald. Surely they would never let Hilde sail away with someone who had forced a quarrel onhim, and threatened him with a sword. And yet … Hilde wanted to go so very badly, and he loved her for it—for being herself, adventurous and brave. How could he wreck her chances?
“Oh, Hilde.” Gudrun’s voice trembled. “How can we let you go when we don’t know these people? Of course, they seem splendid, and I can see that Astrid ought to have another woman with her, but …” She stopped and tried again. “If your father had been going, he could have looked after you, but as it is—”
“Ma, you do know Arnë,” pleaded Hilde.
“Arnë isn’t one of the family,” said Gudrun desperately.
Peer’s heart pounded. He looked across the table and met Harald’s bright, amused, contemptuous stare. He saw himself through those eyes:
Someone who builds boats, but never sails in them. Someone who won’t take chances. Someone who might dream about crossing the sea, but would never do it. Someone who’d stay behind while Hilde sails away.
“I’ll go with her,” he said.
Hilde swung around with wide, incredulous eyes. “You, Peer?”
Ralf gave him a long, steady stare. “You really mean this, Peer?” he asked gravely. “You’ll take care of Hilde? You’ll look after her?”
“Yes.” It was like swearing an oath: the most serious thing he’d ever done. He didn’t know how he’d manage, but he’d do it, or die trying. “I will. Don’t worry, Ralf. Gudrun, I promiseI’ll bring her home again.”
There was a moment’s silence. Then Ralf gave Peer a tiny nod, and looked at Gudrun. With an enormous sniff, Gudrun nodded too.
“Thank you! Oh,
thank you
!” Hilde nearly danced on the spot. Then she threw herself at Peer and hugged him. “Oh, Peer, I never thought you might want to come too. But you do, and it’s perfect—absolutely perfect!”
She let him go. He looked dizzily around the room. No one else seemed very happy. Arnë was scowling. Harald lifted an ironic eyebrow. Gunnar frowned. “Who
is
this?” He jabbed his thumb at Peer as though he’d quite forgotten meeting him on the jetty. “What use will he be to me? Why should I take him on my ship?”
And Hilde said cheerfully, pulling him forward with her arm around him, “Oh, this is Peer. He’s terribly useful. He can do anything with wood. His father was a boatbuilder. He’s helped Bjorn make a new faering. And he’s my brother. He’s my foster brother!”
CHAPTER 5
The Journey Begins
P eer opened his eyes and saw a dark roof space crisscrossed with sunbeams like golden scaffolding. Straw prickled under him. To one side of him was a plank partition. Behind the planks something large was champing and stirring.
Slowly he remembered. He and the twins were sleeping in the cowshed to leave more room for the guests. “Do you mind, Peer?” Gudrun had whispered last night. He’d minded very much, but of course he’d lied and said he didn’t.
He remembered more, and a pit of dread opened in his stomach. What had he done? Had he really promised to go away for an unknown period of time, on a strange ship, to a strange land? Spring was on the way. He’d been looking forward to seeing the lambs being born, watching the barley come up, rowing out of the fjord with Bjorn and Sigurd togather seagulls’ eggs from the islands. Now all that
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