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THE FIRST TIME PELLE SAW DANI WAS IN HIS DREAMS. the look she gave him was fleeting - almost as if, to her, he didn't exist. he managed to get a glimpse of her eyes, and gods, he wasn't disappointed. her eyes were the most vibrant green. near her pupils were little brown spots - he called them stars. she literally had stars in her eyes. he silently begged for his slumber to never cease, so that he could stay and just drink her presence like aged wine.
but his eyes opened, and he was in the main house. it was silent, except for the one babe crying and the two or three women wailing with him.
spring rang through northern sweden, making the sunrises just slightly earlier. he trudged out of bed and carefully changed into a linen tunic and a pair of equally linen trousers. putting on his slippers, he tiptoed his way out of the main house. the air outside was heavy with morning dew. he wondered what that woman's favorite season would be. he guessed summer.
before he could figure out where he was going, his legs took him to siv's house. father odd was standing by the door, as if he were waiting for pelle.
"have you had a night terror?"
"not necessarily," pelle breathed. "can i..?"
"you may."
pelle silently thanked father odd for not forcing him to speak any further. he stepped inside siv's house, the familiar etchings on the wall overwhelming him with comfort. siv opened the door to the other room, giving pelle a kind smile. "come in, child," she spoke softly. pelle obeyed.
he sat in a wooden chair across from the elder. "i had a dream," he said rather dumbly.
"i can tell," siv said. "and what did you see?"
"a-a woman." pelle clasped his hands together silently. "she was so beautiful, siv. i... i saw her heart, and... it was here. with the hårga. she was covered in the most beautiful flowers, like she was meant to be here all her life. and yet..." he scoffed. "i've never seen her in this village before."
siv nodded pensively. "tell me, pelle," she started, "has your intuition ever failed you before?"
"...no."
"so do you doubt it now?"
"i'm not sure i understand, siv."
"your pilgrimage is soon. do you think perhaps that woman is a part of your mission?"
