Life On the Fjords

Mother Bird

By the afternoon, the girls aged from ten to sixteen were beginning to gather around the maypole. They all had their hair in intricately braided buns of their own creation, wearing flower crowns of different colors.

Pippa and Mary stood in the inner-most circle of girls, being the smallest of the three groups surrounding the maypole. Mary felt uncomfortable, while Pippa was jittery. "This is it! This is the big one!" She craned her neck to see the crowd that was watching on the grass. "Where's Jack?"

"He'll be here." Mary said, wondering the same thing. She was growing worried—she didn't care if Jack missed the maypole dance most years... but this was her first one!

A large woman standing with the musicians spoke up, "Hils Sól! Datteren til Mundilfari tidssvinger, søster av lysglinsende Máni, kone til Glenr, og rettferdig mor, vi hilser deg!" Then, from the corner of her eye, Mary saw Jack sprinting towards the group of men, children, and older women. Mary smiled when he looked back at her and took a seat next to Jamie. Pippa blushed and she stood up straight. Jack had run home to hide the money and change into his usual clothes. He was still out of breath when the woman continued, "Hilsen deg Sól! Dans ild av himmel og luft, kvinne av midnattssolen, gylden, stadig skinnende. Vi hilser!"

"Vi hilser!" Echoed the crowd.

The woman then clapped her hands once. The musicians played a long, sustained note. All of the girls around the maypole slowly dipped to a cross-legged bow. The note died and then there was a moment, only a moment, of silence.

Then, music!

The inner-most circle danced to the right. The middle circle, to the left. The outside, to the right. All in perfect uniform as they each found their way into the song. Mary was smiling at Pippa, who laughed back good-naturedly.

"Sit tight, kiddo." Jack chuckled to Jamie, "We're gonna be here a while." He got comfortable in his spot and Jamie only shrugged, eyes fixed on how focused the women were on winning such a trivial little game. They would change directions, switch hands, and keep moving until only one stood. It only took a few minutes before one girl stumbled to her knees, laughing. She joined the crowd to watch.

Jamie turned to Jack, and he could clearly see his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't going to bother asking about what.

...

Neither Mary nor Pippa won, but it had been such a jubilant experience that neither even cared. They clapped happily for the young teenager that did and cheered all around her. As Jamie said, it was only a flower crown, and there'd be another Midsummer festival next year. Mary was still so energized by the spirit of competition that she danced all the way home and into her bedroom.

"I'll practice all year, and by next summer I'll definitely be ready!"

Jack laughed and shut the door behind them. "Just take your bath first. Both of you."

"I go first!" Jamie tried to hurry into the bathroom before Mary could.

"No way! I danced all afternoon, I get the tub first!"

"I had to sit there and watch!"

As they bickered, Jack went to the kitchen so he could put on dinner, but he was startled to see the beast already there. "Dad, when'd you get back?" He feigned casualness like he hadn't almost jumped out of his skin.

"About an hour ago." He stepped away from the chopping board. "It's venison; skinned and sliced. You do the rest, I'm tired."

"Mhm." Jack was going to approach the board but then the beast held his paw out and stopped him. "Hold on." He stepped over to the table. "Take this back where it belongs." He picked up what was lying there and held it up to Jack. "I've got some things to finish out in the stables." Jack didn't take it right away; his eyes narrowed questioningly at it. When the beast forced it into his hands, Jack staggered backward. The beast went to walk past him, but then he locked eyes with Jack, who looked more like a scared dog. He was hyperfocused on the object in his hands. "You put it in the drawer and leave it there. Got it?"