Dragon Bride

Chapter 20 Cabin Fever

Day followed day as Karliene waited for Bjorn's return. She had heard people in the village whispering behind her back and a few people she had counted as friends stopped talking to her and Unni. This was not new but most of the members of her church community remained friendly and open to her. Undaunted by the growing enmity toward them Karliene and Unni responded by avoiding the village as much as possible. "Everybody ignores us when we enter the village now," Unni whispered to her sister. "Is it because we have our swords?"

"I don't know," Karliene said softly as she looked around. They were being scrutinized closely by numerous unfriendly villagers. Many were watching their progress from open doors or from a distance. "It was like this for me a few years ago when I was fifteen and the huldra rumors about me started, but things got better after a while. Perhaps things will improve again in time. I don't see a problem with us being armed a lot of people are."

"Do they think I'm a huldra?" Unni whispered, "I just turned sixteen." Karliene looked surprised at her sister and was about to speak when they were interrupted.

Brenda the village healer midwife spotted them and waving approached smiling, "How's my favorite apprentices doing?" They embraced and continued walking together. "I've just been to see Fr. Pete."

"We brought him breakfast earlier," Karliene said, "he has been declining since Jenny passed at the beginning of winter. We're worried about him."

"The entire parish has been bring him meals," Brenda said, "we're all worried about him, Winters are very hard on the elderly. I understand that you will be leading the St. Lucia precession this year. Fr. Peter told me."

"She's always wanted to," Unni said smiling at her sister.

"You're sixteen now, aren't you?" Brenda said smiling at Unni.

"Yes since yesterday."

"Here I thought she was still twelve or thirteen, I've been telling everyone you're twelve," Karliene said, "time does fly."

"You were still telling everyone I was twelve?" Unni said looking horrified.

"Afraid so. I told Bear and Loki, so really not 'EVERYBODY'" She gave her sister an apologetic smile. "I used to dream about leading the St. Lucia precession. I just never said anything," Karliene said wistfully, "Father Pete asked me." Karliene was blushing.

"I had to twist her arm," Unni said smiling at her sister, "sometimes she's so shy and other times she's trouble. What's up with everyone any way?" Unni added as she looked around at the villagers, "We're getting the cold shoulder treatment."

"There's a lot of rumors about you two circulating," Brenda said, "It will pass."

"The same old witch and huldra stuff?" Karliene asked. She gave a little nervous laugh and gazed at the angry faces in the village. The village was more crowded than usual because the trading vessels were in port and the sailors home for he season.

"Same old garbage," Brenda said dismissively waving her hand. "I see you gave Father Pete the grief remedy, the crabapple and elm bud tincture."

"Yes, do you approve?"

"It was an excellent call," Brenda said, "I was thinking along those lines myself. You visit Fr. Pete every morning so you see him more than I do."

"I added oak flower tincture to the remedy too," Karliene said.

"Good choice," Brenda said smiling at her students, "that will give him stamina. You two are my best students."

"We're your only students," Unni added.

"You have a point there," Brenda replied and smiled at the two sisters. She looked at them with concern and compassion reflected in her eyes, "The rumors this time are a little strange, just ridiculous actually."

"Just tell us," Unni said, "not that it matters, but I really want to know."

"Some of the villagers are saying that you consort with wolves. They claim they have seen you running with a packs of wolves at night. Hunting with the pack and other ...gross stuff, but mostly howling at the moon."

"I thought my singing was better than that," Karliene retorted.

"You need to take this seriously," Brenda whispered. "They say the both of you run naked with the wolves. They claim it's proof you're witches and will turn the wolves against the people of the village."

"WHAT!" both of the sisters responded.

"That's...that's..." Karliene said shaking her head.

"I know it's not true," Brenda said firmly she took hold of Karliene's hand trying to give comfort, "everyone knows how much you complain of the cold. I don't know the source of the rumors but some of the fools are buying it."

They separated and the sisters continued to their home. "If Loki's around let's ask him to fly us somewhere a little friendlier," Unni whispered. "You can pick the spot, I just need to get away from here." Karliene put her arm around her sister. They walked together in silence with Unni laying her head on her sister's shoulder.

"I know what you mean. The welcome mat is not out for us right now."

"How did you manage all those years all by yourself," Unni wiped a few stray tears from her cheek and took a deep breath. "What will they do to us?"

"I always had you little sis, and our family, and Fr. Pete and especially Jenny when the village was particularly nasty. I did my best to keep you out of it. I really don't know what the village will do. Gorm scares me, it sends chills down my spine when he looks at me."

"I didn't know..." Unni whispered looking into her sister's face.

"Hey, I have an idea." Karliene said smiling with mischief, "Let's go to Greenland again and check out our future in-laws."