Trafika Europe 14 - Italian Piazza

Lawrence Millman

contrary, he had been warm, very warm. Also, he had put on a certain amount of weight, which was not in keeping with many months alone on Geirfugla Skerry. “How did you survive, Redhead, on this cold trol l haunt?” the men kept inquiring. Thorgeir would only smi le in reply. They brought Thorgeir back to Sudurnes, where Gudrun greeted him with al l her lost joy. “Oh my son, my dear son,” she shouted, “you are not dead, after al l!” Soon the mother was tending her son night and day. She brought him horse ribs to gnaw and strong ale to quaff. And he would just sit by the fire, eating and warming himself. When it came time to bring the sheep down from their upland pastures, he had become so sluggish in al l his person that he could scarce cl imb out of his chair, much less cl imb the hi l ls behind Sudurnes. And he was now so large in the rump that his gait was hardly more than a waddle. Then one day a horse was discovered frozen to death in a standing position — a very bad omen, especial ly since the weather was quite mi ld. The next day Gudrun pried Thorgeir loose from his hearth-seat to attend the funeral of her half-brother Erik, son of Hal ldor, who had drowned whi le fish- ing in the River Olfusa. When they arrived at the

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