Trafika Europe 14 - Italian Piazza

The Saga of Redhead

A few others wondered whether the woman mightn’t belong to the race of Huldufolk, trol l ish beings who l ive in al l the desolate places, from Eldey to the Hornstrands, from Snaefel lsnes to Njardvik, and l ikewise Geirfugla Skerry. Huldufolk were known to mingle their squal id blood with the blood of Icelanders, and maybe the red-haired chi ld was the result of just such a mingl ing. Nina, Gudrun’s housekeeper, said she couldn’t help but overhear Thorgeir as he mumbled in his ale- stupor by the fire. At such times, yes, he was wont to refer to the folk who looked after him on the skerry and to some strange pact he had made with them. Pul l ing on her hair, Gudrun admitted that she knew something l ike this would happen. After al l , a mizzl ing rain the color of blood was fal l ing from the sky as she and her son had walked toward the Church. And just as she left the house, she had seen a white raven hovering over its roof. “That raven was the woman who stole my poor son,” she declared. “Are you sure it wasn’t one of Odin’s ravens al l covered with snow?” a man named Snorri Short- Nose laughed. As for Thorgeir himself, he seemed unmindful of this talk. His face was sunk in his hands for a long time. Then a shudder took hold of his body and made

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