Chapter Eight

For a long while he said nothing, for a long while she could only stare into his eyes and feel that sharp bite of fear tear through her stomach, but then he laughed, then he flipped the knife in the air and caught it by the blade.

"Kniv," he said, holding it out to her "Kniv," he said again, and it took her a moment to gather herself, a moment to calm her heart and to breathe, and then she took the knife, feeling how sticky it was between her fingers and knowing that her hand would smell of fish for a long time to come.

"Kniv," she whispered.

"Godt," he smiled. "Again."

"Knife," she said.

"Good," he nodded, before turning back to his table out in the yard. "Fish," he said. "Knife," he pointed. "Enid," he tapped her shoulder. "Frigga!" he shouted, grabbing the girl from her lap and twirling her in the air and Frigga laughed, holding her arms up above her and kicking her feet, but then he closed his eyes, standing still and sniffing the air. "Pooha, Frigga!" he gasped, before saying something to her, and Frigga laughed again, kicking her feet and wriggling in his arms.

He said something else to her, Enid catching Freya's name before he stopped and looked at her, and then he turned back to Frigga again, before saying something else and using Enid's name. He handed Frigga back, pointing at her bottom.

"Lort," he said, and Frigga laughed.

"Lort," Frigga said, and Enid looked at them both, smelling that smell and understanding what they'd said.

"I'm supposed to change her?" she asked.

"Lort," Tyr said again, and Enid sighed, walking into the house and going for the basket of cloths in the corner. '

She laid Frigga down on the bench by the table, wringing a rag in water from the pail and lifting the girl's skirts. The smell, somehow to be in the house made it worse or maybe it was just the house itself.

"Frigga, you're filthy!"

"Lort!" Frigga laughed, kicking her legs.

"Stop, Frigga, stop!" Enid sighed.

"Bap!" Frigga smiled, and Enid looked at her, at that smile on her face, at that light in her eyes and she felt something soften inside her, something warm spring up and well from deep down in the pit of her stomach.

"Stop," she said again.

"Bap!"

Enid laughed, lifting the girl in her arms and placing a pail by the fire. "Maybe I can teach you English before I leave," she said. "But first, let's get you a bath."

A while later and the girl was sitting in a large basin Enid had found the store room, splashing and slapping her hands against the water surface and laughing to herself. Enid ran a brush through Frigga's hair, picking and twisting out the knots and watching it glow almost orange in the firelight, almost the same colour as her own.

"There…" Enid sighed when she was done. "You almost look like a different child, Frigga."

Frigga splashed the water again, laughing and singing to herself and for a moment Enid only sat there and watched her, that warm feeling gripping her heart, a smile fixed on her lips, but then she heard something move in the darkness. She turned her head towards it and sat up straight. Ivar was watching her, those blue eyes still cold, still harsh, and then he said something to her, nodding his head towards a chest by the cot.

It was seeing him there in that darkness, seeing his eyes somehow shine and cut through the room that chilled her and left her heart racing. He sighed, kicking chest open with his boot and stepping back, and then she saw them, fresh clothes neatly folded and stashed away and she nodded. She could feel him watching her as she knelt in front of the chest and he sat down by the table and for a moment she worried that she would pick the wrong clothes or even that he cared, but then she heard him laughing and whispering something to Frigga. A few moments later and she was back, crouching in front of the basin, watching as Frigga splashed and played in the water.

"It's time to come out, Frigga," she said, but the girl only laughed, wriggling in the water and smiling. "Come on," Enid said, holding her hands out to the girl, and Frigga's smile turned into a grin.

She held her arms up to Enid, curling and uncurling her fingers and shouting, "Up, up, up!"

Enid laughed, gathering the girl in her arms and drying her off with a cloth. "And look," she said. "I have new clothes for you. Do you like them, Frigga?"

Frigga grabbed them, trying her best to put her arms through the holes on her own as Enid helped her and before long she was standing on the bench, clinging to Enid's hand and dancing to herself. Ivar said something to her, resting his chin on the table and watching her.

"Yes!" Frigga shouted, and Ivar grunted, a small smile curling at his lips, a sadness springing to his eyes.

Enid thought she saw something in him then, something that looked like pain, something that had her heart beating quicker in her chest, but then Frigga leaned forward, snatching the wooden cross from the table and chewing on the corners. The look on Ivar's face turned cold and harsh and he stood up, glaring at Enid, those cold eyes then colder than she had ever seen them before.