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Landsbyen -Into the North- An Epic Poem 91

“Father, father where are you?”  She called to him and began to worry when he did not respond.  “Are you here father?”  She pushed aside the hides that separated the main room from the fire pit.  As she walked through she noticed that the overflowing shelves that Lumi had left for her father were nearly empty.  She ran outside with Joulupukki close behind her and stopped the first person they saw on the cobblestone lane.  The lady greeted Jessica before she had a chance to speak herself.
     “Jessica!” the woman hugged her.  “I heard that you had left us for a while.  It is nice to see you.”  She glanced at Joulupukki and smiled, “Joulupukki?  I haven't seen you since..., the woman's voice trailed off.”  He recognized her but could not remember her name, 
     “Since mother, it's OK.”
     “Wow, it is so nice to see both of you, especially together.”
Jessica tempered the worry in her voice and asked, 
     “It is wonderful to see you as well, have you seen my father?”
     “Your father, your father,” the smile on her face disappeared as she looked down at the cobbles and became serious, “How can I say this to you, Jessica.  Thank Odin for your father.  He was surely sent from the Gods.”  From under her heavy shawl she removed a basket nearly filled with a variety of food.  “He is at the store and is giving away food to anyone who needs it.  This will feed my family until the turn of the next moon.  I don't know where he got it from, he says an elf gave it to him, what a sense of humor, but he says he will give it away for as long as it lasts.  We offered him a small amount of goat's milk for it, but he said to give it to someone else who needs it.”
     “Thank you,” Jessica said to the woman with a smile of relief on her face.
They hurried their way several buildings down to the store where they heard 
laughter ringing through the morning chill.  When she saw her father she ran to him wrapping her arms around his neck.  He almost had to pry her off of him.
     “My girl, what are you doing here,” Raðulfr asked her?  She looked at him.
His eyes were bright, his speech quick and his arms strong.  He looked much 
younger than he had before they left.  He noticed Joulupukki.  “I thought you 
were going to take her away and plan your joining.”
     “We could not do that without you,” Joulupukki replied.  “We have come to 
take you with us.”
     “How are you feeling,” Jessica asked him.
     “I am fine child.  When you left I slept through the sun rise and the next moon, and I feel better than I have felt for years,”  he giggled, “I feel almost young again.  Joulupukki, I do wish to be there for my only child's joining, but I have so much to do here.  Somehow, when I awoke yesterday morning, I found my larder filled with food.  I know how difficult this season has been for the people of our little hamlet and immediately opened the store to allow them to share my good fortune.  I can't let them down now.  He looked more closely at their two companions.
     “Is that you Lumi,” he asked.
     “Yes, my friend, it is I.”
     “I believe I owe you my gratitude.  I don't know how, but I suspect it was you who did this for me and my village.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”  Tears wet Raðulfr's cheek as he leaned over and gave the elf a tight hug almost knocking the air from him.  Raðulfr was not an overly large human but was still a third larger than Lumi, “and who is your companion.  Could it be the illusive elf that you went in search of.  Bréagán, is that you my old friend.”  Raðulfr extended his hand to show he had no hidden weapons and no ill intent toward the elf.  Bréagán followed suite and they briefly touched hands.
     “You are correct, this elf who stands before you is Bréagán.”  He combed his fingers through his long unkempt beard, nervously.  There were still a few people browsing through the left over food that had been set out, each holding a woven basket and occasionally picking something up and placing the item in it.  None were close enough to over hear what the small group was saying.
     “How did they find you so quickly,” Raðulfr asked.  They all ignored the question.

Copyright © James Inman | Year Posted 2021

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