sometimes being his wife wasn’t enough to sustain her. She had wanted marriage so badly once, dreamed of nothing better than a home and husband and a child to love. She had those things, but the awful ache, the dark loneliness, still hid inside.
Mia tripped on a stone. Bjorn paused, waiting for her to regain her composure. Mia spoke to turn his attention off her clumsy fall.
“You were moved by Bastion’s words tonight.”
She tested the air with a long exhalation. She could barely see her breath. Spring worked to reclaim the world. Winter staggered back, almost finished.
Bjorn broke his silence. “He said so many new things that my head is aching.”
“I think perhaps he can help us.”
“Us?”
“With Alma.”
Bjorn paused, as if trying to clear his mind. “Yes.”
“Do you know what’s odd?” Mia hated the way her voice sounded when she prattled on like this. “Dame Alice calls to me when I go to market. She says she wants to feed me. Isn’t that odd?”
“Are you testing me?”
“What?”
He studied her face but seemed to find nothing. He released her and they continued home.
“I do not want you to speak to Dame Alice. Keep to yourself.”
They reached the final clearing. She decided not to speak any more tonight. Nothing she said came out right. She could sit by the fire alone, warming her feet while everyone slept.
She looked up at the night sky, seeing the bright star that followed the moon this time of year. She wondered why the stars changed, why they did not stay fixed in the heavens. She would like a world where the stars were constant and nothing could be moved, a world she could orient herself in.
Bjorn gestured to her with an open palm. “Suppose the Devil overpowers a woman. She gives in, becomes a witch. But the Devil does not want her. What use is that woman? No, the Devil wants the man. Just like the serpent wanted the fall of Adam, a man made in God’s image.”
“Yes?”
“Suppose the witch overpowers the man’s good nature by the Devil’s power. Who should be punished? The man or the woman?”
None of this had to do with Alma. Mia had no idea what she should say. Bjorn often brooded, but he did not like her to comment.
“I asked a question,” Bjorn said.
“I have no training in the church.”
“Did God make me a woman?” he asked, surprising her with a smile. “Bastion spoke of women, how they cause all suffering, but I have not heard that before. You being a woman, you must know.”
Her feet hurt, her stomach burned, and she didn’t like Bjorn asking these questions, wanting to hear her thoughts. That’s not why they married.
“Say something so I know your mouth at least works.”
“I only know that most of my sorrows have lately come from women. They are cold to me and whisper about me. If they have remedies for Alma, I have to plead for them to share what they know.”
“But if Bastion speaks the truth, they have no reason to help Alma.”
“Because they cause her suffering? No, that is too awful a thing to believe.”
“But my question. Who should be punished?”
“Let me think. Only God can punish the Devil, so then we cannot. The man fell under a spell, against his will, so his sin does not come from his heart. It is the witch who must be punished. She offered herself to Satan. The evil began with her. Although Satan is the cause of all their suffering, she has brought it all to pass.”
“Stefan never told us these things. Why? Why would he keep these truths from us? Did he not know?”
She could see home.
The door, a series of boards banded together, well oiled by Mia, slammed open, and Margarite fell out onto the ground. Bjorn took off at a run, Mia running behind. Margarite moaned, her hands stretched out to Bjorn, her mouth open wide in a horrible grimace as she tried to make words. One arm rested at a sickening angle. She must have used it to catch herself in the fall and it snapped, Mia thought.
“What is it?” he yelled,
Mia tripped on a stone. Bjorn paused, waiting for her to regain her composure. Mia spoke to turn his attention off her clumsy fall.
“You were moved by Bastion’s words tonight.”
She tested the air with a long exhalation. She could barely see her breath. Spring worked to reclaim the world. Winter staggered back, almost finished.
Bjorn broke his silence. “He said so many new things that my head is aching.”
“I think perhaps he can help us.”
“Us?”
“With Alma.”
Bjorn paused, as if trying to clear his mind. “Yes.”
“Do you know what’s odd?” Mia hated the way her voice sounded when she prattled on like this. “Dame Alice calls to me when I go to market. She says she wants to feed me. Isn’t that odd?”
“Are you testing me?”
“What?”
He studied her face but seemed to find nothing. He released her and they continued home.
“I do not want you to speak to Dame Alice. Keep to yourself.”
They reached the final clearing. She decided not to speak any more tonight. Nothing she said came out right. She could sit by the fire alone, warming her feet while everyone slept.
She looked up at the night sky, seeing the bright star that followed the moon this time of year. She wondered why the stars changed, why they did not stay fixed in the heavens. She would like a world where the stars were constant and nothing could be moved, a world she could orient herself in.
Bjorn gestured to her with an open palm. “Suppose the Devil overpowers a woman. She gives in, becomes a witch. But the Devil does not want her. What use is that woman? No, the Devil wants the man. Just like the serpent wanted the fall of Adam, a man made in God’s image.”
“Yes?”
“Suppose the witch overpowers the man’s good nature by the Devil’s power. Who should be punished? The man or the woman?”
None of this had to do with Alma. Mia had no idea what she should say. Bjorn often brooded, but he did not like her to comment.
“I asked a question,” Bjorn said.
“I have no training in the church.”
“Did God make me a woman?” he asked, surprising her with a smile. “Bastion spoke of women, how they cause all suffering, but I have not heard that before. You being a woman, you must know.”
Her feet hurt, her stomach burned, and she didn’t like Bjorn asking these questions, wanting to hear her thoughts. That’s not why they married.
“Say something so I know your mouth at least works.”
“I only know that most of my sorrows have lately come from women. They are cold to me and whisper about me. If they have remedies for Alma, I have to plead for them to share what they know.”
“But if Bastion speaks the truth, they have no reason to help Alma.”
“Because they cause her suffering? No, that is too awful a thing to believe.”
“But my question. Who should be punished?”
“Let me think. Only God can punish the Devil, so then we cannot. The man fell under a spell, against his will, so his sin does not come from his heart. It is the witch who must be punished. She offered herself to Satan. The evil began with her. Although Satan is the cause of all their suffering, she has brought it all to pass.”
“Stefan never told us these things. Why? Why would he keep these truths from us? Did he not know?”
She could see home.
The door, a series of boards banded together, well oiled by Mia, slammed open, and Margarite fell out onto the ground. Bjorn took off at a run, Mia running behind. Margarite moaned, her hands stretched out to Bjorn, her mouth open wide in a horrible grimace as she tried to make words. One arm rested at a sickening angle. She must have used it to catch herself in the fall and it snapped, Mia thought.
“What is it?” he yelled,
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