East of the Sun & West of the Moon: Chapter Four

           Julia couldn’t breathe, thoughts sparking off randomly in her head as she sat dumbfounded, the only coherent thing she could string together being---it worked.

            Oh, dear gods it worked.

            Her father’s description did not do the creature justice. The bear was massive, the size of a draft horse, and with the most beautiful coat of pearl white fur. He looked as though he stepped down from the moon, his fur even glowed.

Teenage indignant rage had pushed her this far, but now, sitting face to face with the infamous bear a few yards away, her resolve shriveled up with a squeak, leaving Julia sitting stock still.

The bear tilted his head, speaking in a deep baritone, “You play beautifully.”

She snapped herself out of her stunned awe, seeing the bear move its lips as it spoke was unsettling.

“Thank you.” She practically whispered.

For the life of her, she couldn’t remember why she had done this. Maybe to reclaim some control over her life, maybe to accept her fate head on instead of waiting for her father to deliver into the monster’s jaws.

Enormous jaws…

She took a shaky breath, clinging to her thoughts, “You’re the bear that my father…my father met?”

Large black eyes patiently blinked, “Guatarr, yes. Did your family enjoy the ducks?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Sensing her discomfort, the bear eased himself to the ground, laying in a docile manner in an obvious effort to appear nonthreatening. She even had to look down a little to speak to him instead of it being the other way around. The effect was soothing, and Julia found her questions.

“What is your name?”

The bear made a deep rumbling sound akin to a hum, “You may call me Asbjorn. You must have many questions. Enough to come find me in the middle of the night with songs.” His tone was quizzical.

She cleared her throat, “Yes, I do. I didn’t want to wait.”

“Then please ask your mind.”

He was so…polite. She had half expected a cockeyed fae, leering and giggling over how clever he was. The other half expected a cold, calculating calmness that would have caused shivers down her spine. This was neither.

“What exactly did you tell my father? W-what were your terms?”

His mouth made a click, “Ah, in exchange for your service, your family would receive coin everyday from a pouch I left with your father. You’ll be provided for the entire time, and at the end of your service you will be given a large amount of funds for your dowry, or however you see fit to spend it.”

“And…what are my duties?”

Asbjorn shifted, his eyes looking away for a moment.

“You will need to stay by my side. I have lands to attend to, businesses to run. However, as you can imagine--,” he gestured to himself with a paw, “--being a talking bear frightens my human workers. I need someone to be my go-between to speak with them, and my last go-between’s contract expired. Where ever I go, you would follow.”

Watching her he added softly, the air tingling, “As long as you work for me, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. No harm will come to you under my hand.”

Every word had been wrapped in a layer of magic, his promise imprinting in her mind as a tangible, living weight. He had made a binding, magical promise.

In exchange for a service so simple.

“And, that’s it? You just need me to talk to people for you?”

“And to travel by my side, we’ll be going to many places, some strange and within fae lands, but you’ll be safe. It isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll go where ever I go.”

“And afterwards, you’ll let me go home, right? I can go home?”

“Of course, after your contract expires, you can go where ever you please. And I’ll only need you for-,” he titled his head in thought, “-let’s say about a year. You’ll only have to work for me for a year.”

She almost asked why such a short time but stopped herself. Maybe it was best not to pry too much into the business of a fae. Julia touched the ridged edges of the stump she sat on, thinking over the bear’s requirements. It was simple, an offer too good to be true. No wonder her father had jumped to accept.

Was this the way fae normally made deals? No demands for her eyes, or for her to clean a witch’s home with not but a barley stem? She could sense something was off, as though there should have been more to this. But frost bit at her toes, reminding her she did not have the luxury of being choosy, and that she already made her decision before coming out that night.

Talking to him, having her fate laid bare, it made the aching hole in her chest hurt less. She felt calmer, and looked to Asbjorn, still feeling a trickle of awe.

“Alright, then.” She stood up, giving him a bow, “I will work for you as your go-between for a year. I will go where ever you go, no matter how upsetting. I can handle it.” She smiled.

The world seemed to freeze, the wind stilling, the leaves halting in their rustling. It was like the forest had held its breath as Asbjorn spoke his part of the agreement, his magic taking her words out of the air and making it binding.

“In return I shall send your family copper coin every day, I will protect you as I have promised, and when your contract expires you shall be released from your duties and paid a chest of silver so that you may live as you see fit.”

Julia felt the magical binds tether herself to this creature like spools of thread. With every breath she became acutely aware of his presence, his magic, until the magic strands found their place in her mind and settled. 

It was done.

Exhaustion washed over her, the frightened energy that had been keeping her awake at night and pushing her forward cracked and crumbled. She had made her choice; whatever was going to happen would happen.

She slumped back down onto the stump, rubbing her face. The bear sat up, his snow-white fur moving in the wind that had begun to flow once more. Julia felt a tired urge to touch the snow-like fur but resisted.

“What happens now?”

“There is still time before the new moon. Spend it with your family, I will be nearby if you have need of me. But you might want to wait a moment.” Asbjorn nodded his head towards something behind her, and she turned to see a figure in the distance.

The air warbled, a spell falling--her mind noted, allowing sound to reach her. The figure was in mid yell, “—lia! Where are you?”

It was Petrus.

“He’s been calling for the last ten minutes.” Asbjorn stood up, looking at the young man frantically search for her. “I didn’t want our conversation interrupted, but I’ll leave you to talk to your brother. Tell him what you wish.”

And what would she say exactly? She wondered, staring at her brother, moving a minute step forward and then a step back.

“He can’t see us, can he?” The bear’s pristine white fur would be a hard miss otherwise.

“No, I’ll lift the enchantment, so he’ll be able to see you, but be careful. From personal experience, I’ve learned humans don’t react well to people popping out of nowhere.” The deep baritone turned wry. 

The bear watched Petrus with an odd look as her brother flinched and pointed an arrow at nothing, jumping at sounds, but still marching forward.

“I’d be careful telling him much.” He whispered sadly, “I don’t think he’d understand what you’re doing.”

“No, I suppose—" Her brother reminded her of another question she wanted answered, and it was probably something that didn’t matter now, but, “-oh, one last thing. We went out hunting the other day and...”

She saw recognition in Asbjorn’s eyes, but she continued, “You hid us, didn’t you?”

In answer, he raised a paw to his chest, claws brushing into the deep fur, and pulled out a familiar, wooden object.

He handed it to her as proof, and she took it gently from between his claws.

“Your family must be desperate to be hunting so close to fae lands.” He murmured, “I’ll make sure they do not suffer in your absence, Julia.”

She touched the stone arrow tip, “Thank you, Asbjorn.”

When she looked up, he was gone, and her brother’s leaf crunching steps grew closer behind her.

“Julia!” She was rocked from a startling hug as Petrus grabbed her, only pulling back to turn her around and look her over.

“Why did you disappear in the middle of the night?! Were you bewitched? What’s the matter with you?”

She held up the arrow, smiling softly.

“I was just…thanking the Landvætti that saved us.”

Asbjorn watched them leave, trailing after them leisurely. The girl would occasionally look over her shoulder, looking for him. Sensing his presence due to the contract. He had given the magic tether wordless permission to let her leave his presence, but it still tugged as she left as a reminder.

As he stood at the forest’s edge, he could sense magic prickling at his barrier; curious local fae wanted a peek. They no doubt rarely had something so exciting happen in their part of the country. The air cackled with his electric warning, and they fled back to their homes deeper in the forest.

They knew better than to intrude upon a royal fae’s business.

            The constant terror and despair that had tortured her for a day calmed like the end of a storm. Days rolled on as they always had. The scores of children helped where they could, the fathers and older sons worked on the roofs. Life moved on, and it would continue to move on without her there. It was an odd thing to think about.

            In moments of quiet, where her chores were done, and the sun hadn’t quite set yet, she pulled out her flute and played. She’d look to the forest as she did so, wondering if Asbjorn could hear it. She had kept the arrow by her side, unwilling to part with it.

            Petrus regarded her with concern after the night he found her in the woods. He didn’t pester her much about the forest guardian she supposedly met, but often eyed the dangling arrow on her hip with a reverent and curious glance.

            Auntie Eleni and Mama wanted to talk about the things she needed to do while she was in town, the things she needed to pack, and to save every extra dime she made. Her parents had discussed it together, and Mama pushed for Julia to keep some of her weekly wages to herself.

            “You’ll need a new dress and shoes if you want to get noticed, that should be one of the first things you should buy with your allowance. If you look like a country bumpkin forever, they’ll keep payin’ you like you ain’t worth nothin’. Sad truth.” Her mother instructed.

            Auntie Eleni also pressed for Julia to take care with the way she looked to “impress a fine young man”. She had two daughters that had already gotten married by the time they turned fourteen, and a son that worked for a blacksmith. The boy rarely came home and didn’t seem to be interested in his mother’s notions of marrying as soon as possible.

            Meanwhile, amid this circle of advice, Auntie Magna would only pucker her lips and roll her eyes but kept her thoughts to herself. Mama must have had a conversation with the woman, because Auntie Magna would only mutter under her breathe and into her cup. 

            Even better, Tandri’s fever had broken and he had run off with Petrus and little Salvi earlier that morning. Unfortunately, they couldn’t shake Rekkr off their tail this time. He clung to them like a tick the moment he saw them try to sneak away with their bows. Julia didn’t feel like hunting, and she wanted Tandri to hunt something with her bow, to really make it his own.

            They weren’t going anywhere near the fae’s woods, no matter how much Rekkr whined. Instead they headed towards the safer section of woods where they might have seen a squirrel or two. 

            No one had expected Salvi to come back alone a mere two hours later.

            He came running to the yard, yelling for his uncles, and gesturing to the woods frantically while the women folk watched from the windows.

            The young boy was high pitched and incoherent from this distance, but Julia feared the worst as the men folk dropped what they were doing and rushed towards the woods.

            Julia was already on her feet, running after them, imagining the worst—torn bodies in the middle a goblin blood bath, her brothers’ bodies already dragged away—but seeing the eager looks on the men’s faces as she passed them caused her to slow in confusion.

            She heard her brothers before she saw them and followed their voices along the familiar trails. She found them arguing with each other and Rekkr as they struggled to drag an elk. An elk!

            Tandri perked up when he saw her, and she stood stunned as the adults surrounded the boys and their catch.

“Look at what Petrus shot!” Tandri lifted the elk’s head by the antlers in pride.

            “I gave the killing blow with my knife.” Interjected Rekkr, puffing up as his father came into view.

            They all surrounded the animal, each getting a grip and dragging the beast home. Everyone set to work diligently, skinning the deer, readying fire wood, slicing the deer meat and cooking it over a fire.

            The sun set before they had finished, and supper was a feast eaten around a bonfire, everyone having their fill. The four boys all recalled the hunt and the surprise appearance of the elk. Petrus laughed, saying he had almost dropped his arrow in surprise when it appeared out of nowhere.

            Julia tried to hide her smile.

            Her father smiled knowingly too, looking at her, but she looked away, smile dropping. She was still too hurt by his actions; she would need time to forgive him, if she could. Her father was lucky Asbjorn was a generous creature, but it didn’t erase the fact that the man had been willing to sell her to a fae. She did not want to think of what could have happened if the bear had been different. 

            She pushed those thoughts aside, grabbing her flute and sitting next to her cousins as they also pulled out their own flutes and drums. Auntie Eleni went to the house and came back with her wooden harp, and they all played together around the fire. Those who could not play an instrument danced or sang off-key.

            It was the closest thing to a fair-well party Julia would receive, and she looked gratefully towards the forest.

            Somehow, without seeing him, she knew he was there. The tethered strings in her chest pulled slightly in his direction. One final day remained. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the music and voices of her kin. It would have to last her for a long time.