[https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c4c6bb_638d4b6c0717412293cf34f602d5c42d~mv2.png]
Alvin, Solveig and Oskar approach a house in the Redhair village. Oskar is in the middle, holding hands with Solveig on one side and Alvin on the other.
With her free hand, Solveig knocks on the door.
The door is opened by Sven – beefy, red-haired and red-faced, a ptarmigan drumstick in one hand. He looks from one face to another, lingering suspiciously on Alvin. He speaks to Solveig.
> Sven: It’s true, then? You’re married to this…him?
Solveig gives him a tight-lipped smile.
> Solveig: It’s good to see you too, Sven. May we come in?
Sven stands aside and Alvin, Solveig and Oskar enter the house. Sven’s wife Gudrun and their three small daughters are sitting around a table, having a meal.
Gudrun gets up and rushes over to hug Oskar. He hugs her back, smiling. Sven looks on, gnawing on his drumstick.
> Gudrun: Oskar. I heard you were back, but I wasn’t sure…
Gudrun looks uneasily at Alvin.
> Gudrun: Anyway, you’re here and you’re safe. I’m so sorry about Mama. But you can stay with us. Your cousins will be thrilled. Won’t you, girls?
The three girls nod dutifully.
Sven grunts and throws his picked-clean drumstick at the fireplace. He misses, and the bone hits the wall and falls to the floor. Gudrun goes to pick it up and cast it into the fire. She looks anxiously at Sven.
> Gudrun: He can stay, can’t he, Sven?
Sven sucks his teeth and walks over to Oskar, wiping the grease from his hands onto his shirt. He reaches toward Oskar, who lifts his arms for a hug. Sven remains at arms’ length and feels Oskar’s upper arms.
> Sven: He’s a bit scrawny. Can you work in the fields, boy?
Oskar nods.
> Sven: You don’t eat too much, do you?
Oskar looks perplexed and remains silent.
> Sven: Well? Speak up.
>
> Solveig: He eats like any other boy. And he…doesn’t say much. He’s been through a lot.
>
> Alvin: But he’s a good kid. Smart and hard-working.
>
> Sven: Then why are you getting rid of him?
>
> Alvin: I’m not getting…I just want what’s best for him. Which is to be with his family.
Sven looks at Oskar; Oskar looks at the ground. Sven shrugs.
> Sven: I guess he can stay. Come eat, boy. Pretty quiet, are you? At least you won’t talk back. Could make a nice change.
Sven and Oskar sit at the table.
Gudrun looks doubtfully from Sven to Alvin and Solveig.
> Gudrun: Will you stay for supper? I can bring stools.
>
> Alvin: No, thank you. We’ll leave you to it. Oskar, buddy, we’ll be here a couple more days. We’ll be back to see how you’re getting on.
Oskar nods. Solveig goes to give him a quick hug.
> Alvin: Good night, all.
Alvin and Solveig exit the house and close the door after them. As they walk away, they both turn to look back at the house, then at each other, with worried expressions.
***
Solveig and Finn are walking along the riverbank in the late morning. Finn’s hand brushes Solveig’s. She gives him a sidelong glance and clasps her hands behind her back.
> Solveig: I should be getting back to help Mama.
>
> Finn: In a little while. We’re not there yet.
>
> Solveig: Where are we going?
Finn grins at her.
> Finn: You know perfectly well.
>
> Solveig: Oh. Well, then we may as well cross here, where it’s shallow.
>
> Finn: As you wish.
Finn sweeps Solveig up into his arms.
> Solveig: Put me down, Finn!
>
> Finn: You’ll get your feet wet.
>
> Solveig: I don’t care. Put me down!
Solveig struggles until Finn puts her down. He looks at her searchingly.
> Finn: You always used to make me carry you across.
>
> Solveig: Yes, well, I’ve changed since then.
>
> Finn: It hasn’t been that long.
>
> Solveig: Maybe not for you.
>
> Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Solveig sloshes noisily across the river and Finn follows. She turns to follow the riverbank again, keeping up her angry pace until they reach a large pine tree with one low branch growing almost parallel to the ground, reaching out over the river.
Solveig stops.
> Solveig: Now what?
Instead of answering, Finn sits on the branch and pats it invitingly. Solveig sits a cautious foot away from him. After a moment’s silence, Finn bounces and makes the branch rock. Solveig smiles unwillingly.
> Finn: That’s better. Here I am in the Kissing Tree with the most beautiful girl in the clan, just like old times.
Finn scooches over to Solveig and leans in for a kiss. Solveig leans back.
> Solveig: I’m married now.
>
> Finn: Right, right. To that…rather unusual fellow.
Finn looks out over the water, then suddenly turns back to Solveig, frowning.
> Finn: Do you love him?
>
> Solveig: What? I…
>
> Finn: I see.
>
> Solveig: I haven’t answered.
>
> Finn: Yes, you have.
>
> Solveig: He’s kind. And brave. And he is unusual, not in the nasty way you meant it. He has new ideas, things you wouldn’t think of in a hundred years.
>
> Finn: So you married him for his ideas?
Solveig looks down at her hands.
> Solveig: No.
>
> Finn: Why, then?
Solveig looks up at him, eyes blazing.
> Solveig: Because it was either him, or Bjorg’s murderer Sten. And I’d given up waiting for…
Solveig looks away.
> Solveig: Never mind.
Finn touches her hand.
> Finn: I’m sorry.
Solveig shrugs and shakes her head.
> Finn: Does he love you?
Solveig speaks so softly Finn has to lean closer to hear her.
> Solveig: I don’t know. How can I know?
>
> Finn: That’s easy. In bed, men can’t lie. Women can, but men can’t.
Solveig covers her face with her hands.
> Finn: Solveig?
>
> Solveig: We haven’t…I’m still a maiden.
>
> Finn: What? How is that possible? Why?
>
> Solveig: I’m not really sure. It’s…one of his ideas. That we should get to know each other first.
Finn stares at her in amazement.
> Finn: The man is inhuman. Or insane. Or both. But this is excellent! If you’re really still pure…
Finn thrusts his hands into Solveig’s hair and kisses her hard. After a moment, she kisses him back.
***
Oskar is struggling to hold a plow straight while a horse drags it across an empty field. Alvin comes up behind him.
> Alvin: Hey, Oskar.
Oskar turns to see Alvin, drops the plow and runs to hug him. Then he quickly pulls back, looking embarrassed.
> Alvin: I missed you too, buddy. How’s it going?
Oskar shrugs.
> Alvin: Your aunt seems like a nice lady.
Oskar nods.
> Alvin: And your uncle?
Oskar looks up, opens his mouth as if to speak, then his eyes widen in alarm. Alvin turns to look over his shoulder. Sven is striding across the field. He stops when he reaches them.
> Sven: What’s this, boy? Two and a half furrows? Do you call that a morning’s work?
Oskar shakes his head, runs back to pick up the plow, and clicks to the horse, who starts walking.
> Alvin: Isn’t that plow too heavy for a kid?
>
> Sven: He manages. Not much meat on his bones, but he’s willing. He’ll soon be worth his meals. And like you said, he doesn’t give me any sass. All in all, I’m pretty happy with the deal.
Sven picks his teeth with a dirty fingernail and turns to watch Oskar stagger after the horse. Alvin looks at Sven in disgust.
***
Alvin and Solveig are hanging laundry on a line behind Solveig’s mother’s house. Solveig is slapping wet clothes furiously onto the line and jabbing wooden pins onto them. She accidentally drops a shirt on the ground, and curses under her breath.
> Alvin: I’ll rinse it again.
>
> Solveig: Leave it! I’ll get it later.
Alvin looks at her worriedly.
> Alvin: So, uh…how was your day?
>
> Solveig: Fine.
>
> Alvin: Did you do anything interesting?
>
> Solveig: No.
>
> Alvin: Solveig, are you mad at me for any reason?
>
> Solveig: No!
Solveig glares at him.
> Solveig: Your roots are showing.
>
> Alvin: My what? Oh.
Alvin feels his hair, the tips of which are still blond.
> Solveig: We should dye it again.
Alvin makes himself two bushy ponytails, using two laundry pins, and makes a funny face.
Solveig is not amused. She snatches the pins from his hair and uses them to hang up a pair of trousers.
> Alvin: Wouldn’t it be fun if we could make it red this time?
>
> Solveig: Well, we can’t. I only know how to bleach it blond.
>
> Alvin: Solveig, did something happen today?
Solveig wrings out two woolen socks and hangs them. She mutters into the laundry basket.
> Solveig: Finn kissed me.
>
> Alvin: Oh.
Solveig looks up at Alvin.
> Solveig: Well?
>
> Alvin: I’m not surprised.
>
> Solveig: Is that all you have to say? You don’t care?
>
> Alvin: It’s not that I don’t care, but…you were engaged to the guy.
>
> Solveig: But I’m your wife now.
>
> Alvin: Yeah, but you guys loved each other. Do you still?
Solveig is silent for a long while.
> Solveig: I’m your wife. I asked you to marry me. We made a bargain.
>
> Alvin: Solveig, I just want you to be happy. If you and Finn love each other, I think you should stay with him. You and I can get a…whatever Vikings call it when you cancel a marriage.
Solveig drops the laundry basket and it tips over and spills. Alvin crouches to gather up the newly dirty clothes.
> Solveig: Leave it! Don’t you love me, Al?
>
> Alvin: I…I do, but not the way…Solveig, I want to be honest with you. I’m afraid that I’ll…never be able to make you happy.
>
> Solveig: But why?
>
> Alvin: Because I’m…because I…because…I’m Other. More Other than you know. Like, really, really…Other.
>
> Solveig: I don’t care! I never cared about that.
>
> Alvin: I know. You’re an extraordinary woman, Solveig.
>
> Solveig: But you don’t mind giving me up to Finn? Even though you know nothing about him?
>
> Alvin: You chose him, Solveig. You didn’t really choose me. I was just the lesser of two evils.
Alvin watches anxiously as Solveig simmers, then explodes.
> Solveig: Ohhh!
>
> Alvin: What?
>
> Solveig: You’re always so reasonable!
Solveig stuffs the dirty laundry back into the basket and marches into the house. Alvin looks after her, stricken.