Night Bells

  * * *

  The sound of the forest birds drifted in through the cottage windows. Though they were shuttered against the cold, Arna could still hear the birds’ song. Fanndis’ wind chime also fluttered with the wind and the soft, lyrical tones of the bells made the girl want to fall back asleep. Still, she was very excited about the day ahead. The night before, the old snow woman had assured Arna that they would make a trip to the secret greenhouse deep in the woods. Arna washed, dressed, and rolled her sleep pallet. After years of living as a servant, she still woke before everyone else—even Fanndis who awoke at dawn.

  All was dark, save the glow from the fire. Arna had summoned it the night before. It burned a pleasant amber color. She was reminded of how her closed eyelids lit up with the sunshine in summer. Being the only one awake in the house, Arna tidied up her sleeping pallet and set about making breakfast for Fanndis and Stigg. Birds sang outside the cottage windows and she smiled as she went about her work. For a moment, she felt the same fascination that Soryn had for the fifa birds. It was remarkable that they could survive in Niflheim’s incredibly cold climate. Arna created a fire in the kitchen hearth and asked it to burn hot and strong all day. She knew, without looking or checking, that it would do as she had commanded. She made oatmeal in the cauldron over the fire and added some honey to it. When Arna had asked about the honey, Fanndis told her that Stigg kept a few bees in the shed attached to the back of the greenhouse and harvested the honey before the heavy snows returned at the end of summer.

  Sometime later, the old woman walked into the kitchen and greeted the girl through stifled yawns. Stigg entered from the back kitchen doorway and the three of them sat down to a nice quiet breakfast. He muttered a nigh unintelligible “thank you” before he went out to work on the chores. After the dishes were cleared from the morning meal, Fanndis dressed for trekking through deep snow.

  “You’ll need to bundle up well, Arna. The greenhouse is a ways away and we’ll need to pack lunch. Bring a large basket, some shears, and twine, if you please.”

  Arna did as she was told and by the time the suns had barely peeked over the northern mountains, the two of them set off.

  “Will we be back in time to see Lord Maslyn?” Arna asked.

  “Not in time to see him for very long, I’m afraid. It will take an hour or so to get to the greenhouse and then we have a lot of work to do when we arrive. We will need to visit the greenhouse each week at the same time. The plants get ornery if they don’t have structure and consistency,” Fanndis replied.

  “Plants?” Arna raised an eyebrow.

  Fanndis’ face showed surprise, “Of course. Plants are finicky creatures. High maintenance.”

  Arna laughed.

  They walked for a long time, avoiding snow drifts and renegade roots from the giant trees they passed. Arna spotted many creatures in the forest: a fox, a hare, even an enormous winter deer. It was three times as tall as Arna and she marveled at its white coat. It stared at the two travelers and sniffed. When it moved on to other haunts, the old woman and the girl continued carefully.

  “Fanndis, what sort of plants do you grow in the greenhouse?” Arna inquired.

  “Many of the plants in this greenhouse are unlike any you will find in the village. Most of these are ancient specimens from the time of Ancient Earth. The seeds have been passed on generation to generation in my family and kept very safe. I think I was the first person to dare plant them. It took me a long time to figure out how to care for them properly.”

  Arna was delighted with the prospect of seeing plants that had once grown on the humans’ old home world. Colonization of other planets began nearly a thousand years ago and people had lived on Niflheim a little over nine hundred of those years. It was mind-blowing to think of vegetation even older than that, crossing countless light-years of space to grow on a new planet. Just when Arna’s feet had begun to ache, she saw a glass-walled building. The glass was translucent, but not entirely see-through. She thought she could already make out some of the greenery within.

  “We’re here,” Fanndis remarked.

  The old woman went to the door and pressed her hand against it. Arna came to realize that the door had been sealed with magic to prevent intruders. When the apprentice examined the walls, she saw that they were very thin, though sturdy enough to allow the material to absorb sunlight. The door swung open and Fanndis walked inside. Arna followed. What Arna saw took her breath away. An entire scene of green filled her eyes. There were plants on almost every available surface. Herbs grew in pots on the floor, trees grew in the back of the building that had huge, curtain-like leaves—Fanndis called them “palms”. Other plants were small and lived in long rectangular beds. One of them was called, “clover”. Flowers in varying colors were dispersed here and there and Arna’s heart gave a delighted leap at such beauty. She let her nostrils fill with the clean, vibrant scent of life. The air was moist and very warm. Fanndis shed her outer layer of clothing. Arna did the same.

  “How is it so warm in here, Fanndis?”

  “Look up,” she said.

  Above their heads, at the top of the arched ceiling, five floating, miniature suns hung down. They were like the small Adden in Ulla’s study. The humidity came from sprinklers running down the ridge of the roof. The spray became a mist as it descended over the greenhouse inhabitants. As she was studying the ceiling, Arna was startled by a wolf’s howl. It sounded dangerously close to the building. Fanndis saw the girl’s alarm and smiled.

  “That’s just a friend of mine. He lives near here with his mate and cubs. Don’t worry. He won’t bother us,” Fanndis assured her.

  “You mean you talk with him?”

  “Of course. It took a while for me to gain his trust, but he’s a gentle creature at heart. He fiercely loves his mate and pups and is very protective of them. When I befriended him and helped with a thorn in his back leg, he promised to protect the greenhouse. He’s too far away for me to really hear what he’s saying in that howl, but I am sure it is kindly meant.”

  Living in a castle most of her life, Arna had not had too much experience conversing with animals. Before she lived in the Maslyn’s house, she had lived with her mother and father—both of whom were allergic to most house pets. Ulla was the first animal she had talked to. She wondered what a wolf’s personality would be like. Eira did not come into the cottage much, but Stigg had already told Arna that the cat did not talk to humans anyway.

  The wolf’s howl was joined by another. Soon, they promptly ceased.

  “Ah, must have been trying to call his mate to him. I suppose it worked,” Fanndis said casually.

  She took Arna around and named every single plant in the greenhouse. In the end, there were only about one hundred seventy eight varieties or so (Fanndis put great emphasis on the only) and Arna knew it would take several weeks to remember them all. She gingerly touched every one and tried to feel the texture of the leaves against the pads of her fingers. Living on a planet where such greenery only blossomed for a month or so during the summer, it was like a miracle. She wanted very much to bring Bialas to this place. She wondered what he would think when he saw the lively plants in such a cold forest. Fanndis brought Arna out of her reverie and began to instruct her on the rudimentary skills a person needed to work with plants: trimming, weeding, and fertilizing. Arna picked up the work very quickly, but a thought came to her and she asked Fanndis, “Why don’t we use the Seidh to grow the plants and tend them?”

  “Because it is good to get one’s hands in the earth and feel the life there. When someone gets too dependent on magic, it can tarnish their love and appreciation for growing things and good hard work,” the old woman smiled. “It can also lead to yresses—a sickness caused by using too much of the Seidh. Nasty stuff.”

  They continued their work in silence, listening to the wind beat against the sides of the greenhouse and hearing the wolf’s howl. When it was time for lunch, they sat on the packed dirt flo
or and Fanndis told Arna stories about her youth. Arna enjoyed her teacher’s stories and was a little sad when it was time to work again. For several more hours, they made their rounds to each plant in the greenhouse—giving each one attention and care. They cleaned their utensils and then locked up the secret building.

  It was almost evening when they walked back into the cottage clearing. Arna was met with a sight that nearly took her breath away. She noticed the addition to the kitchen side of the cottage had grown considerably in her absence. Instead of four levels, there were now ten or more. A space for a door and three windows were evident. Stigg and Soryn had also started building the fireplace and chimney. She was so excited, her heart nearly burst. Though she had had a warm place to sleep in the castle, she had to share it with four other serving girls. It would be wonderful to have a private place.

  She ran up to Bialas and wrapped her arms around him in a firm hug. She gave Stigg one as well. Fanndis’ son half-smiled before clearing his throat and promptly getting back to work. Arna did not see the fiery blush that flooded Stigg’s cheeks once his back was turned. After brief comments on the progress, Arna followed Fanndis inside and helped her start dinner. Meanwhile, outside, Soryn was sure his cheeks were the same color as the red lanterns in his tower room. He had never expected her to do that. The fact that she had done the same to Stigg flooded his chest with jealousy. Stigg kept his face away in his own embarrassment. They continued to build.

  Soryn was no longer bothered by the vomit-scented mortar and he was glad of it, because he was the one responsible for putting it on the stones between each layer and in all the cracks. By the time Fanndis called them in for dinner, they had gotten twelve layers of stone completed. The room was now up to Soryn’s middle. He hoped they would be done by the end of the next week. The work was killing him. He kept waiting for muscles to show up, but so far none had. It was certain that he would need them if Stigg intended to work him like this for the foreseeable future.

  He was stiff as an old man in Niflheim’s darkest winter by the time they went inside to eat. Again, the warm compresses were placed on his shoulders. Again, he nearly fell asleep before it was time for him to go. Soryn groaned as he left for the castle, but assured them all he would return the next day. Arna stood at the door of the cottage and watched him leave with Stigg into the woods. The night had turned cloudy and she expected a huge snowstorm. An ominous feeling grew in her chest. Something about the storm ahead would be different than their usual snows. Arna did not know how she knew this, but she knew it was true. Brushing these thoughts aside, she shut the door of the cottage and started the fire for the night. It was not quite time for bed and she was antsy for some physical activity.

  More than anything, she wanted to get outdoors and go for a walk before the bad weather settled in. It would be good to be alone for a little while, to explore, and think. She slipped on her thick fur-lined boots and cloak and went out through the front door. Fanndis was still in the kitchen. After skirting around the cottage, she made certain that her teacher was not hanging around the back kitchen door. Carefully trudging through the snow, she walked into the woods in the direction they had gone to the greenhouse. She spared a glance at her soon-to-be room and smiled—knowing that Bialas and Stigg had worked so hard on it for her. It would be wonderful to have a private space of her own. The path they had taken during the morning was littered with their footprints. Again, she looked up at the clouds. Swirling and black, she felt sure they meant trouble. She would have to be swift.

  When she made it to the greenhouse, she tried to open the door but something stopped her. A wolf sat, mere feet from her, in front of a giant rock formation. She had not seen it at first, because it was white and blended with the snow so well. Its yellow-amber eyes burned a hole through Arna’s boldness and she felt sweat beading on her forehead, panic rising in her throat to form a scream. The wolf did not growl. It simply cocked its head and peered at her quizzically. It reminded her of the way Ulla tilted his head when he talked. “That’s odd,” she thought. It did not seem like a very animalistic gesture. Without a single sound, the wolf moved from its seated position and circled her. She stood very still, frightened that if she moved, the creature would attack. She hoped it was the “good” wolf that guarded the greenhouse for Fanndis.

  Speaking to the animal never occurred to her. Instead, when the wolf finally made a rumbling in its throat, she ran—unfortunately in a direction away from the cottage path. She sprang towards the rock face behind the greenhouse and climbed. The wolf growled and barked at her. Tears of fear and frustration ran down her cheeks as she tried to grab a hold of the slick rock ledges. When she made it up halfway, she heard a terrible, piercing howl and lost her hold on the ledge.

  It was only when her body slammed into the hard-packed snow that she realized something was terribly wrong. Intense, clawing pain throbbed through her left leg. Dizziness overtook her. The wolf was quiet. Arna tried to look for him, turning her head. A blazing stab of pain snaked across the back of her skull. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, a thought kept screaming, “Get help!”, but she was far too dizzy and weak to heed its advice. Arna groaned, knowing she was in real trouble. Not knowing what to else to do, she looked up at the sky and waited for the snow.

  She did not have to wait long. Soon after, white flakes drifted towards her in a beautiful lazy dance. Smiling, her eyelids began to drift closed. Alarm ignited in her chest and quickly raced through her. “I shouldn’t go to sleep…” she thought. Just before her eyelids shut completely, she noticed a bright light above her. It came from behind her body.

  “Is it morning…?” she asked the falling snow.