Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow - Jessica Day George [26]
“No.”
Something in his tone warned her not to ask any more questions about his eating habits. She deboned the fish and started to give it to Rollo, but then she saw Erasmus uncover a platter of raw steak and lay it on the hearthrug next to the wolf.
“Thank you, Erasmus,” she said.
He bowed and left.
After eating until she thought she might be sick, the lass staggered out of the dining room. She realized when she was halfway to her rooms that she had forgotten to ask the isbjørn about the displays of strange artifacts. But the bear had gone off somewhere, possibly to eat his own luncheon in private.
He had talked a great deal while she ate. He told her that she had the run of the palace, but not to go down into the servants’ quarters because it might bother them. He asked her about her family, where her other siblings lived now and what they were like. She answered as best she could while trying not to disgrace herself eating strange food with the almost as strange silver utensils.
Now she started to go back to the entrance hall and look at the pillars again, but the thought of going back down the stairs made her groan aloud. Instead she and Rollo went to her apartments and lay down on the bed.
When they woke, it was time for dinner, and Erasmus was there to lead them to the dining room once more. He took them by a route that had fewer niches with balls of yarn and knitting needles on display. It was also farther from the entrance hall, so not a glimpse of a carved pillar was to be seen. The lass wondered at this: clearly her curiosity made the faun nervous. But had he told the isbjørn? And was he upset about it?
So, since she was still full from luncheon, she picked at the magnificent dinner that was spread before her and put some questions to the bear instead. Had he been born here in the ice palace? Did he know what the carvings on the ice pillars meant? Why were there worn-out household tools on display in the hallways?
And the isbjørn replied, “Have you tried the beefsteak? It smells wonderful. Do you care for carrots? What about strawberries? I believe that your dessert will be a strawberry tart this evening.”
“Would you like some?” The lass gave up trying to get any information out of the bear. She guessed that the enchantment kept him from saying anything.
“Yes, I might try a bit,” the bear said, and then turned the conversation to skiing, strangely enough. He took it for granted that the lass knew how, but wondered if she was keen on jumping and the like.
Her brother Einar had recently taught the lass to jump on skis, since prior to being named she had been afraid to venture too far from the cottage. Busy answering this and other questions, she ate more than she meant to, and tried to go to the entrance hall afterward, to walk off some of the dinner, but got lost.
“I told you not to snoop,” Rollo said.
“Yes, you did.” She rolled her eyes. “Now could you please help me? Can’t you smell the dining room, or the entrance hall, or our rooms?”
“No.” Rollo shook his head and then sneezed. “Ice doesn’t have a very strong smell. And the meat smell makes it even harder to find anything.”
“What meat smell?” The lass thought he meant from his dinner but wasn’t sure.
“You know, that meat smell everywhere.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said as she pushed open a door she thought might lead to the stairs that led down to the entrance hall.
Instead she found herself in a long, high-ceilinged chamber that was only dimly lit by the moonlight filtering through the window panels. She took a step forward, wondering what all the tall shapes in the room were, and stubbed her toe on something. Curious, but not wanting to stub any more toes, she went back into the hallway and got a lamp. She held it high over her head, letting the golden light shine down on—
Rollo plopped back on his haunches in surprise. “Looms?”
“Looms,” she agreed.
The room was easily four times the size of her family’s cottage, and