The Greenlanders - Jane Smiley [76]
It so happened that one day some travelers brought a tale to Vigdis at Ketils Stead that Thorkel Gellison’s gray stud was often seen wandering in the mountains north of Gunnars Stead, and one of these travelers made a verse,
The gray stallion seeks mares where there are none,
But the hirdman seeking wives knows where to look.
Vigdis had borne many children, and the activities of Jon Andres were not so interesting to her as to exclude other amusements. So it was that she asked all of those who passed by what they knew of the goings-on at Gunnars Stead, and soon enough she knew who the wife in the verse might be. The verse itself she never repeated, but neither did she forbid her servants or children to repeat it. She had not forgotten how they had found the half-frozen, blindfolded cow in the lake, nor the insult intended, nor the probable perpetrators.
Sometime after this, Gunnar was sitting beside the small lake on the shores of which Gunnars Stead was situated, and he was repairing a seal net. Hrafn’s wife Katla came up to him and, looking down at him, repeated the verse that was by now common knowledge throughout the district. Gunnar said nothing and continued to repair the net. He sat there for most of the day, and by the time of the evening meal, the net was in perfect condition. He put it away and went inside to eat. At the table, he asked Birgitta where Margret might be. Birgitta replied that Margret had gone to snare ptarmigan in the hills. After this, Gunnar asked where Skuli might be. Birgitta replied that Skuli had taken the gray horse to the farm of Axel Njalsson, which was less than a short morning’s ride from Gunnars Stead. Now Olaf looked up from his trencher and looked at Gunnar. They finished their meal. Afterward they went to find Katla, and, somewhat frightened, she repeated the rhyme to Olaf. A little later, Margret returned with five birds. Skuli came back the next morning.
The Gunnars Stead folk were still sitting at their morning meat, when Skuli came into the steading and Gunnar greeted him and said, “You are always here and there, my friend. Where do you next intend to seek the king’s revenues?”
“I have not yet visited the farm of Stein Sigmundsson.”
“That is a poor place,” said Gunnar. “I doubt that he is eager for your visit.” The two men laughed together. “You are such a good friend to us that we would prefer it if you lingered about Gunnars Stead, at least until the breeding of the mare.”
“It would hardly be ill to partake of such meat and such talk as I am accustomed to at Gunnars Stead, that is the truth,” said Skuli, with a grin.
And now Margret said, “Is not the round of your business of first consideration, Skuli Gudmundsson?” But Skuli laughed and stretched himself on the bench, and reached for the basin of sourmilk. “Indeed,” he said, “I have already done more business for Kollbein in this district than he has done for himself in all the other districts together.”
Margret fell silent.
After this, for a few days, everyone, including Margret, stayed about the farm buildings, and Margret declared that the storehouses were sufficiently stocked with hanging birds and drying herbs. She followed the child as she crawled from place to place, and related to Birgitta tales from Gunnar’s infancy, but indeed, Gunnhild was much unlike Gunnar except in looks. Birgitta was very proud of her, and carefully arranged the house and the yard outside the steading for her safety and entertainment, even though Gunnar and Olaf were much put out to find their tools and supplies hidden away