The Extremely Epic Viking Tale of Yondersaay by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie Read Free Book Online Page B

the greengrocer’s. We’ll find everything else we need there, except the brandy for the brandy butter, which we’ll have to take a turn out to the distiller’s to get. And if we go the long way through the Crimson Forest, we’ll hunt for some holly and mistletoe to decorate the table.” Ruairi froze at this. Trying not to look as scared as he felt, he glanced at Dani who was nodding and smiling.
    “Let’s do all that today,” Mum went on, “and tomorrow we can spend the entire day dressing the Christmas tree, building snowmen, eating chocolates, which we’ll get at the greengrocer’s, and watching Christmas films on telly.
    “Wrap up warm, my darlings. There’s a nip in the air, and though the snow looks soft as velvet, it comes down quite sharp. It will take an icy bite out of your noses and cheeks if you let it … Why are your coats inside-out?”
    “Um …” Ruairi said.
    “Ah …” Dani said.
    “To keep them clean!” Ruairi said and shot a worried glance at Dani.
    “Obviously!” Dani grabbed her hat and pulling it right down so Mum couldn’t see her face. Mum shrugged and put on layers and layers of coats and scarves and four pairs of gloves. Ruairi knew Mum loved the snow but didn’t think it was safe to get too cold.
     
     

     
     
    The crisp light of the new day ran up the High Street and along the side avenues, across the hill at the top of the village, and fell downward into the Crimson Forest and the River Gargle before bouncing back off the mountain in a cold yellow glow. The Millers headed toward the High Street. It was bright and sunny, clear and dry. And cold. Very cold. There was no sign that it would snow again soon but the ground was thickly covered in a fresh layer of white. The houses all looked as if their roofs were thatched with white straw; there was at least a foot of snow on top of every building. Cars that hadn’t been driven for a day or two looked like massive snowballs. All the Millers wore their winter boots and heavy winter coats, not just Mum. They were wrapped up like presents; the only parts that showed were their cheeks. Their bright red cheeks. Which were almost as red as their hair.
    They weren’t dawdling, but it still took them nearly an hour to get the two blocks from Gargle View Cottage to the bottom of the High Street. Everyone they met along the way knew Granny Miller and wanted to stop and ask her how she was and say how they hardly recognized Dani and Ruairi anymore, they’d grown so much, and to chat about what a lovely sunny day, if a bit cold, it was turning out to be. The woman from the pharmacist’s, the postman, and a short little fat hairy man who was arguing with his very tall, very thin wife stopped them and had a quick chat. A big, balding man, the draper, drove up to them in a tiny blue car the size of a bumper car at the dodgems, and had a conversation out his window. Everybody knew them and wanted to say hello.
    Granny Miller and Mum didn’t seem to mind all of this. Granny Miller grew up here, and Mum grew up in an even smaller place. They were both well used to it. Ruairi was baffled, but it appeared that they actually enjoyed it even. To him, however, and to Dani, it was torture .
    “Hurry up, Mum,” Dani whispered.
    Ruairi said, “I am getting dangerously cold and dangerously bored .”
    “Wear the crown of patience, Ruairi,” Mum said.
    “This is why we never come shopping with you at home!” Dani said. “Remind us never to fall for your trickery again!”
    “Isn’t it unsafe to be this cold? And this bored? You’re being irresponsible. You’re not thinking of our well-being.” Ruairi stood behind the tall, thin woman Mum was talking to and mouthed, “ Please , let’s go !” He made a face at her behind the woman’s back, so Mum finally said good-bye. From then on, when they met people, they waved to them and said things like, “Hi, how are you? Lovely to see you. Yes, it’s a lovely day,” but they didn’t stop