The Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer Read Free Book Online

what
you
think,” said Jack. He was delighted byThorgil’s failure. He remembered the music of the spell perfectly and was itching to try it out on a black-faced sheep.
    â€œWell, I’m not giving up,” she said. “Think how useful it would be to send your enemies to sleep—though it lacks honor to slay a sleeping man.”
    The Bard shook his head. “Your motives, as usual, are appalling. Kindly tell Seafarer that he isn’t allowed to fly for a few days.” The bird had retreated to the alcove after being awoken, and they could hear him grumbling inside.
    Thorgil knelt and spoke to the creature. “He isn’t happy about staying here. He says he must go in search of a mate.”
    â€œWhere’s he going to do that?” inquired the Bard.
    Thorgil translated. “He says he saw lady birds south of here that were almost the right shape. They were a little small, though.”
    â€Almost?
Wolves are
almost
the same shape as lambs. Did he have any success?”
    â€œNo, but he’s hopeful.”
    â€œWell, explain that his wing is extremely weak and he’ll have to wait. Now, I need you two to gather plants in the meadows. I want comfrey, feverfew, mint, and valerian. If you run across henbane, I can use that, too. Mind, you keep it separate from the rest. Mugwort is always welcome. Look for it on sandy soil.”
    Jack fetched collecting bags, and soon they were walking through fields to the wild lands that lay beyond the village. The air was warm, and villagers were already planting standsof peas and beans for winter. Thorgil found a patch of wild lettuce and Jack gathered comfrey. By now they were at the edge of the hazel wood.
    â€œPhew! It’s hot,” exclaimed Thorgil, throwing her bags down among the bluebells. She lay flat on her stomach by a stream and splashed water into her mouth. “Mmm! This tastes as good as mead!”
    Jack shared out oatcakes left over from breakfast. “The Bard says we’re going to Bebba’s Town in a few weeks.”
    â€œI know. We have to buy grain. Isn’t the light through those leaves marvelous? And those butterflies are like white flowers fluttering in the air.”
    Jack braced himself for one of Thorgil’s good moods. “I wonder how we’ll get the grain back. The road is so full of potholes, you couldn’t possibly drive a cart over it.”
    â€œThe Bard says we’ll hire a ship,” the shield maiden said, sitting up. “Just think of having a deck beneath our feet again, the waves crashing against the prow, the wind howling about our ears! Do you remember the color of the sea in a storm, all gray and green with the foam blowing off the crests of the waves? You could almost see into the halls of Ran and Aegir,” she said, naming the Northman sea gods. “Do you remember?”
    â€œYes,” said Jack.
    â€œWell, you don’t seem happy about it.”
    â€œWho could be happy about drowning? It’s the only way you can visit Ran and Aegir.”
    â€œThat’s not the point!” the shield maiden cried. “It’s thebeauty of those colors! And the cold spray in your face. And the slosh of water around your boots. And the feel of the ship keeling over in a sharp wind. Olaf used to hand out coins when we were in danger of sinking, so we’d have a gift for Ran when we came to her halls. The sea kingdom isn’t as glorious as Valhalla, but it isn’t bad, either—”
    â€œThorgil,” said Jack.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œStop babbling.”
    â€œI’m not babbling,” she said, too happy to take offense. “Perhaps we’ll hire a
knorr
in Bebba’s Town. They’re not handsome, but they hold a ton of supplies and they make the loveliest sound all night—
knorr, knorr, knorr.
A
drekar
would be even better.”
    â€œIf the villagers saw a
drekar,
they’d run for the hills,” Jack