Day 129: The Skull Reader Part 3

Torger found her hours later sitting in the same spot in the middle of the room, the light fading with the setting sun.  The shake of her shoulder brought her out of the memories of Henric.  Torger took her hand and pulled her up.  Her legs tingled and hurt from being in one position for so long.  Leading her into the kitchen, he helped her sit down.  He pored her a small glass of honey wine and set about making their dinner.

Sipping the sweet drink that burned as it trickled down her throat, she gathered her thoughts.  How much could she tell Torger?  How could she hold any of the information from him?  Yet, she didn't want to make any decisions without him. 

She watched him rummage through the vegetable bin for three big potatoes.  His sleeves rolled up to show a tan line at the wrist, forearms bulging from the many hours of handling a team in the fields.  The trousers he wore were patched upon patches.  He hated spending the money she received from the king.  Though he relented last summer and allowed her to buy him new leather boots.  The sole was too thin to sew.  He pushed the light brown hair from his eyes.

She sighed.  "Ole stopped by just before lunch."

"I assumed," he placed a frying pan on the stove.  He waited patiently for her to continue.

The room grew warm as the fire came to life.  She fidgeted with the glass until her nerves felt like they might snap.  Lifting the glass, she gulped the rest of the wine down and stood up to pace the room. 

"I read an exchange between two soldiers that frightens me.  It could change the fate of the entire village."

"Would this information clear Ole's family from shame?" his calm voice helped steady her nerves.

"No, but…," she hesitated, knowing the old argument by heart.

"You are paid to help his family, not tell the complete history or interpretation of a single life.  He pays you for definitive proof to save his family.  Does the memory hold that proof?"

Torger’s logic cut deep.  She wanted to help Ole and his family.  She slumped down in the chair.  "With that line of thinking, he might never get that proof from a single skull." 

"Exactly, I have always thought his search flawed.”  He sliced potatoes on a cutting board.  “One person's memory will not be more valid then all the histories already recorded."

"Yes, but if enough skulls agreed with this skull, it could reek havoc for all of us,” Hille countered.

"True.  However, how many are enough?  And will you continue that long to save one family?”  Sizzling interrupted him as he tossed the potatoes in the warm pan.  “I thought you were going to tell him you were finished reading for him."

She sighed heavily.  "I planned to, but my curiosity stepped in the way."

"I believe your hope to help his family also was a contributing factor."  In another pan, he placed a steak.

"Shouldn't I help those in need with the gift I have been given?"

Torger poured more wine into her cup and placed to plates on the table.  "Are you helping them for their own sake or to be the heroin in your own story?"  He went back to the stove to stir the potatoes.

"What?"  Hille's voice cracked.  "You think I do readings for common people to be a heroin?"  She waited for a reply, but he didn't look up from his task.  "Even after all these years, you are jealous of Ole.  How many times must I explain, we three have always been friends?"

"You have never gone to these lengths for others."

"I have never denied a villager.  No one has asked me to go to this length, but I would."  She jumped from the chair and placed her hands on her hips.  "I have done for you as well.  I have risked the anger of the throne by staying here."

"You wanted to stay as much as me," he combated as he turned the steak onto the other side.

"Precisely, I love you and I know what the land means to you.  I love the land and the village myself.  I don’t see how you can question my love for you.  I would not have stayed for Ole."

"Do what you want to do, Hille.  You always do.  You say that you want to quit reading for them.  But I believe you say that for my account only.  You don't plan to stop going down this foolish road."  He grabbed his plate from the table.  With a big scoop of potatoes, he strode to the door.  "I am going to the barn."

Hille jerked the door from his hand as he tried to shut it as he crossed the threshold.  "I do my job for the truth of history." 

The creak of the door sounded soft compared to the echoing of the slam as she closed the door with all her might.

Ole spent the night in the barn.  In the morning, earlier then normal, he slipped into the house for breakfast, not coming into their bedroom to say good day or kiss her goodbye.  All morning, she failed to read the royal skulls.  In two days, she needed to hand them over for full pay.  By lunch, she decided to apologize to Torger.  He was a good husband and should come before all others.  The village needed to come before Ole.  She must stop reading for her childhood friend, but how was she ever going to tell him?