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“Then how could you keep this fro down his great face “For years I waited for the change to co

ain, and return to the ice, return to you All along you’ve been here and said nothing? You are cold, cold and cruel, Ulla”

Sigrid passed a hand over her eyes “Do not call me that It is not my name, not anymore This is rid of the Ways, however you may wish it were otherwise I set out to find you—but it was truly for this I beca towards the beast that sed oddess This was my Quest, not you When I saw you it only recalled to one to you then, and tended a tavern with you all those years, perhaps you would have been happy, but it would have put a lie to all , all my life since the Skin-Peddler traded my flesh It would have been the end to my story, and so it would have seemed that I had done all I did only for a husband It was not the end I wanted I arid, and I must find my mark The wolf led me astray, don’t you see? The wolf led me off the path that wound to you, and into a place of whose jeweled in to tell you the first part I aer Ulla—how could I dith Eyvind?”

The tavern-keeper’s body seemed to dwindle, as if all the blood had run out of hi hair

“My life has gone so far wrong I can’t see the right forsaid I would be a old, and saints est on the wings of henless birds I believed the old stork—I thought it’d be a few years, no more It went so fast; one day I was old and fat and the sea was still gray I told a boy the story once; it seeht it would help, to tell so But I couldn’t tell, not one day did I even think on it, thatbeer in a dark corner You should have toldbreath “If you are not oal, what is?”

“I’m sorry, Eyvind I truly areetand beautiful; I wanted to be her savior Now I can barely lith to throw myself in the path of the sea-creature”

In the corner of the hold, Snoept silently, her tears wetting the wood of the softly rocking ship

The silence between Sigrid and Eyvind was thick and dark as eel flesh for days upon nights Snow hated the sound of it, echo of it in her ears She was relieved as an ox without its yoke when Grog upended the last of her rum barrel into her blue mouth, belched forcefully, and bellowed

“Shell off the port side!”

So it was—Snow could not breathe for her terror as the shell grew in size, black and green and blue and slick as a beetle’s body, black and green and blue as the sea careening off of its do their translucent eyelids in the di put on a face of boredoirl could see her tail trerid’s face was contorted in fear and ecstasy, and she was gripping Eyvind’s hand with all her strength, whether trying to keep him at her side or anchor herself to the ship, Snow could not tell

“Grog,” Sigrid called out, her voice high and strong, “sail in! Into the mouth!”

The Magyr bolted upright in her tub, her violet tail thrashing “Are you out of your one this far, but knives or no, that’s daft as an e!”

“It’s all right!” Sigrid laughed, throwing her head back, her hair strea horay!”

Snow patted the Magyr’s shoulder, which glowed deep turquoise with fear “I’ll do it, Grog It really will be all right Probably Anyway, the song says it will, and songs are usually right” She wrapped her sli lay back in her tub, her a

“Fanatics!” she reen head