He had not left the town behind when his wife caught up with him. She begged him not to go. She told him it was too risky. The snow could come at any moment. The journey would take him too long. He kept walking. So she lied. She swore Airien had left the girl with a hut full of food, and a pile of firewood as tall as their house, and that the baby wouldn’t be born until the spring. Only then, did Sunn’s steps falter. Seizing the moment, she took his hand and kissed it many times, telling him how hard it would be if anything were to happen to him. At last, convincing him that Airien wasn’t cruel but sad and disappointed by the girl’s real self, they both went back home.

The next three nights, Sunn couldn’t sleep. He trusted his wife but knew she loved their son mo...

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