Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

Fishing for Friends

'Noren! What the hell's keeping you?' I peered round the door of the boat shed.
'I'm stowing the nets, Yngvild.' Noren said.
'Can't you just throw them back in the boat like everyone else?'
Noren stopped sorting out the net and looked up at me. 'Because, Yngvild, you can't throw them well if they're tangled.'
'It's a waste of time, we could be doing something more enjoyable!' I shook my head, and felt my red golden braids flying around over my shoulders.
'If they're stowed well I catch fish faster, so I get to come home sooner. That means I get to spend time with you.' Noren smiled widely, his blue eyes gleaming.
I stuck out my chin and pouted. 'Well it's time you showed me how much you appreciate my company.' I reached out to grab Noren's neatly patched linen sailcloth smock and pull him closer.
'Noren! Yngvild! Dinner!'
'Gods, her timing is terrible!' I ran a finger down Noren's sleeve and across his back. 'later.' I turned to leave.
'Tell her I'll be in as soon as I've finished stowing the nets.'
'You are such a stickler.' I blew Noren a kiss over my shoulder as I left the boat shed.
#
The light from the open doorway was eclipsed as Noren joined the rest of the family in the main hall. The day's work done, he'd hung his smock in the boat shed. He came in, dressed in his distinctive linen shirt with the extra wide panels under his muscled arms.
Noren crossed the space between door and table in two strides. He sat in his usual space in the middle of the bench nearest the door. I sat opposite him. Everyone else was already here, waiting for his arrival before starting. The table was laden with bread, beer, bowls, and serving dishes with butter, eggs, peas, barley and salt. The meat was fried fish, fresh from today's catch.
'Let us pray for thanks.' Old Bjorn stood at the head of the table. Helga the Red sitting on his right. Arne the Slow, the steersman, sat at the other end. Down the table there were ten others on each side, a third of the boat crew plus their family members shared the main hall. The rest were either in the old hall or the barn with the younger children.
'Let us give thanks that we are all here today,' Old Bjorn said. 'and that we have a bounteous catch to eat and plenty to trade.'
'I give thanks to the Gods for the health of all our children.' Helga the Red said.
I stood. As the youngest adult present it was my duty to finish the prayers.
'I give thanks to the Gods for the food we are about to eat.'
'I give thanks'. The adults chanted in unison.
Dinner started with a rattling of dishes and utensils. Two fish dishes went round the table, one from Old Bjorn and the other from Arne the Slow. Others helped themselves to the side dishes while we waited for the fish to come round.