Winterfrost by Michelle Houts Page B

Pia, but what if he failed? Bettina tried to imagine what would happen if Pia wasn’t home when Mor and Far returned. She closed her eyes and imagined Mor’s stricken face and Far’s disappointment. Tears burned beneath her still-closed eyelids.
    Bettina opened her eyes and looked out over the backyard. The winterfrost remained, still and silent. Not a single frosty blade of brown grass moved. The sea must be as still as glass, Bettina thought, remembering summer days when her family had followed the fjord to the sea to soak up the breezes and lie on warm sand.
    The Larsens would visit the sea again, she vowed. Pia would toddle in the sand and splash in the cool water with Bettina while Mor, Far, and maybe even Mormor watched from their blankets in the sun.
    Outside something caused Bettina’s thoughts to return from the sea. But what? She scanned the garden, but everything was still. She turned from the window when it caught her eye again — an unmistakable flash of red.

Just minutes earlier, Klakke paced the haymow floor and went up and down the ladder a dozen times. What were the Pedersens saying to Bettina? Or — perhaps worse — what was
she
saying to
them
? Finally, when Felix started barking once more, Klakke peeked out the window in the loft. Rasmus and Lisa Pedersen were leaving! They were all waves and smiles as they headed away from the house, but their smiles didn’t last long. They appeared to be deep in discussion as they walked down the driveway toward the road.
    It seemed Bettina had averted disaster. Klakke was proud. The more he knew of Bettina Larsen, the more he liked the girl. She reminded him somewhat of his twin sister, Klara. Confident. Dependable. And not afraid of adventure. He’d only seen Klara a couple of times each year since he’d left Falster, and he missed her wonderful giggle.
    Klakke was sure he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now. In fact, he wasn’t sure he
should
go back to sleep. The Pedersens’ visit had made him realize the urgency of Bettina’s situation. How could Gammel expect them to just sit while he tried to work things out? Wouldn’t it be better to have
two
nisse looking for Pia? Besides, Klakke had created this mess. He should be the one to resolve it. That is what any mature, reliable nisse would do. Klakke was convinced that he must take action, and the sooner, the better.
    Leaving his post was a serious matter, and one that Klakke didn’t take lightly. He knew he could be entering dangerous territory, so he thought it best to leave a note. If the worst happened and he never returned, perhaps Gammel or Hagen would come by and at least they’d know his fate.
    “I’ve gone to Ulf’s abode to retrieve the stolen child. If danger befalls me, please take care of the Family Larsen and their animals,” he scribbled on a small piece of paper, which he placed high in the mow where only nisse eyes would think to look.
    Klakke knew he should take the path that led directly from the back of the barn to the edge of the forest. It was daylight, and taking the shortest route to cover made the most sense. But he couldn’t help himself. He took instead the garden path that led behind the house. It was the same way he had gone the day he took baby Pia from her carriage. It was because of the big kitchen window that he took this path today.
    Klakke moved quickly through the Larsens’ back garden. When he reached the woods, he turned and stood very still. Sure enough, she was there. Bettina stood with a cup of tea in front of the big window, and he was certain she saw him. Then, right before he darted into the forest, Klakke gave Bettina a smile and a tip of his pointed red cap. Just to let her know that everything would turn out fine.

Klakke wasted no time as he headed through the forest. He was breaking the rules yet again, being outside in broad daylight. But a small voice inside his head told him that he had but one chance to undo the wrong he had done — and