LITMIR.BIZ

      This is what the legend says. Nobody knows whether it is true, but in the 16th century, a cursed child of the Ice People was born. He tried to turn evil into good, which is why they called him Tengel the Good. This legend is about his family. Actually, it is mostly about the women in his family – the women who held the fate of the Ice People in their hands.

      Chapter 1

      She sat at the very top of the small rectangular tower on the roof of Graastensholm, her glowing gaze fixed on the thunderclouds. Each time a lightning flash tore through the sky her face would light up euphorically, practically in ecstasy, and her eyes would flash with a burning sulphur-yellow colour in response.

      She heard her parents shouting: “Ingrid! Ingrid, where are you?”

      She didn’t feel like answering. They were insignificant now. This was her moment. Her world.

      Latent energies were awakening within her. I am one of them, she thought proudly to herself, because those of the Ice People who were touched by the curse always had a characteristically strong sense of self-awareness. I have always known that, but until now it has never meant that much to me. I have had so many other things to think about.

      Alv Lind of the Ice People, son of Niklas and Irmelin, had married a girl from the village. Her name was Berit and she was, as most girls are, hardworking and robust, romantic and terribly proud of the fact that the big landowner at Graastensholm and Linden Avenue had wanted her as his wife. For Alv was a big landowner now, though he was still young. Actually, he was also supposed to have had Elistrand, but a completely unexpected heir had turned up and taken it over. Alv was actually relieved by this. It would have been a little too much having to run three farms.

      Before he married Berit he needed to have a serious discussion with her. Of course, everyone in the village knew about the curse on the Ice People and that at least one born in each generation was afflicted by it, and that might cost the mother her life during childbirth. And Alv’s case was particularly serious, because he was the last in his generation to marry. Christiana had given birth to a son whom she named Vendel, and there was nothing wrong with him. Ulvhedin and Elisa had a boy, Jon, a real little treasure, and a letter from Sweden had arrived with the news that Tengel the Young now had a fine son by the name of Dan. They were not going to have more children.

      So that left only Alv and his future offspring.

      Did Berit dare take the chance? There was a great risk that they might have a child who was cursed, in which case she herself risked dying in childbirth.

      But Berit loved the young, fawn-like Alv. She faced the danger wholeheartedly.

      Everything went well. Berit gave birth to a little daughter, Ingrid, who had flaming copper-red hair, sparkling yellow eyes and a delightful face. What was more, Ingrid did not have the deformed shoulders that might otherwise have cost the life of her mother. Little Ingrid was a magnificent child, except for the fact that she was, to a great degree, cursed. The only thing that gave it away in her outward appearance was the colour of her eyes. They were the most sulphurous yellow anyone had ever seen. And then there was her temper! Now that was really something! She was a troll, a daredevil, who was practically impossible to bring up. If Tengel and Silje had had problems with Sol, it was nothing compared with the problems Ingrid’s parents faced. Added to this was the fact that Ingrid’s intelligence was so great that even the most learned men would be on their guard before starting a conversation with the gifted child. And she respected no one, not even the priest. Him perhaps least of all. Ingrid shunned the church like the plague, which made Alv and Berit tremendously uneasy. They knew that those who were most afflicted by the curse had a particularly difficult time persuading themselves to cross the threshold of a church.

      It became apparent that her distant cousin, Jon Paladin of the Ice People at Elistrand, also had a bright mind, so he was allowed to study seriously with the priest. Ingrid was far more intelligent than Jon, and Alv sought permission for her to be tutored with him. But that was never going to happen! Both the priest and Ingrid put a stop to the idea. The priest refused because he could not imagine having a girl as a student – it was completely unheard of! Perhaps a little bird had also told him about Ingrid’s sharp mind and he did not want to risk being humiliated by an impudent little wench ... Furthermore, he had a hard time accepting her aversion to the church, and he had many times wondered how to knock some discipline into her: by public whipping, perhaps. The only problem was that she was of noble descent. One never laid a hand on members of the Ice People, that much at least the priest knew.

      For her part, Ingrid resisted studying with the priest because she did not want to have anything to do with him and ten wild horses would not have dragged her to do so. Instead it was decided that Jon was to visit after each day’s lessons and pass on whatever he had learned to Ingrid. It had been a good arrangement – for a couple of years. Then there was suddenly nothing more that the priest could teach Ingrid. It ended with her staring gloomily and angrily

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