Page 49 of North Is the Night
“You lot are spoiled rotten,” Kivutar growls. “Worthless to the core, I don’t know why we keep you at all.”
“Come, sister,” Vammatar says with another laugh. “Surely, they’re not all so bad. Loviatar says the mousey one is quite skilled at weaving.”
I go still as all three witches stare at me. Loviatar is overgenerous in her praise, but I’ll take it if it keeps me alive. The goddess of suffering, her skin so ancient and lined it looks like it may fall off the bones of her face, glares at me. Vammatar steps out of the light, leaving us with only Kivutar and Kalma.
“We’re tired of doing all the hunting for you spoiled kits,” Kivutar says. “And my father’s forests are teeming with life. If you want meat to eat, hunt it yourselves.”
From the darkness behind her, Vammatar drags forward a large wooden box. She flips open the lid to reveal an assortment of weapons. “Take your pick,” she says with a wave of her hand. “You must all be sick of barley bread by now. Whatever you kill, you may cook and eat.”
Next to me, the other girls look confused. I can hear their stomachs groan at the thought of fresh meat. Satu all but whimpers with relief. What new game is this? Even before the Witch Queen’s haunted welcome feast, I’ve enjoyed a varied diet of game and fruit pies, and warm salted nuts. Twice now, my cup even filled with a sweet, red wine. I see now that I must be alone. The way Lilja and Riina cling to their quivers and bows, I can only imagine they’re not eating roasted perch every night. Jaako’s magic is feeding only me.
This feels dangerous in the extreme. I have a secret I’m keeping from everyone, even the other girls. I can’t give myself away. Not until I speak to Jaako again. I have to understand why he’s helping me... and whether his help will get me killed faster. Swallowing my nerves, I step over to the box and choose a hatchet. Lilja and Riina look far more confident wielding their bows and axes.
“Move quickly and quietly,” Vammatar cautions. “Keep your aim straight and true.”
“But be careful, little mortals,” her sister adds. “For more than animals roam these dark woods. Beware the kalman väki and the keijulainen. Beware the walking dead.”
Next to me, Satu trembles. Lilja just narrows her eyes, ready to face any beasts or monsters prowling these dark woods.
“Stop when you reach the river,” Vammatar directs. “And if you get any ideas, just know we’ll be watching. Surma doesn’t take kindly to naughty little girls who break the rules.”
Next to his mistress, the wolf gives a low growl, making poor Satu jump, nearly dropping her axe.
“Get on with it,” says Kivutar, pointing at the trees.
I exchange a worried look with Satu, but Lilja and Riina take off running. They hold their bows confidently, arrows nocked. Satu and I hurry after them, chased by the witches’ mocking laughter. Poor Satu trips on the hem of her dress, nearly falling on her face, and the witches cackle louder.
“Lilja,” I rasp. “Riina, wait—”
The girls pause, glancing over their shoulders. I wince at the bloody bandage over Lilja’s missing ear.
“Are you well?” I ask. “Are the others alive?”
“Salla lives,” Lilja replies as Riina nods.
“Inari too,” Satu adds.
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Then we’re all still alive.”
“Not for long,” Riina mutters. “This is a test meant to kill us.”
Satu’s eyes widen. “What can you mean?”
“We’re not hunting animals in these woods,” Riina replies, her sharp gaze darting around. “We’re being hunted.”
Satu and I both go still. “No,” she whispers. “No, they mean to make us work—”
“Don’t be a fool,” Lilja hisses. “They have enough dead to work for them. That’s not why we’re here. And you heard the witch. Do you know what a kalman väki is, little Satu? It’s a death spirit born of rot and decay. It is Kalma’s Wrath, and it haunts these woods looking for mortal souls to feast on. And the keijulainen are evil fae that poison your mind with nightmares. If they touch you, they infect your skin with festering boils.”
“How do you know all this?” Satu says with a whimper.
“My father is a shaman,” Lilja replies. “He follows the old ways.”
“I think this might be a game,” Riina adds, still glancing around. “The death witches love nothing more than to toy with mortals. The stories say they often set mortals an impossible task. The trial doesn’t end until they succeed... or die trying.”
“I can’t eat another bite of that rotten bread,” Lilja says. “If Idoget a clean shot, I’m taking it.”
Riina nods. “Vammatar caught me trying to sneak an egg in the courtyard yesterday and gave me this.” She holds out her arm and pulls up her sleeve, showing us all a line of thick purple bruises that look like they were made with a rod. Her bruises confirm my suspicions. The other girls aren’t being treated as gently as I am. Perhaps this is part of the test. Should I admit it to them? I could sneak food to Riina and Helmi as I pass through the courtyard. This is the first I’ve seen Lilja since our rotten feast, but surely I could find a way. Where are the others?
