At Brekke farm, Birgit tiptoed to her mother's bedside, keeping an eye on the door, watching out for her father's return. "Mor," she whispered.

Guro blinked awake from her doze. "What?" she grumbled.

"Far beat the new housegirl," the ten-year-old said. "She's crying in the hayloft. Her shoulder is bleeding, and her smock is torn and bloody. Can I take her my nightshirt to wear while she cleans up?" The orphan girl was a couple years older than Birgit, and a couple inches taller, but the nightshirt would do. A hand-me-down from one of her brothers, it was plenty roomy.

Guro hunched higher on the cushions, frowning. "The monster," she muttered. "Ja, take her the shirt, and some clean linen as well for a bandage. Where's your father now?"

"Down at the creek, drowning the runt puppy."

"Hurry then."

Birgit dug in a chest for a strip of linen, then slipped out the door and darted to the summer cookhouse, glanced around the corner, dashed to the barn. She heaved a sigh as she ran up the ramp to the uphill-side door into the hayloft.

"It's just me," she called out. She helped clean the housegirl's wound and clumsily tied the bandage in place. "Wrap up in your shawl," she told the orphan, "so my father can't see what you're wearing. Don't mind what he said about going hungry. I'll save you a piece of flatbread."

"Thousand thanks," the girl sniffled. "I should have stayed at the seter instead of coming here. But I was so lonely up there all by myself."

Birgit glanced at the nest in the hay where the orphan spent her nights. Now, with the sickly puppy snatched from her care and most of the livestock gone to summer pastures, she didn't even have any animals for company. "Can you go back to herding?"

The housegirl's eyes widened in fright. "And gain the name of a shirker? Nei! I must stay and work hard so folk know I honor my word. But I'll move on as soon as it's decent, if I can find another farm that will have me." She drew her ragged shawl on over the borrowed shirt. "I'd best haul that water now." She straightened her back, drew a deep breath, and strode out to her labors.

Birgit peeked out the door, glanced in all directions, and sneaked back to the house.