Master Tailor took a few more gasps of air through the horribly confining small hole that opened over his mouth. I wondered briefly if death superseded a goddess’s commands or if a command gave a man the strength to overcome even death to see the order followed through.
“Take it easy,” she said. “You can’t follow your goddess’s order if you’re dead.”
Master Tailor nearly choked on his breaths mixed with laughter. For a moment, my muscles relaxed, but Master Tailor’s troubled laugh still made me nervous.
“Mistress Tailor sent you?” I asked, rather impatiently.
Master Tailor took a great swell of breath and stood erect. “There’s been an earthquake.”
My stomach churned. Alvilda looked as panicked as I felt. With Ingrith gone, who would dare look at the castle?
Master Tailor continued, oblivious of the discomfort of his audience. “We were sewing. The kids were helping out.” He nodded his owl head. “That Nissa’s going to be a fine tailor. I’m so happy Luuk found the goddess in her.”
“Coll,” said Alvilda. “The earthquake.”
Master Tailor pointed east. “We heard a tremendous noise in the direction of the woods. It was like the earth was groaning, and we could feel it moving beneath our feet. It caused Siofra to drop the shirt she was sewing and tumble clear off her chair.” Master Tailor paused, perhaps in pain at the idea of Mistress Tailor tumbling, even though he was under orders to continue speaking.
I had more pressing concerns. “Who looked at the castle?
Master Tailor didn’t respond to my question. “We went outside, and Siofra told me she saw a black carriage come out of the woods and stop in front of the woodcarver’s home. I wanted to go check on Jurij and Elfriede, but Siofra stopped me. She said I had to explain what happened to Noll first, and then tell Noll to go.” He directed his owl mask at me. “Go.”
If Mistress Tailor hadn’t worded her commands exactly right, he was liable to scream at me to go like a crazy person without any further explanation. If Alvilda thought it odd that her brother would turn into an unthinking being to speak Mistress Tailor’s tale, she didn’t indicate it. I wondered if Mistress Tailor often used her husband as a sort of messenger.
The black carriage. But it was too early in the day for it to come, waiting for its passenger.
Waiting for me.
But someone had caused the earth to shake. Elfriede wouldn’t have been so foolish, would she?
Alvilda started gathering the basket and blanket. “Let’s go.” She shoved the items unceremoniously at Master Tailor, and he scrambled to catch them. “Drop these off at my home and then go comfort your wife. I’ll send word as soon as we know that Jurij, Elfriede, and Gideon are well.”
Master Tailor stood silent for a moment, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He was finally free to do as he pleased, and he clearly seemed uncomfortable with the idea. Alvilda stepped up to fill the void that Mistress Tailor’s fulfilled command had left behind in the man. “You’ve done as Siofra asked,” said Alvilda, although she didn’t turn to look at her brother. She grabbed me by the wrist and started dragging me toward the village. “Get going.”
I wasn’t entirely sure Alvilda didn’t have as much power over him as his goddess because Master Tailor got his second wind and parted from us, jogging toward Alvilda’s home.
As we entered the middle of town, Alvilda let go of my wrist and put an arm around my shoulders, pushing me slightly forward so that I could keep up the pace. The closer we got to the Tailors’ at the east end of the village, the more people were out of their homes and shops and murmuring to one another. Almost every one of them would glare at us as we passed, a few whispering to their neighbors. I suddenly felt protected under Alvilda’s tight grip on my shoulders.
“If someone looked at the castle by my house, why would the ground shake this far out?” I asked Alvilda quietly.
Alvilda shook her head. “I’m not sure. It seems that the farther east we get, the more people were affected.”
She was right. The crowds grew larger as we moved on, and we had to fight our way through the center of the road, sometimes only able to shove our way through after a few curt exclamations of “Excuse us!” from Alvilda.
At last we broke free from the village horde, nearing the Tailor Shop at the very end of the line of houses. There stood Mistress Tailor in the open doorway with Luuk, Nissa, and Bow.
“Alvilda!” cried Mistress Tailor. Her voice had a frightening quality to it, one I wasn’t used to hearing from the taciturn woman. She broke free from her grip on Luuk’s hand and rushed forward, practically shoving me aside to embrace Alvilda.
Alvilda jumped, and her arms hung to her side limply. Her eyes flickered from left to right and then focused over Mistress Tailor’s shoulders at the kids and Bow. She gave Mistress Tailor a quick pat on the back.