Alwy wakes alone

Alwy Hogge rolled over and threw his arm over his sleeping wife – only his wife wasn’t there.

He sat up and stared at the empty pillow. Alwy didn’t like this. Lately Gunnie had been having trouble sleeping. She didn’t want to go to bed, and when she did, she would often just get up again once he fell asleep.

He stood and listened intently. It didn’t sound like she was moving around in the other room. That was it, she had gone outside. She was getting like poor Elfleda, walking around outside at night. Alwy didn’t like that either. He wondered if she had hit her head.

Alwy put on his tunic and went outside. Usually she would be standing under the birch tree by the front door, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Gunnie!” he cried, frightened.

“I’m here, Alwy,” she called softly from behind the house.

Alwy found her staring up through the trees towards the Wodehead farm, where at this late hour a light was shining.

“Alwy, is it true that Elfleda has a baby?” she asked.

“Well, I guess she sure does. I seen it! It’s an elf baby, it’s got pointed ears. But it’s real pretty. Well, not as pretty as Wynnie, but…”

“I guess Egelric won’t be coming around here much in the evenings anymore.”

“Well, I guess he don’t come so often anymore, anyhow. He’s real busy with the Duke. And now him and Elfleda got a baby too, to keep ‘em busy. Gunnie, won’t you please come in?” he pleaded. “You’ll get cold out here, and I don’t want you to get sick.”

“All right, Alwy,” she said, and followed him inside.

But it was a long while before she fell asleep.