The Yule Lads Diarys pt 5

December 16- Pottaskefill

As bad as things had been, they were only about to get worse.

I returned early that first morning to find all my pans, even the new ones I'd bought yesterday, my leftovers, my spoons, and my ladles missing. Just gone! I looked around, but they were nowhere to be found. Not only that, but there's frozen lamb missing from my freezer, and the coffee creamer in the refrigerator has been drunk and left empty for me to find.

Left with a bloody handprint on the side of it.

Davin was asleep, blinking groggily at me when I reminded him of his phone call. He said he had thought afterward that it might have been a dream, and after the sun had come up, he'd fallen back asleep. He had locked the door to keep Grindle inside and, he guessed, to keep the things in the kitchen out, but he said again that he had thought it was a dream until I had said something about it. When I came in, the cat had been sitting by the door, looking at me as though he were extremely disappointed in me for letting Davin lock him up like this. Davin was getting ready for the day as I let Grindle out, and I decided that some breakfast might be nice after the night I'd had. He came out as I was trying to cook eggs in a pot, something that wasn't going very well, and I told him to wait a few minutes, and I'd send him off with a hot breakfast.

"It's fine. I'll get something at the house before we get started. Olf said he wanted me there early to mend some fences in the east field."

I had added grits to the eggs, both cooking a little better with the addition of water when he came back inside looking unhappy.

"Olf told me to take the day off," he said, and he sounded like he might have been crying a little.

"Any particular reason?" I asked, adding more eggs to the grits.

"He said it would be better if I wasn't seen for a few days. Did you...did you do something last night? Something that's made everyone mad?"

I told him to sit as I went to get another bowl.

This was going to take some explaining.

I told him about what I'd seen in the cowshed, the lambs and sheep that had gone missing, and the anger I had felt at having my house violated by these Yule Lads. They had never done this before, most years their pranks went unnoticed and gifts were something I had attributed to Olf or Arnar, both men liking their holidays and traditions. I had never really believed in the Lads before, no more than I had the damn Yule Cat, but now that I had seen them, it was hard to deny. I told Davin all this, told him how I felt powerless after just letting them take Gertrude's sheep and hurt Arnar's cows. I told him how I had decided to do something about it and gotten Olf to bring me his father's rifle.

I told him about how I had shot the Yule Lad and how Arnar had become so wroth with me.

After that, Davin seemed to understand.

We spent the rest of the day talking and trying to figure out what we would do. Davin thought maybe we could set some traps and catch them if they came tonight. I wasn’t so sure that they could be caught, and thought I might rather barricade us into a room and hold out the night. It was just stuff, after all, and I could always replace it if they stole it. I knew I had done something wrong, knew I had meddled in things beyond my understanding, but I still didn’t like the things coming into my house and taking my things.

When I heard the knock at the door around dinner time, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.

Certainly not Sigrun with plates of food and a piteous smile.

"I figured you might have little to cook on by now, so I brought you something to raise your spirits."

I took the plates, smiling thankfully, "Does Arnar know you're here?"

She snorted, "Of course, it was his idea as much as mine. He knows why you did what you did, but boy, you know how foolish it is to set yourself against Fae."

"What else could I do? They've never done anything like this before. A few sheep here and there, some food or milk, but they have never been this active. This cannot stand. I made this place my home, and I didn’t like to see it mistreated."

"Do yourself a favor tonight, please, and lock yourself in. Ignore them, let the Lads have their mischief, and maybe they'll be content to leave after that. Promise me," she said, pleading as the plates sent up steam in the snowy air.

I wanted to deny her, but I just couldn't bring myself to do that to my adopted mother.

"I will, Davin and I both," I promised, and she said goodnight so we could enjoy the hot meal.

I came in to find Davin setting up little traps, Grindle looking on with curiosity. His traps were very McCalisteresque and I was a little bit impressed. He had rigged up a fairly impressive trip wire, something I nearly found by accident, and was talking softly to Grendle about the toy cars he’d set up when I came back. He looked a little embarrassed when he saw me, but he perked up when I told him it looked good.

“It isn’t much,” he said, “but maybe we can set up some other things too. Things to fall on them, things to hit them in the head, maybe something to make them leave. Did Dad ever teach you how to make a rabbit snare? Maybe if we can catch them,” but I cut him off.

“Sorry, kiddo, but I think we’ll be bunkering down tonight.”

Davin looked crestfallen, “But why? Didn’t you say you wanted to run them off?”

“That was before I talked to Sigrun. She said it’s best to let them have their fun and leave again.”

He looked unhappy about this, but when I put a hand on his shoulder, he looked up at me with a little more confidence, “Worry not, kiddo. Perhaps if we let them have their fun they will just leave us alone after that. If nothing else, it can only go on for a few more nights. Once we survive the holidays, we’ll know better next year, and hope they don’t hold a grudge.”

He nodded, and then buried me in a hug suddenly, his little arms squeezing tightly.

“Thanks for taking me in, big brother. I know you didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”

I hugged him back, honestly glad to have him here. I had never felt anything but loved by Arnar and my adopted family, and I was glad to be able to share some of that with my little brother. I had wished often over the years that I could bring him here and let him know how it felt to be part of a family. We hadn’t known much about family ties after Dad died, and I was glad to have him here with me.

“I’m glad I did too, kiddo. Now let's eat before dinner gets cold,” I said, showing him the plates I’d been balancing in my other hand.

We ate hartilly, but as the sun set, both of us began to migrate to my bedroom.

I made a pallet on the floor, offering him my bed as the cat jumped up to take his rightful place. Davin didn’t want to take it, told me he would sleep on the floor, but I told him I doubted I would be sleeping much tonight anyway. Davin took the bed, cuddling down beneath my heavy blanket, and I was unsurprised to hear him snoring a few minutes later. Grindle lay against him, taking up a protective position as he stood guard with me.

A lay on the pallet, playing with my phone as I tried to keep my eyes from shutting.

I must have lost out at some point, because I woke up to the loudest ruckus of my life.

I woke up suddenly to hear a loud crash coming from the kitchen. It sounded like an army of Viking warriors were ransacking my pantry, and Grindle was yowling and butting his head against the door. Davin rolled over, mumbling sleepily before snoring again. That boy could sleep through a bomb, and Grindle must have been loud if he woke him up last night. I edged over to the door as I prepared to peek out, wanting to see what was happening out there, but I hadn’t considered the implications until it was too late. The second the door opened more than a crack, Grindle was out and charging for the kitchen. I saw his midnight black coat go lopping over the lumpy couch that separated my view from the kitchen, and hissed at him to come back. I looked back at Davin to make sure he was still asleep, and stepped out into the hallway to try and catch him.

Davin, not to mention Sigrun, would be upset if the cat came to harm, and five on one was a lot; even for Grindle.

I walked slowly up the hall, listening to the bangs and chuckles from the kitchen as they took what was left. They weren’t being particularly gentle as the rooted, but it all came to an end as a loud, angry yowl quieted them. They screamed in a high, chipmunky way, and I heard pans rattle and feet slap as they took flight. Grindle chased them out, a hissing, yowling ball of fury as something cursed and hooted over the sounds of an angry cat. I saw them pass, five lumpy somethings that ran into the living room, and Grindle came bounding behind them. I moved to help him, not wanting them to gang up on him, but I wasn’t quite fast enough.

I came to the end of the hallway when I heard him hissing and swiping, the sounds of running boots as he gave chase, but then it was all cut off a moment later.

There was a loud yowl and louder sound of something coming down hard, then all was silent.

I cried out, calling for Grindle to come back, and that was when they became aware of me. I couldn’t see much in the dark soup of the living room, but I could see their eyes as they turned to regard me. I could see five sets of eyes, and they were like animal eyes caught in the flash of a camera, and I lost my nerve as they started to move in my direction.

God forgive me, I ran.

I got back to my room and closed the door, locking it a second before it began to rattle. I prayed that Grindle was okay, but I also hoped that if he were dead, that it was quick. As it rattled, the little creatures hooting and hawing on the other side, I began to wonder if we would be next? Davin woke up as something like a battering ram hit the door. Whatever was on the other side was heavy, and by the hollow booming, I thought it might be the one stealing my pots.

They got bored pretty quick, but I didn't sleep for the rest of the night. I could hear the Lads raining destruction down on my poor home, and as Davin shuddered against me, I assured him that it would all be okay. He was scared and wanted to go make sure Grindle was okay, but I held him and assured him that all we could do was hope for the best. I winced as something broke, the shattering glass muffled by the carpet, and was filled with equal parts impotence and rage.

They left before dawn, and I felt it safe to poke my head out and access the damage. Davin begged me not to, his eyes swollen and heavy, but I needed to know. I wrapped my hands around the door knob, and stepped out into the chaos.