Silence hung over all of us gathered around the campfire for a long time after I had finished telling the others what I had seen and heard while drawing Njorun"s portrait.
Strangely, I had a finished drawing in my book. Quite a good one. But not a magical one. Visiting her younger self was the magical part, and I had no evidence to offer the others beyond my mere word.
For her part, Njorun was wandering around the meadow again. It took an effort of will to remember she was one of us, to look to see where she was. It no longer felt odd that we had kept forgetting to keep track of her before. It had to be related to her curse somehow.
"We need to make a decision," I told the others. "It"s too late to leave now, but in the morning we have to go somewhere. Either we go to find Hulda, in cas
