Chapter 15: How Tjark Wins a Wife

Another two hours passed during which a steaming Helge spoke the prayers until Father Ortwinus was satisfied. Again, the villagers had returned to their dwellings. Finally even the young men and Margrite resigned themselves to the facts.

Meanwhile, Luise was getting increasingly cold. Her knees were numb by now after spending hours in the stocks, and her back hurt terribly. The nagging fear was still there, the fear that once darkness fell, somebody would sneak up behind her without her even able to see them. They would then lift the thin shirt that was all she had been allowed to wear. Rough knees would force her legs apart and then they would defile her and her life would be ruined. She would have to leave without any hope of ever finding a decent husband.

She had never cared for Hanke and she had not looked forward to marrying him. She had always fancied Tjark instead, but he was the second son only and her father would not allow her to speak of him.

Now she saw him standing with the collier. He was living in the forest now, charring wood with Pelle, and people had laughed about him. He kept looking at her and Luise felt fear. Would he be the first? Would he take by force what could not be his by rights? Please, not Tjark, she prayed silently. Please, not that! She had always liked him, even when she was a small girl, and he had always been friendly to her. If he defiled her, she could not stand it.

When Helge was finished with his penance, the priest dismissed him curtly, ordering him to attend mass that evening. It was getting dark now and cold. Luise was shivering uncontrollably. The hurt in her back was unbearable for her shivers made her muscles cramp. A pitiful moan escaped her mouth. In the growing darkness she saw how Father Ortwinus stood up.

“I have to hold evening mass, my girl. I shall be back later.”

“Thank you, Father! Thank you from my heart for giving me your protection,” Luise managed to say with chattering teeth.

The priest climbed down and fear gripped Luise, for Pelle and Tjark climbed the platform. Pelle sat down on the stool but Tjark walked around her.

“Please not,” Luise whimpered. “Please, not that. Have mercy! I swear I did not speak ill of Ingeburg!”

Pelle seemed taken aback. “Luise, there is nothing to fear. Tjark and I will protect you.”

Somebody touched her back! Luise wriggled madly. “Ssh, Luise, hold still!” she heard from behind the stocks. “I have a blanket for you, but you must hold still.”

Her body numb, she could not really feel what was going on. Only the wind did not bite her skin as fiercely anymore.

“Pelle,” she heard Tjark’s voice, “she is freezing to death. She does not even feel my hand on her leg.”

“Get more blankets. Get a bedcover from your father’s house! Where’s the landlord with the food?”

“Coming, Pelle!” Luise heard.

A moment later Pelle held a cup with hot soup to Luise’s mouth. Rich chicken broth almost burnt her mouth and ran hotly down her gullet warming her very core. She had difficulties drinking but she managed although the rough wood tore at the skin of her neck.

“Thank you, Pelle,” she whispered.

Only a little while later Tjark returned with his father. Hanke was not with them. They climbed the platform. Dimly, Luise felt something laid on her back and more blankets were piled on her and wrapped tightly around her body and legs. A heavenly warmth spread from her back.

“We put a bag of heated cherry pits on your back,” Tjark explained.

Slowly her back spasms receded somewhat but this was countered by an excruciating pain when the blood flow to her legs and arms resumed. She squirmed and moaned for what had to be the worst moments of her life. At some point the pain subsided slowly and she could notice her surroundings again. Pelle was still sitting close, a burning torch to his left, with bow and arrow at his feet.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Yes, a little. You are saving my life, Pelle. Why?”

“I, because Ingeburg asked me to and because we said we were friends. Tjark, because he has coveted you for years and cannot stand seeing you harmed.”

“He does? Well, he did. Now, I’m a shamed woman.”

“Speaking of which, Luise. What will you do come the morning when we’ll set you free?”

Luise had not even thought of that. “What can I do? My father has renounced me.”

“I’ll tell you. You can live with us until you know what to do.”

“What ... what will I have to do?”

“Nothing you don’t want. Marja’s doing the cabin and the cooking. You can help with the charring or help with washing and mending. We’ll see.”

“You’re not expecting me to ... I mean, I know Ingeburg is in Birkenhain all the time...”

“Luise,” Pelle said with a chuckle, “would I ever be so stupid as to make Ingeburg unhappy? More so, would I make my friend Tjark miserable? Do you know why he left his father’s house?”

Luise shook her head.

“He could not stand the thought of seeing you married to Hanke.”

In spite of her miserable condition Luise felt her pulses quicken. “Why? What...?”

“He loves you dearly. Tell me, Luise, and mind it is not a condition for our help: do you think you can return Tjark’s feelings?”

“I always liked him but isn’t he your knecht?”

“Tjark is a collier like me. The Baron appointed him and allowed him the use of the forest. He’ll even have his own cabin soon.”

“But will he still want me after tonight?”

“Look, there he comes with more heated cherry pits. Is there any question about how he feels about you?”

Luise took a deep breath and she felt tears burn in her eyes.

“Pelle, will you give us some time alone?”

Pelle laughed and stood. He gave Tjark a hand to help him up and climbed down himself.

“I built and covered the kiln, my friend. Now you can fire it.”

With that Pelle was down and she saw him stand with a group of men, Hunold and the smiths. Meanwhile Tjark was replacing the hot cherry pits, carefully too, lest too much cold air came into the blankets.

“Thank you, Tjark. I always liked you and now you save my life.”

“I — I cannot see you suffer,” he said in a low voice.

“Tjark?”

“Yes?”

“I care for you. I always did. My father forbade me to think of you but you were in my heart.”

“Oh.”

“My father renounced me. I am nobody’s daughter.”