Chapter 51
The next morning, having enlisted the aid of half the hamlet, Roger and Freya set out for the lake with another load of books, while several wood wives busily assembled boxes and packed them with books for the next load.
The wood wives were all related to Dena in that she was mother, grandmother and great grandmother to several of them.
They had showed up unannounced and after seeing what to do, shooed Roger and Freya out of Induna's cottage.
They were going to pack up the books and clean the place top to bottom to make it ready for the new family due to arrive close to Summer's end.
By mid morning they had arrived at the lake, unlocked the big seaplane and after giving everyone a quick tour of the massive aircraft, loaded the boxes into the specially built cargo cage.
Young Harald smiled as he presented Roger with a freshly filled firkin of his braggott honey mead and ale blend.
Roger naturally grinned at the youthful giant and stowed it carefully among the boxes.
He said, "This will be greatly appreciated this fall."
The giant grinned and replied,"An' when ye come back thes faa, Ah'll hae me Solstice ale ready an' ye can tak' a firkin ay 'at tae bevvy o'er th' winter."
Roger grinned and remarked,"I know people who would love to get their hands on a barrel of your brews. You and your grandpa brew some mighty fine ales that Freya and I enjoy. After a day of tending our gardens, a pint can be very refreshing."
"'At's th' whole point ay uir ales. A pint wi' yer scran at th' end ay a lang day's wark quenches a thirst it does." Replied the young giant.
"Aye, that it does, that it does." mused Roger.
After getting a gentle shove off from the dock, Freya started up the engines, shattering the silence of Ape lake.
While letting the engines warm up, she looked over at Roger who was looking at the citation he'd found stuck to the windshield of their Martin Mariner.
"Whit is it?" She asked, Roger chuckled and replied,"Apparently we got a 'parking ticket', it seems we needed a permit to leave this tied up at the dock, unattended, overnight."
"Whaaa?"
"My thoughts exactly!" said Roger with a grin, "Some park ranger apparently has waay too much time on his hands, so he came up here to annoy people and found this, the big offender, a seaplane tied off at the dock. Never mind that we were the only ones here at the time."
He was about to hand the document over to Freya when he gaped and squawked, "Five hundred bucks? That's the fine? Holy shit, what's the fine for really being a jerk?"
Freya reached for the citation as Roger commented, "Read it and weep...Five hundred bucks, Canadian."
She looked over the document and muttered, "We waur jist vistin' me haem!"
Roger shrugged and said, "I'll let Rachel deal with it." as he took the citation and tucked it away.
A short time later they were airborne and flying south.
It was a good day to fly with wispy clouds drifting in the Summer sky and casting their light shadows on the landscape far below.
About an hour out from Portland, Roger called Anna on his satellite phone, she answered it fairly quickly with a cheery, "Do I need to get a truck like the last time?"
He replied,"Yep, the same size as last time. We're about an hour out give or take. Freya's contacting the tower now."
H glanced over at his towering companion as she was conversing with Portland's control tower, her thick accent hardly noticeable as she spoke in the jargon used by virtually all pilots.
Anna chuckled and remarked, "I wonder what they're making of her speech patterns?"
Roger replied,"Quite well actually, when she's at the controls she's all business, quite the professional."
Anna laughed, "Who knew? See you in about two hours then?"
"Yeah, about two hours oughtta do it, see ya then." Replied Roger and he ended the call.
Air traffic over Portland was fairly light and soon, the heavy seaplane in amphibious mode was on the hard deck and scrubbing off speed.
Towards the end of the long runway there was an airport service vehicle to guide them to their parking pad.
Freya deftly maneuvered the massive aircraft past the waiting plane watchers and their fancy cameras, looking for that perfect shot.
Following the ground guide's signals, Freya eased the Martin Mariner to its hard stand next to the hangar where it was stored between flights.
Roger waved at the twelve foot box van parked there and Anna waved back.
Sitting next to her was Anita who also waved and grinned as she held up her smartphone and took a video of Freya at the controls of the big seaplane.
There was the occasional classmate who didn't believe Freya had a pilot's license and Anita had several videos of her either flying or working on the airplane itself as proof.
Once the engines had been shut off and the cool down system engaged, they exited the big seaplane and received a warm welcome home.
Anita came bounding up and glomped onto Freya's slender form.
Roger grinned at the sight of five foot tall 85 Lb. Anita glomping onto Freya's seven and a half foot tall 260 Lb. Frame.
Then it was his turn to get glomped by Anna this time, her lithe form briefly wrapping itself around him.
She smiled at him and said cheerfully," The museum curators are looking over the books you've already delivered and they're waiting for this load and the next two or three to come. I'm afraid our 'neighbors' have gone into hiding. I know Dena's made herself scarce and even Sasha's keeping a very low profile."
Roger rolled his eyes and remarked,"I'm not surprised, our 'neighbors'll do that when strangers come around and those are the ones we can see. I am a little surprised at Dena's sudden shyness, especially after Freya snuck her into an anime convention where she was given a bunch of fashion doll clothes by the designer."
At the sound of the side cargo door being opened, they turned to see Freya showing Anita the boxes inside the plane.
Anna remarked, "I'm a little surprised Anita wanted to come along. She's been writing like mad of late and I'm guessing she needed to clear her head a little bit."
"Don't you have to do that at times? Step away from the keyboard and get back to reality? Me? I like to get out and trim some shrubs or something. Physical effort has a way of grounding me." asked Roger.
Anna smiled,"That would explain all the gardening you guys do, pretty soon you're gonna need a bigger yard!"
Roger grinned at his friend and the two of them joined the girls in humping boxes from the plane to the truck.
Driving back to the library was a bit cramped as the truck's cab could seat three average sized people, not three average sized people and a young giantess.
Anita ended up seated in Freya's lap while Roger drove one handed with his right arm draped over Anna's slim shoulders as she rode in the middle.
Pulling up in front of the library, Roger tooted the horn and shut the truck off before they gratefully climbed out and stretched to relieve the kinks accrued during the drive from the airport.
Moments later, several white coated museum staffers emerged with flat carts foremost.
Before long the truck was opened and a steady stream of fully laden flat carts were heading into the library building only to reemerge moments later and come back for more.
Thirty minutes later the truck was largely empty, only the firkin cask Young Harald had given Roger remained on the truck.
Roger mused,"You guys had it easy, Freya and I had to pack all of these boxes and haul them down to the lake, a walk of almost five miles up and down hill. If she hadn't enlisted the help of half the village, we'd still be on our first load."
The chief curator smiled and replied,"True, but we have to figure out where to place each book according to its subject matter and the Jotun language is virtually unknown to us."
He grinned at Freya, "Fortunately we have a native speaker to help us sort them all out once they they're all here."
He eyed the well rounded wooden cask sitting on the truck's bed.
Roger grinned and remarked,"Jotun made and Jotun brewed, 9 gallons of very good braggott for my drinking pleasure."
He smiled, "I'm saving it for after we've brought down the last load, then I'll tap into it."
The chief curator smiled and said cheerfully, "All the more reason to get all the books down here then!"
Roger grinned and replied,"We'll head back in the A.M. I'm not gonna try landing on a dark lake, in the mountains, at night. Besides, Freya's on her summer break and all she's done so far is pack book boxes. She's gotta have a little fun!"
They spent a quiet evening at the house.
Freya played some video games while Roger dozed in the front parlour with Sasha lying beside him in case he needed to rub her velvety ears.
Dena had commandeered his lap and looked quite contented all curled up there.
Anna and Anita were hunkered down at the kitchen table and going over plot points for an upcoming project they were collaborating on, it was going to be an all nighter.
Around midnite, Roger rose stiffly from the overstuffed chair and toddled off to bed with a sleeping Dena cradled in his arms.
The incessant alarm roused him from his slumber and he yawned, stretched and scratched on his way to the bathroom to wake himself up.
Leaving the tiny wood elf snug in his bed, Roger dressed and made his way downstairs.
To his surprise, Freya was already up and rustling together their breakfast.
A steaming mug of coffee awaited his attention and Freya said cheerfully,"Butter up th' toast an' Ah'll finish up haur!"
Roger did as he was told and minutes later, the grits, bacon and eggs joined the toast on the breakfast table before him.
As they ate, Freya asked,"Dena isnae camin' doon?"
Roger shrugged and replied,"She's still conked out, it's like she waited 'til I got back before she allowed herself to sleep. I hardly sat down in the parlour last night when she was fast asleep in my lap."
Freya grinned and said teasingly, "She does loove ye y'know an' 'at's a guid thing."
They finished up their breakfast and cleaned up after themselves before leaving for the airport.
By 7 A.M. The early bird plane watchers were treated to the sight of a Martin Mariner roaring into the morning sky over Portland, they watched it bank slightly and head north until it was out of sight.
The anonymous men with their fancy cameras smiled at each other, the big sea plane had been rather busy of late and they had gotten plenty of action shots of it taking off or landing.
Especially popular were photos of the towering girl with the red-gold hair at the controls.
Not even 14 yet and she was already a multi engine certified pilot.
Roger enjoyed watching the sky for other aircraft and looking down at the towns and cities far below them.
Freya smiled at him as she banked the massive sea plane to line it up with the long axis of Ape lake.
It was just past 10:30 A.M. And they were coming in for a landing.
She eased the big airplane onto the placid surface and let the sudden increase in drag slow the heavy aircraft to where she could safely reverse the propellers and bring the plane about before taxiing it to the wooden dock jutting out into the lake.
Sitting beside the dock was an enormous man with massive arms, shoulders and tree trunk legs.
Like Freya he too, had red-gold hair, unlike Freya he had an enormous thicket of a beard.
His bright blue eyes twinkled in merriment as he watched his daughter ease the big airplane alongside the dock and shut off the engines.
A few moments later silence reigned over Ape lake once more.
Sigurd rose to his feet as his daughter came running up to him, her braids flying and a smile on her face.
Like always, she collided with her mountainous father and like always, he scooped her up with ease.
Roger grinned at their display of affection, Sigurd could always make Freya feel like she was still his 'wee lass'.
The two giant wolves with Sigurd rose and greeted Roger with enthusiasm, he always gave such good scratches and today was no exception.
Roger was still giving out rump scratches and rawhide chewy treats when he heard Sigurd mutter, "Yoo're gang a spoilin' those wolvies!"
Freya snorted and commented, "Dornt bother, Ah say th' same thing doon sooth, he doesnae listen, he jist grins an' keeps oan scratchin', Sasha's sae spoiled noo!"
Sigurd just smiled at his daughter indulgently and said, "Th' wolvies dae loove a guid scratchin' an he looves tae scratch th' wolvies."
They took up their back packs and began the long hike up the mountain to the rocky dell and home.
As always, the two of them walked hand in hand enjoying the late morning air and the mountain scenery.
Sigurd walked slightly ahead of them with the two giant wolves strolling along, nosing about checking their territory for any changes as wolves are wont to do.
Arriving back home, Roger and Freya were greeted by her enormous mother Gudrun in her warm, matronly fashion that always left Roger with a lingering, warm, fuzzy blanket fresh from the dryer, wrapped around him sort of a feeling.
She gave the best hugs he felt.
Barbara's hugs tended to be overwhelming in the way she would scoop him up, plant a resounding kiss on him followed immediately by a smooshing between her great breasts.
It was always quite the experience and Freya always frowned upon it so.
Thankfully, Barbara was now 'involved' with a man more her own size and he was the recipient of her exuberant affections, to Roger's quiet relief.
Gudrun smiled at them and said cheerfully,"Th' wuid elves hae been busy, they've used up aw th' boxes ye brooght an' hae cleaned up most ay Induna's cottage."
Roger muttered, "I'd forgotten how industrious they can be...Did they even stop to eat or sleep, while we were away?"
Gudrun chuckled and replied,"Ah cannae say, yoo'll hae tae ask them!"
Out of curiosity Roger went down to Induna's cottage to see what Gudrun was referring to.
On the way he exchanged nods and greetings with Old Harald who was overseeing his grandson's brewing efforts.
He grinned when Old Harald called out, "Cam by thes e'enin' fer a swally!"
Giving the aging giant a grin and a thumb's up, he continued on his way.
Induna's cottage looked almost new again.
The ground around it had been cleared of weeds and dead growth, even the low stone wall appeared to have been restacked or at least washed.
Induna's favorite bench seat had been freshly painted with boiled pine tree sap and it glistened.
Approaching the front door, Roger noted the fresh paint on door and trim, in fact the whole cottage had been repainted in readiness for the new family, due to arrive in late summer or early fall.
Entering the cottage revealed more of the same, the place positively gleamed.
The main room was filled with neatly stacked boxes filled with books, sealed and labeled.
Roger smiled at the runes used by the wood elves to describe the contents of the boxes, Freya would have to look at the labels once everything was safely in Portland, Oregon.
Lying on the dining table were several bundles of scrolls and maps all neatly bound with twine.
This was all that they could do with the boxes Roger had brought.
Roger was mentally calculating how many trips would be needed to haul the pile of boxes when he heard Freya's voice behind him, "Och aye...It's aw sae clean noo! Is thes aw ay 'er books 'at waur left?"
He smiled as she slipped her arms around him and squeezed him gently, his head briefly cradled by her swelling breasts.
He replied,"I think so, your mom said they had used up all of the boxes we'd brought, so I don't know if they were enough."
Separating, they looked through the rest of the cottage and found more books still inside some of the closets and cupboards...They would need more boxes but at least they were more accessible now.
The tiny wood elves had accomplished more in two days than Roger and Freya had accomplished in two weeks.
Then again, there were quite a few of them working round the clock, versus Roger and Freya stopping to talk, or reminisce or socialize or eat or sleep.
Freya's remark, "Ah figure thaurs maybe twa ur three maur loads an' we're aw dain."
Made Roger reply, "When this is finished, are you going to stay up here or do you still want to visit with Natalie and Zenobia?"
Freya smiled, "Ah dae wish tae see Natalie and Zenobia an' learn tae drive 'at stoatin truck ay 'er grandpa's!"
Roger chuckled and remarked, "So you remembered that, huh!"
Freya's grin was her reply.
When they returned to her parent's house, Freya remarked to her mom,"Th' wuidguid wives packed up nearly aw th' books, an' we figgered thaur's maybe twa ur three loads tae gae afore we're finished."
She hesitated a moment, then said,"Ah had planned oan visitin' me mukkers doon in Arizona afore Summer's end an' Ah hae tae start skale."
Gudrun smiled at her and replied,"Ye dornt need tae ask fer me leave tae see yoor mukkers. It'll tak' at least a fortnight afore yoo're dain moovin' aw them books ay yoors. We can visit wi' each other when you're nae warkin'."
Freya smiled at her mom and the two women hugged briefly.
Gudrun smiled and declared, "Noo, wash up afore scran, it is nearly ready!"
Roger instinctively glanced at his watch, it was nearly dinner time.
Apparently they had spent more time in Induna's cabin than they had thought.
Dinner was a roasted haunch of caribou surrounded by diced potatoes, onions, carrots and celery, all seasoned with freshly picked herbs from Gudrun's herb garden.
Served with freshly baked rolls slathered with butter, it was very good and Roger happily ate his fill.
It was robust food cooked by a robust woman, one that Roger wouldn't mind thinking of as a mom.
After dinner, Freya wanted to visit Old Harald's tavern.
Since their emergence from the Canadian forests three years before, Old Harald's home had become a brewery in its own right.
His ale brewing had gone from a hobby and an ale source for his hamlet, to an actual brewery with a tap room and kitchen that served food.
Old Harald grinned when he saw them approaching hand in hand, he turned to his grandson and said,"Yer cousin's a camin' wi 'er cheil, twa pints ay th' Summer ale ef ye please."
Young Harald grinned at his grandfather and began filling two tankards at once.
Freya greeted her great uncle with a hug and smiled as she was handed a foaming tankard of her cousin's ale.
They drank lightly that night as they would need all their wits on the morrow.
Freya, using her considerable powers of persuasion quickly enlisted several of her friends and neighbors to helping her move another load of boxes down to the lake.
Before dawn the next day, a caravan of carts left the tiny hamlet and headed to the lake.
Loaded down with boxes, the caravan made its way down the mountainside and arrived at the lake about mid morning.
While Freya supervised the loading of the plane, Roger checked its engines and systems as part of the preflights before taking off.
Just before noon, the stillness of Ape lake was shattered by the roar of two eighteen cylinder Curtiss-Wright R-3350 Cyclone engines straining to lift the heavy Martin Mariner from the watery surface.
A small crowd of enormous people watched as the gleaming white seaplane shrank to a dot and disappeared from view.
Nearby, a group of campers silently marveled at their first sighting of the giants living on Ape Mountain.
The Jotuns were indeed, real.