Ulfrid

The elder told the same joke, and the yard laughed on the same beat as always. But there's a line of footprints in the snow toward the water that wasn't there yesterday.

• KariWhose footprints?
  UlfridIf I knew that, would I still be sitting here?
• AslaugFootprints don't follow the tide. People do.

One knot, one night. Counted them this morning and came up one short of yesterday's count.

• BjornYou must have miscounted.
  UlfridQuick hands don't miscount.
• LindThe other side's record-keeper said the exact same thing last night.
  Ulfrid…You didn't have to carry that one over.