Defiant Courage by Astrid Karlsen Scott

Author:Astrid Karlsen Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

IN THE HAYLOFT

In one of the outbuildings was an old sled. Around two in the morning, Marius and the two girls lifted Jan onto the sled. Johan kept watch outside, and when all was pronounced clear, they pulled Jan across the farmyard in the dark. They towed and pushed him up the steep barn bridge. The barn was furthest away from the other buildings in the farmyard, and the barn bridge, the only way they could get him up into to the hayloft, was in the opposite direction from their neighbors, facing Lyngsdalen Valley from where Jan had come.

Marius had brought an old mattress up earlier and placed it in the far corner of the hayloft. He and his sisters transferred Jan to the mattress and tucked wool blankets around him. They left him there, hidden behind the haystacks. All went home, but none of them slept. Throughout the night Marius pondered and the girls were frightened. What would happen to them if the Germans came and found Jan? Of a truth, they knew, but they were too frightened to share their thoughts with one another. Morning emerged without the girls having been able to squelch their fears. The experience was all too traumatic for them.

The assignment given to the saboteurs in Shetland was code-named “Martin.” The Grønvolls decided to call Jan by that name. He had been in the hayloft for a couple of days, and in spite of the Grønvolls’ nurturing, Jan’s feet didn’t show any signs of improvement. He remained unable to stand on them. Marius puzzled over what to do next.

During the many days Jan was detained in the mountains, snow blindness had set in. His cornea and eye membranes were damaged and inflamed, infected by the reflection of the sun’s ultraviolet rays on the snow. His eyes pained him terribly. Sunlight caused a burning sensation. Tears flowed continually. His red, swollen eyelids were roughly attached to one another. When he tried to open them, only a narrow slit appeared, but it enabled him to hazily see the people around him and some of the surroundings. Relief came only when he closed his eyes.

Gudrun and Ingeborg’s main assignment was to bring food to Jan in the barn. To be sure, they never took the barn-bridge up to the hayloft. No unnecessary tracks were to be made in the snow. Instead they went in through the barn door, past the cow barn, up the ladder and through the hatch in the ceiling up to the hayloft. They were aware that Jan always kept the loaded pistol close by his side; when they neared the top of the stepladder, they called out, “Martin, I am bringing your food.” Three times a day they brought him food. Gudrun often prepared and cooked the food, such as potatoes and other root vegetables, meat, fish and tea if available. Whatever the family ate they shared with Jan.

Being young, it was a highlight of Gudrun and Ingeborg’s day to go and visit with this commando soldier.

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