Word Usage Key is at the end. The brackets after a character eg CLAIRE (4nc) indicates Claire is a character who is 4 years old. nc indicates new character (an incomer) not encountered before.

29th of Towin Day2

Nigel was a thirty-two year old Roman Catholic priest of six years standing whose parish was in the poorest part of a huge city. All of his parish was a packing case and sheet metal slum which extended right to the waterfront. His charity was known to all. He gave away everything he had to the poor and the unfortunate, and his parishioners, even those who had nothing to do with the church, all thought him a wonderful and saintly man despite his lack of years. He had harboured deeply worrying doubts concerning the church for many years. He had come to believe religion of any form was not a necessary requirement to be a good human being, and many who professed religion were certainly not good human beings.

The inescapable media coverage of the plethora of recent sex abuse scandals within the church and even worse of the high ranking individuals who had been covering them up for decades, which in many cases had allowed the abuse of children and the vulnerable to continue whilst those high ranking individuals looked the other way, had given him a disgust for the church, and he had been seeking an honourable way out of it of it. He refused to make judgements on priests who had relationships with adult single women because he was aware of his own urges, which he had so far controlled, but the abuse of the vulnerable and the cover-ups he considered should rightly be defined as mortal rather than venial sins. He knew he was a heretic, which gave him sleepless nights, but he couldn’t just walk away from his parishioners who needed him, so he’d continued with his soul destroying double life.

Then he had arrived on Castle which gave him an opportunity for a new start in life, where the beliefs he had come to hold were not a heresy with its attendant stigma. He had also come to believe, as Saint Paul before him, it was better to marry than to burn,(1) and he understood the driving urges of those priests he had been unwilling to judge. He didn’t realise it, but with his humility and understanding he was a good and compassionate man, and as good a priest as any currently ordained by the church that Castle had separated him from. At his interviews he had admitted he had few skills, but he liekt(2) cooking and could sing. He had been accepted as a lærer(3) meat cook with Crook by Milligan, and he’d been telt the entertainers would be having spaech(4) with him betimes concerning cross crafting.

He had explained at his interview at the Master at arms office of the celibate nature of the priesthood. That caused concern when it was realised he meant religion, but the concern eased when he said he had been trying to find an honourable way out of it for some time. He clearly was not a fanatic in any sense, and though embarrassed by the idea of marriage he had said he would like to marry. It was considered he was a kind and gentle man with a great deal of compassion. He reminded his interviewers in many ways of Aaron with whom they planned a meeting for Nigel.

The concept of placement, and how these things were done by the Folk was explained to him again, and he was asked if he would like to be introduced to a woman whom they thought he would have a good chance of reaching agreement with. Nigel realised though he would like to marry he had no idea of how to arrange the matter for himself. He had been an orphan reared and educated by a religious order since early childhood and had never met any girls or women before being ordained except under strictly controlled conditions. As a result he agreed to being introduced despite his embarrassment at the idea.

Dabchick was a twenty-six year old meat preserver and was the Mistress provisioner. She specialised in making air dried sausages to tide the Folk over the spring when times were hard, and she’d registered her desire for a husband with the Master at arms office a lune since. She was a tall, bubbly, boisterous, buxom woman who had lost her man Razorshell and two children to the fevers. Razorshell had been a quiet man, and in many ways the Master at arms staff considered him to have been similar to Nigel, though they’d looked naught like each other. Razorshell had been medium highth(5) and of heavy build with fair hair as opposed to tall and lightly built with dark hair like Nigel, yet Campion considered the match had a good chance of success. When Dabchick was asked to see Campion she had a good idea why, but wondered why Campion herself wished to have spaech with her as opposed to some other less senior member of the office. She realised why when Campion telt her of Nigel.

“He has never been bedd(6) by a woman‽” she had asked in amazement.

“Yes, never, and the thought of even spaeking(7) with one embarrasses him greatly. He’s shy, and I suspect he has never seen a woman in any state of undress either. If you decide to try for agreement you will have to be gentle and careful. We understand he was forcen(8) to accept religion from early childhood, and it has hurt him greatly. Though he has telt us next to naught, it is clear to me he has been subject to physical and mental abuse for many years. It will be best not to introduce you at the dinner dance, but privately here in a chamber where you can spaek(9) with no chance of being overhearet.”(10)

Dabchick thought for a few moments, and asked, “Why bethink you we should be suitable for agreement, Campion?”

“He has much in common with your first man. He also has much in common with Aaron. He’s kind, compassionate and will relate to your loss. I admit there are many women with loss he would relate to, but I feel your personality and seductive appeal will draw him away from his past, and help him to establish a new persona with a new future, and not allow him to retreat back into his past.”

Dabchick laught, and said, “That’s the most oblique way of saying I’ve big breasts I have ever hearet.”(11)

Campion laught too, and said, “It’s not enough to have them. You have to know how to deploy them too, and I have no worries there.”

“Why have you askt(12) me?” Dabchick asked. “I know you say he will relate to my loss. I suspect a lot of the newfolk would, so what else is there that maekt(13) you ask me to see you?”

“I believe you will like him and come to love him quickly. I know you were Razorshell’s protector gainst(14) the things that distresst(15) him, and you were happy to do that. I may even go so far as to say it was a rôle you enjoyt,(16) even if few knoewn(17) it was part of your relationship, and I believe Nigel will provide the same kind of opportunity for you.”

“I wasn’t aware any knoewn,” Dabchick said quietly. “But you are right he did need to be protectet(18) from time to time. It was part of my love for him, and I was happy to do it, and I should be happy to do so again with a man I came to love. I understand why you bethinkt you of me, and yes I should like to meet Nigel, and if you consider it best here we had better meet here. When do you propose to arrange the meeting?”

“I was thinking of shewing you to a chamber and bringing Nigel to you in say quarter of an hour, if you are agreeable, Dabchick?”

Dabchick thought for a moment and said, “No. Give me three quarters of an hour, so I can go to my chambers, comb my hair and change this work frock for an apron. You have to let me have something to deploy my bosom with. I know you sayt(19) he’s shy, but I wish to give him some what to look at. It’s only fair after all if I’m trying to reach agreement with him.”

Campion laught and said, “I’m sure you know what you are doing. Three quarters of an hour it is then.”

Half an hour later Nigel was back at the Master at arms offices. He was nervous, embarrassed and beginning to regret having agreed to meet Dabchick, who he had been telt had only recently stopped mourning the loss of her man and children. He was taken to a small interview chamber, and asked if he would like a mug of leaf or a glass of wine. He asked, “May I have a glass of water please?” A junior was sent for the water, and five minutes later Dabchick arrived. Nigel and Dabchick were introduced, and telt there would be a junior in hearing range somewhere on the corridor if they wished aught. Campion smiled at them and wished them success in their discussions before leaving them alone.

Dabchick, seeing Nigel looked as if he were ready to faint from embarrassment, said, “This is embarrassing isn’t it. Shall we sit down?”

Nigel looked at her, his eyes drawn to Dabchick’s bosom, and gulped, “Yes.”

They sat down, and Dabchick, satisfied Nigel was looking where she wished him looking, taekt(20) a good look at him. He was tall, good-looking and had the haunted, fey look Razorshell had had when he needed protection. She was already convinced she could have a good marriage with Nigel if she could reach agreement with him. That he needed her protection had decided her. She wished a man, and here was one who would be different on his own with her from the way he was in public. That had been the attraction of Razorshell, and it was what maekt her wish Nigel. “Nigel, I can see you are nervous and this is difficult for you. Shall I tell you of me and Castle, and hope you become easier with the situation after a little time?”

Nigel looked relieved and replied, “Please.”

“I am twenty-six and I craft as a senior cook here in the Keep. I am the Mistress provisioner and we manage all meat and fish preservation. I loes(21) my man Razorshell and my two daughters to the fevers a little over a year over. I lovt(22) them all greatly, yet like all who suffert23 loss I have to keep on living. I registert(24) with the Master at arms I was seeking a man a lune since. I don’t know if you are aware why the Master at arms staff decidet(25) we could possibly reach agreement?” Nigel looked at her in puzzlement. He hadn’t even considered why Dabchick in particular had been selected to meet him, and he shook his head. “You are kind and gentle and perceivt(26)to be vulnerable in some ways.” Nigel looked at her as if trying to read her face as she smiled and continued, “You look naught like Razorshell, but he was similarly vulnerable too though few knoewn it. I was his protection gainst all he was vulnerable to, and it maekt me happy to be so. It is your vulnerability that makes you attractive to me as a husband. Razorshell was a different man when there were only the two of us together, and it maekt him special to me. It was only thisday(27) I findt out any other knoewn. I bethink me you could come to be the same with me, not the same as he, but special to me. I should like it greatly if you would spaek to me now please. Spaek of aught you will, but spaek to me please.”

Nigel uest to being in situations where others were in great distress, had become a little more at ease with Dabchick now and said, “This is difficult for me because I have no real understanding of the place I came from, and this is no different. Perhaps, since I have nothing to compare it with, it is easier for me than others, but somehow I doubt it. I have never mixed with ordinary people, men or women. I was a member of a set of people who kept apart from others and reared children the same, that’s how I was reared.”

Nigel ran out of words, and Dabchick reached for his hand. He looked terrified, but she calmly said, “Since I have telt you I should like to marry you, and you have not dismisst(28) me it is not unreasonable to let me hold your hand.” Nigel nodded, and Dabchick continued holding his hand in both of hers, “I have had a little of your background explaint(29) to me, but I can’t adjudge how accurate or meaningful what I was telt is. I am telt you will to marry which I know is why you are here.” Nigel nodded in agreement. “I am also telt the group of persons you were with preventet(30) you from having any dealings with women.” Nigel went bright red, but nodded. “I am glad to see you are not unaware of me as a woman. I have notet(31) you looking at me.”

Nigel went even redder and started to apologise when Dabchick shushed him and said, “Why bethink you I’m wearing this style of frock if not to give you some what to look at. If you hadn’t lookt(32) I should have had no interest in you. A woman has to know she’s seen and appreciatet(33) as a woman. I accept you have a lot to unlearn, and a lot to learn of our life and the Way, but I don’t bethink me you have aught to learn of appreciating women, and in particular of appreciating me.”

Dabchick stood to move her chair next to his and put her hand on his shoulder, “Nigel, life is for living, yet oft it is an uncertain and risky affair and deadth(34) rarely announces itself in advance of its all too frequent visits. Deadth in one sense is easy to deal with, for it is an event with no future. Life elsewise is oft not, for it continues, yet it is not to be squandert(35) by allowing it to defeat one. You are now here on Castle and will a wife, and I will you as my man. I’m sure you will be embarrasst(36) many times in the future, but if we marry I promise I shall do my best only to embarrass you when we are on our own, never in public. Now it is time to risk one of those uncertainties. Shut your eyes because I am going to kiss you. If you don’t look it may not be quite as embarrassing.” As Nigel shut his eyes Dabchick taekt his face between her hands and kissed him gently, and then she did it again. “Open your eyes now, Nigel.” Nigel did so, and Dabchick said to him, “That wasn’t so bad was it?”

Nigel was embarrassed, but only a little, and replied, “No, I enjoyed it.”

He was looking at Dabchick’s bosom again which was only a span from his face, and she said, “I bethink me you are beginning to take me seriously at last.” She taekt his hands in hers and holding all four hands to her bosom asked, “Do we have agreement to marry, Nigel?” Nigel nodded, and she continued, “Then stand up, put your arms berount me, and we shall have one more kiss before we go home.” Nigel wasn’t sure what to do, but Dabchick helped and snuggled close to him, and Nigel was acutely aware of the softth(37) of Dabchick’s bosom pressed tightly to his chest. This time her kiss was not gentle but ruthlessly passionate, which awakened feelings in him he didn’t know how to deal with. They braekt apart, and Nigel looked mesmerised rather than embarrassed. “Now, that was better wasn’t it? Let’s go home, and we can see what else we need before the eve meal.”

Dabchick had deliberately not referred to her bed, or bedtime, but she had every intention of seeing if Nigel could make her pregnant in a few hours, and she knew Nigel would be bright red whilst making love, but make love he would.

Word Usage Key

1 The Bible, 1 Corinthians 7:9.
2 Liekt, liked.
3 Lærer, adult apprentice.
4 Spaech, speech.
5 Highth, height.
6 Bedd, bedded. Made love with.
7 Spaeking, speaking.
8 Forcen, forced.
9 Spaek, speak.
10 Overhearet, overheard.
11 Hearet, heard.
12 Askt, asked.
13 Maekt, made.
14 Gainst, against.
15 Distresst, distressed.
16 Enjoyt, enjoyed.
17 Knoewn, knew.
18 Protectet, protected.
19 Sayt, said.
20 Taekt, took.
21 Loes, lost.
22 Lovt, loved.
23 Suffert, suffered.
24 Registert, registered.
25 Decidet, decided.
26 Perceivt, perceived.
27 Thisday, today.
28 Dismisst, dismissed.
29 Explaint, explained.
30 Preventet, prevented.
31 Notet, noted.
32 Lookt, looked.
33 Appreciatet, appreciated.
34 Deadth, death.
35 Squandert,squandered.
36 Embarrasst, embarrassed.
37 Softth, softness.