-15- 
Greensleeves & The Maid that Sold her Barley

“Alas, my love, you do me wrong to cast me off discourteously; For I have loved you alone, delighting in your company. Greensleeves was all my joy; Greensleeves was my delight. Greensleeves was my heart of of gold, and who but my Gentleman Greensleeves?” The sound of my fiddle echoed off the wooden walls of the inn. The crowd stopped and all eyes were focused on me. Yes me, the women with chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes that stood in the center, dressed in a simple, homespun woolen dress. In the back Marian and Katie stood silent. There eyes filled with wonder and maybe tears.

“Your vows you've broken like my heart! Oh why did you enrapture me? Now I now I remain in a world apart, but my heart remains in captivity. Greensleeves was all my joy; Greensleeves was my delight. Greensleeves my heart of gold, and whom but my Gentleman Greensleeves?” Small tears fell from my eyes at this point as I just let my fiddle play. I then took a deep breath, it was time to finish the song. 

“Greensleeves was all my joy; Greensleeves was my delight. Greensleeves was my heart of gold, and who but my Gentleman Greensleeves.” I paused and allowed my playing to slowly die down. I then lowered my fiddle and tried to clear away some of the tears from my eyes. And then the whole inn stood up and started to applaud.  I was about to play another song when Katie came out and wrapped her arms around me.

“Let's give our Jenny a moment please!” She said as she guided me off the stage. Her arm still wrapped around my trembling shoulder she ushered me up to the counter of the bar. “Okay little sister.” She said sighing as she placed a tanker of beer in front of me. “Something tells me that song was quite dear to you. If those tears are anything to judge by.” She said in a kind, understanding tone of voice. “Either that or you're one hell of an actress.” She added.

“Oh.” I said blushing as I reached down and picked up the tanker of beer and took a sip. It had been one month today since I'd awoken in the Forest of Mist. In that one month I'd grown used to this strange new world. Including how most people included children drank beer, well small beer for children. It seems beside a few mountain streams the water was not really fit to drink and the brewing process of beer killed most if not all water borne germs and bacteria. 

“Just thinking about the past, that's all.” I said, taking another sip of my beer. “And sometimes I get overly emotional when it comes to the past.” I added taking a deep breath. “Does Joe have anything in the kitchen that is ready?” I asked as I took another sip. 

“I'll go check for you, little sister. Might just be some mutton stew and barley bread.” She said. “Just take a deep breath and collect yourself. And I'll be right back.” And with that Katie vanished into the kitchen. Marian then appeared and eased into the seat right next to me. “Quite the performance you gave out there. I think there might be a good four Crowns in that little chest we've set up for you. But I need to know, were those real tears or were they part of the show?”

I finished off my beer and sighed. “I don't know, Its just that things have been getting very emotional for me. Like the smallest things seem to set me off. One minute I'm the happiest girl in the world, the next I'm mad at the world, then a moment latter I'm crying because a twig broke off a tree or I crushed a bug  or I saw a stray kitten meow.” I added.
Marian heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head.

“Girl, your mum should be strung up and flayed alive for what she did. She turned out into this world without giving you a bit of advice on being a woman.” She shook her head. “Instead of running around, swinging that sword of yours and going on adventures, and keeping your nose stuck in those dusty scrolls and leather bound books. And yet the bare facts of life escape you.” Marian said with a heavy sigh again.

I was tempted to say something that no doubt would earn me another trip across Marian's knee. Even though I had taken to this new life of mine like a duck takes to water, I still tried to treasure the few remaining memories from my old life. If you've been following along with my adventure thus far, you know that I used to be a guy, who was one day killed by a strange glowing truck while I crossed the road in front of my dorm room. Instead of waking up in hell as most of Christianity demands because of certain things that were knocking around my head at the time. And the fact that I'd not attended Mass in seven months, nor confessed my sins, and I know for a fact that I had not received the last rites of the church. 

No, instead of waking up surrounded by a legion of red skinned devils with shiny black horns and coal black eyes poking me with pitchforks, I woke up here, in a world that was like mine, but different. Well for starters instead of waking up as a guy I woke up as a girl, that in itself was crazy enough, second, this world seemed like a world I dreamed up for the Dungeons and Dragons campaign I’d been planning to run that summer once I’d finished my first year of college.. Funny none of this ever dawned on me till I sat down one night and started to review my diary.

Even Marian the keeper of the inn shared similar traits with one of NPC (none playable characters) from the world I was brewing up. The character in question was also a woman, who also like Marian ran an inn and who also had something of a temper on her. 

“JENNY!” Marian yelled at the top of her lungs. 

I blinked and snapped back to the conversation at hand.

“Do I need to box your ears girl?” Marian said with a sigh. “I don't mean to be so hard on you, but the things you do at times. I mean I just lost you there for a moment. I can tell when your mind starts to float around in the clouds. You get this empty expression on your face and you can almost see the leaves blowing around you. Girl, one day you're going to drift away and not come back, cause some brute of a man is going to pull a shack over your head and carry you away.” 

“Sorry.” I said smiling a little as I rubbed the back of my head with my left hand. “I got caught up in my own little world again.” If my life was an anime, there would be a large sweat drop forming beside my head at this very moment. 

“I swear,” Marian scolded. “One day that is going to be the end of you girl. If you're going to make adventuring a career you need to keep your wits about you at all times. Just because you slew that goblin in the mountain does not mean you're a hard core adventurer yet.” Marian scolded again as she placed her hands on her hips.

I blinked and took another sip of my small beer. The taste kind of reminded of root beer, a popular brand of soft drink back in my old world

“Aye.” Marian said softly. “Finish your drink then, and get something to eat. But first we need to get back on topic, I think we strayed a little too far. Anyway, Jeanette, each month a woman goes through a cycle. She becomes moody, small things set her off and she gets snappy,” Marian sighed again. “Really, given your age you should know this.”

I felt my cheeks starting to flush again.

“Anyway, I think you're just going through your cycle. Given your age though, you should have gone through your first cycle five or so years ago. But I guess you're just a late, late bloomer. Nothing to be ashamed of, just means you can have children down the road if you want too.” Marian said, sighing as she slapped her hand on the wooden counter of the bar. 

I just nodded my head again to show my understanding. It felt like the right thing to do at the time. 

“Okay girl. Do you intend on making adventuring your career? Because if so, then you must know that it's only seasonal. It's a week past the summer equinox, meaning the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. Soon the howling winds from the Mountains of Mist will start blowing and then will come snow, the passes in the mountains will become impassable. Its a seasonal career.” Marian said with a heavy sigh. “I've seen many young adventures in my time, some never make it past their first winter.” 

“I have some money stored.” I said. “And if somebody would let me take on work again, I'm sure I can store up more than enough money to make it through the winter. Plus if I remember correctly, I paid you rent for a year.” I added.

Marian nodded her head.

“And your singing brings in the boys.” Marian said. “I see, I was a little harsh when I grounded you. Alright, tell you what, I'll put the world out tomorrow morning to all the guards that I've lifted your grounding. So you can once more roam the countryside, slaying orcs, searching the fields and hidden glens, looking for fable treasures and what not.” She added. “And to make amends I'll start looking for a few, small safe jobs for you. I've come to think of you as a second daughter. So forgive me if I hover a little.

I nodded my head again. 

That is when Katie appeared on the scene.

“Jenny girl, we really need you to come on stage. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, so please girl, if you are able, please I beg you come back on stage.” Katie seemed on the verge of tears. “Please, the crowd is growling recklessly.”

At that moment I knew what I had to do, I finished off my small beer, rose up and smiled toward Katie and then I smiled toward Marian.

“Be there in a second.” I told Katie with a smile as I reached over and picked up my fiddle again. “And thank you again Marian for the talk, I really needed that.” And with that I started to stroll toward the stage. A moment later I was climbing the wooden steps. And soon I was standing before the crowd. I coughed to clear my throat. The moment I coughed all the muttering stopped and everybody turned their heads toward me.

“I want to thank you all for letting me play tonight.” I said, smiling sweetly. “I hope you've enjoyed the one song I managed to creep out.” I said blushing. My hands were sweating as I reached down to pick up the fiddle again. “I'm not feeling too well, so this next song I play will be my last for the night. I hope you come back though and hear me play again when I'm feeling better.”

The crowd nodded their heads. And for a moment a sudden stillness came over the room. I drew in a deep breath and then I started to play, if I was going to only play two songs, they had to good songs, long songs at that.

“In cold and raw the north wind do blow, bleak in the morning early, when all the hills were covered in snow, oh then it was winter fairly. So I was riding over the moor I met with, a farmers daughter, her cherry cheeks and slow back eyes they caus'd my tooth to water.” I said as I started to play the fiddle hard.  The sound of my bow stringing the strings echoed and bounced off the wooden walls of the tavern. The gathered patrons started to laugh and slap the table as sung. 

“I bow'd my bonnet very low to let know my meaning. She answered me with a courteous smile, her looks they were engaging, where are you going, pretty fair maid, it's now in the morning early, the answer that she made to me, 'Kind sir to sell my barely'.” I said as I winked out at the crowd causing them to roar with laughter. Their laughter made me smile and caused me to play harder and to even wiggle around like a worm caught on a fisherman's hook. 

“Now twenty guineas I have in my purse, and twenty more that's early, you need not go to the market town, for I'll buy all your barely. If twenty guineas would gain the heart. For the maid that I love so dearly, all to tarry with me one night, and go home in the morning early.” I sang, keeping in tune with the melody.

The crowd once more hooted and yelled and many raised their wooden mugs in the air, causing the dark brown ale within to spill over the side and drench their tightly woven fingers. It was funny to see how men could all sense themselves when a flirty song was played and a girl hiked up her skirt to show a little skin.

“If I was to tarry with you one night, and get a young babe together. When nine months would be pass'd and gone, where I look for its father, beside it would bring shame and disgrace and then you say nay, sir but if you want to embrace, first marry and then you may, sir. Indeed I am a married man, these last nine months and longer, whenever I meet a pretty fair maid, I'll tie the knot the stronger, now if you have been a married man, and joined in weclock fairly, you mall your now straightway for another will buy my barely.”

I smiled at that part and winked toward some of the more handsome men that gathered around the old wooden tables. My winking caused them to go insane and a shower of golden coins rained down on the floor beside me, there were some silver coins there too, and copper a plenty. At that moment I knew if push came to shove I could always use my fiddle to keep me in food, drink shelter and clothing. Heck maybe I should just give up this whole adventurer nonsense and become a traveling minstrel. Or I could find a handsome fellow here in Sea Breeze, marry him and raise a crop of healthy children.

“As I was riding over the moor, Sir a couple of hours after, it was my fortune for to meet, with the farmer's only daughter although the weather being cold and raw, with her I thought to parley, the answer that she made to me, kind sir, I sold my barely.” And with the last few verses of my song being played, I smiled, bowed my head and stepped off the stage. 

“I'm turning in for the night mum.” I called Marian and stooped down and returned my fiddle to its case. It was hard to believe that I once considered selling this thing. Anyway that was in the past now, once my fiddle was stored away, I collected the case and the small box of coins.

“Night sweetie.” Marian called out. As she pulled a few pints. “Don't let the bed bugs bite.” She added.

“Night little sister.” Katie called as she placed a few plates of cold roasted chicken in front of two very drunk guardsmen. 

And that is how another chapter comes to an end.