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 and a character not encountered before. Ages of incomers are in Earth years at this point and of Folk in Castle years. (4 Folk yrs ≈ 5 Earth yrs. l is lunes, t is tenners.)
30th of Towin Day 3
Rowan taekt(1) Gina for lunch, and on the way there explained in detail the relationship she now had with Hardy and the rest of his clan should she decide to accept it. She explained it was appropriate, and would be expected, she called Hardy Dad or Father and formally Father Hardy. She also explained she would be expected to refer to other members of her clan appropriately, but lacking details of Hardy’s clan, for many of them crafted and lived at holdings all year, Gina would have to discover what they were for herself. Gina had been startled and asked “I would like that a lot, but why would Hardy do that? I’m a complete stranger to him.”
“Because in part he considert(2) you would be a great asset to his clan, but mostly because he liekt(3) you enough to will(4) to love you as a daughter.” Gina was silent and Rowan could see tears in her eyes. “It’s how we all are. Life is too difficult for us not to be blunt. Hardy willen(5) you as a daughter, so he sayt(6) so. He will be upset if you reject him, so I suggest you find him, kiss him and call him Dad. You will then be a member of a large clan of Folk, and your personal placement will be secure. He is already proud of you and probably impatient to introduce you to his kith as his daughter. Now, we are meeting some of the Folk for lunch whom I should like to introduce to you.”
Gina had learnt enough by now of the way the Folk did things and more to the point the speed at which they did them, to have no illusions regarding what was happening. She paled a little, but said, “Amongst them a man I take it?”
“Yes. He is Jonas, and he has three children. The eldest, his son Jay, is nine, and he has two girls, Poppy who is seven and Snowflake who is six. He’s a widower and is a Master woodworker who makes yoken.”(7)
Gina was taking all this in but asked, “Yoken?”
“Yes. Pieces of wood carvt(8) to the shape of a person’s shoulders for helping to carry things, usually pails. He makes them for animal use too. The best ones are individually maekt(9) to fit a particular person or beast.”
Gina had never come across the concept before, but just said, “I see.”
“Jonas is a quiet and shy man and not good with strangers, but his children more than make up for that. He’s Hornbeam’s mother’s brother, and Hornbeam is fond of his younger cousins. He has lookt(10) after them oft.” Rowan hesitated and then continued, “It was Hornbeam who suggestet(11) you and Jonas would suit each other and the children.”
Gina remembered Hornbeam from the meeting the previous day as a pleasant young man, probably twenty-four or so, and because she couldn’t think of anything else to say remarked, “By your customs I should become his aunt should I not?”
“Yes, that’s so,” replied Rowan.
“I said I wanted a man and children, so I had better go and meet them. What are you customs regarding the marriage itself?” asked Gina.
“I’m not sure I understand you,” said Rowan.
“I mean the ceremony or what ever.”
“We don’t do things that way. If you and Jonas, to use our phrase, have agreement, the marriage is in existence. Either of you may end it the same way, but you will both have an obligation of care to the children till they reach fourteen. You may of course celebrate your marriage in any way you like. Ivy at the White Swan has a large dance chamber for such occasions.”
By this time they had reached the Refectory, and as they entered Gina could see Harp sitting at a table with a man, a boy and two girls. The children all waved to Rowan and Gina, and the man smiled. Gina and Rowan collected their lunches and joined the others. Harp introduced every one and gestured to Gina to sit between herself and Jonas. The conversation was of naught of substance during lunch, but when they were drinking leaf, after they had eaten, Harp abruptly but gently said, “Jonas, since you are here to meet Gina and to see if you and she can reach agreement I suggest we start.” Harp continued spaeking(12) to Gina, “Jonas does not find social situations with strangers comfortable, and we’ve agreen(13) I shall initially spaek(14) for him. Is that not so, Jonas?”
Jonas nodded his head, and as he met Gina’s eyes he nodded again. He was a good-looking man of medium build, but the expression on his face indicated he was incapable of articulating the words necessary for this situation, but he managed to say, “I’m not good with words, but I wish a wife and a mother for the children.”
At that he had run out of words. Harp continued with a smile at Jonas and Gina, “The weather is good, so I suggest you take the children out for a walk this afternoon and have spaech.(15) You never know they may bully their father into spaech.”
Jonas who hadn’t taken his gaze off Gina yet smiled, and the girls protested, Poppy saying, “I should never bully Dad.”
Closely followed by Jay saying to Gina, “My sisters never stop bullying Dad.”
Harp continued, “Jonas will meet you at the dance thisnight,(16) Gina, and you can further your acquaintance there. Now I suggest you take the children for that walk.”
Jonas, Gina and the children left the Refectory and donned their outdoor coats. It being a warm day the children asked if they could walk down to the shore. Gina said, “I’ve seen the sea from the Keep, but I’ve never been there. Is it far?”
Jonas seemed to have no difficulty with impersonal matters and replied, “Less than a thousand strides, but four times that to walk. The tide is out, so we can walk on the beach, which is much easier than walking on the dunes through the dune grass.”(17) The children kept running ahead and running back, which left Gina to her thoughts in the long silences that left to her with this shy and farouche man. Jonas appeared to be a good man who loved his children and would doubtless be less awkward on further acquaintance. He must be capable of intimacy, since he had fathered three children.
Realising he was unable to initiate a conversation because of a farouchth(18) that was almost crippling him Gina decided to take the initiative. “Jonas, are you being pressed into this meeting? If you are you only have to say so, and it will go no further.”
“No. I wisht(19) to meet you. I’m just not good at it.”
Gina thought he sounded sincere in this apologetic remark, so she asked, “Will it make it easier if I make statements and ask questions that don’t require many words to answer?”
Jonas replied, “Yes,” and then, “please. It will make it easier, Gina.”
Gina thought his use of her name was at least some progress, and when he smiled he was even more attractive. “I’ll start by telling you a bit about me, or at any rate the bits that matter right now.”
Jonas smiled at her. The children ran up then, and he said, “Run along now Gina and I need some peace to have spaech.”
He ruffled Snowflake’s hair who said, “See you do. Some spaeking I mean. Love you, Dad.” And they all ran away again scuffing the sandy soil before they reached the dunes.
Gina continued, “I am thirty-six.”
“I’m thirty-eight,” said Jonas.
“I have never had children. I should like to be married, and I should like to have children. I’m not sure if I can have any now as it’s becoming a little late for me. I should like to adopt children to be sure of having a family. My craft is dairy work. Do you want to know more at present?”
Jonas shook his head and said sadly, “I loes Samphire and two children to the fevers. We were going to have more. I make yoken.”
“Would you like more children now, Jonas?”
“Yes.”
“Would you like to adopt some of the incomer children because I may be too old to have any ?”
“Yes.”
“And if I then become pregnant what then?”
Jonas turned to her and taking hold of her hand said, “That would make me happy. It would be wonderful, and the children would like it too.”
Gina realised she either had to commit herself or pull out now, and Jonas was becoming a little more open and communicative. “Jonas, would you like to marry me?”
“Yes, I should, Gina.”
“I know I have to accept Folk customs now, but I wasn’t born Folk. Where I come from the custom is the man has to ask, and it is considered important by women they’re asked. Would you please use my customs if only for this once?”
“Yes. I should like to marry you, Gina. Will you marry me please?”
“Yes. I shall. I understand we now have agreement and are considered to be married?”
“Yes, we do, and yes we are.”
“So now we tell the children,” said Gina.
Jonas waved at the children, and they all ran to the couple as the couple reached the sandy shoreline. Gina hadn’t even been aware they had walked over the dunes. Jonas said, “Gina and I have agreement, and we will to adopt from the incomers. You have a mum, and there will be more of you.”
“Excellent!” said Jay.
“I telt(20) you there would be no reason to worry, Dad, because you’re nice,” said Poppy.
Snowflake put one hand in one of her father’s, and held the other out for Gina, who taekt it. Then she asked, “Are you going to have babes too, Mum?”
Jonas went bright red, and Poppy said, “Snowflake, really!”
Jay looked the other way, and Gina said, “If it happens I should like that, but we’ll have to wait and see won’t we?” The two older children and Jonas were much relieved by her casual handling of Snowflake’s question.
Snowflake said, “When I’m older I’m going to have lots of children.” The conversation went quiet awhile as they walked along the shore. The children were picking up and discarding interesting bits and pieces of flotsam and jetsam. Gina was trying to work out what was different on the shore when she realised there were no bits of plastic and rubbish. It was becoming decidedly cool, and Jonas suggested they return. Shyly as they turned to return he held his hand out for Gina. Relieved Jonas was becoming more comfortable with her now she put her hand in his.
The children ran up the beach again, and Gina taking the initiative again said, “I’ve next to no possessions, Jonas, so what do we do, go back, and I just move in? Will that be possible?”
“Yes, I hadn’t considert the matter, but we can collect what ever you will when ever you will.”
Gina continued, “So I take possession of chambers, husband and children all in one go?”
“Yes, that sounds pleasant, Gina.”
“I hope you’ve a big enough bed then because I have no intention of sleeping any where else?”
Jonas blushed crimson, but it appeared this conversation was easier for him than spaeking had been when they had first met, and he replied, “Yes, I have, and that sounds even pleasanter still.”
“Good,” said Gina, holding her hand out to him again. Hand in hand they walked down the shore their conversation punctuated by sporadic visits from the children, who in typical Folk children fashion had accepted the situation as though it had existed all their lifes.(21) “Jonas, I’m not bothered about going to the dinner dance at the Greathall, I was only going to find a husband. Do you particularly wish to go?”
“Not now. Why?”
“I’d rather go to the infirmary with a view to adopting the children on the way home. How do you feel?”
This sort of conversation didn’t seem to bother Jonas at all because he said, “Yes, that would be a good idea, but it would be better to tell the children first, but leave them with Hornbeam, and the two of us go to the Keep.”
Gina thought that a good idea too, so when they reached the Keep gate they explained what they were going to do. The children were a little disappointed they were not going to the infirmary, but Jonas explained it wasn’t fair to the incomer children to take them when the children at the Keep hadn’t all yet found mums and dads. The children accepted that and were speculating on what was to eat thiseve(22) when they reached Hornbeam’s dwelling space. He was delighted to see them all, and Poppy braekt(23) the news of Mum and Dad going to the Keep to adopt more brothers and sisters. Hornbeam congratulated Gina and Jonas and said of course he would have the three of them, and he would no doubt see them later.
30th of Towin Day 3
Janet found the work making the first Castle brassière for Amethyst was soothing to her nerves as it gave her something to occupy her mind other than the dinner and the dance. Working away she was thinking how dramatically her life had changed for the better and hoped the rest of the day would see an equal improvement. They don’t waste any time here, was a thought that kept recurring, and that started her worries concerning the eve again. Then sighing with resignation she reapplied herself to her craft, which it had been suggested if successful would probably surface as a new craft within the seamstresses. She smiled to herself, and spake the words aloud, “Janet Mistress brassière.” It would have been the subject of much unpleasant innuendo, derision and scorn where she had come from, but here it sounded entirely appropriate.
Three hours later, after many re-workings, she went looking for Amethyst for the first trial fitting. She acquired quite an entourage of women when it was realised what was happening. They were all eager to see how it worked. Amethyst and a dozen or more craft colleagues followed Janet back to her work place. A fitting chamber wouldn’t have been large enough for them all. When Amethyst had slacked the laces enough to let her bib drop and removed her loose blouse, Janet saw exactly what she was working with, and was wondering if the garment she had maekt were substantial enough. But Amethyst was keen to continue with the fitting and was clumsily attempting to fasten the brassière buttons at the back. It was clear the shoulder strap front attachments were too far back and at not quite the correct angle. However, Amethyst completed bouncing herself into the cups and declared, “Not bad, not bad at all, for a first trial.”
There then followed a multi-way conversation of improvements and design possibilities concerning the technical: strap wiedths,(24) openable cups for nursing mothers, front fastenings, could the smiths make the hook and eye fastenings Janet had mentioned? and more, and the purely aesthetic: colours, fabrics, trim and much more. Janet had never been happier. It was strange she reflected to be appreciated she’d had to come to this place to make a garment she had never had a need for.
30th of Towin Day 3
The afternoon meetings progressed more or less as anticipated, and the combinations of chair and assistant were kept and the same observers, but in different combinations. The craft Mistresses and Masters were on hand from the beginning this time, so things progressed quite quickly. The nine non-problematic men gladly accepted the offers of initial placement with Mistress grower Alsike. It had been explained to them food production was a high priority, and folk tended to specialise in particular crop types after a while, but there was time aplenty for that, and they could work with various crafters till they maekt a decision, or indeed they could, as some folk did, keep changing for the variety. Alsike invited them to a meeting of growers yet to be organised for the immediate future.
Though they were not aware of it only Patrick and Gerald were interviewed in more deepth(25) with a view to understanding how they could best be helped to become Folk.
Gerald had been the sixth of eight children and had two older sisters and five brothers. His mother had been a good but harassed and overworked woman abused by her man. His father, a pillar of the community without a charitable bone in his body, had for some reason spoilt his sixth child, and as a result of Gerald’s entirely inappropriate, smug sense of superiority, his siblings and all his cousins despised him. He had grown up to be an unpleasant man who considered himself to be someone who should receive respect from all. That he had never done anything to deserve any one’s respect did not occur to him. He had never had a trade, worked as a common labourer, and he had never managed to attract a woman until he met Mandy. Mandy was the plain sister of three whose father had been in trade, and who had also owned some three hundred and ten acres. From Gerald’s point of view she was an heiress. Desperate for a man to shew some interest in her, any man at all, Mandy had married Gerald who had then worked for her father as a farm labourer. When her father had died his four sons had inherited the family trading concern, and Mandy had inherited ninety acres, twenty six dairy cows and a small flock of sheep.
Instead of being grateful Gerald had been overwhelmed by hatred for his sisters in laws who had inherited the larger farms, both three miles from that of his wife, but in opposite directions. Six weeks after his father in law died, he had been gaoled for thirty days by Quentin a local magistrate for forcing a quarrel on the husband of one of his sisters in law in a local inn and then striking the first blow. The event had occurred in front of a dozen and a half local men and their wives, and had confirmed opinions his neighbours already held of him. With no father in law to restrain him Gerald had subjected his wife to domestic violence. He only stopped after she had repeatedly hit him with a heavy poker from the fire when he was asleep which had put him in hospital for several days and in two plaster casts for three months. When he came home she told him if he ever hit her again she would take a red hot poker to his eyes. The story in the district was Gerald had shot his prize winning sheepdog trials bitch in temper when she had not understood his unreasonable expectations.
Mandy had never been stupid enough to change the deeds of what little was in her power to do so from her name into theirs, and after twenty years of marriage, Gerald had had no choice but to live with his wife’s constant affairs which made him the butt of his neighbours’ amusement. He had only challenged her once, he had lifted his hand to strike her when she had said, “If you ever hit me again Gerald, I shall divorce you, and you will not get a penny. The land and buildings are entailed, and thus not subject to a divorce court. The children will get it all, and I shall make sure you get nothing else.” Unable to take his frustrations out on his wife, laught at by his neighbours and despised by his four children, who resentfully had to defend their indefensible father, Gerald became even more unpleasant to his neighbours. Æller was a new neighbour who had bought a property Gerald had wanted, but not had the means to purchase. Gerald had made life difficult for Æller. When it had been realised by all what Gerald had done, and was continuing to do, Æller had been told by Yaana, a local land owner who was known as the worst gossip in the county, “None will help you, Æller, you will have to do something concerning it yourself.”
Æller had said, “Why should I do anything? I’d rather all my neighbours realised what a cunt the man is.”
Yaana’s reply was, “I don’t suppose you have to do anything, but your neighbours already know that!”
Æller knowing Yaarna would repeat all he heard said,“Even so, I’m not going to be excited by a pathetic loser who not only isn’t a good enough driver to keep his team and cart on the road and off my land, but isn’t a good enough driver to keep his wife in his own bed.” Yaana had laught and repeated the story, and within two days the entire district was laughing at it. Without complaint, Æller had always, as the law required, kept removing the verge material that Gerald kept deliberately churning onto the road, but he was biding his time.
What Æller had said had got back to Gerald, and he had said to Yaana, who he didn’t know had spread the tale, he would sort that bastard Æller out one day. That too was repeated to Æller by Yaana. Æller had said, “I know a lot of Gerald, and he knows nothing of me. I shall let him do what ever he wills. When I was a younger man I used to fight nearly every night for a living. If he throws a punch at me I shall take him apart which will make him look very silly when the police take him to court. If one of his son’s throws a punch at me, win or lose, I’ll see father and son gaoled. If one of his boys beats me up, I shall win. If on the other hand I put a man half my age in hospital, and they all cry when I drop to my knees and bite their thighs, they’ll still both go to goal, and just think how pathetic they will look when they are released. I should naturally apply for an injunction preventing them from coming any where near me or my house which will prevent them using the road passing through my property. Yes, on the whole I hope one of them does throw a punch at me.”
The story circulated and, as Æller had known it would, it eventually reached Gerald, who seething with anger knew there was little he could do other than keep driving his carts over the edges of Æller’s property damaging the verges, which he did just for spite. Æller’s indifference hurt him far more than anything Æller could have done would, and Æller knew it. The wheel ruts in the soft verges off the edge of the road caused by Gerald grew deeper and deeper and when Æller ajudged there to be no more than a hand span of clearance between the edge of the road and the neath side of Gerald’s carts when his wheels were in the rut Æller waited till the full moon on a rainy night and dug the ruts a foot and a half deeper.
It was unfortunate for Gerald that his cart was fully laden with unbagged barley when he grounded it with its wheels a good foot above the solid ground at the bottom of the rut. It was impossible to know that for the rut was full of water. Gerald’s cart completely blocked the road and no matter how hard he whipped his horses they were unable to move it. Within the hour dozens of folk had seen the spectacle and Gerald had been arrested for his treatment of his horses. He was sentenced to ninety days and a fine to be determined. Quentin the local magistrate had received over a hundred demands as to what he was going to do to ensure the road was reopened as soon as possible. Quentin had been to see the situation first hand and talked to Æller, who naturally wanted the road reopened immediately.
Æller had said, “Given a court order stating that in return for the horses, their tack, the cart and the load I’ll have the road open within an hour. Gerald’s horses are half starved and eating my hay and oats right now, and I’ve had the vet to them who will be sending a report on their condition to you. He was seriously upset. If the horses are mine I’ll take care of their feed and the vet’s bill, but without the order the feed bill and the vet’s bill will be sent to the county for payment and the cart stays where it is. I can drive through my field around it, but I’ll let none other do so. It’s up to you, Quentin. No order, no road. Despite the cover sheet that barley is now wet, and taking up more water by the minute. By this time tomorrow other than hen or pig feed to use immediately it’ll be worthless and my offer will no longer be available.”
“Æller, how can you do that in an hour?”
“Quentin, do I look that stupid? If I tell you you’ll have it done, and I get nothing. It’s nothing personal against you, but for reasons I’m sure you are aware off I want to take all off Gerald. Look at the depth of those ruts. Gerald did this to himself and was so stupid as to not consider what the rain would do. Let me know when you’ve made your mind up regards my offer.”
“I don’t suppose you’d accept my word on it would you, Æller?”
“Not this time I’m afraid. I need an official court order with the court stamp duly signed, witnessed and dated. The easy way of course is you fine Gerald the horses, their tack, the cart and the load. I know fines don’t have to be money.”
“I’ll be back within the hour with your order.”
Quentin was back in forty minutes. Æller and six of his neighbours checked the order and all agreed it was in order. Æller and his neighbours went into his barn and to Quentin’s surprise they came out leading two dozen heavy horses. They tacked them up to the cart and it was back with four wheels on the road within the minute. Æller had it in his barn out of the rain within another. Half an hour later they’d bagged up the loose barley, put the bags on Æller’s new cart and he was off delivering his neighbours’ share to their farms. Before he left he said to Quentin, “A decent neighbour will always receive help when he is in need. And a decent neighbour does not like to be in too much debt for that help, but Gerald will never be a decent neighbour.” Unlike Gerald, Æller could keep his mouth shut and none ever found out about his moonlight digging in the rain. It had been unpleasant, but he considered the result well worth the discomfort and even more worth waiting for.
When he heard about his fine and the deal Quentin had struck on behalf of the county with Æller to clear the road Gerald was enraged. When he heard that his neighbours had helped Æller, who was just a newcomer to the area, and how quickly they had resolved the problem all sharing in what Æller had stolen from him he was incandescent, and resolved to confront Æller immediately on his release. It wasn’t necessary, for on his release Æller and twenty of the local farmers were there to greet him as he walked out of the gaol building. It was made clear to him by Baxter Mandy’s current lover that should he do anything to any of them they would all make him regret it. Æller recommended, “You can’t keep you temper, Gerald, so I suggest you buy the wheelchair now. You’ll be needing it.” The red mist came down in front of Gerald’s eye’s as he moved towards Æller, but in the space of a second the mist was replaced by bonfire smoke, and Gerald was looking at the fire on the Gatherfield.
The only thing Gerald was prepared to consider crafting at was the grower craft, and it was agreed with Mistress Jewel of the growers he would go to Alsike’s meeting. Gerald had been hostile to Jewel, and it seemed to Campion, who knew none of Gerald’s history, in an effort to overcome his may hap justifiable sense of inferiority Gerald had come to assume a hostile and insulting manner to all he met, and she was not overly optimistic concerning his future as a member of the Folk. She telt Jewel she suspected one day he would push someone too far, and either they or one of their kith would kill him. Both knew, like all newfolk, Gerald would not have yet realised if he maekt himself unpleasant enough killing him would be regarded as an act of beneficence and thus subject to no investigation.
Patrick had been born one of nine siblings to a lower middle class family in a town which locals considered to be in the north, but which northerners considered to be in the Midlands. Outside the extreme south and south-east of the country, there was a peculiar disdain associated with being from south of wherever was under consideration. A moderately clever boy he had attended the local school and thought over much of himself till he hit puberty. Less than average height, and cleverer than most of his peers, it was girls that gave him his first sense of inferiority. He wasn’t as tall as most of them, was socially inept and laught at by them.
He went to a prestigious university which was where he acquired most of his subsequent inferiorities. He tried to ape and assume the mannerisms of an upper class scion, but was completely unaware he gave himself away a hundred times a day, and because of his attempts to convince others he was privately educated and from an upper class family he was despised in a way that his transparently middle class peers were not. His frequent shibboleths and what to the upper classes were appalling table manners made him not just a laughing stock, but a pathetic and revolting personage to them. Clever, but not clever enough to be considered for a doctoral studentship, and neither having appropriate social connections nor having good enough manners to be considered for a position from which one day he could become someone who mattered to those who mattered he became bitter and self centred.
He was described by many as suffering from little man syndrome. He married a taller plain frump of lower class than himself. Other than those whom he had paid, she was the only woman who had ever been interested in him, and since to her he was upper class, and he could look down on and despise her it became the perfect marriage made in hell. His four daughters all took after his wife in their looks and height, and his two sons were as small as he and aggressive to boot. None of his children had any intelligence, and he was bitter regarding that. The best he had been able to manage in the way of a career after leaving university had been teaching. Socially inept with no abilities to relate to persons of any age he was not a good teacher. His heavy handed attempts at humour, which he made to become the friendly approachable teacher, were regarded with contempt by pupils who only respected those who could handle them, in their terms, proper grown ups, and he didn’t measure up. His only option was promotion which he pursued, eventually becoming a headteacher.
All the way through his career at the back of his mind preyed the awareness of his unnatural thoughts concerning little girls, it was may hap fortunate for little girls he had as little courage as social skill, and hence had never done anything for which he could be held to account concerning those desires, but he had always been terrified one day he would and he would be found out. A resentful and bitter man he had always professed the Anglican faith. It was a great shock to him when one of his peers had told him when they had started teaching ‘Patrick, give me an honest to god atheist every time, at least I can negotiate with him because I know he will always do what is in his own best interests. A true believer like you would burn me at the stake, and tell me, with tears in his eyes as the flames were licking my balls, he is only doing it for the good of my soul.’
To become a headteacher he had had to trample on a great many teachers’ careers on the way. He had come to to believe in a Calvinistic way since God had decreed their failure to ensure his success they deserved it, and were therefore not worthy of consideration. As a headteacher he had been the ultimate line manager of a number of public school(26) educated scions of the upper classes, whose contempt was largely, but not entirely, in his imagination. That his table manners embarrassed them to the point where they certainly would not have been prepared to introduce him to their spouses he was in complete ignorance of.
Despite being a sycophantic toady to those in authority, especially those of the upper classes, his secret hatred for them, because he wasn’t one of them, knew no bounds, and he had manipulated many of those who’d worked for him out of a job. He had also messed it up several times which had incurred huge compensation claims which his schools had had to pay, though he had never been held to account for his arrant stupidity. A conceited, arrogant man with more psychological problems than the average sociopath he could not accept to the Folk he was just someone with no skills or knowledge of any value to them. He could not see he was worthless simply because he was not prepared to even try to learn anything of worth. Campion was convinced he would end up being expelt from the Keep for Castle to take, but Jewel had said on behalf of the growers she was prepared to give him a chance, despite the personal revulsion she felt for the man.
Craig, Barret and Ryan who had expressed interest in farriery, milling and cooking respectively were easily placed appropriately. Craig was apprenticed as a farrier to Blush of Alfalfa and Dimidd’s horse breeding clan, and less than two hours after meeting him their fifteen year old daughter, Tansy, had announced she had agreement with him. She had admitted to her mum she loved Craig and had seduced him to make sure she had agreement with him before any other did and hoped she was pregnant. Her quiet and not in the least confrontational tone had convinced her mum this was what the entire clan had been waiting for. They’d feared they’d be waiting a long time, for Tansy had never had a boy pay the slightest attention to her, for her attitude maekt her undesirable as a friend never mind as a heartfriend.(27)
The couple had Tansy’s parents’ approval and were going to live with them. It was common knowledge Tansy had been a difficult and froward child to rear. By that eve, it had circulated mongst(28) her family’s entire and grateful kith that Craig’s good opinion mattered more to her than her very existence, and it was soon realised her parents only had to say, “What bethink you Craig would say, Dear?” and she became instantly tractable. Since Craig was a steady and sensible young man, he could do no wrong in the eyes of Tansy’s kin who considered his arrival in Tansy’s vicinity as providential in the extreme. The women of her kin knew pregnancy and a babe would settle her down even more, and their congratulations and wishes for her early pregnancy were heartfelt rather than just the conventional things to say to a newly married woman.
Barret was adopted by Molly and Briar Master miller, who taekt him as apprentice, and Ryan was taken as apprentice vegetable cook with Fulbert and adopted by Hollyhock and Head cook Milligan.
As had been done lastday,(29) at Thomas’ request, Campion had recruited extra senior women and junior men, mostly but not all from the Master at arms staff, so that the interviews could be completed that afternoon. All the remaining women newfolk went to meetings chaired by a senior woman assisted by a male junior, and with a female observer. The women were quickly craft placed, a lot of them had no particular skills and accepted more or less what they were offered, and they were telt they could always try something else if they didn’t like their first placement. Helen, who was married to Duncan, was temporarily helping in the crèche, but she had a placement as a lærer(30) pastry cook with Alice after her babe was birtht.(31) The interviewers quickly moved on to the subject of husbands, families and accommodation. Interest was more positive here, yet again the women were telt of their value as a wife, adopting mother or other family member. They were telt in more detail of the widowers with children who desperately wished a wife and a mother for their children. This was something women who were agonised by the loss of their own husbands and children related to. They were telt yet again of the details of the dinner dance, and to consider all offers seriously. They didn’t have to accept any offer, but to take all offers seriously and seek advice if necessary.
By the time they had finished the meetings with thirty-nine women, Rowan, Siskin and Gosellyn were tired, and Hazel was exhausted. They were all optimistic the outcomes of all the meetings would be good, but that remained to be seen. Hazel announced if she were expected to be at the dance thisnight she needed some rest and was going to lie down for some sleep. Because of her intelligence, and her usually energetic appearance it was easy to forget how old she was, and Rowan and Gosellyn realised Hazel had been pushing herself too hard for too long.
Rowan expressed gratitude to her but she snorted and said, “You don’t believe I’m going leave something this important to a set of babes like you three do you?”
“Go and have a rest Hazel, and return refresht(32) with a new batch of set downs,” replied Rowan with a smile.
“Don’t you bethink yourselfs I won’t,” said Hazel acerbically but with a smile and left.
Word Usage Key
1 Taekt, took.
2 Considert, considered.
3 Liekt, liked.
4 Will, wish or want.
5 Willen, willed, wished or wanted.
6 Sayt, said.
7 Yoken, yokes. A number of Folk words take the suffix en as a plural.
8 Carvt, carved.
9 Maekt, made.
10 Lookt, looked.
11 Suggestet, suggested.
12 Spaeking, speaking.
13 Agreen, agreed.
14 Spaek, speak.
15 Spaech, speech.
16 Thisnight, tonight
17 Dune grass, marrom grass. Ammophilia arenaria and Ammophilia breviligulata.
18 Farouchth, faroucheness.
19 Wisht, wished.
20 Telt, told.
21 Lifes, lives.
22 Thiseve, thisevening.
23 Braekt, broke.
24 Wiedths, widths.
25 Deepth, depth.
26 British public schools, are outside the state sector, fee paying, exclusive and expensive.
27 Heartfriend, a relationship of much more significance than being a girl- or boy-friend is on Earth. Oft such relationships are formed from as young as four and they are taken seriously by both children and adults. A child’s heartfriend is automatically one of their heartfriend’s parents’ children too, and a sibling to their heartfriend’s siblings. Such relationships rarely fail and are seen as precursors to becoming intendet and having agreement.
28 Mongst, amongst.
29 Lastday, yesterday.
30 Lærer, adult apprentice, trainee.
31 Birtht, born.
32 Refresht, refreshed.
