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

Constance was at a meeting with the Master at arms staff. She telt(1) them she already had a husband, two children, was going to have more and she was arranging a three way cross craft placement. They had telt her she had no need of their help and suggested she carry on with her busy life. They congratulated her on her marriage and her placements, and she left with the usual wishes for her early pregnancy.

She left the Master at arms office thinking back over the last three days amazed at the speed with which her life had so totally changed. Four days ago a single, international opera star, and now a wife, a mother, a part time singer and part time candle and soap maker. She had met, and been taken with, Rye when he had escorted her, and two hundred other newfolk, from the tent where Thomas had spaken(2) to them to the one where they were initially interviewed by the Master at arms staff.

She was a tall, slender, dark brunette, and had a pretty face with an olive complexion. Despite her slenderth(3) she had a decidedly feminine pair of hips with a bosom to match. When Rye had first noticed her from behind he had been mesmerised by the motion of her hips as she walked. When she turned, and he seen the way her breasts bounced when she walked, he simply couldn’t take his eyes off her. Constance had been an internationally known soprano since she was twenty, and it was automatic for her to play to the crowd. She had worked with many tenors, the most egocentric of all opera performers, for the same period of time, and she knew the difference between animal lust and true appreciation of her somewhat opulent charms. Rye, as she was aware, was totally overwhelmed by her compelling femininity. She thought that sweet in a man she thought forty years old. He had spaken to her in the second tent with all the gaucherie of a teenager, and far from being repelled by it, again she thought it sweet. He hadn’t tried to impress her in any way he had just wished to have spaech(4) with her, to be near her and to look at her.

After the interviews in the second tent she had looked for him. Now much more aware of the situation she was in she had wished to learn a lot more of him. She was honest enough with herself to know if she considered him a no-hoper she wouldn’t be interested, but if he had a reasonable position in this society she was interested in a man who was so interested in her. She had found him easily enough. He was still looking at her. The first thing she wished to know was whether he was married or not. She had seen more than enough marriages wrecked with the consequent agony and heartache that went with relationship braekdown(5) and wasn’t prepared to take another woman’s man.

She had smiled at him inviting him over with that smile, and he had come to have spaech with her. He telt her his name, and he was a guardian squad leader. She had asked him what that meant, and he had explained he had a squad of twelve, and usually he was a hunter, but a lot of hunters and trackers had joined the guardians temporarily to help deal with the incursion. She had telt him of her life as a singer, and he’d said, “Singers are holdt(6) in great esteem.” She’d asked him if he had any children, and he’d replied, “No. To our regret, we were never lucky enough to have any.” She was planning on terminating the conversation on hearing him implicitly mention having a wife, when he said, “And then when I loes(7) Sundew to the fevers last year I suppose I was grateful we had none. My own grief was hard enough to deal with.” Realising he was in her terms available, and also definitely not a no-hoper, she had asked him if he had found any one else. He’d blushed and replied, “I hope so. I am looking and have seen none else I wisht(8) to marry till you.”

Recalling the Master at arms’ words ‘take all offers seriously’ she had said, “I don’t know yet, but I am interested in you. How can we discover more of each other to see if we think we could go further?”

Rye had telt her his duty was over in two hours and asked if she would she like to go to the White Swan that eve for a glass or two, to listen to some song and music and they could have spaech. She had agreed and was surprised she had enjoyed the song and the music. Opera it wasn’t, but quality music it was. Encouraged to sing she wondered what in her repertoire would be enjoyed. Without really understanding why she chose it, she sang Balfe’s The Gipsy girl’s Dream from The Bohemian Girl. At the opening line I dreamt that I dwelt in marble Halls, the audience was silent as entranced they listened to voice of a power and interpretative skill they had never heard before singing a new song which she’d had to explain afterwards. She only sang the one song believing it not wise to make too much of oneself in a new venue.

Rye had proposed to her again that eve, and she had telt him she wasn’t saying yes or no, she was still interested, but not prepared to commit herself to marriage without knowing him a lot better. When the eve ended, she had telt him she was still interested to the point where she was willing to sleep with him, but if he taekt(9) her up on it he wasn’t to take it to mean any kind of decision on her part. Rye was even more besotted by the sight of her naekt(10) than he had been before. They had both enjoyed themselfs(11) in bed and continued their conversation. Rye admitted he was hoping she would marry him, and he didn’t need to know aught else. However, she was still making up her mind and telt him she was worried he was just overwhelmed by her body, and she was bothered he wasn’t seeing her as herself, Constance, but just as a female he physically desired. Rye admitted her body mesmerised him, but he also telt her he knew a few women who were equally attractive physically, but he didn’t wish agreement with them or even to sleep with them.

Constance asked him, “Besides marriage what else do you want out of your future life?”

Without hesitation he had replied, “Children, a family. If you marry me I will to adopt two of the incomer children to start a family, and then I should like you to have children too.”

Constance thought that through and asked, “and if I don’t want children what then?”

Rye replied with a great deal of sadth(12) in his voice, “I hope that’s not so because if it is, much as I have fallen in love with you, and I don’t accept it is just because you are beautiful, though that was what initially attractet(13) me to you, I don’t wish you as a wife.”

That he would be prepared to walk away if she didn’t measure up to his requirements Constance found to be the most reassuring thing he had telt her since they met. “Don’t worry, that’s not how I feel. I just wanted to know what your reaction would be were it so,” she had explained.

She had kissed him, and they had maekt(14) love again. They had spent most of the following day together and had gone to the dinner dance together in the eve. They spent the night together again at Rye’s chamber, and at braekfast(15) she had telt him she had decided she wished to marry him, and was in agreement concerning adopting two children from the incomer orphans. She also said she would like to have children herself. Rye was overjoyed, and suggested they go to the healers’ after lunch as he had three hours of duty before lunch. Constance agreed and said she wished to discuss joining the entertainers’ craft that forenoon though she would like to do something else too but wasn’t sure what.

That afternoon they went to the healers’ where they adopted Bullace who was eight and Bling who was nine. Bling, who had initially been cool to them both, had been thrilled when she heard Constance had been an opera singer, and had maekt her mum promise to sing for her before bedtime. Later Constance telt Rye she had joined the entertainers and was going to have spaech with the candlers and the soap-makers nextday(16) regarding cross-craft placements. In the meanwhile she was mentally selecting a small program she thought Bling would enjoy, though she thought she would cheat a bit and include some operetta for Bullace.

Constance had met Winifred in the Refectory the previous day, and a chance remark concerning crafts had led her to say she had been an opera singer and wished to join the entertainers. Winifred had remarked wryly she had taught Italian, but unfortunately there was no market for the skill on Castle. Though Constance knew the outlines of the stories that the Italian songs she had sung were based on she had never been able to translate them into English. She had never sung German opera and lothed(17) Wagner. It occurred to her perhaps Bling would like to know what the words to the Italian operas were in English. She would ask her because it was possible her daughter, who was surprisingly knowledgeable concerning classical music and passionately interested in opera in particular, may wish to learn Italian from Winifred.

That Bling had had a poor life she knew, just how poor she had no concept of, but her daughter of a few hours was the strangest child she had ever come across. When they had met Bullace and Bling, Bullace had been glad to have parents, who he obviously expected to love and be loved by, but it was clear Bling had been interviewing them, and if they had not met what ever her criteria were she would have not have accepted them. She had convinced Constance and Rye she was clever, knew what she wished in her parents and she was more cynical than any adult either of them had ever met. Constance had been stunned when Bling, in a few short, blistering, obscenity-loaded sentences, had disposed of the entire establishment, and in particular politicians, the media, social workers and the police, as lying, kiddie fiddling perverts with their hands in the till. It had later taken Constance some time to explain to Rye what Bling had meant, and they had been upset at the thought of what their daughter had been through to be able to formulate such thoughts at her age.

Bling had been reluctant to allow them inside her emotional defences, but it had been her passion for music that had unlocked her reluctance to accept them. When Constance had telt her she was hoping to become pregnant as soon as possible, and had asked her what her feelings regarding a little brother or sister were Bling had filled up and said, “I’d love to have a baby brother or sister, Mum,” and had held her hand. It was the first time she had uest(18) the word mum or dad or initiated physical contact, and that maekt Constance fill up.

30th of Towin Day 3

Jimmy was shewn into the chamber to meet with Mistress Saithe from the huntsman’s office. He was observed by Yew, and the meeting was being chaired by Raoul assisted by Daphne. He was nineteen, six feet and a span, skeletally thin, and he’d a very mature look. Yew thought he looked the way Will had done forty years over, emaciated and hungry to prove himself, like stretched raw hide, and with a great deal of strongth(19) to him.

At his initial meetings, he had telt the Master at arms staff he had worked in a large organisation that supplied tools and materials to deeyewires,(20) which he hadn’t particularly enjoyed. He had admitted to doing a bit of poaching which he did enjoy. It only taken a few minutes of exploratory discussion before Saithe offered him a placement with the huntsmen as a lærer(21) hunter which he accepted. When the meeting moved on to consideration of personal placements he said he had met Berry at lunch lastday,(22) and they had agreement. She was a twenty-two year old knitter with the seamstresses, and he was going to meet her as soon as he left the meeting when they were going to acquire a suite of chambers.

He was congratulated by all and Saithe said, “Take a few days to be settelt(23) in your chambers with Berry, and I’ll contact you in half a tenner or so, Jimmy, to arrange for a hunter assist your learning.”

After Jimmy had left Raoul observed, “That young man is a natural member of the Folk. We have findt(24) a good man there.”

Daphne smiled and said, “Yes, I agree, and Berry has findt a good father to her children too.”

30th of Towin Day 3

Leveret couldn’t remember skipping for years, not since she was at least ten years younger when playing with some of the little ones she had looked after, but she couldn’t entirely suppress the slight skip she had in her walk and the smile she had on her face. She was twenty-three, elegant and slim. She was tall, fair and had an oval face with soft blue eyes framed by light auburn hair that barely curled on to her shoulders. She was on her way to the Master at arms offices, and for the first time in over a year she smiled at all who bad her a goodday,(25) no longer noticing the pity on their faces. She had lost Fir, her husband of three years, to the fevers and had thought at the time she may have been pregnant with their first, and much longed for child, but either it was a missed lunetime,(26) which she had experienced before, or she had lost the babe early without being aware of it.

Neither of those events were what caused the looks of pity, after all they had both happened to many others, it was the damage done to her once pretty face by the fevers that did that. She had wished many times in the lonely, dark, bitter, small hours she had dien(27) with Fir, but she was Folk and had endured knowing time would heal the hurt if not her face. The Mother(28) was shining, and, feeling the warmth of it on her face, for the first time since the fevers she pushed her hair back to enjoy the sensation to the full. She smiled at some children and sat down on the edge of the stonework of the courtyard carp pond to enjoy the day, watch the fish and to take pleasure in her thoughts.

She thought yet again of the good-looking twenty-seven year old incomer Rory. Rory, whom she had met at the dinner dance lasteve,(29) whose dancing was as poor as his company was exciting. Rory who had kindth,(30) but no pity, on his face when he looked into her eyes. Rory who had spent most of the eve teasing out her conversation. Rory who had telt her he would like to see her this forenoon, and who, even though she thought he would have second thoughts, and not bother to keep the arrangement, had met her, kissed her and asked her to be his wife. Rory her husband.

She hugged herself with delight, feeling as warm inside as her shine kissed face. She had known for some time she had to start again. She wished a family, but knew she couldn’t accept any with pity in his eyes. That Rory, who said he had been a welder, a sort of smith she understood, had grown up on his parents’ farm had been purely fortuitous. Rory had telt her, though he’d had little interest in, and even less experience of crafting with, his parents’ sheep, he would be happy to take up sheepherding(31) because it meant they could be together when the sheep were grazing the far pasture lands. Notwithstanding her lack of years she was her clan’s expert on lambing and the ailments that afflicted sheep, and as a result her presence during the summer lunes at the far pasture lands was necessary, and Rory would be there with her.

After indulging herself with the shine(32) and her thoughts a little more she left the carp, and still walking with the odd skip went to meet her husband after his interview with the Master at arms staff where she knew one of her kin would be having spaech with him. They were going to organise chambers with the Master at arms staff, arrange their domestic affairs and see her clansfolk regarding further details of Rory’s crafting, all thisday.(33) Then, they had decided, they would do naught else than enjoy being married for a few days, and she hoped to make a start on their family.

30th of Towin afternoon Day 3

Shelagh was meeting with Mistresses herbal Mink and Ella concerning her desire to work as an apothecary preparing herb extracts. Shelagh had worked in a laboratory involved with DNA testing and her skills were of the highest level. Ella, who like Shelagh, was an incomer had telt Mink, who was a fifty year old senior herbal, they were lucky to have Shelagh, and her placement was established.

When the conversation turned to personal placement Shelagh, who was an attractive looking woman of forty and four lunes pregnant, remarked, “I never met a man I was interested enough in to want to live with. The father of my child was a work colleague of extreme good looks and even higher intelligence.” She laught and continued, “He was excellent in bed too, but he knew I didn’t want anything from him other than a casual relationship.” She paused awhile, and it was obvious she was wondering whether to continue or not. She did. “I have always wanted a settled family life, but because I thought I was never going to meet any one I wanted to settle with I decided to select someone to father my child. This pregnancy was deliberate, and I have never regretted it. I have met a man here I wish to settle down with. I met Master cooper Silas at the dance lasteve, and he has asked me to marry him. I told him I shall give him my answer at the dance thiseve.(34) I have been thinking on it, and I have decided to say yes, but till I tell him myself I don’t wish any one else to be told.”

Silas, as Gosellyn, Lovage and Hornbeam knew, was a forty-three year old widower who had lost his wife many years over, and who had the care to his orphaned niece Anise. It was widely held Silas would never marry again as many women had tried to catch his interest, but to no avail. They all congratulated Shelagh, and she left discussing craft matters with Mink and Ella.

Word Key Usage

1 Telt, told.
2 Spaeken, spoken.
3 Slenderth, slenderness.
4 Spaech, speech.
5 Braekdown, breakdown.
6 Holdt, held.
7 Loes, lost.
8 Wisht, wished or wanted.
9 Taekt, took.
10 Naekt, naked.
11 Themselfs, themselves.
12 Sadth, sadness.
13 Attractet, attracted.
14 Maekt, made.
15 Braekfast, breakfast.
16 Nextday, tomorrow.
17 Lotht, loathed.
18 Uest, used.
19 Strongth, strength.
20 Deeyewires, folk rendering of those who engage in DIY, do it yourself.
21 Lærer, adult apprentice, trainee.
22 Lastday, yesterday.
23 Settelt, settled.
24 Findt, found.
25 Goodday, good day.
26 Lunetime, menstruation. Equivalent to ‘time of the month’.
27 Dien, died.
28 The Mother, the sun.
29 Lasteve, yesterday evening.
30 Kindth, kindness.
31 Sheepherding, shepherding.
32 Shine, sunshine.
33 Thisday, today.
34 Thiseve, this evening.