The footnotes are now included.

A Word Usage Key is at the end. Some commonly used words are there whether used in this chapter or not. Replace th on end of words with ness and t with d or ed and most of the rest are obvious if sounded out aloud. Some words with n or en on the end can be easily understood of the n is replaced by a d or ed. Only difficult words and words that do not exist in English are now referred to specifically with a footnote number. If you have suggestions I would be pleased to consider implementing them.

The brackets after a character e.g. CLAIRE (4 nc) 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.) There is a list of chapters and their significant characters at the bottom too.

4th of Chent Day 7

Jed went to the Refectory at ten to meet Warbler for leaf. She arrived out of breath and ten minutes late. “My sorrow I’m late, but I dropt one of the bags and had to go back for it. I taekt what I believt was a quicker route and became loes for a few minutes.” She had dropped a bag and had returned for it, but the major reason she was late was after recovering her bag she’d spotted Otday on crutches being helped to the infirmary for treatment. The route she’d taken to avoid him was considerably longer than the one she’d planned on using and unfamiliar, which was why she’d become lost for a while. They collected their leaf and the packed lunches provided by Saught’s crafters that Jed had ordered, along with a pottery flask of fruit juice, and sat down to drink their leaf. Warbler could see Jed was impatient to go and hurried her leaf.

Barely able to contain himself, but at the same time wanting privacy for when he telt Warbler of his Mum and Dad, Jed waited till they crossed the Little Arder bridge before telling her of his adoption with nine others of the squad. There were tears in his eyes as he telt her, “Mum is newfolk and preserves meat in the Keep kitchens. She’s wonderful, nobody ever cared about me like that before, and all she wants in return is that we care about her. Dad’s folkborn and with the huntsmen, he hunts gris and is going to teach us all sorts of useful and interesting things. Now we have a mum and dad we’re a proper family. Fergal is nearly fifteen and knows all about hunting with the falcons. He has an intended called Fiona, she’s very tall, and I like her too.”

Warbler had understood what Jed had meant and knew it wasn’t an appropriate time to correct his spaech. Too she didn’t know what to say, she’d had a mum and dad all her life. The loss of her mum and her brothers and sister had hurt terribly, but now she had a mum who loved her too, and who’d said she was going to have babes. Warbler had always been loved and cared to, so she said naught and put her arms berount him. With wonder on his face, Jed dashed his tears away with the back of his hand and said, “Thank you. That was very kind.” Which was the last thing Warbler expected a boy to say.

She held her hand out to Jed as they continued walking over the dunes and down to the shore. They found a shingle bank and taekt nearly two hours to collect suitable stones. Warbler had explained, “Aught will do if you are desperate, but for best results they should be as smooth and round as you can find them, for then you sling them straighter, and I think they go faster and a greater farth too. I like them near to this weighth,” She held one out for Jed to take. “If you always use ones of the same weighth you become uest to it, and I believe it improves your accuracy. You’re stronger than I, so perchance a bit heavier would suit you, but you should still look for smooth, round ones of the same weighth.” They walked back to the dunes to eat their lunch in a sheltered hollow. As they opened the lunches Warbler askt in amazement, “How doet you get all this, Jed? These are high quality hunters’ lunches! There’s not much of last year’s fruit crop left.”

“The squad are considered to be hunters, and after all the vermin we’ve killed Milligan said we’re saving so much food that he considers feeding us well to be important for the wheel of the Folk. He ordered Saught to make sure we get the best.”

“That’s weäl,(1) not wheel,(2) Jed. You know what it means?”

“Yeah, total well being. Like being well fed, clothed and warm, but gratitude for the correction. Weäl. Weäl. That right?”

Warbler nodded and added, “It also includes feeling good inside your head concerning life.”

Jed grinned and said, “Like all your weäls going in the same direction.”

After he’d explained the pun in and the meaning of his remark to an initially puzzled Warbler, she was choking with laughter as she responded, “At least one of your weäls it going in the wrong direction for certain, Jed.”

After lunch they walked back over the bridge before turning towards Outgangside. As they walked through Outgangside Warbler waved to a group of girls looking out of an upper floor bedchamber casement. “We’d better hurry, Jed, or they’ll wish to meet you and you won’t have any practice. They’ll be watching for us on our way back, and we can have spaech then.” They walked a lot faster till they left Outgangside behind them. They were two hundred strides from the Longwood when Warbler pointed to a group of coneys and said, “See, there are thousands here. You’d consider it would be impossible to miss them, but is isn’t.” They taekt the bags of stones off their shoulders and placed them conveniently nearby, and as they did Warbler laught and said, “I must have carryt half the shore here over the last four years and I’ve only had two dozen coneys to shew for it.”

They tried for the coneys all afternoon, after a while the coneys would become wary and move away, so the couple went the other way after less wary game. Eventually to their mutual delight Warbler killed one. She declared, “Must be one of the witless ones that movt the wrong way.” They continued, and before they had run out of stones Warbler killed another, and then Jed, to his satisfaction, his first. They were down to a handful of stones when Warbler again to their delight killed her third. “I only ever killt two once before, and never more than two, Jed, but I never tryt this hard before. It’s better with you, for I don’t become as discouragt by all the ones I misst.” They finished their stones, but killed no more before putting the coneys in the bags, and started walking back. “I should have remembert to bring a knife to gralloch them with. I don’t like leaving the guts in them too long. I’ll remember next time. Do you wish the skins for aught in particular, Jed?”

Jed’s vicious looking dagger with its two span long blade was now shining and dangerously sharp. He’d cleant and oiled its scabbard twice, and its handle which was maekt of stacked leather rings rather than a pair of riveted scales was gradually swelling with absorbed oil to a comfortable fit in his hand. He’d scoured the rust off the steel and cleaned the blade with progressively finer sandcloth gradually working its surface to a polished mirror finish before sharpening and honing it’s blade on both sides of both edges, and it could now shave a hair even finer. As per Yellowstone’s instructions it was coated with a thin film of light oil to prevent rust. However, he’d no intention of explaining to Warbler why he carried a razor sharp dagger in an oiled sheath in a leather inside pocket on the right hand side of his overcoat from where he could access it in less than a second.

Seeing the discarded dagger on a casement sill in the kennels had been lucky, for he’d been prepared to grind one down from a piece of soft steel if necessary and use a rag for a handle. The hardest part of equipping himself had been sewing the pocket inside his overcoat, for rather than ask a seamster to sew it for him he’d acquired a needle, thread and a piece of soft leather from the furriers, which he’d agreed to pay for when he could, and sewn it himself. “No, but if you don’t object I’ll take all the guts and heads for the ferrets, why?”

“I was going to suggest you givn(3) the coneys to your mum, there will be enough for all of you for a meal, but we tradet the pelts to the furriers. We don’t need to exchange them for tokens we can just leave it in an account till we wish to buy something. The furriers would prefer it if you givn them the entire carcass for them to skin so they can shew you how they prefer it doen and then we could gralloch them at the Huntsman’s Place. I could shew you, but I’m not too good at it. I always let them do it, for they’ll pay more for a well skint fur and don’t charge for the skinning. What bethink you?”

“Seems like a good idea, but are you sure you don’t want one, after all you killed three of them?”

“Yes I’m sure. Four will give your family a good meal, and we can always kill more. It’s not as if there’s a shortage of them.”

Jed nodded and said, “Thank you. I have nothing else to suggest, so we’ll do that.”

“It’s gratitude here, not thank you. You doet ask me to tell you when your spaech is not Folk.”

“I know. Thank you. … Gratitude I mean.” The couple laught at Jed’s instant and instinctive mistake, and he said, “It’s not easy you know, but it’s getting easier.”

As they approached Outgangside, as Warbler had predicted, the girls were awaiting them, though there were now a number of boys with them too. They chatted for half an hour, and Jed happy to be widening his circle of friends even more enjoyed it and asked concerning borrowing some fishing tackle. Luval said, “I’ve some spare tackle you can borrow, Jed, till you’ve acquiert your own. I’ll borrow another rod from a cousine,(4) so you can both fish. I’ll leave it all at the kennels for you.”

Whilst Jed was spaeking of fishing with the boys, Warbler was having spaech with the girls which included Glaze, a precociously voluptuous but vacuous girl who irritated the others by patronising them concerning her upcoming agreement with Kelp her intendet, of which she continually reminded them, though the other girls considered her continual complaint that he was insensitive and thoughtless was poetic justice. Warbler considered Glaze had done well for herself with Kelp, and had the intendet she deserved.

“What of Otday, Warbler?” asked Glaze.

Warbler replied in tones that suggested she had no idea of what or why Glaze was asking, “What of my cousin?”

Glaze wasn’t giving up. “I hearet your Uncle Eorl thrasht him so hard he had want of the healers and it was believt to be something to do with you. What happent?”

“Otday has been deservtly thrasht by my uncle so many times over the years for every kind of witlessth imaginable even he must have loes count. Why should I know what it was for? And I certainly wasn’t going to ask him was I? I’m his cousine, not his mum. It was naught of my doing. Why should you consider I would know aught of it?”

“Was it in connection with Jed?”

“Not that I know of. Why should it be? Ask Jed. All know I have telt Otday thousands of times I have never been interestet in him as a heartfriend because he is neither intelligent enough nor of sufficient application to interest me. I’ve even been hearet telling him I am not prepaert to risk ending with agreement with any who can’t convince me my children will be well fedd and have all they need when I’m in child or can’t craft enough hours because of caring to them. Now Jed and I are heartfrienden, so I am his and not available to any else, am I?” All had to agree with what Warbler said, for they had indeed heard her tell Otday just that many times, and all of the girls were entirely in agreement that her stance was not only reasonable but wise, for a boy of Otday’s age who had never sought any learning nor a craft was of no interest to any girl be she however witless, and it was pointless having agreement with a man if one wasn’t going to at least try to have a family with him. Even Glaze wasn’t that witless, and it was known she wanted children and conceded by all the girls she would be an excellent mother.

Baulkt by Warbler’s intelligence from finding out what she wisht to know, purely to use to discomfort her with, Glaze resorted to a different line of attack and whispered, “Has Jed kisst you yet, Warbler?”

“No. Not yet, but he does say really kind things to me all the time,” and that, thought Warbler, settled a lot of old scores. She didn’t particularly like Glaze who was not always pleasant to younger and less forceful girls and had tried any number of times to discomfort Warbler, and many other slight of figure girls, in the presence of others, usually by complaining of the inconvenience of having such a large bosom. Glaze had always believed that all the girls envied her for her bosom and that their denials were but feeble attempts to save face. Warbler, like most of the girls, wouldn’t have objected to a more mature figure, but had no desire at all for breasts the size of Glaze’s, and moreover had a bosom she felt was appropriate to a girl of her size and age, and which was growing in step with the rest of her. And, after all, it had helped her to a heartfriend with a high status craft for whom she was envied.

Jed was acutely, if embarrassedly, aware of her breasts, and though, to Warbler’s secret delight, his eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to them he never even glanced at those of any other, and always had spaech with her eyes, so for the now she had no need of more. She had once telt a group of her friends that Glaze was living proof there was an inverse relationship between brains and breasts, and she would far rather have a small bosom and a large brain than the other way berount. That her remark had reached back to Glaze and angered her had bothered Warbler not at all.

In order to change the subject, Seriousth asked, “Are you going to the informal dance, Warbler?. I’ll be playing with the others.”

Warbler had not heard of the dance, and after Seriousth had given her the details she interrupted Jed’s conversation. “Jed, there’s an informal dance in six days. Some of the younger musicians are practising dance music. Will you take me?”

Jed was far from witless, and he had been listening to Warbler’s conversation with half an ear. He had decided he didn’t like Glaze, whom he mentally stigmatised as a tart due to the amount of breast she was ostentatiously displaying over the top of her deliberately, inadequately sized apron bib. When Fiona, who was much bigger bosomed than Glaze, had worn an apron she’d worn one that was big enough and looked stylish and pretty. She looked like a nice girl, someone he was proud to call his sister and willing to be seen with, and not like a tramp on the knock.(5)

He was glad he was able to assist Warbler, who had helped him so much. “Only if you wear that blue dance gown that suits you so because it’s almost as pretty as you are.” The boys barely noticed his remark and continued spaeking of fishing, but the effect his remark had on the girls was profound, and Warbler looked as if her heart would burst with the joy of it. She was at the very pinnacle of the envy of her peers, and she knew nearly every girl on Castle would know of Jed’s reply before nextday eve. Jed held his hand out for her to take as they left, and she moved a little closer to him. As she did he let go of her hand and put his arm berount her. She snuggled closer to him and had to fight the almost irresistible temptation to turn and look at her friends’ faces as she walked back to the Keep. When Jed had put his arm berount her, the expression on some of the girl’s faces was not pleasant to see. Warbler had not needed to turn to observe them, for she knew what they would look like. Envy is one thing, but jealousy is another altogether, and it is never pretty.

It was over two years since her menarche, and she had known then though not ready for a deep relationship naytheless her developing emotions wished involvement with a boy, and for the last year Warbler had known she not only wished a heartfriend she needed one, for she needed a future to plan for and she was almost over old. Most of her friends had been heartfrienden for years, but living a nomadic life away from the Keep for most of the year had given her few options and she’d wished a boy who was on his way to manhood in the same way she was on her way to womanhood, not there yet but obviously on his way, but there were none such of that age who followed the flocks. She’d wished some choice before all the suitable boys were heartfrienden, and had considered many when back at the Keep, though never Otday, and rejected them all, for all the available boys she knew of were over boisterous and many to her mind unkind, particularly to girls, which she considered was why they were still available. The best were no longer available.

She had reluctantly come to the conclusion she’d left it over long, and there was no boy of near her age of interest to her. Not wishing to choose from whomever were left in her age group she’d started considering some of the shyer younger men who though much older than she would make good agreäns and fathers, but all had crafts that bound them to the Keep, and she knew she was unwilling to give up entirely the way of life she was uest to, for she’d recognised the truth in what Åse her grandma had telt her, “I’ve been on the move all my life, Child, and it’s in my blood. It’s in yours too. Your sister is different, she could and belike will eventually settle, possibly even give up the sheep and join the seamstresses as a seamster, but you? No. You’ll never settle entirely, so don’t even try, for it will only make you unhappy. Live at the Keep when it suits you for as long as it suits you, but never forget your natural home is a sheepherdess’ tent. When you are a little older, Granddaughter Warbler, you’ll know the truth of it when you and your man make love under the stars with the hope of placing a babe under your heart.”

So she had been considering much younger boys, mostly Stonecrop’s friends, with a view to helping them become the kind of boy she was interested in. Then the incursion had happened and she’d heard there were may hap as many as a couple of dozen older boys and young men who would be possibilities. She’d barely started looking into the situation when serendipitously she’d met Jed on the Gatherfield. She’d been attracted to him when she first laid eyes on him, and had shortly after wondered fleetingly if he were the one her granny had referred to: the one she would one day be making love with under the stars. Jed was more than she had ever dreamt of, and she could envisage him happily living in tents. Like her sister, she was boyish in her lifestyle and tastes, which sometimes caused her concern, but Jed was a lovely boy who was kind and said things that maekt her feel gentle and caring, which was a wonder to her, and for the first time in her life maekt her enjoy feeling very much a girl, and she had no intention of letting any, least of all any of her friends, take him off her, ever.

His obvious dislike of Glaze and distaste for her ostentatious exposure of her oversiezt bosom maekt her happy with her own emergent figure and Jed’s shyth regards it. He had telt her of his past, and it had maekt her cry. His brutal honesty of his badth, and how she had determined him to turn his back on it, maekt her resolute to give him the care and, she admitted in the back of her mind, love he had never had. She had never been kissed by a boy other than her brothers, but was determined that had to change. Jed, who had always been embarrassed by and suspicious of any kind of affection, had realised he cared for Warbler. He couldn’t, even to himself, use the word love yet, but it was not to be long before he would accept, young as he was, he loved her.

“Can you really take me, Jed? What if you are crafting that eve?”

“No problem. I’ll swap with one of my brothers, probably Wayland or Liam. What did Glaze mean when she asked you about Otday, Warbler?”

“He’s willen me as a heartfriend since I was four, and the first time he asked me rather than hurt him by saying ‘No’ I was flaught(6) and sayt ‘May hap’ thinking it would deter him and he’d forget of it. Otday’s a bully and presumptuous, probably because he’s big and not over bright. He’s always assuemt because I sayt ‘May hap’ and I’m his cousine I’m his for the taking. I like him well enough as a cousin, and I’m not aflait of him, but I’ve telt him hundreds of times, oft in public, I’m not interestet in aught else, yet he’s never believt me. I’ve even telt him he’s far too lazy for me to even consider risking him as an agreän and that if he couldn’t see that he was too unintelligent too. None of the girls are interestet in him, for he has maekt no effort to learn aught of skill or knowledge, nor has he expresst interest in a craft which means he would be dangerous to take to husband, for a girl would be risking the weäl of herself and her children.

“Any hap Spearmint telt me Dad doesn’t like him, but that may be because she doesn’t like him because he deliberately intimidates Stonecrop. I always believt he’d stop bothering me once I became heartfrienden, and that he’d know if he doetn’t every girl, and boy too, on Castle would make him regret it. It’s what happens here. Doing aught that is not in accord with the Way just isn’t proper.” Warbler paused in thought and then added, “And not worth it either. He spent the entire dance glaring at you and Dad seeën him too. I telt Dad I was worryt for you, and he telt me to leave it to him and my uncle. Dad sayt you were aware of the situation. I doetn’t think you were. Was he right?”

Quietly Jed said, “I saw Otday at the dance. He’ll only have one chance, if that. I don’t care how big he is, and I won’t need my brothers to help me deal with him. After I finish with him with an iron bar from behind in the dark he’ll be lucky to be able to feed himself. He’ll certainly never walk easily again never mind hurt any one.” Jed paused and even more quietly continued, “And if he lays a finger on you he won’t be able to draw breath either. I told you what I was like. It’s not my fault you didn’t believe me.”

Warbler gulped, for Jed had telt her, and she’d not really believed he was so, but this was her Jed who she knoewn(7) would never hurt her, he’d never said it, but she knoewn he truly lovt her, for it was in his eyes and his hands when he stroked and combed her hair. Jed, she knew, was wary of emotion due to past hurt, but he was becoming more open to her all the time. She’d looked for but not noticed any sign at the dance he knew Otday was watching them with unfriendly eyes, but her dad had telt her Jed knoewn and that he was dangerous, but that he trusted Jed and knew he would have a care to her and protect her if need be even from Otday. She’d not really believed her dad either, for she couldn’t see how Jed, who was small, could protect her from the much larger Otday, but now Jed had quietly confirmed what her dad had said with his mention of an iron bar from behind in the dark. Jed’s quiet implacabelth was far more sinister than Otday’s loud bluster, yet it maekt her feel safe, and though he’d said he wouldn’t need their help he did have a dozen brothers and from what others had telt her they were experienced fighters. Fighting, like aught else that threatened the Folk, was discouraged and rare mongst folkbirtht boys, but the experience of the squad boys would she considered put them at a distinct advantage, besides their numbers, for Otday was a bully not a fighter and none would fight alongside him and certainly not for him.

“Spearmint, Cousine Smile, Mum and Auntie Betony were there when Dad telt Uncle Eorl of Otday at the dance. He remindet my uncle that as my heartfriend you were now family and family had to be caert to. Dad warnt my uncle that if Otday forcen a fight on you he believt there would be no limit to what you may do, even to dealing deadth, and given the circumstances the Way would adjudge in your favour even if you killt him. Spearmint sayt Uncle doetn’t seem surpriest. Dad also telt him if Otday doetn’t leave us alone I’d telt him I was going to tell all I intendet to appeal to the Folk next Quarterday for their sanctuary from him. He sayt that would irredeemably shend him which really upset my Auntie. Uncle Eorl telt them he’d have spaech with Otday and make him leave us alone, for the Way says none may question any’s choice of agreän, intendet or heartfriend, and the consequences of doing so are serious. Obviously Uncle Eorl doetn’t believe Otday would leave us alone, for he sayt if the only way to protect Otday from the consequences of him harassing me or forcing a fight on you over me, either of which would guarantee us the Folk’s sanctuary from him, was to thrash him, he’d thrash him so hard he wouldn’t be able to sit down or lie on his back for a lune, for at least whilst officially under the care of the healers the family would have time in which to negotiate a future for Otday some where away from the Keep, for he would ensure an attestatrix(8) would inform you that under the Way you, and your kin too, had to stay your hands till the healers declaert him firm. Uncle opient(9) that you, unlike Otday, would respect the Way.”

“What does the Folk’s sanctuary from him mean, Warbler?”

“After being granted sanctuary from him, his status would be nigh to naught, and any unfriendly act or word on his part to either of us would guarantee he would be put out from the Folk for Castle to reclaim. It’s rare to happen. Granny Åse sayt the last such event she could recall was when she was in her late teens or early twenties and she’s nigh to seventy.”

“I understand now. I hadn’t realised it was so serious a matter.”

Warbler nodded and continued. “When my uncle spake with him, Otday sayt he’d do what he willen, and things became heatet. They were shouting at each other, and Uncle shoutet, ‘Look at your life and what it is doing to all berount you. Despite your denigration of them as gaggles, you are obviously not aware that girls of your sister’s age establish those friendship groups to last their lifetimes, and are in and out of each others’ chambers constantly, yet none of her friends ever come here because of you. You embarrass them all which is why none would ever dance with you. Your sister and her friends regard you as bebaben(10) and despise you, for you have no skills and have never bothert to learn more than how to read and write, and you’re not over good at either. Jed already knows more of the Way than you. As a result, your mother spends her entire life apologising for your flaughtth to family and the ‘gaggle’ of her kith, women she has been close friends with since she was a girl. The group of women that lookt after each other’s children when small including you. My friends stopt asking of you and referring to you years over to avoid embarrassing me. Most of the clan try to pretend you don’t exist. You have no friends of your own age, for such boys and young men can’t be bothert with you, just much younger boys who pretend to like you because they are aflait of you. The other members of your rope pull team only put up with you due to your weighth. Don’t look to any of them for help when you need it, for they will take pleasure in your need. Bethink you on it, they were fast enough to enjoy your discomfort when the cousine you’ve been distressing for as long as she can remember found a heartfriend from mongst the newfolk within minutes of making his acquaint.(11)

‘Warbler has telt you more times than enough for years you are idle and that you are too witless to realise that makes you of no interest to any girl, for they are seeking boys who will become men willing and able to provide for and care to them and their babes when they are pregnant and having to care to their children, and mercy but she’s right. If she announces her intention to seek the Folk’s sanctuary from you, as she has sayt she shall if you do not leave her and Jed alone, you’ll be shent. The moment she goes on the platform to seek it, you’ll be shent beyond redemption. If she is granted sanctuary your current attitude alone will guarantee your expulsion from the Folk, and it will not be Warbler who will have bringen deadth to you. You’ll have bringen it to yourself. All our kith, women, men, girls and boys alike tryt to help you grow up for years, and you have listent to none, so most have given up on you. Many have been convincet for years Castle will reclaim you if none kill you first, and your grandma is amazed you’ve managt to last this long.’

“Uncle telt him you’d had a hard life and been hurt and as a result you weren’t an ignorant, pampert, craven, spoilt, soft, overweighn(12) bully like him. He telt him it was my dad’s view that if provokt to fight you would cripple him to the point where he would never be able to raise a hand to any ever again and if he hurt me you would certainly kill him. Otday shoutet he wasn’t aflait of you, and Uncle telt him he was a witless child to boot, for, whilst he willen to make himself appear of import by belittling you, you would without doubt play the man’s part and, though decent, if provokt you wouldn’t hesitate to kill him or worse on behalf of your womenfolk without a qualm for you were neither witless nor a child, and the Way givn you the right and the obligation so to do when I givn myself to you. He telt him that I had telt you the Way givn you the right and the obligation.”

Jed smiled, but it was a grim smile without a trace of humour in it, “Your dad and uncle got that right, and yes I shall respect the Way.”

“Uncle then telt him again I was yours and if he forcen a fight on you over me, till he was fourteen, Dad would have the right to thrash him, and thereafter kill him, for you are now family and as my heartfriend my parents’ son and brother to my syskonen(13) and his cousin. He also telt him again if I telt folk I was intending to appeal to the Folk for sanctuary from him, as I had sayt I should, long before next Quarterday whether I were given sanctuary or no his life was over. He telt him he was despicable for creating such discord within the family, kin and clan, for not even the remotest of kith would so do under any circumstances. All goent downbank(14) from there. I never considert Otday would be so flaught as to raise his hand to my uncle, but as I telt you he’s not over bright. Otday is bigger than Uncle Eorl, but Uncle is as strong as a smith from his crafting. Uncle knockt him half conscious to the floor with one blow and thrasht him with his belt. He only stoppt when Otday loes consciousth.

“Auntie sent for the healers and Otday spent the night and lastday forenoon in the infirmary. Auntie and Uncle goent to the Master at arms office to have it all recordet. Uncle Eorl had it recordet that if Otday doet not choose to live by the Way the day he became fourteen Otday would cease to be his son and Auntie Betony said her man spake for her too. Then Auntie goent to the infirmary with Beauty of the Master at arms office acting as attestatrix to have Otday officially informt of it all. Beauty telt him that though he had the right to return home till he turnt fourteen, which Auntie and Uncle had sayt they would respect, he would not be well come and his presence only suffert till he had apologiest to Uncle and to me and promisst us the matter was at an end, for only then would Auntie and Uncle regard the matter as cloest and accept him back as their son. She telt him Auntie and Uncle had had it recorded that if he would not honour the Way in its intentions as well as in its directions he would be put out of the family to find his own chamber on the day he turnt fourteen which unless he had a craft placement he would not be entitelt to.

“She also telt him Uncle had decidet even should he make the appropriate apologies since he had maekt no attempt to find a craft as soon as the healers had sayt he had healt enough he would be apprenticet to one of the waggoners to take him away from the Keep and me, so he would have some thing to consider in the stead of being an idle bully and filling his head with nonsense, and Uncle opient that was the only way to keep him alive with a future containing any status, for once the healers had attestet he was firm again he was once again a legitimate target under the Way for you and your close kin, and it was unbelike you would waive the right. When Otday came home the first thing he doet was make his apologies. Uncle maekt Otday wait till he had the entire family assembelt to hear what Otday had to say. I findt it embarrassing, for even on crutches Otday could barely stand whilst he apologiest and promisst me he would never spaek of it again.”

Warbler was now crying quietly with tears running off her cheeks, and as Jed hugged her, she sobbed, “Jed, it was terrible. I could see where his clothes were stickt to the bloody dressings all the way down from his neck to his ankles. My uncle telt him that if he ever hearet of him being aught other than polite and accepting of you as a cousin and my heartfriend, whether he was adult or no, not only would he thrash him as hard again he’d use the buckle end of his belt next time and have my dad ready to take over when his arm became tiren. In front of the family Uncle telt me that if Otday had forcen a fight on you he would have had to be adjudgt by the Master at arms on behalf of the Council even at his age, and the reason he thrasht him so hard was to prevent that, for that would have shent him so badly it would have cost him all status probably for the rest of his life, and persons always eventually give themselfs to Castle rather than face that.

“Then he givn me gratitude for having been so tolerant of his flaughtful son for so long and assuert me I should never have a want to appeal to the Folk for their sanctuary, for long before that became necessary, rather than allow any child of his to bring so much shame to the family, kin, clan and even our kith too, he would have given Otday to Castle to reclaim. I could see what my uncle sayt finally maekt Otday realise what he had doen and been risking, for the Way says causing social disharmony beyond a certain level, I don’t know how that is determint, but I can see Otday would eventually have goent beyond it, whether in a family or in the entire Folk, can be considert a capital offence. I doetn’t realise the possible consequences, but now I do I’m glad it’s all over. Jed, please don’t tell any of this, for the family’s sake. We have no need of any of Glaze’s like gossiping over it for their idle entertainment.

“I do love Otday, for he’s my cousin, yet that’s all he has ever been, and it’s all I ever willen. Of course my auntie and uncle love my cousin much more, he’s their son, but I hope I never have to do aught like that out of love. Smile is so upset she’s living with Granny at the camp of those who’re watching the remaining flocks. She telt me she wills to go with Granny when they leave for the grazing grounds. Warbler blinked the tears from her eyes, “What my auntie had to say to Otday hurt her far more than what my uncle doet to him. When I realiest that that’s when I truly realiest the difference between men and women. I’ve always been boyish, and I’ve wondert regards that, for I envyt boys, but now I know I’m a girl who enjoys some things few girls do. I still enjoy such, and probably always shall, but I am a girl, and I have you now which makes me happy to be just a girl.”

Jed was surprised Warbler had been so frank concerning her cousin which had given him a lot to think over, but he thought it good that every one protected every one else. He hadn’t realised as Warbler’s heartfriend he was family, but that felt warm too. He’d heard of the expression tough love, and he’d just found out what it really meant. “I’m happy you’re a girl too, Warbler. It doesn’t matter what you enjoy, for you are mine and I like you exactly the way you are. I don’t wish you ever to change, and you are not just a girl. You are a very pretty girl with especially lovely hair, and you’re special because you’re mine. I shan’t tell anyone about it, Warbler. Than…gratitude for telling me.”

“Gratitude is not necessary. You are my heartfriend, family now, so you have the right to know. I am grateful for what you sayt of me, for being the way I am worryt me in the past, but it won’t any more. I am glad to be yours, Jed, and I am glad you are mine.” Warbler hesitated before asking, “Jed, what will you do once Otday be healt and firm again?”

“If he stays away from you till he leaves the Keep as your uncle wishes probably nothing. If he stays here or bothers you again I’ll do whatever is necessary to make him wish to leave, and if he still doesn’t go I’ll kill him. I’m not waiving any rights I have to protect you. Your uncle got that right too. Now if you don’t mind I’d rather have spaech of else, aught else, for what you don’t know of you can’t be held responsible for, but first explain shend to me please.”

“It’s holt not held, Jed. Shend is a complicated word like tightly, and like tightly has a wide range of related meanings. It can mean to damage or hurt, or to blame or reproach. It can also mean to better, overwhelm or transcend, but it’s most commonly uest to mean to disgrace or to bring shame, and that is what Uncle Eorl meant. I’ve never hearet any use it other than with that meaning.”

“Holt not held. Gratitude, Warbler, but how do you know all that, Warbler, if you’ve never heard, hearet I mean, the word uest else?”

“Dad’s very clever, and uses a lot of words. Mostly, he’s the one who has teacht us and a lot of our far cousins too. He does a lot of lessons when we’re not at the Keep. He’s a good and favourite teacher, for he makes it easy to learn. He’s a good singer of the learning songs too. It’s good entertainment berount the fire of an eve, and the children love to join in which is why he does it. He says, ‘A song you learnt as a child is a song that lasts you your lifetime.’ When at the Keep he always spends a lot of time reading records at the Master at arms office, for he enjoys knowing of our past. He has been reorganising and cataloguing the sheepherder records since before I was birtht. If aught were ever to befall him such that he couldn’t work with the dogs, which would hurt him a lot, he would be well come and appreciated as a full time, specialist archivist with the Master at arms office. He has been remuneratet as an archivist when we are here for the winter for years. You know of the recent rejoining of the three sheepherder clans. Mostly that came to be because it was Dad who knoewn we were one clan to begin with. He was the one who stopt the pointless negotiations by telling all that since none doubtet any in need would be helpt at whatever cost, it be best to have the celebration and worry of difficulties as they arose.”

Warbler accepted that Jed didn’t wish to tell her of his intentions for what she realised was her protection and they had spaech of coneys. They entered the Keep and went to the seamstresses’ workshops to find a furrier. Blackdyke was readying to leave when they found him and explained why they were there. “Put them on the workbench, and I’ll have them skint in no time.” Blackdyke went for a small skinning knife and explained to Jed, “If you make the cut from here to here,” he demonstrated as he spake running his fingers between the skin and the abdomen flank muscle to prevent accidentally cutting into and spilling the stomach contents, “up to the throat and ease the skin away thus, and so from the legs cutting the feet off at the joint leaving them with the pelt…,” he paused as he finished with the feet, “and cut the neck where it joins the skull leaving the head with the pelt too…,” again he paused for his actions to catch up with his words, “barely slice across the gut so, and the tail comes away with the pelt. Then you can leave the pelts for us to finish, and as you willen I shall make sure the skint heads are returnt to you as food for your animals. If you will, Jed, you can have all such from aught that comes in here?”

“That would be appreciated, Blackdyke, for once we have the rats under control in the kitchen food stores George has said we shall need to find other sources of dog food.”

“What you feed the rats to the dogs‽” Blackdyke asked laughing as he continued skinning another coney.

“Yes, gutted, washed and boilt till they fall apart and then mixt with some left over food from the Refectory, stale bread crumb and dog biscuits Ingot bakes for us from the flour and grains they’ve spoilt, which Milligan thinks is really funny.”

Blackdyke snorted with laughter. “Yes, I should imagine that would amuse him, for he always doet have a macabre sense of humour. What do you do with the rat guts, for they can be dangerous to haelth?”(15)

“They go in the bin with the kennel sweepings for the composters who say the heat in the middle of their heaps will render them safe and they’ll make excellent compost. They were happy to have them.”

Blackdyke chuckled and said, “The rats could be sayt to be well and truly reclaimt by Castle. I’ll deal with the pelts nextday, Jed, and have aught we have sent to the kennels from now on rather than having them sent to the composters. The composters won’t be bothert, for surely they would rather have them after they’ve been through a dog’s guts than before. Do you wish a note of the tokens now, or shall I note it to an account? And if so to whose account?”

Warbler said, “Note it down please, Blackdyke, to a new account in Jed’s name.”

Jed protested, “You killed three of them, Warbler. I can’t take the money.”

“What’s a money?”

“Tokens. I can’t take the tokens.”

Warbler taekt his hand and holding it in both hers to her bosom she looked him in the eyes and said, “Jed, I have resources here, family and kin. I belong to a huge clan with many kith, but you were newfolk with virtually naught other than direct family and some few kithsfolk. Please allow me as kin to do this for you, for now you are a member of my family it is truly a riandet.”(16)

Blackdyke, who’d finished with the coneys, watched and listened to the pair as they tried to compromise with each other. “You are heartfriends?” he asked gently when he saw Warbler take Jed’s hand to her heart and heard her reference to him being family.

“Yes.” The pair replied quietly but positively.

“Then I could note the pelts to both of you on one account if you like? It’s a common arrangement with heartfriends,” he suggested.

Warbler and Jed looked at each other and smiled. Jed replied for them, “We should like that please.”

“Could you have my account transfert into ours as well please, Blackdyke?”

“Certainly, Warbler. Do you will your account with Sagon as well as ours to be markt thus, and be declaert I mean?”

Warbler blushed and quietly said, “Please.”

“I’ll note it all in our accounts and thisday’s record(17) this eve, and as usual Sagon’s office will be informt nextday. If you will, I’ll act as your attestor for Sagon’s office concerning changing your account with them, for then you won’t have to bother doing it yourself.”

“Please. Gratitude, Blackdyke.”

The opening of a joint account had worked powerfully on the emotions of the young couple, and both were now determined kissing was of considerable importance to them.

As they left the seamstresses’, Jed askt Warbler who Sagon was, and why his office would be informed. “Sagon is a Councillor and his office keeps the records of tokens and manages the Collective, which is the tokens all adults contribute to maintain the Keep and things like that, though many contribute by crafting directly on its maintenance and many more craft directly for the Keep, but I don’t know how they receive their remuneration or make their contribution. Once Sagon’s office knows we have tokens in an account we can use them to buy things from others without having our tokens to hand. I don’t understand how it all works, but I know it does.”

Jed understood from Warbler’s explanation that Sagon’s office collected the taxes and worked like a bank, though he understood how neither of those things worked either. “What did Blackdyke mean when he asked you if you wanted your account with Sagon marked as declared? And why is our account with the furriers noted as that of a declared couple? I’d have thought as a joint account it would be seen as so, and why did it all make you blush?”

Warbler didn’t know what to reply so she fell back on what she usually did when embarrassed or not certain: blunt truth. “There are advantages to be gaint from having the account so markt, as that of a declaert heartfrienden couple I mean, for since no record is keept of who deposits what there is only one administrative cost not two. Unless they specify elsewise, it is automatic for all accounts of intendet couples and agreäns, but heartfriends have to chose to have the account so markt, for if their relationship fails an account so markt is split equally whereas an account not so markt, that of an undeclaert heartfrienden couple, is split according to who put what into it which could be me, you, or us, for all will be so recordet on deposit which is why there are two administration costs. An undeclaert heartfrienden couple’s account is little different from having two accounts. Blackdyke askt me not us because I willen my account with the furriers cloest and the balance transfert to ours, and he knoewn there was much more in mine than ours.

“As to my account with Sagan’s office he was asking me if I willen your name added to it and it noted as declaert. He was asking me were it my probable intent to ultimately be your wife and I sayt yes. If things do not proceed as we hope there is little to be loes, but all children here, especially girls, look to the future. Castle can be a difficult place and the Folk need more Folk to enable us all to survive. I shall betimes be a woman and as all Folk women I shall wish as large a family as good fortune can provide and I shall need a good man to help provide for my children. I am over old to have only just acquiert a heartfriend, and like my sister I have been seriously concernt by that for years not lunes. I now have you and I have many years to catch up, for I could have been heartfrienden at four. I believe you will be a good agreän and father, so why should I not be prepaert to commit myself to a future with you

“It’s what Folk women with large families do. They bear, nurse and rear children, maintain their home and look after their man. If there’s any time left over in their life they do some crafting. In return their man provides for them all and can expect a stable family life, a decent home and an enjoyable love life. Most Folk women are happy to spend life pregnant, nursing and rearing children, and their men are happy of it too, though most share both crafting and the rearing of their children. Of course in a large clan like mine many women take turns to look after the children of others too, so all can craft or enjoy some privacy with their man from time to time. Our elders and older children help too. Boys too, but mostly girls love looking after younger children. Spearmint and I spend a lot of time thus when away from the Keep.

“However, back to spaech of us, till you say elsewise you are mine as I am yours. I telt you there can be no debts between us now. The whole point of being heartfrienden is for children to be able to gradually create a future together as adults, but as I sayt I have eight years to recover. I know you are proud and unwilling to accept over much as gifts, and that makes you a wonderful heartfriend in my eyes, but the transfer of my account to ours is not a gift from me to you. It is an investment on my part in a future I will to have. If it worries you then do some extra crafting to create some tokens to match mine, but I do not require it of you, for the tokens will be little compaert with the gift of yourself. It is the Way of it. You are not a free person any more. You are mine, and I shall do all in my ability to keep you, for I shall need a father for my children, and I believe I am fortunate to have findt such a good future man. I am doing this at least as much for me as for you.”

Jed had listened to Warbler with increasing unease as he became aware of what she had done, but as she finished her explanations and he understood why she had done it he had tears in his eyes and hugged her tightly without verbal response.

At the kennels, Jed grallocht the coneys leaving the grallochth waste in the feed bin. After putting the carcasses and giblets into one of the bags he walked Warbler home and returned home to wash and change before going back to take Warbler to her Auntie Camilla’s.

Jed gave the coneys to his mum when she was on her own without saying anything as to where or how he had acquired them. He would have liekt his brothers to know he had killed one with a sling, but he was not ready to spaek of Warbler. Beatrix accepting Jed didn’t wish to spaek of it and he was still coming to terms with himself and his new life merely said, “Thank you, Jed,” but she was concerned by his isolation and decided she was going to spaek with Wayland of him.

Jed’s family ate in the Refectory that eve and wondered where Jed was, but he volunteered nothing when he returned later in the eve after having eaten and spent the eve with Warbler at her Auntie Camilla’s. He’d had a good eve and had been surprised to discover Happith did not just have a craft but was a supervisor, a ganger he’d said. He’d been even more surprised when Warbler asked her uncle to play for them. Happith had looked to his wife who nodded and said, “That would be pleasant, Love. Play me the one I first hearet you playing by the bridge when we met. The one that sounds like geese in flight.” Happith had gone for his flute, and he played for more than an hour. It was only Jed’s second experience of what he thought of as real, as opposed to recorded, music. The first had been the dance music in the Greathall. It had been just as enjoyable holding hands with Warbler listening to Happith as it had been dancing with her. Jed was amazed when Camilla telt him, “Happith only plays his own music, music he has craftet. He won’t play other folks’ musics.”

When Jed walked Warbler back to her Auntie Betony’s he said, “Your uncle is amazing composing all that lovely music. I could have listened for hours.”

“Auntie always sayt it was what attractet her to him in the beginning. Uncle loves music, he makes his flutes too. I telt you he is not very clever, but that’s only at certain things, and Auntie does those.” Jed realised when Warbler said her uncle wasn’t very clever she was saying it in exactly the same way she had telt him her grandmother Åse wasn’t very tall, it was a description not a judgement.

After leaving Warbler to make his way home, Jed considered events. It wasn’t that Happith had maekt him reëvaluate his views on persons with intellectual impairment because he had never had any. It was more he realised he was now somewhere where all could flourish, and that meant he could too. When Happith had telt him of his crafting and of his friends Kroïn and Mako, the men in his gang, Jed had realised from what he had said they required much more help to manage their lifes than did Happith, yet they had a craft, a family and a valued place in Folk society, they were not apart from it, which maekt him happy for Sharky’s sake.

Nexteve Beatrix maekt and served coney casserole with a mountain of mashed starchroots, which the family enjoyed. None thought to ask whence she had acquired the coney, and she said nothing.

Index of significant characters so far listed by Chapter

1 Introduction
2 Jacques de Saint d’Espéranche
3 The Folk and the Keep
4 Hwijje, Travisher, Will
5 Yew, Allan, Rowan,Siskin, Will, Thomas, Merle, Molly, Aaron, Gareth, Oak, Abigail, Milligan, Basil, Vinnek, Iris, Margæt, Gilla, Alsike, Alfalfa, Gibb, Happith, Kroïn, Mako, Pilot, Briar, Gosellyn, Gren, Hazel
6 Chaunter, Waxwing, Flame, João, Clansaver, Irune, Ceël, Barroo, Campion, Limpet, Vlæna, Xera, Rook, Falcon, Cwm, Sanderling, Aldeia, Catarina, Coast, Elixabete,
7Mercedes, Spoonbill
8 Lyllabette, Yoomarrianna
9 Helen, Duncan, Gosellyn, Eudes, Abigail
10 George/Gage, Iris, Waverley, Belinda
11 Marc/Marcy, Pol
12 George/Gage, Marcy, Freddy/Bittern, Weyland, Iris, Bling
13 Thomas, Will, Mercedes, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna
14 Kyle, Thomas, Will, Angélique
15 Mercedes, Morgelle, Gorse, Thrift, George/Gage, Chris, Iris, Thrift, Campion
16 Bling
17 Waverley, Mr. E
18 George/Gage, Larch, Mari, Ford, Gorse, Morgelle, Luke, Erin
19 Will, Pilot, Yew, Geoge/Gage, Mari, Ford, Gosellyn, Cwm, Cerise, Filbert, Gareth, Duncan, Helen, Thomas, Iris, Plume, Campion, Pim, Rook, Falcon, João, Hare
20 Yew, Rowan, Will, Thomas, Siskin, Weir, Grayling, Willow
21 Brook, Harrier, Cherry, Abby, Selena, Borage, Sætwæn, Fiona, Fergal
22 Yew, Thomas, Hazel, Rowan, Gosellyn, Siskin, Will, Lianna, Duncan
23 Tench, Knawel, Claire, Oliver, Loosestrife, Bramling, George, Lyre, Janice, Kæn, Joan, Eric
24 Luke, Sanderling, Ursula, Gervaise, Mike, Spruce, Moss
25 Janet, Vincent, Douglas, Alec, Alice
26 Pearl, Merlin, Willow, Ella, Suki, Tull, Irena
27 Gina, Hardy, Lilac, Jessica, Teal, Anna
28 Bryony, Judith, Bronwen, Farsight
29 Muriel, Raquel, Grace
30 Catherine, Crane, Snipe, Winifred, Dominique, Ferdinand
31 Alma, Allan, Morris, Miranda
32 Dabchick, Nigel
33 Raquel, Thistle, Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Phœbe
34 Eleanor, Woad, Catherine, Crane
35 Muriel, Hail, Joan, Breve, Eric, Nell, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
36 Selena,Sætwæn, Borage, Grace, Gatekeeper, Raquel, Thistle
37 Siân, Mackerel, Winifred, Obsidian
38 Carla, Petrel, Alkanet, Ferdinand
39 Dominique, Oxlip, Alma, Allan, Tress, Bryony
40 Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Ella, Kestrel, Judith, Storm
41 Ella, Kestrel, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane
42 Weights & Measures and Sunrise & Sunset Times included in Ch 41
43 Ella, Kestrel, Serenity, Smile, Gwendoline, Rook, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane, Sapphire, Mere
44 Pearl, Merlin, Rainbow, Perch, Joan, Breve, truth, Rachael, Hedger, Ruby, Deepwater
45 Janet, Blackdyke, Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster
46 Janet, Gina, Alastaire, Joan, Breve, Truth, Bræth, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
47 The Squad, Mercedes, Fen, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
48 Bronwen, Forest, Opal, Spice, Vincent, Kathleen, Niall, Bluebell, Sophie
49 Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster, Imogen, Wryneck, Phœbe, Knapps
50 Erin, Nightjar, Eleanor, Woad
51 Gina, Jonas, Janet, Gerald, Patrick, Tansy, Craig, Barret, Ryan
52 Constance, Rye, Bling, Bullace, Berry, Jimmy, Leveret, Rory, Shelagh, Silas
53 Rachael, Hedger, Eve, Gilla, Mallard, Fiona, Fergal, Tinder, Nightingale, Fran, Dyker
54 Pamela, Mullein, Patricia, Chestnut, Lavinia, Ophæn, Catherine, Crane
55 Susan, Kingfisher, Janet, Gina, Jonas, Ruth, Kilroy, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
56 Gina, Jonas, Patricia, Chestnut, The Squad, Hazel, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch, Mangel, Clary, Brendan
57 Erin, Nightjar, Xera, Josephine, Wels, Michelle, Musk, Swansdown, Tenor
58 Timothy, Axel, Nectar, Waverley,Yvette, Whitebear, Firefly, Farsight, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch
59 Lilac, Firefly, Farsight, Lucinda, Gimlet, Leech, Janet, Blackdyke
60 Douglas, Lunelight, Yvette, Whitebear, Thrift, Haw, Harebell, Goosander, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew, Matilda, Evan, Heron
61 Brendan, Clary, Chloë, Apricot, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna, Otis, Harry, Gimlet, Leech, Jodie
62 Gimlet, Leech, Lark, Seth, Charles, Bruana, Noah, Kirsty, Shirley, Mint, Kevin, Faith, Oak, Lilly, Jason, Gem, Ellen
63 Honesty, Peter, Bella, Abel, Kell, Deal, Siobhan, Scout, Jodie
64 Heather, Jon, Anise, Holly, Gift, Dirk, Lilac, Jasmine, Ash, Beech, Ivy, David
65 Sérent, Dace, Opal, Spice, Vincent, Clarissa, Gorse, Eagle, Frond, Diana, Gander, Gyre, Tania, Alice, Alec
66 Suki, Tull, Buzzard, Mint, Kevin, Harmony, Fran, Dyker, Joining the Clans, Pamela, Mullein, Mist, Francis, Kristiana, Cliff, Patricia, Chestnut, Timothy, Axel, Nectar, Waverly, Tarragon, Edrydd, Louise, Turnstone, Jane, Mase, Cynthia, Merle, Warbler, Spearmint, Stonecrop
67 Warbler, Jed, Fiona, Fergal, Marcy, Wayland, Otday, Xoë, Luval, Spearmint, Stonecrop, Merle, Cynthia, Eorle, Betony, Smile
68 Pansy, Pim,Phlox, Stuart, Marilyn, Goth, Lunelight, Douglas, Crystal, Godwit, Estelle, Slimlyspoon, Lyre, George, Damson, Lilac
69 Honesty, Peter, Abel, Bella, Judith, storm, Matilda, Evean, Iola, Heron, Mint, Kevin, Lilac, Happith, Gloria, Peregrine
70 Lillian, Tussock, Modesty, Thyme, Vivienne, Minyet, Ivy, David, Jasmine, Lilac, Ash, Beech
71 Quartet & Rebecca, Gimlet & Leech, The Squad, Lyre & George, Deadth, Gift
72 Gareth, Willow, Ivy, David, Kæna,Chive, Hyssop, Birch, Lucinda, Camomile, Meredith, Cormorant, Whisker, Florence, Murre, Iola, Milligan, Yarrow, Flagstaff, Swansdown, Tenor, Morgan, Yinjærik, Silvia, Harmaish, Billie, Jo, Stacey, Juniper
73 The Growers, The Reluctants, Miriam, Roger, Lauren, Dermot, Lindsay, Scott, Will, Chris, Plume, Stacey, Juniper
74 Warbler, Jed, Veronica, Campion, Mast, Lucinda, Cormorant, Camomile, Yellowstone
75 Katheen, Raymnd, Niall, Bluebe, Sophie, Hazel, Ivy, Shadow, Allison, Amber, Judith, Storm Alwydd, Matthew, Beatrix, Jackdaw, The Squad, Elders, Jennt, Bronze, Maeve, Wain, Monique, Piddock, Melissa, Roebuck, Aaron, Carley Jade, Zoë, Vikki, Bekka, Mint, Torrent
76 Gimlet, Leech,Gwendoline, Georgina, Quail. Birchbark, Hemlock, Peter, Honesty, Bella, Hannah, Aaron, Torrent, Zoë, Bekka, Vikki, Jade, Carley, Chough, Anvil, Clematis, Stonechat, Peace, Xanders, Gosellyn, Yew, Thomas, Campion, Will, Iris, Gareth
77 Zoë, Torrent, Chough, Stonechat, Veronica, Mast, Sledge, Cloudberry, Aconite, Cygnet, Smokt

Word Usage Key
Some commonly used words are below. Replace th on end of words with ness and t with d or ed and most of the rest are obvious if sounded out aloud. Some words with n or en on the end can be easily understood if the n is replaced by a d. Only difficult words and words that do not exist in English are now referred to specifically.

Agreän(s), those person(s) one has marital agreement with, spouse(s).
Bethinkt, thought.
Braekt, broke.
Doet, did. Pronounced dote.
Doetn’t, didn’t. Pronounced dough + ent.
Findt, found,
Goen, gone
Goent, went.
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.
Lastdaysince, the day before yesterday.
Loes, lost.
Maekt, made.
Nextdaynigh, the day after tomorrow.
Sayt, said.
Taekt, took.
Telt, told.
Uest, used.

1 Weäl, well being, pronounced wi:al.
2 Wheel, pronounced hwi:l.
3 Givn, gave.
4 Cousine, female cousin.
5 A tramp on the knock, colloquial expression signifying a prostitute who works the streets and is at the time actively touting for trade.
6 Flaught, silly foolish.
7 Knoewn, knew.
8 Attestatrix, or attestor. One who attests or witnesses something. In this case a female official from the Master at arms office specifically there to attest a formal process has taken place. The default in Folk is feminine.
9 Opient, opined.
10 Bebaben, one who is so immature as to be equivalent to a babe.
11 Acquaint, acquaintance.
12 Overweighn, over weight.
13 Syskon(en), sibling(s).
14 Goent downbank, literally ‘went down hill’. Folk expression indicating deteriorating.
15 Haelth, health.
16 Riandet, a matter of no significance.
17 Thisday’s record, a log or diary entry.