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.
12th of Chent Day 15
A tenner since, Reedmace, his twenty-two men and Jodie, with their four waggons and forty-one horses, had arrived at the cabins from which they were working in the late afternoon, and not just Jodie was tired, damp and calt. It had taken them nearly three days to travel from the Keep. Ganger had telt Jodie they usually spent only one night, not two, in tents, but the trail was much more difficult than usual due to the deep mud caused by the recent heavy rain, and the horses had needed much more frequent, and longer, rests than was normal. Some stretches of the trail had been so bad they had hitched the forestry horses to the waggons as well as the waggon teams and with men at their head collars the horses had pulled the waggons through the axle deep mud using ten or eleven horses on each waggon.
It was early eve when they reached the cabins. Reedmace had telt Ganger to make sure the men not only kept the heating and cooking stove wood bins full, which they would do as a matter of course, but to make sure the wood going into both of the bins was small enough to go in the stoves, since Jodie wouldn’t be able to reduce it in size. Ganger had grinned and said, “They’ll make sure it’s small enough if I tell them they won’t be fed elsewise, and the leaf will be calt, and the showers even calter.”
Reedmace had chuckled cynically and said, “That should make sure.”
Ganger continued, “She’ll manage. I’ll keep an eye on things myself. I’ll make sure she understands what needs to be doen so we are fed on time and there’s enough.”
Reedmace gave his deputy a searching look and said, “I’m sure you will.”
Ganger had shewn Jodie what she had to do, and where everything was kept. She’d had a little trouble learning to direct the sparks from the goldstone and flint into the greasy wool, birch bark and dry, powdery, rotten wood mixture kept for starting a fire, but mastered it after twenty minutes. Whilst Jodie practised lighting a fire Ganger maekt leaf and porridge for their supper which he’d explained they’d eat with some saltt gris.(1) Half an hour later the men in dry clothes but still feeling chilled started to arrive in the mess cabin to eat. To her surprise Jodie felt guilty that hot leaf and porridge with honey or tree syrup and saltt gris was all she could offer. Her chamber was warm from the stoves, it was behind them and bigger than Reedmace had led her to believe. It was off the kitchen and had originally been a store. She was relieved to have found herself a placement where she at least had her own chamber and didn’t have to share as Gosellyn had suggested may happen.
Jodie awoke early the following day, and she had the stoves going and leaf ready for the men by the time they came to eat. She served the warmed porridge Ganger had shewn her how to make on the top of the dieing stove the eve before, again with honey and tree syrup. The first day back at the camp, both men and horses rested and the only work done was organising the stores brought with them, tending the horses and cutting fuel wood in the barn which also housed the stables. Despite the men’s gratitude, Jodie was embarrassed serving, yet again, porridge with the cured fish and cheese for lunch, but it was all she had, for the beans were not soft enough to eat. The first eve meal Jodie had cooked had been one of dried red beans soaked all day, and then cooked for four hours to soften them. The beans were accompanied by some of the cured smoked saltt gris they had brought with them. She was nervous as the men sat to their food. Never having cooked aught before she had no idea how they would react to her beans, and uest to artificially flavoured food to her they had seemed bland and tasteless. However the men were impressed, and whilst they were eating, Reedmace said, “This is excellent, because,” with a searing look at Blade, “at least it’s not burnt black and I don’t have to pick the cinders out of it.” There was a great deal of laughter at that.
When Jodie had realised once the cured meat and fish and the cheeses they had brought with them were gone they would have to exist on porridge and a choice of half a dozen different types of dried pulses she thought of the brief cooking instructions which were all Reedmace’s womenfolk had had time to give her. Frœp his sister had explained how to cook game, and she had demonstrated dressing a coney and then given Jodie one to dress. Jodie asked Ganger, “Is there no meat or fish to be caught here?”
Ganger had asked in turn, “If we catch something can you cook it?”
“I don’t know, but I can try,” Jodie had telt him. “ Frœp told me any meat will make a good stew if it’s cubed, put in a kettle covered with water and cooked at a low heatth for a few hours and Cwm said fish only needs a few minutes to cook in a hot oven or a pan.”
Ganger thinking things were looking promising concerning meals telt her, “The truth is Reedmace doesn’t wish to spare a man from the woods, and all of us would rather be crafting than cooking, especially as none of us are any good at it, and the others will only complain. We can all fish, but some of us are better at it than others, and some of us know how to catch coneys and gliders(2) too. Three of the men can use a bow, and I’m not bad with a crossbow, but I don’t have one here. The problem is all of us can ruin aught and all with the stoves. We are unusual in there being no women in the crew, and Reedmace isn’t belike to attract any because of the food. There are men in other crews who cook but not many. It’s a situation none of us like, but we don’t know how to change aught.”
“What’s a glider?” Jodie asked.
“An edible animal the size of a coney with a long tail. They can’t fly, but they can glide from one tree to the next by sticking their legs out which have skin between them. They live high in the trees in a rooft, rainproof nest callt a drey which they make from sticks and leaves.”
“Who did the cooking before?” Jodie asked.
He had telt her with a wry laugh, “The men, including myself and Reedmace taekt it in turns. None of us maekt aught that was any better than barely edible.”
Jodie looked berount at the filthy kitchen and mess cabin, and said, “I can see the place hasn’t had any cleaning done for a long time, if ever.”
“If ever sounds right,” Ganger had said with a dry laugh. That eve whilst they were eating Ganger telt the men, “Jodie says she can cook coneys, gliders too I should imagine. All we’ve to do is catch them. If we give her some fresh fish she sayt she’ll cook it.”
There was considerable interest expressed at that since they all knew Jodie was no cook. Mica asked her, “Can you dress them?”
Jodie replied a bit defensively, “I’ve only done one coney, but I remember what I did. I’ve never done a fish, but if some one shews me how I’ll manage.” She had been somewhat squeamish when shewn how to dress a coney by Frœp, but she knew she wouldn’t be now since it was dress game or live on dried beans.
Since then she had dresst and cooked coneys, gliders and a variety of other small game, both as stews and in the pulses. The crew agreed her cooking was a considerable improvement on theirs, and Reedmace had said he’d go fishing with some of the men sometime, all of who spent at least part of their day seeking game. Jodie thought that must mean that their cooking was awful beyond description, as hers was simple in the extreme. She had only cooked three dishes so far, pulses, stews and porridge and most of the cured meats, fish and cheese were uest for the men’s lunches with cold pulse cake.(3) All she had in the way of flavourings was a few sacks of salt, a small barrel of dried mercyfruit,(4) several gallon jars of honey and some similar jars of tree syrup. When she’d asked if they had any longer spoons for stirring and serving, Reedmace had said no, but Eddique had said he’d carve some for her in the eves. The spoons were crude but effective and once she’d telt him how long she wanted them he’d cut the handles to longth.
Jodie had spent a lot of time in the first tenner cleaning the kitchen and the mess cabin, which in her opinion had been much worse than utterly disgusting. Squalid and sordid didn’t even approach it. The tables had been coated with grease and grime, and the chairs were not much better. Jodie had scraped them down with a knife before scrubbing them several times with soap and hot water. She had also put some wild flowers and green shoots in mugs on the tables. After first scraping and then washing it, both inside and out, it was now possible to see through the glass of the tiny casements, and she’d unpicked the seams of some old bean sacks, which she had found on the waste pile, washed them and then hung them as rudimentary curtains to keep the warmth in after sunset. After Ganger had explained how, Jodie washed the glass chimneys on the candle and oil lamps and trimmed their wicks, and they now gave out considerably more light and less smoke.
Jodie had asked for the tables and chairs to be taken outside, and for someone to take a shovel to the floor since its tacky, muddy surface maekt walking on it unpleasant. The embarrassed crew had done so, and when the men were at work she had taken her skirt off, poured boiling water with scraped soap flakes dissolved in it onto the wooden floor and scrubbed it on her hands and knees prior to rinsing it off with more boiling water. Jodie was big with her pregnancy, and when the crew discovered she had scrubbed the floor on her hands and knees they were even more embarrassed.
The clean chairs and tables and the extra light maekt the mess cabin a much pleasanter place to eat in, and the crew had started to use it as a place to play cards, sanno(5) and other games after they had eaten in the eve. Njacek had painted a chess board on two of the tables and half a dozen of the men had mongst them carved two sets of chess pieces and another two of tjarn(6) pieces using oak heartwood for the darker pieces and oak sapwood for the lighter ones which maekt their eves after work pleasanter.
After Jodie had shouted, “I don’t mind sweeping up a bit mud with a brush, but the moment a shovel is required you’ve gone too far, Reedmace,” when he’d tracked in a lot of mud onto her just cleant floor, the men were all very careful to stamp the bulk of the mud off their boots and use the boot scraper. They thought her definition of unacceptably muddy boots which she had shouted at Reedmace for was fair. Without thinking, Jodie provided leaf for the game players in the eve. The loggers, who lived a primitive life in the woods, were almost pathetically grateful for even this level of home comforts and did as she telt them in her domain. It was when she served biscuits maekt of porridge sweetened with tree sap and slowly dried to crispth in the oven with the leaf one eve that Reedmace realised from the looks on the faces of his ecstatic crew he had to make sure he kept her or the crew would be seriously put out with him.
Whiteout presented her with a double handful of long, green plants with broad, pointed leafs, thin stems and small, faded, white flowers when he came in to eat one eve, and she asked him, “What are they?”
“Smell them,” he telt her.
“Garlic?”
“Ramsons. It’s wild garlic. You can cook with them if you know what to do with them,”
“It’s coney and white bean stew nextday. I’ll try some in that. Do they grow nearby?”
“These came from three hours away, Sandpiper and I were hauling dresst sticks(7) back when we seeën(8) a big patch of them. There may be some nearer, but I’ve not seen any.”
A thought came to Jodie, and she asked, “I want to plant the ones with bulbs on. Have we a spade?”
Sandpiper coming in then asked, “Plant what? We’ve spades aplenty.” Whiteout explained what Jodie had said, and Sandpiper said, “You shew me where you wish to put them, and I’ll plant them for you. I’ll bring you some brush sage, creeping thyme and watermint plants too if you like. They grow near here. Mica fell in a patch of white hotroot(9) once and he stinkt of it for a tenner. If he can remember where it was we’ll get some to plant and you can use some in a stew.” By now most of the men were in the mess cabin, and the idea of planting herbs for Jodie to cook with had been explained to all. They thought aught that improven the food had to be an excellent idea, and were pleased to dig a plot over for her. Mica said the white hot root patch was an hour away, but Reedmace telt him to fetch some nextday.
By now Jodie had settled in, and for the first time in her life was appreciated. The men knew she knew little of cooking, but at least she didn’t burn food, and she was already offering more variety than they’d cooked, and providing them with leaf in the eve had maekt their lives pleasanter. If her willing repairs to their clothing were not of seamster quality they were better than they could do, and she was gentle removing the spelks(10) of wood they frequently collected in the course of their work usually in their hands, but occasionally in an eye. Reedmace had telt her the trial was over, the placement was hers for as long as she wished it. She had telt him and the crew after her babe was birtht she would be returning.
Ganger she knew was interested in her, they had become more than friends, and because she liekt him and had let him know it she was somewhat piqued at his reluctance to take the matter any further. She’d asked him if his name meant something because the men oft referred to him as the ganger man. He’d laught, and telt her, “A ganger is literally someone in charge of a gang of folk. I’m not particularly intelligent, but because I can organise things I became the ganger man. The name stickt, and it is now my name as well as my craft, somehow it seemt right.” Jodie thought nothing was quite what it appeared to be on Castle, and then perhaps it wasn’t any where. “You’re staying then?” Ganger asked abruptly.
“Yes, I like it here. I know most of the Folk don’t like being away from the Keep, but I wasn’t born here, and it doesn’t bother me. I never had a craft before Castle and my babe’s father disappeared as soon as he knew I was pregnant. My life was pointless really, but I like the work here, and the men appreciate what I can do for them. Reedmace made a point of telling me my baby was welcome with me while I craft, so it suits me well.”
Ganger was deep in thought and eventually said, “Me too. I can’t imagine doing any other craft. I bethinkt me you’d be returning to the Keep. If I’d known you were going to stay I’d have askt you to marry me days since before some other doet. I’m asking you now. Will you marry me?”
Jodie, who had no idea Ganger was that interested in her, did some rapid thinking and said, “I like you. I didn’t know you liked me that much. Give me till nextday, and I shall tell you then.” She kissed his cheek, and said, “Just give me a little time.” Seeing a distressed expression on his face, she said, “There’s no one else. I just need a little time to become used to the idea.” Jodie had played for time with Ganger and his desire for agreement with her not because she was unsure, but because she didn’t wish rush into it and wished time to think things over. She appreciated he hadn’t asked her before because he thought she would go back to the Keep, and he wished to work the forest.
What finally decided Jodie to say yes was her placement with Reedmace. She knew the men all went back to the Keep in the winter lunes, but most of the year they spent in the forest, and she enjoyed looking after them. The men referred to her as their ‘Mistress crew cook’ and she’d discovered crew cooking was a recognised craft mostly practised by men, so no matter what happened she had some security and a future. The men appreciated what she did for them, and she knew she would become a better cook and seamster with time. She had decided this winter she would learn as much as possible, obtain advice on running the camp and also see what the healers could teach her of first aid.
She found thinking of her past and the person she had been embarrassing now. She also had come to realise there was a far better quality of life to be had by taking part in life, rather than vicariously taking part in the purportedly real life soap operas and so called reality programs the television had provided. Castle could be hard, but it was real, and the crew respected her for what she did, which was different from anything she had ever experienced before. She realised even were she to be offered a television service she would not accept it because she had better things to spend her time on. She knew she had a future she thought rewarding and enjoyable, and she wished a father for her babe and a man to father her future children which would give her status. Unlike the women back at the Keep married to loggers, she at least would spend all her year with her man if she married Ganger and looked after the camp.
The following forenoon she telt Ganger she would like to marry him, and if he were still of the same mind she suggested he move his things into her chamber. Jodie and Ganger announced they had agreement after the eve meal, and they were congratulated by all.
Nine days after Jodie’s agreement, it was late afternoon when Sandpiper, Mica, Serin and Blade struggling into camp shouted for her to come out of the cook house. They had a large headless animal on two poles, a pole between its tied front knees and another between its similarly tied back ones. Each of them had had a pole end on his shoulder and they were rubbing their shoulders having put the beast on the ground by the time Jodie came out. Serin asked her, “What can you do with this?”
Jodie stared at the huge quantity of meat, and said, “As it is not much. A coney is one thing, that’s another altogether. What is it? I haven’t any where big enough to put it to work on it, and I don’t think any of my knives are big enough. If you can skin it and butcher it so the pieces are small enough for me to work on I’ll do what I can.”
“If that’s all there’s no problem. It’s a young elk,(11) at least three hundred and twenty weights of meat here. Should be good eating, tasty and tender.” said Mica. They pulled the poles out from the elk’s legs and untied them when Mica said “Serin, Blade, we need seven poles three strides long and a span thick for two tripods and a top pole. Sandpiper, we need may hap ten strides of lashing cord. I’ll fetch some pails for the offal, and a stone for my knife.”
“Whilst you do what needs doing I’ll heat some leaf,” Jodie telt them. By the time she came out with the leaf the men had rigged two tripods with a pole over the top of them and Eddique was using a pair of horses to pull a rope over the top pole to hoist the carcass so its back legs could be tied to the top pole by Mica who bootless was standing on Blade’s shoulders. There were four pails at the side containing something too covered in blood for Jodie to recognise.
Sandpiper explained, “We put the pluck and edible offal back in the carcass after we bledd it, doet the gralloch and let it cool.”
“What’s a pluck? And you did the what?” asked Jodie.
“The pluck is the heart, liver and lungs, and we doet the gralloch,” Sandpiper repeated, “it’s the name for the initial gutting. Some call it the hunt dressing. The carcass has to be bledd and the grallochth removt quickly to avoid tainting the meat which has to cool as fast as possible so it won’t spoil. After letting it all cool we put the edible offal back in the cavity so we could carry it all back. That’s what’s in the pails. Blade killt it with an arrow to the head, so there was no stomach content leakage and all the meat should be excellent. We had to take the head off to reduce the weighth, or we shouldn’t have been able to bring it back, but we keept the tongue, brain and chides.(12) We had to stop for a rest any number of times. We’d have goen for a pair of horses, but they were working the far side of the camp, so we just keept going. We only doet half a day’s work, the rest we spent coming back.”
The beast was soon skinned and reduced to large but handleable pieces by Mica using his work knife, which was razor sharp, heavy and longer than Jodie’s forearm. By this time, there were a dozen men back in camp, and they taekt the quarters, other pieces and the pails of offal down to the river to wash the grass and blood off. The now empty meat safe which had housed cheese and cured meat and fish brought from the Keep was just large enough to contain the meat.
Ganger telt her, “In a lune you won’t need a meat safe because it’ll be too calt for flies. There’re hardly any berount now, even at noon.”
Jodie asked, “Does any one know what I have to do to make sure none of it spoils?”
Reedmace answered her, “The meat in the safe will keep because of the caltth at night, and it’s out of the shine for the whole of daylight. The offal will need to be uest quickly. If you slice it all a wiedth thick and fry it thiseve in some of the fat, we could have it warmt for braekfast, and take what’s left over with pease cake(13) for lunch which will use it all.”
The men agreed and Blade remarked, “It’ll make a change from porridge, but don’t use the chides, for they’re tough and will need long slow cooking.”
Jodie nodded at that thinking they could go in the next stew, or may hap in with some pulses. “What do you want to eat thiseve?” Jodie asked, “The black peas will be ready, but if you want a roast with them you’ll be eating awfully late.”
Ganger responded, “Mica, fetch me a heavy side axe,(14) Serin, a tall solid log to use for a block, and some of you help me to fetch the ribcage and the rest of the back. I’ll turn the lot into chops and rib ends. Even black peas will be good with chops. If someone puts some more wood in the cooking stoves they shouldn’t take long to cook.”
Jodie went to put the wood in the stoves herself. She’d had an other bin maekt for stove wood. She uest one for dry dead wood which she uest for starting the fires and the other for fresh cut and split green wood which she uest for overnight cooking. She uest mostly dry wood with a bit of green for cooking the chops. She thought Ganger must have done it before because using his work knife and the axe once he started it taekt him less than twenty minutes to turn the back and rib cage of venison into a pile of long ribbed chops. Another few minutes and the chops were trimmed small enough for her cooking trays with a huge pile of rib ends to go with them. By the time the chops and the rib ends were in the stove and the peas ready for warming there was a decidedly Quarterday atmosphere. Serin produced his flute and Ganger sang, with the others joining in from time to time. The meat was cooked in three quarters of an hour, and all considered it to be an exceptionally fine meal indeed.
“The best half a day’s crafting you four have doen for several seasons,” Reedmace telt the meat providers as he tried to mask a belch from Jodie.
Jodie asked for help washing up, and was telt by Reedmace, “Leave that to us. You cook the braekfast.” Jodie put her pair of large frying pans, which she suspected had never been uest by any other than herself, on the stove with some elk fat in them to fry the offal with, and by the time the fat had rendered sufficiently, and she was ready to cook it the offal had been sliced for her. The whole procedure taekt an hour, and whilst she was sorting out the now pre-cooked braekfast, so all had equal shares of the different offals, her pans had been washed for her. In the stead of the usual oats for porridge on the dying stoves that eve was a kettle of green peas for the pease cake and Jodie put some more wood in the stove so it didn’t die and cool as quickly as usual.
They were drinking a last mug of leaf before going to bed when Reedmace announced, “You’re in charge nextday, Ganger. I’m going fishing at Three Isle Lake with Whiteout and Sandpiper. We’ll see if we can catch enough to have fish for nextday eve meal.” This was considered to be an excellent idea by all, since the three older men were by far the best fishermen, and a fish dinner nextday was looked forward to.
Before the men left for work Jodie packed up their lunch tins with the left over offal and slices of pease cake and had the elk neck chopped into pieces which were small enough to fit into her kettles to which she added the cubed chides. She explained to Reedmace, “If you don’t catch enough fish you’ll at least have a meal, and if you do it’ll do for nextday.” She also boiled the tongue whole which she intended, on Ganger’s advice to cook, skin and slice to use with sliced cold meat to add to the cold beans the crew usually taekt for their lunch. That eve Jodie fried the seventy-odd brown trout the three men had returned with in elk fat accompanied by white beans flavoured with watermint. They were a tasty and a appreciated change.
At the end of the meal Reedmace said, “I’m thinking we need to be a bit more systematic with fishing and hunting if we wish to keep eating like this. We need to make sure Jodie always has something to craft with. You know what? I’m may hap beginning to like beans.” There were guffaws of laughter at that, but they all knew what he meant, as an accompaniment to some decent meat or fish beans were acceptable. Jodie telt the men when she went back to the Keep she would see the growers regards more herbs and vegetables to grow in her plot. She was also going to acquire more meal receipts which she would record in her book, and she wished some flour and to learn how to bake bread to go with her lentil soup.
She asked Reedmace if she could have a bigger kettle for leaf, and some more cooking utensils. She wished more of the large wooden spoons, a very large kettle for cooking bones and things like the elk neck, which had been full of sharp bone pieces as it had had to be chopped up with a felling axe, and some large metal oven trays for cooking biscuits on. Reedmace readily agreed to her requests, and he suggested that if she were agreeable she could take over the provisioning of the camp since she would be cooking the provisions. She agreed, and all thought it had been a lucky happenstance Reedmace had responded to her appearance, and they were even luckier still she had married Ganger which meant it looked as if they would be keeping her.
Serin said, “We need a better way of dealing with big animal meat, the tripods are good enough, but I’ll have a smith make some meat hooks and a gambrel(15) to make life a bit easier.”
Ganger agreed with him and said, “A bigger meat safe, a proper saw and a cleaver in the stead of an axe would make life a lot easier, less bone chips to spit out too.”
His last comment raised a laugh and Whiteout remarked, “If you don’t like the bits of bone, Ganger, you can eat my beans, and I’ll take your meat, bone chips includet.” That raised an even bigger laugh.
However Ganger thoughtfully continued, “I’m going to bring my crossbow back with me next time as I’m reasonable with it, and it’s the only way to kill a gris. We could spitt the gris outside over a firepit and that would be good with Jodie’s brightbeans.(16) I’ve come across more than a few gris here, but I’ve no intention of even trying to approach close enough to a boar to kill it with a spear. I know a spear is the huntsmen’s tool of choice for gris, but not for me.”
Eddique nodded and added, “You’re right, Ganger. It’s not that long since Salmon was killt by a boar and he knoewn what he was doing. Jackdaw sayt he couldn’t understand how it happent for he was a very careful and experiencet hunter, but Salmon is dead for all that.” There were nods of agreement at that.
Reedmace had been thinking on the details of Jodie’s return to the Keep and he announced, “When Jodie goes back to the Keep we’ll take the waggons loadet with the specials,(17) and we’ll all go.” There were puzzled looks at that since the plan was that they would be at the camp for at least a lune and a half longer than that, possibly twice as long or more if the weather were kind. He explained, “Now we’ve someone who can cook, I’ve no intention of eating Blade’s cooking whilst she’s away.” To this comment there were roars of laughter, but Blade just nodded in agreement. “We need some things maekt which may take a few days any hap. When Jodie says she’s ready to return with her babe, and she has her utensils and the provisions for us to load, we’ll all return and finish this tour. If we are lucky, when we return we may have another load of specials to take back.” He paused and then hesitantly announced, “…and I’ll have a crib maekt for the babe in gratitude.”
The men were not happy at that, and Eddique telt him, “We’ll all contribute to the crib, Reedmace. Take the tokens before sharing the bonuses.” There was heartfelt agreement with that, and Jodie crying with happith felt for the first time in her life she had a place where she belonged, where she was needed.
12th of Chent Day 15
Cherville awoke with the taste of breast milk in her mouth. As she remembered the vivid but restful dreams of the night, which had seemed so real, the first thing she did was to stroke her stomach, and then all the events of lasteve came back to her. She realised she wasn’t pregnant or nursing a babe, and she wasn’t an unbirtht or suckling babe, but she had to convince herself of that by examining her breasts and stroking her stomach again in disbelief at its flatth.
She washed and dresst quickly, and went to the Refectory for braekfast. One of the kitcheners asked her, “Are you Mistress Cherville, Nightshade’s intendet?”
“Yes, I am,” she replied smiling and emotional at the woman’s use of the term, Nightshade’s intendet.
“Nightshade sayt to tell you he has a few things to do and will meet you here at ten for leaf.” She expressed gratitude to the woman and wondered what Nightshade was doing. As usual she went to the Greathall to help with the children but returned to the now crowded Refectory for ten.
Nightshade was looking pleased with himself as he kissed her, and she reflected again, “I really must encourage him to be more positive.”
Nightshade went for the leaf saying, “Find a table for us will you, Cherville.” When he came back with leaf and apple sgons he telt her, “I’ve organiest some friends and relatives to help us move in this afternoon, and I’ve been to see Peregrine.”
He said the last as if he expected her to understand the significance of it, but she had to ask, “Who is Peregrine, and what did you see him for?”
Nightshade explained of Peregrine and his cribs and said, “I’ve askt him to make one with carvings that reflect the elements off the south-west towers. He telt me he considert drift wood would be appropriate and askt me how long doet he have before we needet it.” Nightshade flusht and said, “I telt him we only had agreement thisday, so he had a while. He was relievt and telt me it taekt him a while sometimes before he envisagt really good individual designs. He also sayt he would like to meet you so he knoewn who he was making the crib for. So that’s where we are going first.”
They drank their leaf and went to meet Peregrine who telt Cherville, “I am glad to see you are compatible with my vision of the elements berount the south-west towers. It can be hard to blend two different concepts, and create a pleasing result.”
After they had left Cherville asked, “Did you understand what Peregrine meant, Nightshade?”
“No, but then he’s an artist, and they’re all a little strange. His work is beautiful, but I don’t understand how he designs it.”
They arrived at Nightshade’s chamber and decided to keep four small pieces of furniture. Cherville remarked, “I had second thoughts about not sleeping with you lasteve when I arrived home, but looking at that bed I’ve no regrets now.”
Nightshade looked at his bed and agreed, “We shouldn’t have findt things easy, or even comfortable should we?”
“I should have included, or even possible,” retorted Cherville.
They left and went to the Master at arms office to be telt, “You can have aught you wish in any of the south-west towers and curtain walls. Let us know some time what you are using. If you live there others will follow you in the near future. Its how these things tend to work.”
They left and went to various workshops and stores, and selected all the other furniture and things they wished including a bed, a large and comfortable bed. After lunch they went to the extreme south-west tower to see exactly which chambers they wished and they chose a suite berount a large solar on the top floor just below the battlements and the observation tower. They returned and Nightshade collected his friends and relatives, and they had all the furniture and their effects moved in a couple of hours. Another hour, and Cherville had turned a collection of furniture and assorted possessions into a home. By the time they had finished it was time to eat, and they decided to eat at the White Swan and spend the eve there dancing and listening to the music and David.
On their way to eat they asked Basil for a supply of fuel wood and seaburn to be delivered. They left the White Swan at ten still laughing at the outrageous and amusing stories telt by David and went home. They maekt love with the casements open listening to the sounds from outside. Cherville was pondering the possibility of making love out on the battlements or the observation tower platform some time, perhaps as the sun was rising. She found it a very erotic idea, but didn’t think Nightshade would be ready for it till she had him kissing her as though he meant it. She telt Nightshade of her thoughts of being pregnant, nursing babes and having a family she’d had the night before. She laught as she telt him of her dreams and how she had awoken believing she was pregnant, and that she had had to stroke her stomach twice in disbelief to convince herself she wasn’t.
He had laught with her and said, “Let’s take it as a sign of things to come.” He walked his fingers downwards over her stomach and said, “No luck yet may hap we’d better try again.”
As his fingers continued Cherville eased herself for their mutual convenience and pressed his hand to her softth thinking, “Perhaps I haven’t as much work to do as I thought.”
12th of Chent Day 15
Eleanor and Woad had had spaech with Buzzard and Gudrun. Gudrun didn’t care what happened to the manure and Buzzard was happy to receive it ready composted after fermentation and said he would just mix it with other less completely composted material. Eleanor had worked out the required size of the fermenters and the gas storage containers, and Silas was initially completely over awed by the sizes of the barrels they wished, but was happy to rise to the challenge which, he explained with a smile, would be a rite of passage for his oldest apprentices who would be handling the biggest pieces of timber they had ever seen, never mind staved,(18) and he would have the smiths make a few sets of large adzes and staving irons(19) for the task. Oak and Wolf could see no problem with making the hoops, they were just big. Oak explained they would make them as several pieces and then forge weld the pieces into hoops.
George had said if the weavers could weave the mantles as soon as possible he would start some apprentices experimenting with the concentrated salts solutions to produce what he called lime light mantles. The burners either with or without gas jets for heating were not a problem, but it would help if he knew what the heat were intended for because space heating would be different from water heating though neither were difficult. He explained he was very busy, but he could find help. All in all Eleanor and Woad were happy with progress and continued to produce the pipework.
15th of Chent Day 18
Kathleen had her first contraction at ten in the forenoon, and her son Reef was birtht after one. She had an easy time of it, and as she said to Raymond and her children, “I have done this three times before you know.”
Niall and Bluebell were awed a babe started life so small, and Sophie was amazed he had such black hair. When they saw their mum nursing Reef Niall and Bluebell were a little embarrassed, but they felt privileged at the same time, and Sophie wished to know where the milk came from.
When the children had left for a late lunch, Raymond with tears in his eyes telt Kathleen, “Castle and the children are some of the best things in my life, but without doubt you are the best, my love.”
Kathleen smiled and said, “I know you are the best in mine, Love, and I know it is unlikely I shall have another, but I shall hope for it.”
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
7 Mercedes, 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
78 Jed, Warbler, Luval, Glaze, Seriousth, Blackdyke, Happith, Camilla
79 Torrent, Zoë, Stonechat, Clematis, Aaron, Maeve, Gina, Bracken, Gosellyn, Paene, Veronica, Mast, Fracha, Squid, Silverherb
80 George/Gage, Niall, Alwydd, Marcy/Beth, Freddy/Bittern, Wayland, Chris, Manic/Glen, Guy, Liam, Jed, Fergal, Sharky
81 The Squad, Manic/Glen, Jackdaw, Beatrix, Freddy/Bittern, Fiona, Fergal, Wayland, Jade, Stonechat, Beauty, Mast, Veronica, Raven, Tyelt, Fid
82 Gimlet, Leech, Scentleaf, Ramson, Grouse, Aspen, Stonechat, Bekka, Carley, Vikki, Morgelle, Bistort, Fritillary, Jed, Warbler, Spearmint, Alwydd, Billie, Diver, Seal, Whitethorn
83 Alastair, Carrom, Céline, Quickthorn, Corral, Morgelle, Fritillary, Bistort, Walnut, Tarragon, Edrydd, Octopus, Sweetbean, Shrike, Zoë, Torrent, Aaron, Vinnek, Zephyr, Eleanor, Woad, George/Gage, The Squad, Ingot, Yellowstone, Phthalen, Will
84 Morgelle, Bistort, Fritillary, Alsike, Campion, Siskin, Gosellyn, Yew, Rowan, Thomas, Will, Aaron, Dabchick, Nigel, Tuyere
85 Jo, Knott, Sallow, Margæt, Irena, Tabby, Jade, Phthalen, Yumalle, Stonechat, Spearmint, Alwydd, Seriousth, Warbler, Jed, Brett, Russel, Barleycorn, Crossbill, Lizo, Hendrix, Monkshood, Eyrie, Whelk, Gove, Gilla, Faarl, Eyebright, Alma, axx, Allan, daisy, Suki, Tull
86 Cherville, Nightshade, Rowan, Milligan, Wayland, Beth, Liam, Chris, Gage
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.
Intendet, fiancée or fiancé.
Knoewn, knew.
Lastdaysince, the day before yesterday.
Loes, lost.
Maekt, made.
Nextdaynigh, the day after tomorrow.
Sayt, said.
Taekt, took.
Telt, told.
Uest, used.
1 Gris, ferral swine. Saltt gris bacon or ham.
2 Glider, squirrel like animal of the size of a coney.
3 Pulse cake, pulses usually dried rather than fresh, cooked to a mush and allowed to cool. On cooling they set and the resultant block, pulse cake, can be sliced.
4 Mercyfruit, hot pepper or chile.
5 Sanno, a game played with mah jongg like tiles referred to as stones.
6 Tjarn, is the game known as draughts, chequers or checkers depending on the dialectal form you use.
7 Dresst stick, tree trunk with branches and top removed.
8 Seeën, saw.
9 White hotroot, horseradish.
10 Spelks, splinters.
11 Elk, Alces alces, referred to as Moose in some parts of Earth.
12 Chides, cheek muscles.
13 Pease cake, pulse cake maekt with peas.
14 Side axe, a small axe only sharpened on one side of the blade. They are forged such that the helve may be inserted from either side of the eye to produce left and right handed versions.
15 Gambrel, A metal bar with a central loop and a hook at each end, uest to hang a carcass, usually by the back legs, for butchering.
16 Brightbean, broad bean or fava bean, Vicia faba. Widely grown on Castle due to its resistance to extreme cold. So called because of the bright green inner seed.
17 Specials, unusual trees or parts of trees of particularly high value.
18 Staved, shaped into barrel staves, the individual pieces of wood, usually oak, that go to make up a barrel.
19 Staving iron, Folk coopers’ term for a draw knife uest to shape the staves of a barrel.
