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 at the end of the chapter. Appendix 1 Folk words and language usage, Appendix 2 Castle places, food, animals, plants and minerals, Appendix 3 a lexicon of Folk and Appendix 4 an explanation of the Folk calendar, time, weights and measures. All follow the story chapters.
The brackets after a character e.g. CLAIRE (4 nc) indicates Claire is a character who is 4 years old and a newfolk 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.
16th of Larov Day 137
Coolmint had birtht her girl child Valerian lastday. She’d had no problems and thisday she was feeling glad to be a lot slimmer and able to walk properly again. She was also a little bored since her relatives had insisted on doing everything for her, and having done so they left leaving her with none to have spaech with and naught to do other than watch two year old Lindal play and sleep. Valerian was asleep and Coolmint had just maekt some leaf after lunch when Vikki arrived, still nine lunes pregnant, with her two boys Hawfinch and Corncrake. Coolmint was glad to have someone to have spaech with, and the two women chatted of their family. Vikki, who unlike Coolmint had never birtht a babe before, asked, “What was it like, Sister?”
“I know this doesn’t seem believable, but I don’t know. I’ve been through it twice, and it seems as soon as I hold and nurse the babe all the memory of it just disappears. My sorrow, Vikki, but that is the truth. I just don’t know. In a day or two may hap you’ll be able to tell me, but were I you I shouldn’t guarantee it because most women will tell you they have very poor recollections of birthing. I can tell you it’s wonderful to be able to walk properly again.”
Coolmint nursed Valerian while Vikki and the boys were there and Vikki was almost overwhelmed by her feelings watching. Her boys had seen many a woman nurse a babe and weren’t interested.
17th of Larov Day 138
Vikki, like Coolmint, had returned to the Keep with her close kin to birth her babe. Vikki had been married to Buckwheat for a lune. She was less than half his age, and had never been as happy. His two sons were now hers, and she had come to love them as quickly as she had come to love Buckwheat. They were amazed when they felt her babe move and Hawfinch with his hand on her bump asked, “She can really kick. Doesn’t it hurt, Mum?”
“It doesn’t hurt, but she does keep me awake at night sometimes when I want to go to sleep.”
Lastday they had all been to see Coolmint who had had her little girl, Valerian, lastdaysince. Watching Coolmint nursing Valerian had filled Vikki with emotions she didn’t know existed, and she hoped to be nursing her little girl who was to be named Speedwell within a few days at most. Speedwell was birtht the following day after the eve meal having taken seven hours to arrive. The feelings Vikki had had when watching Coolmint nurse her daughter were nothing compared with those she had when nursing her own, and she couldn’t help being tearful at the wonder of it, but Coolmint had been correct. She had no recollection of birthing.
Corncrake, who had been completely uninterested in his aunt nursing his cousine, was fascinated watching his mum nurse his sister and asked, “When will she eat proper food, Mum?”
“When she’s ready, but she will still need to nurse after she starts to eat proper food for a time.”
Corncrake thought on that and said, “She’ll soon be bort with just milk to eat, I bethink me she’ll like sausages. When are we going home, Mum? I wish to be there when Sancy has her kits.”
Sancy, the boys’ jill(1) polecat, was important to them. Buckwheat had telt her their polecats had helped them to deal with the loss of their mother. Vikki smiled at Corncrake’s priorities, but replied, “Just as soon as Auntie Coolmint and I can persuade Uncle Wintergreen and your dad we are hale enough to travel.”
Hawfinch who was intelligent said, “If Auntie Coolmint wills to go home that means we going nextdaynigh if not nextday.”
17th of Larov Day 138
Master forester Cobb was thinking over his evaluation of the reluctants he had been given by Will to turn into Folk or into, using Will’s expression, dogmeat. He thought he had been fortunate, for all three of his incomers wished to continue with forestry in one way or another and had turned out to be good new members of the Folk.
Bill was a physically small but mature sixteen year old who admitted he’d had no future on Earth. He had been a small scale drug dealer to pay for his own habit and had known eventually he was going to be spending a lot of his life in gaol. He was happy to be on Castle. Forestry was alien to him, yet he found it satisfying and wished to continue with it as a craft. He was glad to leave a life with no prospects behind and wished to find a wife and settle down to family life as a respected craftsman of the Folk with a future. He telt Cobb the way his craftmates spake of their agreäns and most especially their children maekt him envious and set him a goal which he was determined to achieve as soon as possible. He had a good eye for easy to fell trees of high value, and a high level of skill with a felling axe. It wasn’t long before experienced foresters wished to craft with him.
Gary was a large but not over bright twenty year old who had adapted successfully and was becoming a good forester. He had rarely managed to attract a woman and had never managed to keep one for more than a few days. He had never had anything other than drugs and drink to spend money on due to a limited intellect and an even more limited ability to perceive any other way of life. He had never been able to imagine how he could be a successful man and had always known he had no real friends, just acquaintances ready to take advantage of him. He telt Cobb Castle was the best thing that had ever happened to him, for the first time in his life he had real friends.
Chalk, a married older woman who crafted as a horse logger, had telt Gary if she’d had daughters she would have been happy to accept him as a son if one of her daughters had reached agreement with him. She had promised to help him find a wife and had said, “A lot of my friends have daughters seeking a man and many I’m sure would love to meet you.” Gary was not a particularly good man with an axe, but he was a talented tool fettler.(2) When he sharpened an axe it stayed sharp a long time and he was good at fitting axe helves so they stayed tight a long time too. When he sharpened and set one of the long two man cross-cut saws it slid through green resinous timber with the absolute minimum of effort. It wasn’t long before he was fettling tools full time and was a much valued crew member.
Norman, also twenty, was a clever, shrewd and gifted organiser, and he’d admitted he would like to run his own forestry crew one day. He limped badly as a result of childhood polio and was, as his peers on Earth had described him, as ugly as sin. Sensitive to his limp and looks, he had taken to drugs to escape from a life that contained nothing but hurtful abuse and insults. However, despite all, he was also a superb raconteur and could retell relatively ordinary events his listeners were familiar with in such a way as to make them weak with laughter. He had the ability to caricature events and persons in words, and none noticed his limp or his looks after a few tenners.
It was no surprise to any of the crew when Norman reached agreement with Hoopoe, an intelligent and exotically attractive feller of thirty-eight who had lost her man to the fevers. Hoopoe was one of the small number of the Folk whose skin and hair were raven’s wing black. She had a pretty face with long eyelashes and her long flowing hair flashed natural blue and perse(3) highlights in the sun, but what maekt her so exotic was her sunset(4) eyes. She would have been a beautiful woman with paler skin and eyes of a common colour but the combination of her looks, skin, hair and eyes maekt her remarkable. Norman was, as she described him to her friends, “A man who could make you wish to die laughing in the middle of an orgasm.” When Firkin, Cobb’s deputy had to go back to the Keep to help his kin look after frail elderly relatives Cobb appointed Norman in Firkin’s place to the surprise of none, and the satisfaction of the entire crew, for his attention to detail was better than Firkin’s which maekt their lifes easier.
After a good tour which had resulted in a happy and generously rewarded crew Cobb had taken his log to the Master at arms and reported on his newfolk. Gareth had listened intently and asked him, “Why bethink you your three were such a success, Cobb?”
“Who knows? I suspect Will was right, and deep down they were decent men, and Castle givn them an opportunity to be decent men. Bill is young but wishes a woman and a family. He is a good crafter, and is willing to work hard and long, not only to achieve what he wishes, but to help when things are becoming difficult for any other. Gary is not over bright, but I have telt him I wish him to work with the smiths and the woodworkers awhile to hone and extend his skills as a tool fettler. He wishes to do that, and then to return to the woods with my crew. I should like that, and the crew too, but he needs to be settelt with a woman first. I hope you can help, though I have already put all of my acquaintance to finding him a wife. Clever he is not, but he is a good man with good prospects. Firkin has sayt he doesn’t wish to be far from the Keep in future in order to meet his family commitments, and Norman has taken his place. I have telt him if he stays I shall see it is worth his while, and we can take turns to run the crew till I retire which will give me some respite. My joint ail(5) is worsening, and he knows he will be joint Master and eventually Master of the crew and he has acceptet. The crew are happy with it too, for they had concerns regards finding a good Master after my retirement which they’ve known for sometime will happen as soon as my joint ail prevents me crafting without too much hurt, and that could be anywhere between nextday and a few years.”
Gareth considered what Cobb had said, and said, “I’ll make sure Bill and Gary find the wifes they need to support them in their crafting. I wish all the incomers were of the quality of your three.”
Cobb laught and replied, “I wish I had been able to have all my own way too, but doubtless it would not have been good for me or the Folk.”
Gareth laught in turn and said with mock contrition, “Doubtless. I am properly reprimandet, Cobb. Gratitude for the lesson in humility.”
“Buy me a glass in the Swan sometime, Gareth, and I promise not to tell any.”
Gareth clapped him on the shoulder, laught and said, “Doen!”
Gary as instructed had gone to the Master at arms where he was asked of his craft placement. He was happy to spaek of working with the smiths learning tool sharpening and other matters. He was less confident regards his time after that when he would be crafting with the woodworkers which would involve learning how to re-helve, -shaft and -handle tools from the green wood available to him in the forest, but he admitted he was looking forward to it. When the conversation turned to personal placements, he had no idea how to answer the questions put to him merely remarking Chalk had said she would help him.
Gareth asked Gary to wait awhile and sent runners for Chalk and Plover. When Chalk arrived Gareth met her and explained he thought Plover would be a good wife for Gary. Chalk didn’t know Plover, so Gareth gave her an outline of twenty-two year old Plover after which she, like Gareth, thought the pair would suit each other. Gareth asked Chalk if she would handle the introduction and, Chalk knowing Gary would readily accept from her what he would not from a stranger agreed. When Plover arrived Chalk realised she was much cleverer than Gary and after five minutes conversation that the couple would indeed suit each other. She telt Plover, “Gary as you are aware is not clever. What I doubt you have been telt is he only trusts folk he knows, will you let me introduce you and if necessary convince him to agreement once you have let me know that is what you wish?”
“Were you his mum I should have no choice should I?” Plover replied. “He has no mum, so if you are willing to stand as his mum I am grateful that he has someone to act as such. I have no mum either, so if we reach agreement would you be willing to be our mum, Chalk?”
Chalk smiled and replied, “You’re a clever young woman, and I should be pleast to be your mum.” They went to meet Gary, and Chalk hugged him and kissed his cheek. She telt him, “I sayt I should help you to find a wife, Gary and I have. This is Plover. She has no mum either, and I have telt her if you marry her I shall be mum to both of you and grandmother to your children. I shall leave you alone awhile and return to discover what you have decidet.”
Gary who had been looking at Plover said without thinking, “Yes, Mum.”
Chalk left as she had said, and Plover smiled at Gary and asked, “Do you wish to be marryt, Gary, or have you been persuadet into it?”
“I want to be married. Nobody has tried to make me do anything,” Gary protested. “I’m not clever and I don’t know how to get a wife. Chalk said she would help me, and I like her. She would never try to make me to do anything I didn’t want to.”
Gary went silent, and Plover realised he had said everything he knew on the subject. He was big, good-looking and a good craftsman she knew. He wished a wife and children, and was remunerated well enough to support a family of any size. He was not clever, and if she married him she knew she would have to do most of his thinking for him. On the other hand his love would never fade, and she could tell he would be an excellent dad and love being so. She telt him, “If you ask me to marry you, Gary, I shall say yes, but I wish you to ask.”
Gary struggled with the complex sentence, but eventually asked, “Will you marry me, Plover?”
“Yes. That means we are now marryt, Gary, and we must tell Chalk who is now our mum because she sayt she would be if we reacht agreement. To complete our agreement you have to kiss me.” Plover said the last because she wished to make Gary realise they were now married and she knew there would have to be a physical act to seal it in his mind. Their kiss was more passionate than Plover thought would be the case, and it maekt her look forward to further intimacy. She went to the door where she saw Chalk and beckoned her in. “We have agreement, Mum, and we should like to tell you so.”
Chalk looked at her and then Gary and said, “I am pleast for both of you. I suggest you go home to organise your new lifes, and I shall deal with Gareth for you.” She kissed Gary’s cheek and said, “Congratulations, Son. Now go home with Plover and do what she tells you.”
Gary, happier than he had been for years, said, “Of course I shall, Mum. Thank you.”
Chalk smiled at Plover, kissed her cheek and said, “Gary is a good man, and I wish you every happith, and I hope for your early pregnancy, Plover.”
Plover said as she followed Gary out, “So do I. Gratitude, Mum.”
Nextday Bill arrived at the Master at arms to meet Willow who was standing in for Gareth. That they were of similar age probably helped because Bill was not in the least embarrassed or intimidated having spaech with her. He explained, “I never thought of being married, or having children before I came to Castle, but listening to my craftmates maekt me realise I should like to be a family man with a wife and children. I should like a wife who already has children, a wife who would love me and not be worried by my lack of experience with anything. I’m sixteen Earth years which is nearly thirteen Castle years, but I am not bothered by anything other than being loved and having children.
“Would a woman of twenty of our years with four children be acceptable?”
“Yes, if she would love me.”
“Would you like to meet her now?”
“Yes, I should. What is her name?”
“She is Dewberry, and she is a herbal.” Willow went to the door and spake to a runner before returning and continuing, “Her man dien in a tragic accident on the dock a year over, and she is still nursing her youngest.” Dewberry was escorted to them a quarter of an hour later and Bill saw she was a diminutive blonde with eyes so dark as to be black, which was a striking combination. She was delightfully slender and pretty but with large breasts that looked outrageously out of place on so small a frame till he remembered Willow had telt him she was still nursing her youngest. Willow telt the pair she would be available if they shouted on the corridor, but she would leave them for now.
Bill started by saying, “You know I want a wife and children, Dewberry. I don’t know what you want, but I think you are pretty, and I should be happy to think we could reach agreement.” Dewberry who had shied away from several men who had offered agreement for no reason she could think of other than she did not wish to marry them thought Bill an attractive man, and she knew he was a highly thought of crafter who would be more than able to provide for the children she had and the ones they would have.
She asked, “Would you wish more children, Bill?”
Bill didn’t hesitate for a second and replied, “Yes. I’ve talked to other crafters in the crew, and though I have no experience of family life, the way they have talked of their families has maekt me want the same.”
Dewberry trying to evaluate Bill as a potential husband asked, “What is important to you if we reach agreement, Bill?”
Bill again was very quick to respond, “I may change as I become older, but right now there is only one thing that matters to me, and that is you will love me. None ever did before, not even my mother, so if that is not a possibility I shall try for agreement with someone else.”
Dewberry was shocked and couldn’t help herself from saying, “Not even your mother?” Bill did not reply, and Dewberry correctly interpreted his silence to be indicative of great hurt and a desire to overcome it. She reached for his hand and said, “I shouldn’t be prepaert to reach agreement with any man unless I believt we should come to love each other. Do we have agreement, Bill?”
Bill, who was still thinking of his mother’s obsessive love for his father which had excluded him and his siblings
from her world, taekt a while to reply, “Yes. If you are willing to love me we have agreement.” They left holding hands, each wrapped in their past hurts and their hopes of future love, totally ignoring the Master at arms staff despite the calls to them.
Willow telt the staff, “Leave them alone, their agreement is more important than our records.”
21st of Larov Day 142
Terry qualified as an architect, and to his surprise became a good one. He was happy for ten years working for a large firm who paid him generously if not handsomely. He had married Libby, a primary school teacher, and though they had been unable to have children their life had been happy. Terry enjoyed his work, and the firm treated him with consideration. If Libby were ill there was no problem with him having time off to look after her. If for what ever reason he wished to work at home, he had converted a bedroom originally intended for children into a drawing office, that too was accepted. That Libby was the dominant partner in their marriage didn’t worry him, for he had always been an introvert and Libby kept the world at bay. With encouragement from some of the clients, he and Libby had decided he should resign and work for himself. They had made good money for nearly ten years, he was kept working and Libby handled the paperwork. Tragedy struck when Libby was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died five months later. He couldn’t function, and he certainly couldn’t run a business, and he started drinking. The business collapsed, and he was declared bankrupt. He found a job in a drawing office drawing ready to assemble warehouse shelving, but he lost it due to his drinking within a month. His only remaining asset had been what he owned of his house, and he was in the process of selling that when he awoke on Castle.
The healers had dried Terry out, and he felt better than he had for years. When he had been telt he was going to sea he had not been unhappy at the idea and he’d subsequently enjoyed the work as a general seaman aboard My Love. Four lunes later when My Love finally docked back at the Keep at midday, he left with the good wishes of ship Master Spelt and the crew, and headed for the Master at arms office as he had been instructed. He was asked to wait a few minutes whilst someone was located to have spaech with him. He was provided with a mug of leaf and before he had finished it a woman entered the chamber and introduced herself as Campion. “Now you are back,” she asked him, “and I can see in better haelth than you were on leaving, do you have any ideas of what you would like as a craft placement or even as a personal placement?”
Terry, who had been thinking of both these issues for a long time and had discussed both with his shipmates, had a good understanding of what Campion meant and replied, “My wife and I were childless, and when she died my isolation without any family was a major factor in my drinking. I want to marry a woman with children and a large extended family. I do not want to be on my own any longer. I need to have family to care for and to care for me. Though I have been thinking hard regards a craft for a long time I have no idea what I want to do. I have no skills or hobbies of any use here other than my ability to design and accurately draw buildings or other things which are required to be made. I suppose should I find a wife I should be happy to follow her craft, but I am not sure.”
Campion thought awhile and asked him, “I know of two relatet crafts where you could possibly use your skills, but you would need to have spaech with the smiths and woodworkers of the one. The other is with the huntsman’s office and involves the mapping of Castle. The maps would need to be drawn from the information gathert by a lot of different folk. Could your skills find applicability there, Terry?”
“It is possible, but the skills are not the same. What is the other one with the smiths and the woodworkers, for that sounds more likely to be similar to what I have done before?”
“I consider it best if you have spaech with them yourself, but you’ll have to wait at least a few minutes possibly an hour.” She went to the doorway and asked Tracker, a junior on duty as a runner, to see if she could locate Masters Oak, Vinnek, Wolf and George and ask as many of them as could to spare her a little time to so do. Campion explained, “They are the main crafters involvt in the project to produce horse-drawn, grower equipment. I know none of it in detail, but I do know all the pieces have to be accurately drawn, so crafters can make them. George has to do this, but it would be better if he could spend the time supervising the assembly of and modifying the assembelt pieces.”
Campion had been trying to explain a little more for nearly half of an hour when Masters George and Vinnek arrived with Tracker who said, “Master Wolf is doing something critical, and his assistants telt me he would not be available for two hours. I couldn’t find Master Oak. I met Jason delivering something to the huntsman’s office. He sayt he’d been crafting at the smithy, but he doetn’t know where his dad was.” Campion expressed gratitude to Tracker and asked Terry to explain to the others what his skills were.
“I was an architect and—”
George interrupted him saying, “My appologies for interrupting you, Terry, but I am an incomer myself. I appreciate and understand your skills. Vinnek, would you be kind enough to fetch the drawings we were discussing before we left, so Terry can assess them?”
Vinnek smiled and replied, “Of course. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
George continued, “We are working on a number of projects at the moment, but the most important one is to produce horse drawn reaper-binders. I am an acceptable draughtsman, but not a good one, and I make mistakes. Some of the parts are wood, some are hand shaped metal, some are forged metal and some are cast metal, the shrinkage of which on cooling causes us problems. We have over fifty crafters and their apprentices producing parts from my second rate drawings. If we had a skilled draughtsman the whole project would proceed more smoothly with need for fewer revisions.”
Terry admitted he had never worked under such conditions before, but said, “At least it would be interesting. I assume you will provide sketches with dimensions for me to work from for subsequent checking and modification?” George agreed as Vinnek arrived back with a pile of pieces of paper of different sizes and laid them out for Terry. Terry looked at the drawings for five minutes or so and eventually smiled at George saying, “They are not of the ultimate quality, George, but they are much better than some I have seen produced by professionals. I could redraw these for you with the errors corrected if you tell me what is desired, and after discussion with you create a fabrication and assembly order to go with them in no time at all. I should require standard sized pieces of paper and a proper set of drawings drawers, for which I could produce a set of drawings for you thiseve. I should also need somewhere for me to work with a drawing board and the necessary instruments. Again I could draw any instruments I needed for you to make.”
Vinnek asked almost in disbelief, “How do you find errors just by looking at the drawings, Terry? I can only find them when two pieces we’ve maekt don’t fit!”
Terry laught and replied, “It’s what I do, and I’ve done nothing else for most of my adult life.”
“So you will to craft with George and the other Masters, Terry?” Campion asked.
“Yes, certainly, though I don’t mind talking to the map makers if I can help. I am not sure I can, but I should do what ever is possible.”
Campion and the Masters smiled in approval at his willingth, and Campion said, “I shall go over our files for you, I know they contain a number of women with children and extendet families seeking men. Have you any requirements or preferences which may help me to decide whom to introduce you to first?”
Terry smiled and said, “I should like a daughter of twelve to fourteen. That’s in Earth years, and I’m not sure what that is in Castle years. I lost a thirteen year old sister when I was nineteen. I loved her, and it hurt for a long time. A colleague once told me daughters of that age maekt a man feel so proud. If that is not possible it doesn’t matter. Even the newborn become young women eventually.”
Campion smiled, and said, “All too quickly, Terry. I shall see what I can do and contact you later thisday.”
Vinnek picked up the drawings and as he and George left with Terry, Vinnek suggested, “Let’s go to see Wolf. He will be available to us even if the runner couldn’t see him, and he may know where Oak is.” They were shewn in to Wolf’s foundry where they found a dozen of Wolf’s crafters and Oak too. They were all smiling and looking at a casting which Wolf had just shaken out and was brushing the sand off. Oak greeted them saying, “It looks as if we finally have just enough draft(6) on the pattern to produce a useful casting, George. Five more and we’ll address the next problem.”
Vinnek introduced Terry and said, “Terry is going to do the drawings. It’s his craft.” As the five men spake of the project and what Terry would need in the way of equipment Wolf’s crafters were preparing the flasks(7) for casting the remaining five parts.
George telt Terry, “The best thing to do now is to go to my workshop and see what I have. Which will give you a start, and then you can draw anything else you want, and we’ll have it maekt.”
Terry agreed, and the men parted agreeing to meet next forenoon. They went to George’s workshop, which was dominated by a huge drawing board, where they met Lyre who had brought something for George to eat and some leaf. Terry was surprised at the age difference between George and his discernibly pregnant wife who telt him, “If I don’t make sure George has food and drink he forgets, but there is enough for both of you. There are mugs for leaf keept in this cupboard.” As she took out two mugs Lyre said, “Leave the mugs in plain view and the apprentices will wash them and put them away, Terry. George, Love, what are your plans for thiseve? We have been invitet to eat with Gloria and Peregrine, and I should like to if it’s possible.”
“I was going to eat at home, Love, but we can go to Gloria and Peregrine’s which will be a pleasant change. I shall be home early, so you can check I’m presentable before we go.”
Lyre nodded and said to Terry, “He likes every one to believe I bully him all the time which isn’t really fair because it’s true, but that doesn’t mean he has to tell every one.” She turned to George, kissed him and said, “Be home by six. I’ll have spaech with Gloria on my way to collect some wool to spin for babe clothes, so I shall see you later, Love.” She kissed George again, smiled, said “Goodafternoon” to Terry and disappeared.
Terry asked George, “Have you been married long?”
George, who was pouring mugs of leaf, pushed a plate with pasties on it towards Terry, smiled and replied, “Almost since I arrived here. Long enough at any rate to do what I’m told.” He turned berount and opened a cupboard saying, “This is where I keep my small drawing boards and these are the instruments I use.” He was pointing to some small, delicate looking tools on a shelf. “I don’t have anything like the chest of drawers you suggested to keep drawings in, but what ever I have feel free to take and have made what ever you want. The Council has decreed our requirements are a priority.”
Terry nodded and asked, “What are the models?”
“Various parts of the mechanisms. It’s easier to experiment in wood and clay.”
Terry inspected George’s instruments and the models and was surprised at the quality of the materials they were maekt from and the accuracy to which they had been maekt. “There are a few things I should like, but not many. Where should I work, George?”
“Since it’s all set up in here for drawing it’s easier if I move rather than the equipment. There are some empty workshops farther along, so I’ll take one of those. You move in here, and alter anything you like to suit yourself. I’ll have the apprentices move the tools, models and materials. You all right with that, Terry? Or shall I leave the models with you to study?”
Terry looked berount what was to be his drawing chamber in agreement, and said, “I’d appreciate it if you left the models with me for a while at least. I’ll manage a couple of hours work before I eat. I can get the extra instruments drawn by then and nextday I’ll draw the chest of drawers and all of your instruments for our records.”
George asked, “I have over a dozen apprentices, that is the project does, and I’ll have extra drawing instruments maekt for them too. Would you mind taking on that aspect of their training because I haven’t enough time to do it properly?”
“That makes sense. I’ll be glad to do it. I presume from your drawings you are most comfortable using first angle projection(8) and it is all you have uest so far?” George nodded in agreement, and Terry continued, “Then I suggest for the meantime we continue to do so and only introduce third angle to the apprentices when it will not cause confusion for the crafters making the parts.”
“Yes, that makes sense, Terry. Remind me to tell you of the navigation instruments project that has just started,” George added. “Amongst other things we are trying to determine longitude on Castle, and there will be a need for some very accurate work in order to succeed. Is there anything else you even think you may need? For the more time you can give the crafters to make instruments and equipment the better.”
“The paper the drawings are on is good quality, but would it be possible to have some much thinner paper that could be uest as tracing paper? I’d like a lightbox too, but I know that’s not possible here, so I’ll have to manage.”
“The tracing paper shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll ask Ophæn, she makes paper with her daughter, Lavinia who is a remarkably intelligent and resourceful young woman. You never know they may already make it for the archivists. I’ll speak to Næna, for she’ll know if anyone does. As to the lightbox, no problem at all, far easier than the tracing paper. You’d be amazed what can be done with oil lamps, candles and polished steel mirrors. I’ll have Vinnek and Oak put some apprentices to work on it.”
George left Terry to his work and went home early for once thinking of what he could best spend his next few days on now he wasn’t producing and revising all the drawings any longer. Terry, a much faster worker at his craft than George, worked steadily for two hours, and he’d not only drawn the extra instruments he wished, but maekt a good start on George’s existing ones too. It was hard for him to believe the changes that had occurred in his life. He still missed Libby, but at least he was a human being again, respected and of value. He was looking forward to the teaching rôle George had suggested, but most exciting of all was his involvement in the projects from inception to realisation, something few draughtsmen had the satisfaction of. He put his instruments away thinking he would draw some protective boxes for them too, and went to the Refectory for his eve meal.
He was halfway through his meal when Campion came to his table and said, “Squill, this is Terry. As far as I am aware you both meet all of each other’s requirements. I shall leave you to see if you can reach agreement. If it doesn’t happen return to have spaech with the office, and we shall arrange another introduction for each of you.” With that Campion left.
Squill was a woman of medium highth, half a head shorter than Terry, and though of moderate bosom and hips she had a decidedly sensuous look which Terry decided was not due to the apron(9) she was wearing. She had medium longth dark brunette hair held up by a pair of ornately carved horn combs. Her luminous eyes were large and deep green, and she was in no way embarrassed by the introduction. She telt Terry, “Finish your meal, Terry, whilst I bring us a glass of wine.” Terry had finished when Squill returned with two glasses of red wine, almost perse in colour, saying “The queue for the rosé was too long, so I bringen this in its stead. It’ll be my only glass though, it’s strong, and two glasses is a one too many.”
Squill sat down and telt him, “My man dien in a quarry accident nearly two years over, and I’m ready to marry again. I have six children, and they wish a dad. I’m thirty-six, and I wisht a man in his middle forties, because older men deal with older children better. I doetn’t wish a man in one of the more dangerous crafts because I shouldn’t wish the children to go through losing their dad again, and I don’t wish to either. I can be a bit difficult due to my lunetimes, and I have three daughters the same. My youngest daughter will probably be the same too when she starts hers, so I wish a quiet placid man who would understand. The boys are both younger than the girls and don’t understand, so they need protecting from us, and I need a man mature enough to help the boys without upsetting the girls. I wish a man to love and be lovt by, and I have a large extendet family which I believe you wish.”
“Though my wife and I had no children I have always dealt with children easily, and I shall not have a problem with the requirements you have for your children. My wife had been the strong one, and after she died, in my weakness, I allowed drink to make a fool of me. This wine is the first I’ve had since I came to Castle. I had no relatives to help me deal with losing her which gave the drink an advantage, and that’s why I want a large extended family: to protect me from myself if necessary. I lost a sister when she was thirteen, so I wanted a daughter of that age, a friend told me they made a man proud. Mostly I want a wife to love and be loved by.”
Squill looked at him with a measuring and calculating expression and eventually said “I doetn’t know, and my apologies for bringing the wine, Terry. I like the look of you and you sound like the kind of man I wish. Do we have agreement?”
Terry who had had it explained to him the way these things worked mongst the Folk was still a little surprised at the speed of it all and he hesitated a second before saying positively, “Yes, we do. No apology is due for the wine. A man only goes that way once in a lifetime. Tell me of my children please.” He hesitated a moment before continuing and asked, “Would you be prepared to have more children, Squill? If your answer is no I still want to marry you, but I have always wanted to father a child, and I’ve always longed for a pregnant wife. It was a great sorrow to us it never happened.”
Squill didn’t hesitate for a second, she had noted his use of the phrase my children and thought it boded good fortune for her future. That Terry wished to father children and wished a pregnant wife was a joy to her and convinced her she had the family man she both wished and needed. “I should love to have more children and the others would love it too, especially now they are old enough to understand.” She thought a little and then added, “And the girls would love to watch the birth of a syskon.”(10) Terry didn’t understand the last comment and asked for explanation and Squill said, “Girls usually see a birth as part of their education before they are ten. My elder three have seen a birth but all would love to watch the birth of a syskon. As to your other question, Bwlch(11) at fiveteen is a woman now and she has apprenticet as a Keep provisioner, Blueice is threeteen and wishes to apprentice as a baker, Bird is twelve, Dittander is nine, Charlock is eight and Æsh is seven. All of them wish a dad desperately, and it is my belief they will all love you before a day is out.”
There was a silence where they both realised they had temporarily run out of words. Terry braekt the silence by admitting, “It is a long time since I have maekt love, and I admit I want a woman badly, any woman. I hope you do not think badly of me for this, but I can’t help the truth.”
Squill appreciated his telling her that, which though such matters were easy for folkbirtht to discuss she knew they were difficult for newfolk, and said, “It is the same for me, and if naught else we should be able to satisfy each other’s urgent wants thisnight. May hap nextnight we could make love?”
“I should think so, but I do believe we have maekt a start on loving each other.”
Squill held her hand out to him and said, “Let me introduce you to the children, and we can worry regards bedtime later.”
Terry nodded agreement and said, “I should like us all as a family to celebrate our agreement at the White Swan with dinner and dancing nexteve.”
“That is a very grownup thing the children will love, and I shall tell them it was your idea. Now let’s go home.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Spelt had gone to the Master at arms office to hand his log in and to report on Terry. On his way there and back he had been telt of Otis six times before he finally found his wife, and he was proud enough of her to burst with it. The phrase, now to make you one of us, maekt him laugh so much it hurt. That one of the six who related the tale to him was Will maekt him even prouder of Treen, and he had said to Will, “What would you expect her to say and do?”
When he finally found Treen he telt her, “I hearet of that bilge rat, Love, and I love you for it more than ever, Treen.”
Treen understanding there were things he had not said asked, “And what else are you not telling me, my love?”
Spelt stopped her questions with kisses that taekt her breath away and replied, “Children, family.”
Treen who had been thinking similar thoughts since returning to the Keep asked, “And what if I won’t settle for a man away for four lunes at a time?”
Spelt, missing the teasing note in her voice replied seriously, “Then I need to find another craft.”
The idea Spelt would do that for her when they eventually started their family had never occurred to Treen, and with tears in her eyes she kissed him gently and said, “No, no. That would never do, my love. My man is a ship Master and I won’t settle for aught less for the father of my children.”
25th of Larov Day 146
Master forester Trout had arrived back at the Keep after a tour of nearly five lunes. He had taken his log to the Master at arms and delivered his report. After a trouble free and profitable tour for the entire crew and the recruitment of three excellent new foresters from the incomers, he had been shocked to hear of the experiences of some of the others foresters, miners and ship crews that had taken men from Will’s reluctants. He had taken twenty-two year old Paul, twenty-four year old Ross and nineteen year old Sherman, all were ex-drug addicts. All three had taken to the woods naturally, and only Ross had had any problems, and that was with learning how to put an edge on his axe that would last. He had taken a while to learn, but he had learnt under the expert tuition of the entire crew.
The three new men had all mixt with the crew, and on the advice of Berg his deputy, he had offered them all a placement within the first lune, and all had accepted. They had snaked out of the woods large quantities of excellent quality pine down to the river ready for floating down to where a ship could tow them to the Keep. They had also found some good specials,(12) and the bonuses were expected to be double those of a good tour. Trout had decided things were good enough to declare a night at the White Swan on the woods which all had looked forward to. His three new recruits were all planning on finding women, and he had telt them he would put a good report in on them all at the Master at arms which he had done.
Paul had met with Campion who had asked him what he was looking for in a wife. “I left a woman behind I had lived with since I was eighteen. We were going to start a family when I had finally come off the drugs and I was nearly clean just before I came here. I want a woman who will give me a family. I don’t mind if she has children, I should like that, but I want children of my own fathering too. My childhood was not good, and I do not want children to have to go through what I did. I don’t want a woman to walk over, but I do not want a woman who will argue a lot, it’s not good for children. I am reasonably placid myself, and I should like a woman of similar temperament.”
“Give me a moment to get some files.” Campion came back with the files, and said, “I have a woman who has sayt almost the same things as you regards argument upsetting children. She has three all below ten, and loes a somewhat mercurial man to the fevers. Bulrush is also of a placid disposition and wishes more children. She is a seamster and looks younger than her years, but she is fourty. How would you feel regards that Paul?”
The idea of marrying someone old enough to be his mother had never occurred to Paul, and he didn’t know what he thought. He knew the Folk maekt little of age, and such a marriage would be wholly socially acceptable, but what would he think in the middle of the night? In the end he admitted, “I don’t know what I think. Could we meet with no expectations? And Bulrush be told her age may make a difference to me. If that upsets her I’d rather not meet at all.”
“Of course that’s possible. I can arrange the meeting within the hour on those terms if you like?”
“Yes please, as soon as possible.” He was offered leaf and something to eat which he accepted. Forty minutes later he was introduced to Bulrush and Campion said to both of them, “I have explaint whence you come, Paul, age differences are of much more significance to a couple than here, and you are not sure of things. Bulrush has acceptet that you are here in good faith. I shall leave you to your discussions.”
The first thing Paul had noticed regarding Bulrush was as Campion had said she looked nearer to thirty than forty. She was a head shorter than he, and he was not tall, and she had a good figure. She was a dark brunette with brown eyes, high cheekbones and full lips. She was attractive and had a nice smile. “Do you like what you see, Paul?” she asked him.
“Yes, I do,” he replied, “a lot.”
“I was taken by what Campion telt me of your views on arguments, and I have seen enough to make me wish to reach agreement with you. I am very amenable at all times of my lunecycle, and I hate raist voices whether there are children to hear or no. If there is aught else I can tell you to help you decide please ask. I should come to love you very quickly if we reacht agreement, and I am a good and willing bed partner.”
“Will you give me a few minutes to think, Bulrush, please. The age difference is a big thing for one of my background. I know you don’t understand, but just a few minutes please?”
“Of course. Would you like me to leave you alone?”
“No, please stay.” Paul thought hard for a few minutes and eventually came to the conclusion a convention of Earth had no place on Castle, and Bulrush was so close to his ideal woman he would have to be stupid not to marry her. He looked up and asked, “Will you marry me, Bulrush?”
“I have already agreen so to do, it was only your agreement that was lacking. You have no need to tell me of your thinkings. I shouldn’t understand should I?”
Paul grateful for the last replied, “Since I’m not sure I understand probably not.”
Bulrush held her hand out to him and said, “Let’s go home.”
They telt Campion they had agreement, and after the usual congratulations and wishes for their future they left to face it.
Ross was met by Gareth and telt him, “I had a desolately lonely childhood and a loveless life with much older relatives to whom I was just an inconvenience, which nearly destroyed me. Now I am here, and I have a good life. I want a wife younger than I who will love me, and I don’t care regarding much else.”
Gareth looked carefully at Ross trying to assess just how much Ross didn’t care regarding much else. He maekt his assessment of what was really important to Ross and said, “In that case I have the perfect woman for you, Ross.”
Ross was introduced to Bilberry who was eighteen, a Keep cook who was also a leaf blender and who looked as if she were ten at most. She was tiny, her head barely level with his chest, she had no hips and was childishly chested, but she was of considerable intelligence. When they were left alone, looking at his face she stated and asked, “They telt you naught of me doet they?”
Ross recognised Gareth had intelligently matched his words with Bilberry’s needs and replied reasonably, “I telt Gareth I wanted a wife younger than I who would love me, and I didn’t care regarding much else. So why should he have done? Gareth described you as the perfect woman for me, and I see no reason to disagree with him.”
Bilberry, who had never had any interest shewn in her by a boy or a man, nodded, smiling at the big, heavily muscled, attentive, and to her, attractive man in front of her. Though she had registered with the Master at arms office seeking a man she’d been taken aback when she’d been informed they possibly had one who wished her to wife. She was honest enough to know any man who expressed interest in her she would find attractive, but Ross was much more than that. She said, “My love is yours if you ask me to marry you, but the healers have no idea if I shall grow any more, or ever be able to have children. I have been taking herbs to encourage puberty for years, and I am still doing so, but to no avail so far. I still have the completely unchangt body of a little girl, and may hap it is possible I shall never reach puberty and thus stay like this all my life. My granny believes that making love may trigger puberty due to substances in a man’s essence. The healers say that may just be an old woman’s tale of hope, for there is little evidence to support the belief, though they do not dismiss it. Obviously, I have not startet my lunetimes, and it is not belike that I shall ever carry a babe neath my heart. I am still a maid, but the midwifes have assuert me that I am able to make love, and I should like to do so. I should like to marry you if you could bring yourself to it.”
Ross picked her up, his hands easily spanning her waist, and after kissing her lightly he put her down and said, “You worry too much. All I asked for was your love. You told me it was mine for the asking. I asked, and now both you and your love are mine as I and mine are yours. If you grow that’s good. If you don’t that’s good too. Do you have chambers, or do we need to arrange that here?”
Bilberry with tears of joy running down her face replied, “We need chambers.”
They organised it all at the Master at arms. As they maekt love that eve, Bilberry said through more tears of joy, “I doetn’t believe I could ever be so happy, Ross.”
Ross smiled and said, “Me neither. I told you, you worry too much. Who knows, may hap your granny is right. If so you may change. I know it matters to you, so I shall hope so, but it matters not to me. Again?”
“Please.”
Sherman arrived at the Master at arms holding hands with Whirligig a twenty year old baker. Neither said where they had met, but they wished chambers. They organised the chambers and left.
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, Alastair, 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, Coral, 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
87 Reedmace, Ganger, Jodie, Blade, Frœp, Mica, Eddique, Njacek, Whiteout, Sandpiper, Serin, Cherville, Nightshade, peregrine, Eleanor, Woad, Buzzard, Silas, Oak, Wolf, Kathleen, Reef, Raymond, Sophie, Niall, Bluebell
88 Cloud, Sven, Claudia, Stoat, Thomas, Aaron, Nigel, Yew, Milligan, Gareth, Campion, Will, Basil, Gosellyn, Vinnek, Plume
89 Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna, Silverherb, Cloudberry, Smokt, Skylark, Beatrix, Beth, Amethyst, Mint, Wayland, Bittern, Fiona, Fergal, Joan, Bræth, Nell, Milligan, Iola, Ashdell, Alice, Molly, Rill, Briar
90 Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Beth, Beatrix, Sanderling, Falcon, Gosellyn, Gage, Will, Fiona, Jackdaw, Wayland, Merle, Cynthia, Jed, Warbler
91 Morgelle, Tuyere, Fritillary, Bistort, Jed, Otday, The Squad, Turner, Gudrun, Ptarmigan, Swegn, Campion, Otis, Asphodel, Jana, Treen, Xeffer, Stonechat, Bekka, Vikki, Carley, Beatrix, Jackdaw
92 Turner, Otday, Mackerel, Eorl, Betony, The Council, Will, Yew, Basil, Gerald, Oier, Patrick, Happith, Angélique, Kroïn, Mako
93 Beth, Greensward, Beatrix, Odo, Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Otday, Turner, Gace, Rachael, Groundsel, Irena, Warbler, Jed, Mayblossom, Mazun, Will, The Squad
94 Bistort, Honey, Morgelle, Basil, Willow, Happith, Mako, Kroïn, Diana, Coaltit, Gær, Lavinia, Joseph (son), Ruby, Deepwater, Gudrun, Vinnek, Tuyere, Otday, Turner
95 Turner, Otday, Waverly, Jed, Tarse, Zoë, Zephyr, Agrimony, Torrent, Columbine, Stonechat, Bekka, Vikki, Carley, The Council, Gage, Lilly
96 Faith, Oak, Lilly, Fran, Suki, Dyker, Verbena, Jenny, Bronze, Quietth, Alwydd, Evan, Gage, Will, Woad, Bluebell, Niall, Sophie, Wayland, Kathleen, Raymond, Bling, Bittern
97 Jade, Phthalen, Yumalle, Margæt, Tabby, Larov, Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Fritillary, Brmling, Tench, Knawel, Loosestrife, Agrimony, Jana, Will, Gale, Linden, Thomas, Guelder, Jodie, Peach, Peregrine, Reedmace, Ganger, The Council, Faith, Oak, Lilly, Ellen, Gem, Beth, Geän
98 Turner, Otday, Anbar, Bernice, Silverherb, Havern, Annalen
99 Kæna, Chive, Ivy, David, Birch, Suki, Hyssop, Whitebeam, Jodie, Ganger, Reedmace, Whiteout, Sandpiper, Catherine, Braid, Maidenhair, Snowberry, Snipe, Lærie, Morgelle, Tuyere, Bistort, Fritillary, Ælfgyfu, Jennet, Cattail, Guy, Vikki, Buckwheat, Eddique, Annabelle, Fenda, Wheatear, Bram, Coolmint, Carley, Dunlin
100 Burdock, Bekka, Bram, Wheatear, Cranberry, Edrian, Gareth, George, Georgina, Quail, Birchbark, Hemlock, Bramling, Tench, Knawel, Turner, Otday, Ruby, Deepwater, Barleycorn, Russel, Gareth, Plantain, Gibb, Lizo, Thomas, Mere, Marten, Hendrix, Cuckoo, Campion, Gage, Lilly, Faith
101 Theresa, Therese, Zylanna, Zylenna, Cwm, Ivy, David, Greenshank, Buzzard, Zeeëend, Zrina, Zlovan, Torrent, Alastair, Céline, Meld, Frogbit, Midnight, Wildcat, Posy, Coral, Dandelion, Thomas, Lizo, Council
102 Beth, Beatrix, Falcon, Gosellyn, Neil, Maple, Mouse, Ember, Goose, Blackcap, Suede, Gareth, Robert, Madder, Eider, Campion, Crossbill, Barleycorn, George, Céline, Midnight, Alastair, Pamela, Mullein, Swager, Msrgæt, Sturgeon, Elliot, Jake, Paris, Rosebay, Sheridan, Gælle, Maybells, Emmer, Beauty, Patricia, Chestnut, Irena, Moor
103 Steve, Limpet, Vlæna, Quorice, Crossbow, Dayflower, Flagon, Gareth, Næna, Stargazer, Willow, Box, Jude, Nathan, Ryland, Eller, Wæn, Stert, Truedawn, Martin, Campion, Raspberry
104 Coolmint, Valerian, Vikki, Hawfinch, Corncrake, Speedwell, Cobb, Bill, Gary, Chalk, Norman, Hoopoe, Firkin, Gareth, Plover, Willow, Dewberry, Terry, Squill, Campion, Tracker, Oak, Vinnek, Wolf, George, Jason, Lyre, Spelt, Treen, Bullrush, Paul, Bilberry, Ross, Whirligig, Sherman, Trout
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.
Cousine, female cousin.
Doet, did. Pronounced dote.
Doetn’t, didn’t. Pronounced dough + ent.
Findt, found,
Goen, gone
Goent, went.
Grandparents. In Folk like in many Earth languages there are words for either grandmother and grandfather like granddad, gran, granny. There are also words that are specific to maternal and paternal grandparents. Those are as follows. Maternal grand mother – granddam. Paternal grandmother – grandma. Maternal grandfather – grandfa. Paternal grandfather – grandda.
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 Jill, a female ferret or polecat.
2 Fettler, one who maintains tools or machinery.
3 Perse, Folk word for the colour purple.
4 Sunset, Folk word for the colour orange.
5 Joint ail, ailing joints, probably arthritis.
6 Draft, the slight angle on a casting pattern which enables the pattern to be withdrawn without damage to the moulding sand prior to casting.
7 Flask, a box containing the moulding sand that molten metal is poured into to produce a casting.
8 First and third angle projections are different conventions regarding how to produce technical drawings.
9 Apron, a direct descendant of a Bavarian Dirndl. An apron consists of a laced bodice atop a full skirt. It is worn with a low-cut blouse with short puff sleeves, which often are threaded with ribands, and an apron. It is normal and frequent wear for women of the Folk.
10 Syskon(en), sibling(s).
11 Bwlch, pronounced Bull + ch the ch pronounced as the ch of loch in Scottish, (bᴧlχ).
12 Specials, unusual trees or parts of trees of particularly high value.
