-1-
The Road to Isksay
The village of Isksay is an idyllic little village located around ten leagues from Sea Breeze. The village is a small farming community and is best known for the many windmills that dot the surrounding hills. Each Autumn the village celebrates the bountiful harvest by holding a community wide celebration. Now even adventures need some down time. And so, upon hearing that annual harvest celebration was about to take place, I packed my bags and saddled up Coco and started toward Iskay
The road to Iskay cut through the open countryside. The Road also happens to be one of the few paved roads in the Storm Bay region. Black slate flagstones fitted tightly together paved the road and made traveling a breeze. The road was also well patrolled. So the threat of random attacks of roaming monsters that often haunted the countryside and Highwaymen was diminished some.
And Coco seemed to be in high spirits. She seemed almost to sprint down the road. I sometimes wonder if this tiny little pony is not magical. She often seems to have a mind of her own and often or not seems to read mine. She is also stubborn as a mule and sometimes refuses to leave the comfort of her stable. The groomsmen at The Queen's Reward, the inn I kind of live at all, dote on her and treat her like a queen. No, scratch that, they treat her like a princess that to say they spoil her rotten.
“It feels good to be out in the open again does it not Coco?” I asked her as I peered toward the amber fields of grain that surrounded me. The sound of the field hands singing and joking as they harvested the wheat filled the air. Dozens and dozens of men armed with hand with scythes seemed to be bending their backs as they waded into the sea of wheat. Inch by inch, row by row they cleared a path through the waving waves of grain.
Coco of course being a horse only flicked her tail and raised her head a little.
“I wish you could speak.” I said, sighing a little as I peered toward Coco. “You seem strange for a horse. Like there is a magic about you. You have carried me eight leagues since we left from Sea Breeze and you show no signs of tiring and have done so quicker than any pony should.” I added.
Coco just turned around and peered at me with her dark brown eyes and once again she flipped her tail. I expected she wanted to say something. Or was it just that my mind was playing tricks on me? Anyway the last two leagues passed in a blur. With nothing to see but fields of wheat, unbroken as far as the eye could see I found myself starting to snooze a little in the saddle. Only a few minutes here and there. If I feel too far asleep Coco it seemed would bounce me a little to wake me up. I still say that pony was a bit magical. Anyway the Sun was about a quarter away from setting when I first spotted the first signs of civilization. That sign being the road was turning from flagstone to cobblestone.
-2-
The Village of Iskay
The village of Iskay was a tiny village that was surrounded by fields of wheat, and would reach out as far as the eye could see if not unbroken by small hills. Atop each hill there could be seen a wooden windmill. The windmills were made of wood, and had black slate roofs. They kind of reminded me of the old Dutch windmills I'd seen pictures of in my last life. Each one had four blades that seemed to turn at a lazy pace. As far as the village of Iskay itself it was remarkably developed.
The streets were paved in cobblestone. The houses were for the most part brick and the roofs were black slate. As one entered the village one would follow a road that was wide enough for two wagons to go down. The road ran for about a half a league and both sides of the road were lined with houses that seemed almost wedged together.
Once one had gone around half a league, one would come to a large square. The square was paved in white flagstones and at the center of the square one would find a large fountain. The fountain was filled with cool, clean water. That seemed to bubble up from a spring that must have been hidden deep underground. Once I reached the fountain I noticed that this must have been the center of the village. Because the square seemed to be surrounded by shops.
The shops included a blacksmith shop, the sign pegged to the door of the blacksmith shop read “Closed for the day and tomorrow on account of the harvest celebration.”. Fair enough I guess the hard working village smithy and his apprentices needed a break from their daily work around the forge. Beside the blacksmith one would find a supply shop. A sign pegged to the door of the supply shop read. “We will be open tomorrow – Come shop with us!” I guess even a greedy shopkeeper would not take a day off. Shopkeepers by their nature it seemed were greedy and had a love of money above all else.
Across the square from the supply shop there could be seen a trading post. You could tell it was a trading post because of the sign that featured a set of scales hanging above the door. Another sign had been pegged to the door of the reading post. This sign read. “ George and Son Trading Post will be open all day tomorrow. Salt is cheap! Now is the time to buy!” I guess the traders like the shopkeepers would not miss another day of trading for the world. They too were well known for their greed and lust for money.
Beside the trade shop there was a seamstress. Through the window of the shop I could see a dozen or so candles starting to burn as the seamstress and a half dozen young women, her apprentices most likely seemed to be busy working on orders. Another sign had been pegged to the door of her shop. That sign read. “Lauren and Daughters Seamstress Shop will be closing early today and will be closed tomorrow on account of the annual Harvest Celebration. Please pick up all orders today. We also sell ready to wear dresses for the women and good woolen shirts and jackets for the men. Come check out our holiday stock!” And under it somebody had written. “Coins only.”
And finally toward the end of the square there was a large, three story building. The sign above the doorway, a bed. And beside the bed a plate that was flanked by a knife and a fork. That building must have been the village inn.
“Hmm, the village inn would be nice. I'm thinking a three day stay would be nice.” I said as I guided Coco across the square toward the inn. Once I reached the inn door. I stepped down and removed my saddle bag. Coco turned her head around and eyed me for a few long moments. I sighed and then reached into the bag and pulled out a cube of sugar.
“Here you go girl.” I said as I handed the cube of sugar to the horse who licked it right off my hand. I patted her neck and kissed her forehead a few moments later two well dressed groomsmen came out from around the inn.
“Would you like us to stable your horse for the evening milady? Three marks a day is our going rate that includes fresh hay and us brushing her down each morning and evening.” He said.
I blinked and reached into my leather purse and tossed a golden crown toward the man. He caught the heavy golden coin with his greedy little hands and I swear his face lit up like starlight. I then turned to the boy standing behind him, his apprentice no doubt. And with a shrug of my shoulders I tossed another heavy golden crown toward him.
“See she is well stable and cared for. I'll be staying for a few days.” I said, taking a deep breath as I watched the boy slip the golden crown into his pocket. He offered me a quick bow as quickly he took the reins and nodded his head again.
“At once milady!” He said bowing again as he led Coco away. Coco tossed her head back and started to trout away. I swear I believe that pony had a mind and personality of her own sometimes. One thing was for sure, she was the smartest pony I'd ever seen. Sometimes I wondered if she was sent to look after me, or if she even needed me after all. I shrugged my shoulders and put that thought out of my mind as I pushed open the old inn door.
-3-
The Golden Swan
“Welcome to the Golden Swan!” A young woman from behind the front desk said. She was dressed in a simple homespun gown that was light blue in color and her long brunette hair was tied back and ponytail and braided. The braid reached down to the small of her back.
“Yes.” I said, taking a deep breath. “I was wondering if you have rooms available? I'm looking to spend a few nights here and I've already stabled my pony out back.”
“Oh well you're in luck we do have a few rooms available. Normally we are booked solid. Normally people come far as far away as Sea Breeze, Thorn and even Budehuc Castle.” She said smiling. “But this year it's been slow. Anyway would you like a private room or one a bed in one of our barrack style rooms.” She said. “A bed is half a crown and room is a full crown.” She then paused. “We have our Princess Chamber for rent too. It's our best room. It's a bit on the steep side. At two crowns a night. But it does include a private bathroom.”
“Three nights for the Princess Chamber..” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
“Very well that would be six crowns please. Oh, a half crown tip is included for the maids.” She said with a little smile.
Again I sighed a little and reached once again into my leather purse and pulled out seven, large gold coins. Shaking my head I handed the coins to the woman behind the desk who smiled and handed me a large, metal key.
“Would you also like a meal plan? We pride ourselves on only serving the best food in town. Four breakfast, four lunches and four suppers for only three crowns.” She said smiling.
I blinked and blinked again as I reached down and pulled out three more golden coins and slowly I handed the coins to the woman. Who smiled and reached over and pulled a quill from a nearby ink well. She then dipped the tip of the quill into the ink and then reached down and opened a large leather book.
“Okay and who am I making out this reservation for?” She said with a small smile as she placed her ink down upon the paper.
“Jeanette Katherine Hood.” I said blinking. We were never this formal back at Sea Breeze, normally when somebody wanted a room they would just pay us for the room and we would hand them the keys to the room. Then again I rarely worked the front counter back at 'The Queens Reward' instead I was always either a serving maid or playing my fiddle or flute for a little extra income. If I was not doing that, I'd be sitting at a table in the back of the common room with my collection of friends, plotting out our next adventure.
“Jeanette Katherine Hood..” The woman said smiling as she wrote down my name in flowing script. “Okay, and here you go.” She reached under the desk and pulled out a set of keys. A long piece of wood with the words 'Princess Chamber' burned into it was attached to the keys via a long cord of braided leather.
“The key I gave you will only work on the room burned into the wood. So don't try to sneak into other people's rooms now. We've had people do that before. And as a warning, if you're caught trying to sneak into somebody else's room. Your reservation or what remains on it will become null and void. The town's guard will be called and you will be placed under arrest. And you will be banned from ever doing business with us again.” She said in a crisp business like manner that really took me back.
“Okay..” I said as I slowly backed away from the desk.
“Also keep in mind that trying to sneak into somebody's room will imply that you're a thief. And common law says that all thieves shall be branded on the side of the left cheek with the word 'Thief' given one hundred and twenty seven lashes on the bare back in the middle of the town square and barred from entering into the village again.” She said, smiling a little too sweetly.
“Is this common?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow. “People trying to sneak into other people's rooms?” I said folding my arms across my chest.
“Oh yes! We get a lot of strange folks here. Our town is located at the crossroads. So we get a lot of merchant trains passing through our town. You have merchants coming from Sea Breeze on their way to Hollywood Ferry, located at the far edge of the Storm Bay Region. It is also a major trading city with a large seasonal market. Its population might even rival that of Sea Breeze. Then you have Budehuc Castle to the South of us. The new master of that castle, a kind, young gentleman by the name of Thomas is really turning things around. He's declared the castle a trade free zone and is inviting merchants from all over the world to come there and set up shop. And of course north.” The woman explained as she folded her hands in front of her and bowed a little.
“Oh.” I said, sighing.
“Yes, forgive me if I came off as being a bit brash.”
“That's fine..” I said, taking a deep breath as I turned away from the desk and started toward the wooden stairwell. “I think I'll take a bath. Can I have my dinner brought to my room?” I asked.
“Of course.” The woman said with a grin.
“Wonderful.” I said as I placed on foot on the wooden stairwell. I was just about to start my climb when the woman once more spoke.
“Tonight's dinner is roasted leg of lamb, roasted garlic potatoes freshly dug from the field, and we grow our own garlic too! And the lamb was butchered today, so you can assured that everything would be as fresh as possible.” She said smiling. “We also have a fine selection of ales and wines. Water and tea comes free with every meal. But I'm afraid I'll have to charge you for the ale and the wine.” She quickly added.
“A pitcher of ice water will do.” I said blinking. “Have it brought up as soon as possible. I've been on the road all day and I'll be turning in early tonight.” And with that I once more turned my attention toward climbing the wooden stairwell. And that is how the first part of my adventure in the village of Iskay comes to an end.
-4-
An Interesting Proposal
Breakfast that morning was oatmeal, ham, and coffee. I was surprised to find coffee, now in my former life I'd been addicted to it. I used to drink whole pots of the stuff. But since coming here, after getting hit by some random magical truck one foggy morning I'd been forced to make due with tea. It seems coffee was one of the new trade goods that was flooding into the region from the newly free trade zone of Budehuc Castle, who under the management of its new master was quickly transforming itself from a backwater castle into a budding metropolis.
As I sipped my morning cup of coffee. I made a note to pay the castle a visit. Maybe after the harvest festival I could return to Sea Breeze and get my group together, and see how they would feel about moving our base of operations from Sea Breeze to Budehuc Castle. A grin crossed my face as I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms behind my back. Heck, I might even get the master of the castle to commission me as Captain of the Guard in his garrison. After all, my resume included defeating the goblin king, organizing the successful defense of the village of Thor from a band of bandits. And last but not least I had a band of faithful friends to call upon. And with the rumors proved to be true then Buduc Castle might soon become the center for trade and commerce in the Storm Bay Region. Heck I could even go into business for myself! Set up my own shop! Buy my own house! Maybe even buy a ship and start my own trading company! The sky was the limit.
“Pardon me.” A masculine voice said behind me. “But would you happen to Lady Jeanette?”
“Depends.” I said looking up from my bowl of Oatmeal. “Who wants to know?”
“Forgive me.” The masculine voice said. “My name is Wyatt, Wyatt Lightfellow. I'm mayor of Iskay and well. I was wondering if you could help us out a bit. May I please join you for breakfast?”
I blinked and blinked again.
“Of course Master Wyatt.” I said and to my amazement a tall, lean man with the body of a bean pole appeared in front of me. He had short white hair, and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a form fitting, brown jacket and gray form fitting trousers with a brown belt pulled through the loops. His boots I could tell were of the highest quality of leather around and everything about him seemed neat and orderly.
“What do I owe this pleasure Master Wyatt?” I asked as I held up my hand a young serving maid came rushing over, she bowed to both Wyatt and I and started to clear away the dishes.
“Another cup of coffee please.” I said as I pointed toward my empty cup. The maid nodded her head and in gentle voice said to me. “At once milady.” She said as she clearedclear away the empty bowl of oat meal and the plate that held only the trimmings of my ham steak.
“I have an interesting proposal for you Lady Jeanette.” He said, threadingsaid threading his fingers together as he leaned in and peered into my eyes. “I also need your help with something, But that will come later.”
“I'm all ears.” I said smiling as the serving maid gently sat down my cup of coffee upon the table. Bowed her head and quickly rushed away to wait upon somebody else.
“How would you feel about volunteering for our towns dunking booth? My wife Anna Light Fellow had volunteer. But this morning she was taken with a chill and a bit of a fever. I called the wisdom of the town and she said she needs bed rest and tea. So her doing the dunking booth is out of the question.” Wyatt said as he started to rub the back of his head.
I blinked and raised an eyebrow.
“It is for a good cause, Lady Jeanette.” Wyatt said. “All money raised from the dunking booth goes to support our town's orphanage. We do our best to take care of the orphanages. We cloth them, and feed them, and while we may not feed them dainty, we see that each and every child gets at least three square meals a day. And at least one of those meals must include some form of meat, and cheese and a sweet. While not the most dainty of fares, the food is prepared with love and is hearty and rib sticking.” Wyatt went on.
I nodded my head.
“And when the child comes of age, we see that the various master craftsmen of the various guilds in town take in boys and girls who will be suitable for a trade. We believe that this system allows children, who would otherwise fall by the wayside to find meaningful employment in time, develop a set of useful skills and become part of the master or mistress family.” Wyatt said. “Of course this system requires a steady supply of money and while charitable donations from some weather citizens mostly cover the day to day running of the place. Short falls in the budgets do happen. Though rare, and so we often ask local celebrities to endure a little public humiliation. For charity of course.”
I nodded my head.
“So why do you want me?” I asked as I finished my coffee.
“Because, to be honest, you're pretty famous in the Storm Bay Region. Not only did you slay the fearsome Goblin King of the Peppercorn Mountains. But you organized the militia of Thorn village in defending their town from a bandit raid. And that you also managed to save from certain doom the ill fated expedition that left Sea Breeze.”
“I had help.” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “I did not act alone.” I sighed and peered at Wyatt and then because it seemed fun. I've decided I'll accept his offer.
“Okay I'll do it.” I said, sighing as I called for another cup of coffee. Man I would need to buy some coffee beans from the trading post before I left town. I had no idea I'd miss coffee so much. This was like my third cup and I was starting to feel the effects. I had to make water now.
“If you will pardon me Master Wyatt.” I said, taking a deep breath as I bowed my head toward him. “But I must take my morning bath and use the privy.” I said as I nodded my head.
“Of course Lady Jeanette. May I ask you one last question before you go?” He said as he peered toward me with a little smile.
“If I might be so bold. Do you have a bathing suit?” He said as he reached his hand up, placed his hand on his head and laughed a little. I swear I saw a ghost of a blush coloring his cheeks.
“A bathing suit?” I asked as I tilted my head to the side and peered at him confused.
“A bikini. I've heard it also called. It's the latest in female swimming fashion. It's quickly replacing the old outdated swim dress. A talented seamstress in Budehuc Castle revealed it.” He said. “If not I can find you one.”
I blinked and blinked again.
“Sure, send it to my room, listen to me Master Wyatt. But I really have to take on some very personal business. If you could be so kind as to leave a note at the front desk, telling me when and where I should meet you. And have the front clerk bring the bathing suit too. I will consider it a great flavor.” I said I was about to wet myself and my head was starting to spin.
“Of course of course. I shall.” Wyatt said as he bowed and with that we parted and I just barely made it to the bathroom in time!
-5-
So this is a Dungeons and Dragons inspired Bikini?!
After I'd finished my business in the bathroom. I'd decided to return to my room and get a quick bath. While I climbed the wooden steps, I started to muse over what I'd volunteered for. And once more memories of my past life started to come flooding back. I think I'd volunteered to staff the dunking booth once, maybe I was to go into one the morning that magical truck appeared out of nowhere and smashed me like a bowl of eggs. I shrugged my shoulders and heaved a sigh. As time went on, the memories of my former life grew dimmer and dimmer. I still had no idea why I'd ended up in this place. This is a different world.
Though at times it seemed to mirror the world I'd created with my friends in my past life. Sometimes I'd wonder if this was my afterlife. My own version of Heaven. I'd been force to read a book titled Five People You Meet in Heaven. I remember the book was about some guy, his name was Edward or something.. Anyway he died in a tragic accident at his dead end job. I think he was the maintenance guy at some kind of boardwalk amusement park. Anyway he moved through five different versions of Heaven, each one an ideal world for five different people he encountered or touched in his life on earth.
What I'm driving at is this, maybe this world is Gods, if there is a God's version of Heaven. That Heaven is tailored to fit the individual. All of these thoughts swirled around my head as I washed my hair, trimmed my fingernails and did a little bit of grooming. I'd just finished my bath when there came a knock on the door of my room.
“Come in!” I called out as I quickly threw a lose cotton robe around my shivering frame.
“Pardon me Lady Jeanette.” A petite woman dressed in a black dress with a white apron tied around it said as she entered the room. She seemed to be holding a white box that had a note attached to the front. “But Lord Wyatt, the Mayor of the village, said to give this to you. I was promised a crown if I gave it to you within the hour. Two if within a half an hour.” She said as she placed the box and note on the bed.
“Pray, please sign this receipt.” She said as she handed me a piece of paper.
“It shows that I'd delivered paper and the goods within half an hour of receiving them .” She said in a very polite, formal tone of voice.
I blinked and blinked again. And quickly I sighed. And because it felt right I reached over to my dresser and picked up three round Crowns. I handed the crows to the woman and smiled a little.
“Thank you.”I said with a smile as I handed over the three heavy, golden coins to the waiting hand of the woman. “And here is something extra for your troubles.” I said and with that the woman bowed her head to me and left the room. Leaving me once again along with my thoughts.
After a few minutes of mental debate, I reached over and lifted the top of the box. I then felt my cheeks flush a beet red as I peered down and noticed that laying in the bottom of the box were two very skimpy pieces of clothing. I felt my handles starting to tremble as I placed the top of the box to the side. With trembling fingers I reached down and pulled out the first piece of clothing, two triangle pieces of fabric that were connected with a thin string of fabric And the second piece of clothing was a very, short skirt. The fabric seemed odd in my hands.
“I'm supposed to wear this?!” I cried out as I put the items to the side and then I reached down and started to unfold the note that came with the package. Once I'd unfolded the piece of paper I started to read.
Lady Jeanette. The note started. Enclosed within you shall find the bathing suit you asked for. It's of the newest style and the latest creation of Madam Elizabeth Golden, a highly talented and widely acclaimed seamstress that has just established herself at Budehuc Castle. Please feel free to keep the bathing suit as a small token of my thanks for volunteering. The Dunking Booth will open a quarter past the bell that opens the market this morning. Please be there on time. You can't miss it. And again, on behalf of the children and the good citizens of the village. I Lord Wyatt Lightfellow, Mayor of Iskay Village thank you fair Lady Jeanette for volunteering.
And that's how another chapter came to an end.
-6-
The Main Attraction
The cobblestone square was filled with life. Dozens of colorful kiosks dotted the cobblestone square. These tiny little booths sold a diverse selection of goods. One of the booths was selling what appeared to be plush dolls, the dolls had been sewn together using locally produced wool. The eyes of the dolls were buttons and the hair was yarn. A hand-painted sign read “Handmade, High Quality Dolls! Only five silver Marks per doll!”
Beside the booth selling the dolls was another one. This one seemed to be selling different types of bread. Flaky, butter croissants, glazed honey buns, loafs of bread fresh from the oven and topped with toasted poppy seed and crushed garlic. And much to my amazement donuts! A sign in front of the stall read. “Fresh baked bread! Fairly priced!”
And finally beside that was another one. This one seemed to be selling printed transcripts of popular plays that had been printed on yellow sheets of parchment paper and had been bound with a leather cover. The sign beside this booth read. “Newly printed books, on a wide variety of subjects. Including the common law, thesis by local scholars, popular plays, and collections of ghost stories and fairy tales. We also have the newest edition of Poor Herman's Almanac!”
Of course there were other forms of entertainment being offered. Troubadours, bards, minstrels, gleeman, and foreign dancers were all there. And the square was packed thicker than kippers in a barrel. I was quite lost as I moved through the noise, and the confusion. It was sheer bedlam. And finally toward the far side of the square I saw it. A large tub that was filled with water. Across the board a plank of wood had been placed. And beside the plank of wood, a wooden target had been painted. A fisherman net had been hung around the tank and in the middle of the tub one would see a clear viewing glass.
As I neared the booth. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. “Soak the Maiden! This year's volunteer: Jeanette Katherine Hood” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I was reminded that I'd been in this world almost a year and I'd still not found a boy to take to my bed. I was also reminded that I'd made a vow to myself when I'd discovered I'd been, for a lack of better words. Reincarnated in this world as a woman. I'd made a promise to save myself for my future husband. Speaking of which, I really wanted to get married, have a baby and start a family.
“Oh there you are!” A voice from the gathered crowd. “I was just about to send the sheriff out to fetch you. I thought you've gotten cold feet or something.” The voice belonged to Wyatt. Or Master Wyatt. The Mayor of the Village and the one who had talked me into volunteering for this little stunt.
“Hey I promised you.” I said, folding my arms under my breast. “And I always keep my promises.” I said as I peered toward him. Wyatt seemed on edge. It was then I noticed a very eager crowd was forming around the booth. It seemed all the village lads were gathering around the booth.
“Of course.” Wyatt said, taking a deep breath. “Of course, I was never in doubt. It's just sometimes our volunteers get cold feet. The dunking booth is the main attraction of the harvest fair after all. And the main money maker.” Wyatt said as he looked around.
I nodded my head.
“And forgive me, but you're not wearing the suit I sent you” He said, a ghost of a blush forming on my cheeks. “Not that you don't look lovely in that frock, its just that the village lads always want a bit of skin in the booth. A fair maiden always brings in the lads.” He added.
Once more I felt my cheeks flush with color. The outfit I'd decided to wear to the fair that morning was a homespun short sleeve dress with a square neck and a lace up bodice and a brown belt in the middle. And like most of the village women I wore brown slippers on my feet.
“I'm wearing that bathing suit under my dress.” I muttered as I peered toward Wyatt. I had half the mind to reach up and slap him across the cheeks and tell him to go to hell for what he just did. But I drew in a deep breath and started counting backwards from ten. And once I reached zero I was pretty calm.
“Oh wonderful! Wonderful indeed!” Wyatt said with a small smile. “You see, even though the dunking booth is the main money maker. You are the main attraction. The village lads are going to line up for miles to see you get dunked and we've wasted enough time! Too much time!” He said as he started to play with his hands.
“I need you to get undressed, well down to your bathing suit that is and climb up there and get seated. Because we are about to open the dunking booth. And please hurry, if we don't open up soon. I'm afraid we are going to lose the attention of the crowd.” Wyatt seemed to be almost trembling as he spoke.
I shrugged my shoulders and held my hands up.
“There is a tent behind the booth for you to use. There is also a small ladder you can use to climb up onto the platform with. Once there you must seat yourself in the middle. The water is the deepest and coldest toward the middle. Another ladder is toward the side. Make a show about swimming toward the ladder. The lad's love a show. And taunt them. Flirt with them. Make fun of them, tease them. Remember the more people who put down their coins to dunk you. The more money you will raise for charity.”
My eyebrow shot up in the air and I took a deep breath.
“I'll see what I can do.” I said as I brushed off the mayor and went into the tent. I closed the flaps of the tent behind me and secured them with a leather strap. A few moments later I found myself stripping down to the bathing suit. Again a sudden flush colored my cheeks and my whole body seemed to glow. I was a bit body shy and wearing something as revealing as this 'Dungeon and Dragon inspired bikini' was really stepping me out of my comfort zone. But then again it was all for a good cause.
Then on a whim I decided to tie my hair up in two pigtails. And because I was in something of a festive mood. I added two cords of red ribbon. Once my hair was done. I smiled and untied the flaps of the tent and stepped out into the bright sunshine.
I was greeted with a chorus of wolf whistles, cat calls, applause and cheers from the gather crowd of lads. I rolled my eyes at their display, but it felt good. And going on a spur of the moment I even wiggled my hips at some of them. I then tossed my head over my shoulder and smiled as I climbed up the wooden ladder and inched my bottom toward the center of the board. Once I was on the center, I smiled and folded my hands in my lap and gave the gathered crowd a broad grin.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Fair ladies and visiting lords.” Called Wyatt as he watched me inch my bottom into place. His voice boomed and echoed across the square.
“It's with great pleasure to present to you. Lady Jeanette Katherine Hood of Sea Breeze.” He called out as he pointed toward me with his hand. “Lady Jeanette Katherine Hood has volunteered to staff our dunking booth this year. This might be your only chance to dunk a heron in ice cold water and its all for charity.” He called out in a voice that reminded me of a showman.
In fact he looked like a showman, in the time it had taken me to change into the bikini. Wyatt Lightfellow too had changed. His plain, brown woolen coat had been replaced with a bright red one and resting upon his head was a straw hat. A wooden walking cane. He tapped the bottom of the cane upon the brown cobblestones. A way to call attention to himself I guess.
“Now! The cost will be one silver mark for three tosses. If you hit the target.” He said in his loud, booming showmanship tone of voice. “The pretty little maiden will find herself taking a ice cold bath! If you want though, you can pay another mark and walk up and push the target in yourself!” He called out.
Because I thought it was right I smiled and winked toward the crowd. And it started, my time in the dunking booth.
-7-
Dunk the Maiden (Part 1)
The morning sunshine bathed the cobblestone paved plaza and the sound of splashing water filled the air. The crowd had thinned a little. Many had taken to visiting with friends and kin, wooden mugs filled with brown ale and glass bottles filled with wine made from locally grown and pressed grapes passed from one hand to the other. The boy's scampered around the village square, armed with wooden swords and wooden shields, I'm sure they were playing pretend. Some high spirited girls also joined in the fun. The young girls of the village seemed content to play with the dolls I'd seen on display when I first entered the fair.
The teenagers though seemed more concerned with flirting. And I, I just sat there watching with baited breath as one boy after another placed a silver mark down upon the counter and was given three leather balls in return. Three heavy leather balls that were then tossed toward the target.
I felt my heart jump into my throat with each pitch that was aimed toward the wooden target. A moment later I heard the smashing of leather into wood as the target was pushed in and the board I was sitting under gave way. A few seconds later I was splashing down into the tank of ice cold water. At first I thought my top would come untied as I dropped into the ice cold water.
“That's blooming freezing”I yelled as I broke the surface of the water. I then caught sight of the boy who first managed to strike the target in the center. It was a boy around my age. He blushed a little and tossed his remaining ball in the air before he snatched it out of the air.
“I still have one more shot!”
I pouted toward the lad who appeared to no more than twelve. He shrugged his shoulders and in a balking tone of voice shouted out to me.
“Come on lady! Get a move on! I spent a whole mark on these three balls and I want to use them all.” He shouted as he held up his remaining ball.
Still pouting I pushed the seat back into place, I soon heard a metal click, I figured the clicking sound was the spring getting back into position. I'd not been informed on how the machine worked. But the drop seemed stable enough. Once the seat was back in position, I climbed out of the tank using a ladder and climbed back onto the seat.
A moment later, I felt myself once more dropping like a stone as the little brat had hit the target dead center. Sending me once more into the freezing cold water below. As I broke the surface of the water a second time. I looked up and noticed quite a line was starting to form. A huge crowd was forming around the little table and Wyatt seemed to be struggling to control them. As I climbed out of the tank and climbed back onto the drop seat. I noticed a huge mountain of silver coins had formed upon the wooden surface of the table. The polished silver caught the light of the mid morning sun and seemed to almost glisten and glitter with light.
“Well at least its for a worthy cause.” I said to myself as I settled back down upon the board. To await another patron to take a chance and try to dunk me.
-8-
Dunk the Maiden (Part 2)
I quickly found myself soaked to the bone. My once perfectly styled hair had become a tangle web of loose strands. I felt myself starting to shiver a little. The fire had almost gone out in me. The crowd in front of me was starting to ease up a bit and I was glad. I thought maybe I could catch a little break. But then Wyatt came up to me and started to whisper harshly toward me.
“Hey Jeanette!” He whispered in a harsh tone of voice. “You're losing the attention of the crowd. Do something girl! Get them to throw at you. Remember teasing is part of the show.” He muttered as he returned to working the front counter.
I blinked and blinked again and took a deep breath.
“Hey!” I called out to a fellow who was passing by the tank. He was a huge fellow. A big man with arms the size of hams and a head the size of a barrel. He was as tall as an oak tree, he had fingers the size of sausages and a big thick neck that was covered in hair.
It took him a few moments to come to understand that I was talking to him. He pointed toward himself and I nodded my head. He then gave me his full attention. I felt bad for what I was about to do, but I reminded myself that this was for charity after all.
“Hey Hayseed! You know some village is looking for its fool right now? I heard Sea Breeze is looking for a new town clown after the old one got hacked off by bandits.” I shouted.
The man stormed toward the tank, his face had turned a beet red and he was bristling like a cat ready to fight for its meal.
“Hey! Hayseed! You want me to shut up! You want to get me back! Drop some money and send my sassy mouth self down into the water below. I mean if you can.” I teased and then I waited. I felt my heart starting to skip a few beats as he dropped a few round silver coins down upon the wooden countertop. And I nearly jumped off the board as the heavy leather balls came flying through the air and smashed into the wooden board set up behind the target.
“Come on Hayseed! My Grandmother can throw better than you!” I wanted to edge him on. A moment later I heard the heavy leather ball strike the wooden surface of the wooden target. Again I felt the wooden seat I was sitting under give away and once again I dropped into the freezing cold water below! I broke the surface and took a deep breath.
“Lucky shot Hayseed!” I called out as I mounted the plank again. “Let's see if you can do it again.”
A crowd was once starting to gather around the booth. The beast of man, seeing me dunked, smirked and walked away. It seemed like I needed to find another target to tease. I shifted my eyes from left to right and before long my eyes fell upon a tall lad, who was straight and narrow as a bean pole.
“Yo! Jack!” I called out. “Climb any beanstalks lately!” The lad looked and me and blinked.
“Never seen one of them before.” The boy said, blinking.
“Man, all you gotta do is look in the mirror every morning.” I shouted. And the boy blushed a little as he walked up to the counter and dropped two silver coins down upon the table. The boy was still blushing as he walked up to the target and pushed it end. Sending me dropping once more like a heavy stone down into the water below.
“And 'Thus the wicked shall be cleansed by the water that flows from the wellspring of the Golden Fountain of the Goddess. Whoever hath bath in the water have his sins cleansed from himself' Your welcome.” The lean fellow said. I blinked and blinked, and the stunned silence fell over the crowd. I really had nothing to stay about that. That was just weird. Really weird. Too weird for me to handle. So I shrugged my shoulders and climbed back on the ladder.
“Okay thank you the sermon bean pole! See you next holy day!” I shouted as I started to kick my feet a little. I hate to say, but I was starting to have fun.
“Hey!” I called out to a young woman who was passing by the tank. “Village lass!” I called out. A moment later the young girl spun around and peered toward me. She had fiery red hair that seemed to almost sparkle in the early afternoon sunshine that bathed the cobblestone square. Her eyes were green as emeralds and her face was as smooth as an egg. And her complexion reminded me of buttermilk.
I paused for a moment, I knew only one girl who looked like that. “Priscilla Lapham!” I said blushing as the young woman moved toward the dunking booth. As she moved closer, I noticed that Priscilla was wearing a form fitting white bodice over a short sleeve blue woolen dress. Like most of the village women she was wearing sturdy brown leather slippers for shoes.
“Jeanette! Jeanette!” She cried as she reached down and fished out a brown, leather, drawstring purse. “I can't believe it! Fancy seeing you!” She said grinning as she walked toward the front of the dunking booth. Without skipping a beat she laid down four silver marks. “And staffing the dunking booth I see!”
“Aye.” I said blushing a little. “By chance is your brother around?” A few moments later I felt my cheeks starting to flush a little. You see Priscilla and I have a bit of history together. Her older brother was named John. John Lapham. Formally John the Woodcutter. You see, I first met her older brother when I entered this world. I later learned that John had come into some money once his grandfather died and so he had left the woodcutting business and went into business for himself. According to him, his family was once a prosperous merchant family. According to him, the Lapham Merchant and Trading company once covered most of the Storm Bay Region.
But it seems John's father. Noel Lapham spoiled the families fortune on one risky business venture after another, forcing his eldest son John to take up a trade instead of following on with the family tradition of trading goods for profit. All that had changed a few months ago when John's grandfather passed on the ripe old age of one hundred and five. In his will, he had left his whole estate to his young grandson, Noel Lapham, John's father who now worked for his son as a clerk back at the family store in Sea Breeze.
I had learned all of this first hand from John himself a few months ago when I'd crossed paths with him and his sister Priscilla at the tiny little village of Thorn. It seemed John had decided to take his only sister along with him. The girl acted as something of a junior clerk to him. She was also handy with a slingshot. She was deadly accurate with one, I've seen her split a bandit's head wide open before.
“You do spacing out!” Priscilla called as she reached down and picked up the first heavy leather ball. She tossed the ball up in the air and caught it. She then tossed it back up and caught it again. “Because I want to see your face when I dunk you!”
“Is your brother around?” I asked with a ghost of a blush forming on my face. As soon as the words left my mouth I felt the board I was sitting under give way. A moment later I was splashing down in ice cold water. I was still blushing when I pushed the board up again and climbed back up.
“To answer your question.” Priscilla said. “He is, he's trading. He heard salt is cheap here. But worth a mountain of gold back in Sea Breeze. He said he'll buy all the stock he could here and take it back to Sea Breeze. Then on to Budehuc Castle he says, it seems pearls are common as acorns there. Load up on pearls and return to Sea Breeze where they sell for a mighty pretty penny.”
I was just about to say something when once more Priscilla drew her arm back and a moment later she tossed another one of the heavy leather balls toward the target. A few beats of the heart later, I heard the ear ringing sound of the leather ball smashing into the wooden target. Once more the seat I was seated on gave way. Dropping me down into the freezing water below!
Again it took me a few moments to pop the plank back into place. But once I popped the plank into place again. I took a deep breath and climbed back up onto the seat and took a deep breath and smiled.
“You think he would mind a dance this evening once he's done trading?” I asked as I shifted my eyes around a little. A few seconds later I felt the board once more give away as I splashed down in the ice cold water, the cold water kind of cooled my head. I muttered something under my breath, something to the effect of 'Nobody should be this darn good at this silly little sideshow game' before once more pushing the plank into place before climbing back up.
“I can ask him for you. You fancy him?” Priscilla asked with a grin.
“Do you fancy Oliver?” Oliver was for a lack of better terms my understudy. A few weeks ago I'd seen Priscilla and Oliver talking, maybe even flirting. That was back when I'd taken command of the defense of the tiny village of Thorn that was under threat of attack by a host of two hundred, blood thirsty bandits. As a favor to her brother, I'd ordered Priscilla to the rear of our line, that to say in the village. I'd given Bridgette the Village Wisdom charge of her and had put them in charge of caring for the wounded.
Well what happened? Oliver had gotten himself cut, not too bad, but it had earned himself a bloody red badge of courage as a reward for enduring his first real battle. Anyway Priscilla had fussed over Oliver and had fussed hard. Bridgette had pulled the girl away from his side to tend to his cut.
The moment I mentioned Oliver though Priscilla turned a beet red as she turned her head to the side and started to pout.
“Hey! If you get your brother to dance with me this evening. I'll make sure that you get to ride with Oliver to and from Budehuc Castle! You know, merchant's need guards. And I am the leader of a seasoned band of adventures.” I said, smirking a little.
I swear I saw Priscilla blush a little as she turned her head away from and started to pout a little. It was cute, sitting there and watching her pout as she wrestled with those teenage emotions and hormones. I'd hoped the thought of her spending several long day's sitting beside her crush alone would throw her off her game.
“I'll consider it!” She said as she tossed her last remaining ball toward the target. I took a deep breath expecting the ball to once more smash into the wooden board. Instead it curved as if caught by a sudden gust of wind and passed harmlessly under the target.
“Missed.” I teased.
Priscilla turned her nose up and folded her hands under her breast and closed her eyes and poked out her cheeks. I could tell she was pouting and it was cute. Priscilla had in a way become like a little sister to me. In fact, she kind of reminded me of the little sister I once had. I wonder if her name had also been Priscilla.
“Only because you were teasing me!” She said, “Anyway! I'll tell my brother you want to dance with him around the maypole this evening! But you better keep your promise!” And with that she stormed away.
My eyes followed Priscilla as she vanished into the crowd.
“I will.” I said and so here another chapter ends. Soaking wet. And daydreaming of my own knight in shining armor.
-9-
The Harvest Moon
My shift in the dunking booth had come to an end. The Sun was now setting over the gable roofs of Iskay Village. The cobblestone square had fallen quite. I thought like most folk festivals there would be a dance at the end. I was wrong, there was no dance. The villagers simply retreated inside to the warmth of their houses.
I took a deep breath as I watched the long shadows of the last rays of evening sun crawl along the cobblestones. My shift in the dunking booth had covered the whole run of the festival. Meaning I'd had little time to shop or enjoy it. But then again it had all been for a good cause. According to Master Wyatt, I'd raised around twenty eight crowns in total. A fair bit he said, he was hoping for thirty crowns. Shrugging my shoulders I reached into my leather drawstring purse and pulled out two golden crowns and handed it to him. A look of shock, then greed came over his face as he reached out with trembling hands and took the heavy golden coins into his itchy palms.
After that I'd decided I'll need to go on another adventure. My funds were getting kind of low and this little holiday had damn near depleted my treasure. Releasing my breath as I turned toward the inn. I'd only been allowed to towel off and my dress stuck to my body. Plus I was sore, climbing in and out of the dunking booth all day had been murder on my thighs and legs, and bouncing off the bottom of the tank had left me sore too.
As I started walking toward the inn. I felt the first curls of disappointment starting to rise up. I'd hope to see John Lapham again. I'd hoped maybe he and I could have shared a dance under the harvest moon, maybe he would have even kissed me. Hell I'd even hoped he would have confessed his love for me. Did I love him? I don't know, I don't think it's possible to fall in love with a man you have only seen twice. If he had confessed his love to me would I have accepted it? Another tough question. One I don't think I could answer right now.
I mean it seemed romantic to me, having a boy confessing his love for you at the annual harvest festival. Maybe even dropping down to one knee. Then with a small smile, he would take both of my hands into one of his and with his other he would reach into the pocket of his overcoat and pull out a small brown box and in a shuttering kind of way that we women find cute would say.
'Jeanette Katherine Hood' He would then pause. 'Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife and helping me rule over my budding merchant empire'. Of course I would have said yes! I would have jumped into his arms and kissed him. Then he would open the boy to reveal a small, tiny band of gold that he would then slip onto my finger.
A wedding would of course soon follow. Of course Bridget would be my Maid of Honor. And I'll have Priscilla as one of my bride's maids. Oliver would be John's Best Man, cause why not. Our wedding of course would be the talk of the region and details of it would be carried in all the regional papers. And nine months later, well I'll give birth to our first child. I wanted my first child to be a girl, daughters are supposed to give sugar to the fathers lips, then maybe nine months later I’ll give birth again. I would want my second child a boy, because I would want the girl to have a little brother to look after.
I also had another reason for wanting to get married soon. I had this fear of dying a virgin. I mean in my last life I'd died a virgin. And well, I did not want to die in this life as a virgin. I wanted to know how it would feel to be loved and to have love made to me.
All of these thoughts swirled around in my head as I strolled through the cobblestone paved streets. It was now Twilight and the town's lamplighter was starting to make his nightly rounds. The lamplighter was a young man, maybe twelve or thirteen years old, he had sandy blonde hair that barely reached down to the collar of his brown woolen jacket. He wore tight, form fitting leather trousers with the legs tucked into a pair of brown leather boots. For a moment I watched him light one lamp after another.
Then I resumed my stroll toward the end. I noticed the taverns seemed to be overflowing, which I suppose would be a common thing considering today was a holiday. For a moment I thought about stepping into one of the taverns and having me a pitcher of beer. But then I remembered I was a woman, and taverns were known breeding grounds for thieves, highwaymen, brigands, bandits, and other known outlaws.
Of course not all taverns were like that, some very nice places where one could get a drink and enjoy a bit of dinner. But the ones I'd passed on street that night were the kind's we in the trade call 'Hellholes' those being the kind of tavern that seemed to be falling in, that are often patron by, again thieves, known highwaymen, known brigands, known bandits, and other outlaw types.
An 'Hellhole' was the kind of place where the keeper would water down the wine, the beer would be sour. And the beds if they had any for rent would be infested with lice, flees, and bedbugs. Were the woman who was making passes at you would lure you out back so she could slip a knife between your ribs. And the place were a woman only went too if she wanted to get raped and end up with a bastard child. Or worse, a knife between the breast, or a far worse fate awaited any woman foolish enough to venture along in there. That would be kidnapping, being kidnapped and sold to a whorehouse. Yes, I’d heard rumors of women with pretty hair and doe like eyes being kidnapped from the streets and sold into brothels where they would spend the rest of their days being passed around by rough men, who cared little for her safety and only draining their balls in her. The life would be short, normally they would pass away from some incurable disease or one of the guys would kill her in a fit of rage.
I also heard that women who worked in such houses often became pregnant. And once they were discovered they were either killed or cast out on the streets. Then heavy with child, and without means of supporting themselves or the child they carried, they would often tie heavy an stone around their ankle and toss themselves into the ocean. Or throw themselves in front of a heavy wagon. In hopes the wooden wheels would crush them and put an end to their suffering.
In short, not a place for me. And I kept walking, and I walked till I reached the inn where I was staying out. Without saying a word I asked for supper. Supper was cold roasted chicken, peas, brown rye bread with a bit of butter smeared on it. And a jug of ice water to wash it down. Since it was a holiday, dessert was offered. Thankfully free of charge, the after dinner sweet was kind of a sweet custard that was like pudding. It came with a side of fresh picked strawberries, or what I'm going to assume were strawberries.
Never a big fan of strawberries, in this life or in my last I left those untouched but pigged out on the dish of custard that was thick like pudding and sweet as honey. I even called for a second dish and returned the strawberries to the kitchen.
After that I returned to my room. Stripped myself of my gown, washed my face, my arms, my legs, dawned a nightie. Brushed my teeth and braided my hair for bed. And without giving it a second though I turned the covers and the blankets down. I was just about to blow out the candle and crawl into bed when I noticed it, through the thin pane of glass of my room's window, slowly climbing over the many brick chimneys and black slated roofs of the village. Was a bright, full, and yellow moon. It was the Harvest Moon
Without saying a word I started toward the window. Quickly I pushed the window up and the sight that greeted me took my breath away. The dark, black waters of the fountain in the square below reflected the brilliant light of the moon that seemed to sail like a ghost ship across the clear night sky. Billions upon billions of stars shimmered around it.
“What a perfect way to end the day.” I said as I pulled a chair. And so I lost myself in watching the moon and all those lingering questions of the day seemed to vanish like smoke on the wind. And that is how one of many adventures comes to an end.