Word Usage Key is at the end. The brackets after a character e.g. CLAIRE (4 nc) indicates Claire is a character who is 4 years old and a character not encountered before. Ages of incomers are in Earth years at this point and of Folk in Castle years. (4 Folk yrs ≈ 5 Earth yrs. l is lunes, t is tenners.)
1st of Chent Day 4
On the platform was Sérent. She was a slender and not particularly developed thirteen year. She had lost both parents, all seven of her siblings and Knaur her twenty five year old intended of two years to the fevers, and she’d since lived with his parents as their daughter. She knew she wished an intended or an agreän(1) of significantly greater age than herself. Why significantly older she neither knew nor considered important, but she wished an older man. She had been to the Master at arms office lunes over to register her desires, and she had been introduced to any number of men, none of whom she was interested in. As a result, she had decided to make an appearance on Quarterday.
“I am Sérent. I am thirteen, and have loes(2) all of my family to the fevers. I am an apprentice with the kitchen storekeepers. I am seeking a relationship leading to agreement, with an older man. I wish to have children, but I should be happy to be mother to children even older than myself. I am as you see not yet full grown, but I am intelligent, and in spite of being a maid,(3) I am not prepaert(4) to accept a man who regards me as aught other than an equal, notwithstanding, my five lunes from adulthood. Any man who treats me else I shall not stay with for longer than it takes me to realise that is his attitude.”
Willow was surprised at the brutality of this immature yet intelligent girl’s requirements, but she understood, and sympathised, with her attitude. “You have hearet(5) the words of Sérent apprentice storekeeper. If any wish to respond let them come and be hearet.”
A line of eighteen men formed at the base of the platform steps. The Master at arms staff questioned them and placed them into order to respond to Sérent. Most were less than twenty. One by one they responded to her appearance, and she expressed her gratitude to them, but indicated she wished to hear the others. She was unhappy she had not been responded to by any she was interested in, but she was not prepared to accept any she didn’t consider appropriate. With two men left, she was wondering if she was going to have to continue living in the unhappy vacuum she had lived in for what seemed such a long time.
Then Dace nervously responded to her appearance. “I am Dace. I am a kind man seeking a loving wife. I know you have sayt(6) you wish an older man, and I wish for a younger wife, but I am fourty-eight which is old enough to be your granddad. I loes my wife who was twenty-four to the fevers, and much to our regret we had no children. I will a young wife to give me a large family, not least because I know it would have maekt(7) Souslik happy. I grow leafy vegetables and pulses, mostly for the Keep kitchens. I am a calm man with a dislike of discord. Should you decide I am acceptable I should prefer immediate agreement, but I am happy to accept a relationship to develop however it would be agreeable to you.
“I am saying, despite agreement, I should never press myself upon you. It is most important to me to have a wife to love, not to make love to because I will a wife to make love with, not to. I realise if you accept me I shall be old long before you, and that may give us problems to face, but my wish to have agreement with you is sincere, and all agreements have their problems to face. I am as you see. I have no major obligations to any, and to me you are pretty and very desirable as a wife.”
Sérent was taken aback by Dace. Despite her desire for an older man, she had not considered any of Dace’s age. He was of average looks, beginning to bald, yet his sincerity was obvious, and his nervousth(8) in responding to a woman so much younger than he equally so. She knew she was of moderate looks, and that Dace considered her pretty and desirable was important to her. Dace was she knew a successful and affluent man, who grew huge quantities of pulses for drying for the Keep kitchens as well as leafy vegetables, who would be more than able to support the large family she wished. Like many folkbirtht(9) women she knew she would be happy to spend her life pregnant and nursing, and he had said he wished a large family too. She thought hard for a while, whilst the Folk wondered how she was going to respond, most thinking she would reject Dace like the others.
“I will children as soon as I can. I am prepaert to take what ever risk that entails. How do you feel regards that, Dace?”
Dace’s response was immediate and violent. “No! I should not be prepaert to risk the life of a woman I had come to love and to be partly responsible for aught ill that happent(10) to her because we were not prepaert to wait a year or two. If you are not prepaert to act on the advice of the healers with regard to babes I do not will to have agreement. I am more than desirous of agreement with you, but not if you are prepaert to risk your life and my grief.”
Sérent was stricken at Dace’s statement of his feelings concerning her, and it taekt(11) her some time to be able to respond. “I am beginning to love you, Dace, because of your care to one you will to love. If you will agreement, you have it, and I shall accept what ever the healers tell me.”
The pair moved to each other and kissed gently. The Folk, not in the slightest concerned by their age difference, considered their agreement to have been reasonably negotiated, and they approven of Dace’s conditions. As the elder agreän it was considered proper that he guide the agreement, and they recognised his insistence was due to concern and care not vaucht.(12)
Sérent sayt, “We are grateful for the Folk listening,” and the pair left the platform.
“Dace, it is my desire to make love as soon as is possible, and I will to go to the healers now for the herbs that will enable me to do so. I promise I shall do as they say, but may we go now?”
“The idea of making love with you is wonderful, Sérent my wife, but why are you in such a hurry?”
“I have loes virtually all the folk I love. I never had a chance to make love with my intendet(13) before the fevers taekt him from me. I don’t mind taking the herbs to prevent pregnancy for a while, but I don’t wish to be a virgin for a second longer than necessary. I wish to be a woman, not a maid. It’s like my willing an older man. I don’t know why I wisht(14) a much older man, but I always doet.(15) Knaur my intendet was more than twice my age. We became intendet(16) when I was ten and he twenty-two. It’s just the way I am, and I simply accept it.”
Dace thought seriously for half a minute as they walked to the healers. “Sérent, if it is so important to you, and if the healers insist we don’t make love for a lunecycle(17) or more while the herbs begin to work, there are other things we can do in bed that will enable you to feel you are a woman and not a maid. Things that won’t endanger you which I am desirous of us sharing.”
“Like what, Dace?” Sérent askt(18) seriously, recognising that Dace had understood her needs and was doing his best to meet them.
“I bethink(19) me you should wait, and I shall shew you, not tell you.” They had arrived at the healers building, and Dace turned Sérent to face him and kissed her passionately as he slipped his hand inside the waistband of her skirts to gently caress her. “You shall have to wait till bedtime for the rest, my love.”
They entered the building where Falcon of the herbals and Agrimony of the midwifes(20) questioned Sérent to determine her lunetime(21) history and where she was in her current lunecycle.(22) They concluded her lunecycles were too erratic for the herbs to be reliable till after her next lunetime(23) which she thought would be in eight days. They also advised the couple that Sérent should not consider pregnancy till she had stopped growing. The couple left with the herb extracts looking forward to bedtime.
1st of Chent Day 4
A pair of tall, slender attractive brunettes in their early thirties, who must have been sisters close in age, or possibly syskonal(24) twins, for though they shared a family liekth(25) they didn’t look to be identical twins, walked to the front of the platform with a slightly taller, early middle aegt(26) man with a full head of graying hair between them. They stood at the front of the platform, which was one of the auxiliary ones for the attesting of pre-agreed issues. The man spake first followed by the two women. “My name is Vincent, I am an incomer, and I make lasts for shoes and boots using a lathe.”
“I am Spice, a seamstress leather crafter.”
“I am Opal also a seamstress leather crafter.” Opal continued, “I am sister to Spice, and we’ve agreement with Vincent. We are making an appearance because between us we’ve seven children and wish more.” She laught, “Vincent wisht to marry me, and he doetn’t(27) know of Spice when he met me. But we don’t will to be separatet,(28) or to separate our children who have livt(29) together now as syskonen(30) for a year since we loes our men. We’ve had to do some serious persuading, but Vincent has now acceptet(31) the idea. He’s the one who needs the approval of the Folk. Though this is within our customs it is not within his, and he wills to be sure he’s acting in accord with our ways. And we don’t will to let him escape.” The crowd laught at this, and they had a good idea what sort of persuasion Opal was referring to. “I have spaken(32) because we considert(33) I should be able to express it best. We ask for the attesting of our marriage by the Folk.”
“Opal put it better than I could have done, but what she says is correct,” Vincent agreed.
“I agree with what Opal sayt too,” added Spice.
Michael of the Master at arms stepped forward and sayt the ritual words. “You have hearet the words of Opal and Spice Mistresses seamstress leather crafters and their husband Vincent Master last lathe crafter. If any wish to respond let them come and be hearet.”
As anticipated the response was the traditional one with the crowd shouting, “Agreen(34) and approven.”
Opal responded, “We offer gratitude to the Folk for listening,” and they left the platform to collect their children and enjoy the Gather. The children, delighted that the status of their dad was now known to the entire Folk, were happy to be taken to the confectionery stalls.
1st of Chent Day 4
Clarissa had been to two dinner dances, and not found any whom she was interested in at either. She was a pretty, twenty-six year old concert violinist, and despite her good looks, she had never had a long term relationship. That none had been interested in her on Castle gave her reason to think deeply concerning herself and her attitudes to life. She mulled things over and accepted whilst she had never been abused, nor even taken for granted, all her relationships had faded away rather than ended badly.
She came to the conclusion what some of her acquaintances had told her was probably true. Talented musicians tended to be self-centred which made it difficult for others to become close to them. This introspection had forced her to grow up and mature considerably, and she realised though the adulation she had enjoyed was certainly artificial she naytheless wished to be at least a respected person. She realised she needed to have a more balanced view of life to achieve respect, and on Castle for her that meant having, and being part of, a family. She still needed to play the violin, but she knew there were other things she needed too. She wished children, but wasn’t sure what else she wished. She decided, since she hadn’t had success at the dinner dances, she would listen to the Quarterday appearances and make a determined effort at the dinner dance later in the day.
Gorse maekt his way to the front of the platform. He came across as a quiet, unassuming, thin, man of medium highth(35) and thinning hair. Looking at the crowd he started spaeking.(36) “I am Gorse. I am thirty-three and a Master luthier. I loes my wife and two children to the fevers. I have mournt(37) them, but I know I have to move on. I should like a wife at least interestet(38) in my craft. I will a woman with children or one willing to adopt or bear children.” At that he had run out of words.
Michael of the Master at arms staff sayt, “You have hearet the words of Gorse Master luthier. If any wish to respond let them come and be hearet.”
None had responded to Gorse, but Clarissa was thinking over what little he had sayt. She knew a luthier was a maker of stringed musical instruments. On Earth the word was now considered archaic and seldom uest.(39) Gorse seemed to be a decent man, and she thought she would listen to what he had to say. She maekt her way up on to the platform and went to the front. Trying to remember the way others had spaken, she sayt, “My name is Clarissa. I am twenty-six, and I play the violin. I am a fiddil(40) player. I have no other craft, and I am interested in learning the luthier craft. I want a man and children. I am prepared to adopt children, but I want to bear my own. If you are interested in me Gorse I should like to know you better, but I don’t want to make commitments I may not want to keep yet.”
Gorse appeared happy with her response. “Whilst it is true I will a wife I also will to share my craft with someone. They don’t have to be the same person. I should like to share my craft with a musician, and I should be happy if we came to have a care to each other. I am interestet in you as a wife because you would like to adopt and bear children. If we reacht(41) agreement the children would make me happy. I am in no hurry, but I will to set a time limit of a lune for reaching agreement, so we should be free to seek agreement with some other without damaging any craft relationship we may have establisht.(42) I bethink me if we have not reacht agreement within a lune we shall probably not do so.”
Gorse’s matter-of-fact attitude towards her hurt Clarissa, and because she realised that had been her attitude to everyone in her life up to now she also realised how much she must have hurt others, and she did not like herself for having done that. She was now reaping what she had sown because she was the one who had sayt she wasn’t willing to make commitments at this time. Swallowing a great deal of pride she said, “And if I shall accept you as my husband now, what then Gorse?”
Gorse replied in the same tone of voice he had been using throughout, “Then you have a husband, I have a wife and I am happy that it is so.”
Clarissa, realising she had put herself in the situation she was in, said, “Then I am happy to tell you we have agreement, Gorse.”
Gorse smiled at her for the first time, walked to her, kissed her cheek and whispered, so only she could hear, “I am glad, my dear, and I shall do my best to make you happy.” He turned to the crowd and sayt, “We are grateful to the Folk for listening.”
As they left the platform he sayt to her, “I take it that was as difficult for you as it was for me?”
Clarissa grateful for his understanding replied, “Yes, it was difficult, but I do want to make a success of our agreement, and I do want children.”
“Do you wish to go to the healers regarding children to adopt now, or is it too soon for you? I ask because the children will be adoptet(43) quickly.” Clarissa now realised Gorse had a calmth(44) of manner that was easy to mistake for a lack of interest, but he was simply trying to give her all the options, and he was willing to let her decide.
“Let’s go now,” she replied.
Gorse nodded and sayt, “It’s this way.”
When they reached the infirmary they were met by Iris. They explained what they had come for, and Iris asked, “How many children do you wish to adopt? Do you wish girls or boys? What ages of children interest you?”
Gorse indicated to Clarissa she was to reply and she sayt, “I should like to adopt a girl and a boy, and I should like them both under five please if possible. I want to have more myself.”
Iris asked her, “How young would you like? We’ve several young ones we need to place. Would you like one young enough to require nursing? We’ve herbs that will bring your milk in and nursing mothers who will continue to nurse the babe till you can do so yourself.”
What Iris had said had a profound effect on Clarissa. She had never had children, and she hadn’t particularly liekt(45) them before coming to Castle, but when Iris had mentioned breast feeding it had produced emotions in Clarissa she had no idea existed. Previously, she would have strenuously gainsaid she was in any way a maternal woman, but the idea of a suckling babe at her breast filled her with a longing that was irresistible. Clarissa turned to Gorse, and the expression on her face affected his emotions in the way hers had been affected by Iris’ words. He nodded and taking hold of Clarissa’s hand said, “We wish a babe and another child too please.”
Clarissa unable to spaek(46) yet nodded in agreement. Iris sent a junior to arrange for Eagle, who was three, and Frond, who was just two lunes, to be brought to her. Eagle had been naemt(47) Eagen, but he had been misunderstood, and he liekt being called Eagle. Livette arrived with Frond, and Eagle arrived with Sark a little while later. Livette, who was one of the nursing mothers helping at the crèche, explained how Clarissa needed to dry nurse Frond just before she was nursed to encourage her milk come in. She also explained how the nursing mothers would her feed her babe till she could do it all herself. She telt(48) them it wasn’t long since Frond had been fed, but if they taekt her home she would arrange for someone, probably herself, to feed her in the late afternoon. She enquired where they would be, and Gorse replied, “My chambers, my sorrow, Dear, our chambers I should say.”
Livette nodded and said, “I know where you mean.”
Eagle asked, “Are we going home now?”
Gorse picked him up and said, “Yes, we are, Son.” Eagle was quite happy with that, and they left for Gorse’s chambers, which Clarissa realised she had never been to before, but then neither had the children, and they weren’t bothered either.
1st of Chent Day 4
Diana was an intelligent woman of thirty-six. As well as having an unmistakably womanly figure, a pretty face and long curling auburn hair she was taller than average. All of which gave men an impression of a very attractive woman. However, she had never bothered much with men, not because she wasn’t interested in them, but because she had always been obsessive regarding her studies. She had left university with a superb degree in plant genetics, a subject which had always fascinated her.
She took a year out, not to go wandering the globe as some of her peers had done, but to spend six months working, for a small salary, for a major commercial seed breeding company and then six months working, this time for no salary at all, for a heritage seed organisation. She returned to university to study for a doctorate in bio-genetics, and she gained her Master’s degree as a result of her first year’s work.
Still full of idealism, she accepted a job as a post-doctoral researcher at a prestigious university. Four years later, aged thirty, she moved to an equally prestigious university to work on enhancing the sugar content of sugar beet, the challenge of which she relished. By the time she was thirty-five her idealism had become jaded. The work she was doing was potentially worth billions, and though her work was her intellectual endeavour it would never be her intellectual property. She wouldn’t receive even one part per million of the profits. Her work was the intellectual property of the university and her commercial sponsors, yet her salary was a pittance. For some time she had been considering leaving and doing something perhaps less exciting, but which at least would earn her enough to have a decent place to live instead of the miserable student hovel she lived in.
Then she arrived on Castle. She had her new environment assessed very quickly, and realised with proper planning, she could benefit from her own work, and at the same time contribute to this fascinating society. She considered who could use beet products and for what, and concluded the storekeepers could use sucrose as a preservative, the cooks would have a use for it as a sweetener, the beekeepers could use the crudely crushed beet pulp to over winter their stocks, the various animal husbandry crafters could use the left over bulk roughage as a good animal feed, but by far the most significant users would be the brewers using sucrose to produce alcohol. She soon found out there was only one brewer and distiller of any significance on Castle, and Joseph was forty-eight and happily married.
By careful and discrete questioning, she discovered Joseph had two sons, Gander and Joseph. Gander was thirty and had lost his wife and two children to the fevers the year before and Joseph was twenty and unmarried. She’d had Gander pointed out to her. He was a reasonable looking man who she had been telt had been a good husband and father. She was also telt he would be seeking a wife soon. She prepared her case as though it were a paper she were presenting to a high powered international conference audience. She had found out Gander usually ate his lunch in the Refectory. She waited for him to arrive and seat himself to eat. She sat next to him and introduced herself.
She had noticed the differences in spaech(49) of the incomers and the Folk, and said, “I am Diana, an incomer, and I have a craft proposition to put to you, Gander, concerning the easy extraction of sugar which will brew into alcohol.”
“You would need to have spaech with my dad.”
“No,” she had said. “I need to talk to you because a major part of the proposal is you and I reach agreement.”
He looked up from his plate, slowly gazed at her, looking her up and down, and said, “Indeed for that you would have to have spaech with me, and I am finding this a most interesting discussion, but I do have some preliminary questions. How much time do you need to present your proposition? Is this the most appropriate place for you to do so? And at what point do we need to involve my father?”
Diana by no means upset by the questions replied, “Somewhere between two and three hours. No it is not the best place, but we are here, and till we reach agreement there is no requirement for your father at all. In which case I may decide to go into competition with him.
Over lunch, Diana gave Gander an outline of her work and what she wished to do. Gander was interested and impressed. He also realised he was dealing with a fascinating woman who thought much faster than he did and probably much faster than his dad too. Gander asked, “Is it possible for us to reach agreement prior to any craft proposition because I am willing? You have obviously findt(50) out all you wish to know of me, and I bethink me I have of you too. As long as you are willing to have children I am already in agreement. Do we have agreement, Diana?”
“Yes, we do, but I should also like to adopt two. Is that acceptable to you, Gander?”
Gander immediately agreed and suggested “Why don’t we go to the healers for the children as soon as we’ve finisht(51) eating. My chambers are adequate for four of us. We could invite Mum and Dad to supper and discuss your proposition then in more detail. I must admit to taking pleasure in thinking my wife is going to tell Dad to coöperate or compete.” He laught and said, “Don’t misunderstand me. I love Dad, we both do, but he’s so sure footet(52) we take a certain pleasure in it when he stumbles. We need to do so, not to remind him he’s human, but to remind ourselfs.”(53)
They finished their lunch, and as they left Gander held his hand out. Hand in hand they walked to the infirmary, and left with Gyre aegt seven and Tania aegt five, both of who the healers had telt them had bruises no child could have suffered by accident. Gander’s chambers were high in a tower overlooking the Arder estuary and the sea. The children were fascinated by the view from their bedchamber, and they were looking forward to meeting their new Grandma and Granddad.
When Joseph arrived he was on his own, and he was swarmed under by a mere pair of children. Sharp and shrewd he was, but he had always readily admitted to any he was weak with children. He apologised on behalf of Coaltit saying “Your mum sends her sorrow, but her joint ail is hurtful thisday,(54) and she has taken her herbs and goen(55) to bed. She would like you to bring the children for lunch nextday,(56) if you would. She was very disappointet,(57) and not being able to meet the children and her new daughter hurt her more than her joint ail.”
Diana, disappointed not to meet her mum, agreed to take the children for lunch nextday, and when Gander telt her it was possible he could be busy at lunchtime she telt him in ominous tones “You’d better not be, Gander.”
Joseph laught drily, and said to his son “I sayt something similar to your mum, Son, and her response was nowhere near as pleasant as the one you just receivt.(58) We’ll just have to do what we’re telt nextday and like it.”
The three of them laught, and Diana said in conciliatory, but by no means apologetic, tones, “Family is important to women.”
When the children had gone to bed, Joseph produced a bottle of his best and asked for glasses to toast his son and daughter’s agreement. “Save it till you’ve hearet what Diana has to say to you, Dad,” his son telt him. “I’ve only had an outline, but this may be the biggest craft opportunity of your life, and…if you don’t take it we’ll set up as competitors.”
Joseph put the bottle down, and with a face that gave away naught said, “Start explaining, Daughter. The brandy will keep awhile.”
Diana explained what she had done with her life and how she had already identified stocks of beet, which she knew were called honey root by the Folk, to start the breeding program with. She explained how to brew the beets and what the residues could be uest for. “Are the residues a saleable commodity?” Joseph asked.
“Yes, but you will be producing so much they could become an embarrassment. Better to give them away, to start with at any rate, to beekeepers and livestock crafters and take the favour owed instead. It would be an ideal opportunity for livestock keepers to coöperate with beet growers. The beet tops are good feed too, and young ones can be uest like spinach in the kitchens. We could work out how best to present them for others. The knowledge of how it’s all done remains ours of course.”
Joseph and Diana spake for over two hours. In the end Joseph turned to the couple and asked, “What do you will to bring this to the family concern and not start your own?”
Gander looked at Diana, held her hand and said, “It’s up to you, Love, you set the terms.” Joseph had expected her response to be expensive, and he was prepared to go a long way to keep the couple in the family concern, which he knew Gander would have been running any hap in the not too far distant future.
She looked at him and said, “I don’t want to be a brewer or a distiller, and I really don’t want to be a beet grower. What I want is sufficient resources to be able to continue my work and to ensure the benefits come to the family. I don’t care how strange my ideas seem to be. I want to be able to investigate them. I know most of them will be of no use. That’s how it is. It’s the odd one that works which pays for all the ones that don’t, and it does so many times over. As long as I can carry on my work and the bulk of the benefits are ours I don’t care how much we give away. That and to have enough time to enjoy being a wife and a mum is all I want.” As she said the last she turned to Gander and smiled. Gander who was still holding her hand smiled and squeezed her hand in response.
Joseph was stunned by how little Diana wished. “I shall make sure you are providet(59) with what you will, Daughter, in terms of equipment and crafters to help you, and aught else you will too, and I’ll arrange some growers growing beet for you. May hap we should try to reach a clan agreement with some growers and animal husbanders too? I’ll consider it. May I have those glasses now? I wish to drink not only to your personal agreement, but to the luck of the clansfolk in acquiring you too.” He kissed Diana’s cheek and said, “Well come, Daughter. We’ve a lot of things to discuss in the near future, but settle with the children first, and your mum and I look forward to your early pregnancy.” The brandy was poured, and Joseph toasted the couple and the luck of the clan as he had said he would. He downed his brandy and said to Gander as he left, “If you wish a saughtful(60) life, you’d better introduce Diana and the children to Granny Gær and Grandfa(61) Bowman nextday. I hope you realise how lucky you are, Son.”
Gander turned to Diana after his father left, and after kissing his wife whispered in her ear, “Yes, I do.”
Gander and Diana, after spending their first few hours in bed, as she put it, “Becoming properly acquainted and attempting to extend our family,” spent several hours telling each other of themselves and their families, though Diana mostly spake of their adopted children and of their future as a family.
“Granny Gær and Grandfa Bowman only had one child, my mum, Coaltit. Granny nearly dien(62) with her second, and she couldn’t have any more which hurt Grandfa, but devastatet(63) Granny. Mum never had any children with her first man who she loes to the fevers when she was twenty-nine. Dad crafted for Grandfa then, and when he hearet Grandfa was going to make an appearance to find a brewery manager to train he goent(64) to see Mum and explaint(65) he was looking to find a future. He is ten years younger than Mum, and he askt her if she were prepaert to reach agreement with him, give him the family he wisht and support him in his attempt to become Grandfa’s manager.
“None know the details, but Mum and Dad have been happily marryt(66) ever since. Grandfa and Dad are close, but in Dad Granny found the son she loes in her second pregnancy. I’m sure she never considers he is not one of hers, and though he would never admit it she is the mum Dad loes to the fevers when he was too young to remember. Grandfa never maekt an appearance, and he and Dad ran the concern together. There never was an official change. Dad just keept(67) doing more, and Grandfa less. Officially it’s still Grandfa’s concern, though all he ever does these days is take a walk berount(68) every now and again for some gossip with Gordon and the older crafters and to sample the brandy.
“Some of the younger folk who craft for Dad probably don’t even know who Grandfa is, and I suspect that’s how he prefers it. Mum only ever had me and Joseph, he’s ten years younger than I, and he crafts for Dad too. The loss of my family hurt us all.” Gander stopped as he blinked his tears away, and Diana who had been holding his hand squeezed it. Eventually Gander continued, “So you will make us all, especially Mum and Gran, happy. Tania and Gyre will be completely spoilt by Mum and Dad, but given their pasts I don’t have a problem with that, do you?”
Diana who was fascinated by her husbands family history, and like he was aware the histories of their two adopted children had not been happy ones, replied, “They deserve a little spoiling to make up for their lives so far, and I suspect your dad is more than capable of keeping their feet on the ground.” Gander was not familiar with her idiom, but he understood her meaning. “I have had little family of any value to me, and I am looking forward to meeting your mum and her mum who I understand will now be my mum and granny too.” Gander nodded in agreement, though their cultural differences meant he considered what she was saying to be obvious. “I knew you had a brother, but I don’t know anything about him other than he isn’t married. Does he have an intendet?”
“No, but he has telt me he has found a young newfolk woman he is interestet in. She is Lavinia, and she is fourteen. Joseph knows rather a lot of her, so I suspect he is more than just interestet and has agreement in mind. I telt Mum of her lastday.(69) She has been adoptet by Mistress Ophæn who makes paper and her man Heastre who is a founder.”
Diana was moved by the way Gander regarded his family. That his younger brother had found a young woman he wished to marry was obviously a matter of import to him. She decided she would make an effort to know Lavinia, and if possible help to bring the young couple closer. This was something that very recently she would have regarded as interfering in the lifes(70) of others, but now because it was important to her husband’s family it was important to her. That Lavinia would become on marriage to her husband’s bother, her brother she corrected herself, her sister would mean her children would then have an auntie, and that she realised was of considerable importance to her. Their conversation and thoughts now having run to an end they returned to the important issue of providing Tania and Gyre with younger siblings.
1st of Chent Day 4
An elderly couple walked to the front of the platform. The woman spake first, “I am Alice a pastry cook at the Keep, and I have agreement with my man Alec. We wish our agreement attestet(71) before the Folk so as to give Alec a sense it is done.”
“My name is Alec, and I’m a well digger,” the man said. “Where I come from the creation of a marriage is a more formal affair than it is on Castle. I suppose I want this so I feel I am a married man.”
Michael said, “You have hearet the words of Mistress pastry cook Alice and Master well digger Alec. If any wish to respond let them come and be hearet.”
The crowd shouted, “Agreen and approven.”
Alice said, “We offer gratitude to the Folk for listening.”
Alec at a nudge from his wife also said, “We thank the Folk for listening.” The pair left the platform arm in arm.
Index of significant characters so far listed by Chapter
1 Introduction
2 Jacques de Saint d’Espéranche
3 The Folk and the Keep
4 Hwijje, Travisher, Will
5 Yew, Allan, Rowan,Siskin, Will, Thomas, Merle, Molly, Aaron, Gareth, Oak, Abigail, Milligan, Basil, Vinnek, Iris, Margæt, Gilla, Alsike, Alfalfa, Gibb, Happith, Kroïn, Mako, Pilot, Briar, Gosellyn, Gren, Hazel
6 Chaunter, Waxwing, Flame, João, Clansaver, Irune, Ceël, Barroo, Campion, Limpet, Vlæna, Xera, Rook, Falcon, Cwm, Sanderling, Aldeia, Catarina, Coast, Elixabete,
7Mercedes, Spoonbill
8 Lyllabette, Yoomarrianna
9 Helen, Duncan, Gosellyn, Eudes, Abigail
10 George/Gage, Iris, Waverley, Belinda
11 Marc/Marcy, Pol
12 George/Gage, Marcy, Freddy/Bittern, Weyland, Iris, Bling
13 Thomas, Will, Mercedes, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna
14 Kyle, Thomas, Will, Angélique
15 Mercedes, Morgelle, Gorse, Thrift, George/Gage, Chris, Iris, Thrift, Campion
16 Bling
17 Waverley, Mr. E
18 George/Gage, Larch, Mari, Ford, Gorse, Morgelle, Luke, Erin
19 Will, Pilot, Yew, Geoge/Gage, Mari, Ford, Gosellyn, Cwm, Cerise, Filbert, Gareth, Duncan, Helen, Thomas, Iris, Plume, Campion, Pim, Rook, Falcon, João, Hare
20 Yew, Rowan, Will, Thomas, Siskin, Weir, Grayling, Willow
21 Brook, Harrier, Cherry, Abby, Selena, Borage, Sætwæn, Fiona, Fergal
22 Yew, Thomas, Hazel, Rowan, Gosellyn, Siskin, Will, Lianna, Duncan
23 Tench, Knawel, Claire, Oliver, Loosestrife, Bramling, George, Lyre, Janice, Kæn, Joan, Eric
24 Luke, Sanderling, Ursula, Gervaise, Mike, Spruce, Moss
25 Janet, Vincent, Douglas, Alec, Alice
26 Pearl, Merlin, Willow, Ella, Suki, Tull, Irena
27 Gina, Hardy, Lilac, Jessica, Teal, Anna
28 Bryony, Judith, Bronwen, Farsight
29 Muriel, Raquel, Grace
30 Catherine, Crane, Snipe, Winifred, Dominique, Ferdinand
31 Alma, Allan, Morris, Miranda
32 Dabchick, Nigel
33 Raquel, Thistle, Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Phœbe
34 Eleanor, Woad, Catherine, Crane
35 Muriel, Hail, Joan, Breve, Eric, Nell, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
36 Selena,Sætwæn, Borage, Grace, Gatekeeper, Raquel, Thistle
37 Siân, Mackerel, Winifred, Obsidian
38 Carla, Petrel, Alkanet, Ferdinand
39 Dominique, Oxlip, Alma, Allan, Tress, Bryony
40 Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Ella, Kestrel, Judith, Storm
41 Ella, Kestrel, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane
42 Weights & Measures and Sunrise & Sunset Times included in Ch 41
43 Ella, Kestrel, Serenity, Smile, Gwendoline, Rook, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane, Sapphire, Mere
44 Pearl, Merlin, Rainbow, Perch, Joan, Breve, Rruth, Rachael, Hedger, Ruby, Deepwater
45 Janet, Blackdyke, Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster
46 Janet, Gina, Alastaire, Joan, Breve, Truth, Bræth, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
47 The Squad, Mercedes, Fen, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
48 Bronwen, Forest, Opal, Spice, Vincent, Kathleen, Niall, Bluebell, Sophie
49 Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster, Imogen, Wryneck, Phœbe, Knapps
50 Erin, Nightjar, Eleanor, Woad
51 Gina, Jonas, Janet, Gerald, Patrick, Tansy, Craig, Barret, Ryan
52 Constance, Rye, Bling, Bullace, Berry, Jimmy, Leveret, Rory, Shelagh, Silas
53 Rachael, Hedger, Eve, Gilla, Mallard, Fiona, Fergal, Tinder, Nightingale, Fran, Dyker
54 Pamela, Mullein, Patricia, Chestnut, Lavinia, Ophæn, Catherine, Crane
55 Susan, Kingfisher, Janet, Gina, Jonas, Ruth, Kilroy, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
56 Gina, Jonas, Patricia, Chestnut, The Squad, Hazel, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch, Mangel, Clary, Brendan
57 Erin, Nightjar, Xera, Josephine, Wels, Michelle, Musk, Swansdown, Tenor
58 Timothy, Axel, Nectar, Waverley,Yvette, Whitebear, Firefly, Farsight, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch
59 Lilac, Firefly, Farsight, Lucinda, Gimlet, Leech, Janet, Blackdyke
60 Douglas, Lunelight, Yvette, Whitebear, Thrift, Haw, Harebell, Goosander, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew, Matilda, Evan, Heron
61 Brendan, Clary, Chloë, Apricot, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna, Otis, Harry, Gimlet, Leech, Jodie
62 Gimlet, Leech, Lark, Seth, Charles, Bruana, Noah, Kirsty, Shirley, Mint, Kevin, Faith, Oak, Lilly, Jason, Gem, Ellen
63 Honesty, Peter, Bella, Abel, Kell, Deal, Siobhan, Scout, Jodie
64 Heather, Jon, Anise, Holly, Gift, Dirk, Lilac, Jasmine, Ash, Beech, Ivy, David
Word Usage key
1 Agreän(s), spouse(s), the person(s) one has marital agreement with.
2 Loes, lost.
3 Maid, virgin.
4 Prepaert, prepared.
5 Hearet, heard.
6 Sayt, said.
7 Maekt, made.
8 Nervousth, nervousness.
9 Folkbirtht, Folk born.
10 Happent,happened,
11 Taekt, took.
12 Vaucht, usually implied as a result of a misuse of a large imbalance of social standing or maturity. Nearest English equivalent is coercion. Vɐχt.
13 Intendet, finacé. Noun.
14 Wisht, wished, wanted.
15 Doet, did. Doetn’t, didn’t. Doet is pronounced more like dote, and doetn’t like dough-ent.
16 Intendet, affianced, egaged to marry. Verb.
17 Lunecycle, menstrual cycle.
18 Askt, asked.
19 Bethink, think.
20 Midwifes, midwives.
21 Lunetime, here menstrual. Adjective.
22 Lunecycle, menstrual cycle.
23 Lunetime, here menstruation. Noun.
24 Syskonal twins, a Folk phrase equivalent to siberal twins. Siberal twins is a phrase coined here that means non-identical twins. It derives from siblings and so not only includes fraternal twins (boys) and sororal twins (girls) but pairs of opposite sex twins too.
25 Liekth, likeness, similarity.
26 Aegt, aged.
27 Doet, did. Doetn’t, didn’t. Doet is pronounced more like dote, and doetn’t like dough-ent.
28 Separatet, separated.
29 Livt, lived.
30 Syskonen, siblings.
31 Accepted, accepted.
32 Spaken, spoken.
33 Considert, considered.
34 Agreen, agreed.
35 Highth, height.
36 Spaeking, speaking.
37 Mournt, mourned.
38 Interestet, interested.
39 Uest, used.
40 Fiddil, fiddle, violin.
41 Reacht, reached.
42 Establisht, established.
43 Adoptet, adopted.
44 Calmth, calmness.
45 Liekt, liked
46 Speak, speak.
47 Naemt, named.
48 Telt, told.
49 Spaech, speech.
50 Findt, found.
51 Finisht, finished.
52 Footet, footed.
53 Ourselfs, ourselves.
54 Thisday, today.
55 Goen, gone.
56 Nextday, tomorrow.
57 Disappointet, disappointed.
58 Receivt, received.
59 Providet, provided.
60 Saughtful, peaceful.
61 Grandfa, specifically maternal grandfather.
62 Dien, died.
63 Devastatet, devastated.
64 Goent, went.
65 Explaint, explained.
66 Marryt, married.
67 Keept, kept.
68 Berount, around.
69 Lastday, yesterday.
70 Lifes, lives.
71 Attestet, attested.
