A Word Usage Key is at the end. Some commonly used words are there whether used in this chapter or not. Replace th on end of words with ness and t with d or ed and most of the rest are obvious if sounded out aloud. Some words with n or en on the end can be easily understood of the n is replaced by a d or ed. Only difficult words and words that do not exist in English are now referred to specifically with a footnote number. If you have suggestions I would be pleased to consider implementing them.
The brackets after a character e.g. CLAIRE (4 nc) indicates Claire is a character who is 4 years old and a character not encountered before. Ages of incomers are in Earth years at this point and of Folk in Castle years. (4 Folk yrs ≈ 5 Earth yrs. l is lunes, t is tenners.) There is a list of chapters and their significant characters at the bottom too.
2nd of Chent Day 5
Jasmine, Lilac, Ash and Beech all arose just after five to find Mum cooking braekfast. “I’ll have braekfast on the table in fiveteen minutes,” she informed them, “and I’m cooking food to be packt for eating on your way home. If you wish to make a start on loading the waggon I can delay braekfast for half an hour. However, I wish to have spaech with my new daughter, and I have something to tell all of you preferably before the children are up.” She taekt a good look at Lilac for the second time and said with a smile, “Mercy, aren’t you the small one?”
Lilac replied a little defensively, “I’m still only fifteen and I’m sure I’ll grow, but I don’t know how long it will take.”
“Just teasing, Dear,” said Mum. “I was no bigger than you at your age and look at me now.” Since Mum had a wide pair of hips and the rest of her was in proportion this was a comforting thought to Lilac.
Jasmine looked berount at the others and said, “You’d better be quick then, Mum, because they’ll be
up betimes. We’ll listen now.” The others all nodded in agreement.
“I goent to the Master at arms office lastday afternoon looking to see if there were any who would suit you, in case you doetn’t find any at your appearance. My apologies, Dear.” The last was said to Lilac, who smiled, “Whilst I was there, I spake with an incomer who was looking to be adoptet as a grandmother. She is Rebecca and is sixty-six. She hadn’t had any luck and wasn’t happy choosing from the files, she wisht to meet Folk to decide. I know you hadn’t bethinkt yourselfs of adopting a grandmother, but she comes from a remote place which is the kind of place she would live in from choice. She’s missing her grandchildren, and she weaves rushes into mats and things. I bethinkt me she would be perfect. I haven’t sayt aught to her, but were I you, I should have spaech with her as soon as possible.” The foursome looked at each other, and Jasmine, Ash and Beech braekt into smiles.
“Mum, you are astonishing!” Jasmine explained to Lilac, “We’ve been trying to persuade Mum to live with us for ages, but she would miss the company here. I agree we should have spaech with Rebecca as soon as possible.”
Ash and Beech agreed, and Lilac said, “I don’t yet understand enough to say, but if the three of you consider it’s a good idea then let’s do it.”
“If you eat, and start loading the waggon, and one of you feeds the children I shall find Rebecca,” Mum telt them.
The next hour followed that pattern. Ash and Jasmine loaded the waggon, and Beech and Lilac dresst and fed the children. They were all drinking leaf and ready to finish loading the waggon, when Mum came back with Rebecca, a small, fine-boned smiling woman with twinkling gray eyes and silver hair. She said, “I understand you live in a quiet out of the way place and work the woods. But Fescue has told me little else other than you may be looking for a grandmother for your children.”
Jasmine as usual spake for them, “I am Jasmine, and we’ve six children, and as you can see are expecting another. Lilac is going to start adding to the family when she feels ready. We understand you weave rushes?”
“And reeds and various wild grasses,” Rebecca added, “anything I think won’t only be functional but look pleasing too. Pardon me for asking, but you are?”
She said this looking at Ash and Beech who replied, “I am Ash.”
“I am Beech.”
“Who is married to whom?” asked Rebecca.
“We are all marryt to each other. We are a foursome,” replied Jasmine using the usual Folk terminology.
“I prefer the term quartet, since we sing,” said Lilac.
The three looked at Lilac, smiled, and Jasmine said, “I stand correctet, we are a quartet. We are not two couples we are a marital coöperative.”
Ash stared at Beech and said, “A marital coöperative! Doet you know that, Beech?”
Equally wide eyed, Beech replied, “I do now!”
Rebecca chuckling said, “It doesn’t bother me any. Tell me of where and how you live, and if there are materials I could use to provide input to pay my way?”
Ash in his rich and mellow baritone answered this, “Rebecca let me answer your last question first. Yes, there are materials for you to weave. If you decide to be adoptet into our family and be grandmother to our children, and we’ve decidet we should like that, then you are family and don’t need to pay your way. That is the responsibility of our generation. The Folk don’t take payment for the care of their kin. I don’t know, but I am sure that would be counter to the Way. We shall provide the materials for you to weave with pleasure, or we can shew you where to gather them if you prefer, but you don’t have to do so. If you have a care to the children and us too we don’t propose to pay you for that. Would you expect us to?”
Rebecca was taken aback by this, even though she knew the Folk were alarmingly direct. She replied, “Of course not. I don’t want paying for looking after my grandchildren.”
Beech said in his clear deep voice, “It’s the same isn’t it? We all pay in love and care. That’s how it works.”
Rebecca looking a little flustered asked, “But how did Ash know you others all want me too?”
“Because we are a marryt quartet. Do we take it you wish us then, Rebecca?” Jasmine asked.
“Yes, I do. But Fescue told me you are going home today, and it is a long day’s drive with the waggon. May I? Are you asking me to go with you today?”
“Yes, we are, Mum.”
Rebecca was startled and asked, “Am I your mum now too?”
There were four affirmative replies, and Fescue said, “Well come to the family, Sister.”
Rebecca was stunned, and there were tears in her eyes as she said, “It wasn’t good being old where I come from, and I am so happy.”
“I didn’t have much fun being young, and I am happy here too,” Lilac telt her.
The children had been quiet to this point realising grown up things were happening, but when their parents started calling Rebecca Mum, as they did Fescue, they realised they had another grandmother. They were all over Rebecca vying for her attention. Since the oldest was only ten the next few minutes were noisy. When order was finally restored, the children calmed and had all been thoroughly kissed by all parents and grandmothers, they started to help packing the waggon. “Do you have much to take with us, Mum?” asked Ash.
“No, just the clothes I am standing in and a few things at my chamber.”
“That means,” said Jasmine, “that we’ve to acquire some more clothes and a few bits and pieces for Mum, as well as for Lilac before we go. I don’t wish to spend another day here, Ash? Beech? Lilac? Mum?”
All agreed and Jasmine continued, “So Mum, Lilac and I need to collect their belongings, go to the seamstresses for clothes, and then if need be do some trading. There’s naught else we need, for we’ve collectet all the supplies over the last two days. If you two and Mum,” looking at Fescue this time, “can finish loading and mind the children for an hour we’ll be back and ready to go. My sorrow Mum, Lilac, but we’ll have to discuss where and how we live once we are going home or it will be dark before we arrive.” All this was agreed, and sure enough, after just over an hour the waggon pulled by its team of six heavy horses left the Keep. They were going home.
2nd of Chent Day 5
With the finely tuned senses of hunters, Leech and Gimlet awoke at more or less the same time, half six-ish. Leech said, “You stay there to give me a bit more space to put these on, and I’ll start a fire whilst you put yours on.”
By the time she was out, Leech had the fire going and a kettle of water heating for leaf. Gimlet went behind the tent to relieve herself and noticed Leech had had the same idea. That she went behind the tent wasn’t because she was embarrassed by Leech’s presence, that kind prudery wasn’t known to the Folk, and even less so in the huntsmen, it was just the wind was biting, and there was at least a bit of shelter there. She washed quickly in the ice covered river where Leech had braeken the ice and returned to find him feeding Charcoal some oats. She maekt the leaf, put a couple of day old bannocks to warm at the edge of the fire, mixt some dried, black raspberries with some of the oats to make porridge, added a pinch of salt and water from the river, and set the kettle to cook. They were drinking leaf when Leech announced, “Wind’s changing. We’ll be walking right into it when we’re back on the trail.” He grinned, “Lovely day isn’t it?”
Gimlet knew what he meant. Any noise or smell coming from the men, or aught they disturbed, would be coming towards them. The discomfort of walking into the wind was naught. Whilst they waited for the bannocks and porridge they packed the tent and sleeping rolls ready for loading onto Charcoal. They ate the warm bannocks with pounded lingberry(1) paste and the porridge with some birch syrup. They finished the remaining leaf, packed the cooking equipment, loaded Charcoal and headed back to the trail which soon became a clearly defined game trail with evidence of recent usage by deer.
They followed the trail for half an hour, the terrain was going gradually uphill towards a low ridge of land running at more or less right angles to the trail. Leech, knife in hand, now had his mouth open and was totally absorbed in and one with his environment. His sensitive skin, eyes, ears, nose and the taste receptors in his mouth were providing his analytical brain with a far more detailed description of what was coming towards him with the wind than most folk even knew existed. He waved Gimlet to a stop and nodded at her bow. She stepped back two paces so as to provide as little distraction for him as possible and unlimbered her bow from its oiled, waterproof, soft leather cover taking the two special arrows out with it.
Leech continued to sense the wind and its information. “They’re no more than three thousand strides in front of us, may hap five hundred the other side of the ridge. I can hear shouting, but I can’t hear them as separate voices. I can’t hear or smell the horses. There’s naught between us and them to distort the wind this side of the ridge other than the ridge itself. There are some good and some bad parts on the other side of the ridge and I’m not sure what’s in front of us, but the game would have chosen the easiest trail, and the men probably stayt with it. We must be eight thousand strides north of the aqueduct tunnel, so it’ll be pretty flat once we’re over the ridge. It must have been near enough sunset when they stopt, so they must have had a bad night unless they findt some really good shelter down there, but I can’t recall any at all for some whilth from here,” Leech smiled as he said the last.
Gimlet nodded and passing her bow and the two arrows to Leech she turned to remove Charcoal’s load. She did it all, leaving Leech’s senses to keep them safe. Charcoal unloaded and the horse’s load piled in a heap, she shouldered the quiver of arrows she had taken off Charcoal and leaving Charcoal to graze taekt her equipment back off Leech. She walked a good ten strides behind him with one of the two arrows in her belt and the other nocked as they walked to the ridge. He stopped ten strides short of the ridge and beckoned her to him. He whispered in her ear, “I definitely hear only one man shouting, and I still can’t sense the horses. They’re nearer than I believt though. Though I’m familiar with this area, the steepth on the other side of the ridge is very variable, in parts gentle, but there are small cliffs too which have generatet a lot of scree. The other side must have attenuatet the wind more than I allowt for due to its steepth. I believe we’re within two hundred strides of them, possibly much less. I’ll look.”
Leech dropped onto all fours and moved to within five strides of the ridge behind a large erratic boulder. He then dropped onto his belly and crawled forward to peer over the ridge itself. He stayed there for a minute before rolling back down to Gimlet and standing. “They’re sixty strides or so in front of the ridge which is much steeper on their side than this and may hap twenty strides high which gives you a clear line of sight for at most a sixty-five stride arrow. It’ll need a bit of care descending. The trail is covert with stones and boulders from the cliff to our right which it runs at the base of. The horses have goen. The men must have spent the night in the open. As I sayt it’s completely flat down there. They’ve no tent or shelter other than those heavy fur overcoats. The one shouting is kicking the other who is lying on the ground, probably drinkn.(2) There are four of those big brandy bottles Joseph sells on the ground. They’re all empty. For me we could leave them for Castle, but Thomas wishes to know they’re dead, and Will has given us our orders. So it’s time to craft.”
Gimlet said naught because there was naught to say. The wind had dropped considerably, as it oft did at that time of day once one had left the coast. She removed the quiver from her shoulder and placing it on the ground taekt the second arrow out of her belt. Leech was back at the ridge again just behind the erratic and beckoning her forward. She crouched and moved forward, having maekt sure she kept her bow safe. She looked over the ridge from the side of the boulder, and it was as Leech had said. She saw the bottles, but she was unable to identify them as Joseph’s brandy bottles. The shouting man had his back to them, and he was still kicking his accomplice.
She passed the second arrow to Leech and prepared herself as she waited for a lull in the gentle breeze and for the man to still. She slowly stepped clear of the boulder with the first arrow ready nocked, exhaled slowly, sighted and released the arrow which was nearly half as long again as her arm. The arrow taekt the man in the back of the head, and more than half of it disappeared through his skull. She put her hand out without taking her eyes off the men, and Leech put the second arrow into it. She nocked it, and they waited for five minutes. There was no point in taking any chances, and if she’d had a killing sight on the man on the ground she would have put the second arrow through his skull, even if it cost her the arrow, but unfortunately he was behind what she presumed was a bag of food and a foot and a half high stone slab.
There were a lot of stones, ranging is size from less than fist siezt pebbles to ones a man could completely hide behind. that had fallen away from the cliff berount him. Gimlet looked to Leech. He nodded towards the cliff, and she collected and shouldered her quiver before they followed the game trail as it angled its way down the steep incline in front of the small cliff to the men. They’d approached to within five strides of them when the one lying on the ground without the arrow groaned and rolled over onto his back. Leech closed on him, and with one fluid motion buried half his knife through the man’s throat. He didn’t even cough. His right leg was at an unnatural angle, and his torn and dusty clothes indicated he had braeken it tripping on one of the stones higher up the trail and then fallen the rest of the way down. Leech retrieved his knife with a twisting motion as he sliced it free, carefully cleant it on the frosty dew soaked grass, dried both its edges on his over trousers, resheathed it, and said dryly, “That’s that. I believe we both just came first in the competitions. Let’s load these coats onto Charcoal and find the horses.”
“Not so fast, Leech,” said Gimlet, “I wish my arrow back. It taekt me a long time to make.”
Leech looked pained and said, “Why doetn’t you tell me before I cleant my knife?” He walked over to the man Gimlet had killed, pushed him into a sitting position and standing behind him grabbed him by the collar of his coat at the side of his neck. He drew his knife and, with a vertical chopping motion, split the skull front to back to within a finger’s wiedth of the arrow. He twisted the knife to split the remaining skull bone, and the arrow was free. He handed the arrow to Gimlet, who started to clean it on the dewy, frost rimed grass, and pushed the corpse over to avoid any blood or worse running onto the coat. He re-cleant his knife, dried it and sheathed it yet again, straightened the dead men out saying in explanation to Gimlet, “It’ll be easier to pull the coats and clothes off when we return with Charcoal.”
“Strip their clothes off now and leave them here,” Gimlet suggested, “if we don’t and the scavengers find these two before we return they’ll ruin the furs to reach the meat.”
“Good idea,” said Leech. Gimlet put her bow back in its cover and her two special arrows with it. They stripped the heavy bear fur coats off the men and the rest of their clothes and checked for aught else of use or value. There was only the leather bag of food, and they didn’t fancy eating aught the men had had their hands in, so they tipped it out for the wildlife. Leech picked up the brandy bottles in turn, looked at the labels and said, “I can’t understand how they had this. It’s Joseph’s fiveteen year old best. Let’s reload Charcoal, collect the clothes, and be after those horses. We’ll take the bottles back too for Joseph to reuse, and leave the rest to the scavengers.”
Gimlet telt him, “I’ll reload Charcoal and return to load the clothes whilst you find the tracks, Leech.”
Half an hour later Gimlet put the bottles into the coat pockets, rolled the clothes in the coats, one with the food bag inside it and tied them as two rolls. She connected them together with a short cord, dropped one on each side of Charcoal’s load and waited for Leech. After having circled the site, yet again but yet farther out, and examined the game trail coming down the cliff, he finally announced, “The horses were never here. We’ll have to back track the men’s trail till we find the horses’ tracks.” They led Charcoal back up the game trail and back tracked for twenty minutes to just short of where Leech had first become aware of the men when Leech, pointing at the ground, said, “There.”
Gimlet stayed with Charcoal so as not to put any conflicting tracks down and let Leech craft. He studied the ground for a good while before laughing. “The horses just stopt,” he said. “They’re dray horses. They do so much work, and then they’re fed before being requiert to do any more. These weren’t fedd, so they just stopt. The men abandont them and goent on on foot. They’d probably already startet drinking which along with the failing light explains the braeken leg. The only thing I don’t understand is how they doetn’t braek the bottles.”
Gimlet laught, “That’s probably how he braekt his leg protecting the bottles in their stead of himself.”
They followed the horses’ trail which eventually turned in the direction of the Keep. “They’re going home,” said Gimlet.
“Just not in a straight line,” agreed Leech.
It was mid-afternoon when Leech drew the small herd of fleetfoot(3) to Gimlet’s attention. “We’ll be under canvas thisnight, so it would be good if we could at least eat a decent meal. If we camp early we’d have time to eat the meat hot.”
“There’s virtually no wind, Leech, so sixty strides will do. You lead Charcoal and I’ll put the arrow over her back.”
Leech nodded in understanding and with Charcoal between them and the herd they bypassed the herd. When they were as near as they were going to approach Gimlet sighted on an immature buck. When the buck went down the rest of the herd demonstrated how they acquired their name, and by the time the hunters had reached their meal the herd were nowhere to be seen. Leech had grallocht the buck in minutes and said, “Thirty-five weights of tender meat. You wish the offal? It’ll be this time next day before we’re back.”
“Yes. We’ll eat haunch thiseve, but cook the offal and leave it in the kettle to take it back.”
Leech shrugged his shoulders and as they left the scavengers were already cleaning up what they had left.
2nd of Chent Day 5
At six the squad were at the seamstresses’ stores with Josh who was assessing their feet and the available work boots. Much to their surprise Liam, who had size fourteen feet, was supplied with two pairs that were comfortable fits in no time at all. All bar Marcy were similarly supplied equally rapidly, but the best that could be done for Marcy who had narrow size two feet was a pair that she could wear with two pairs of heavy boot socks, which was too clumsy for safety. Josh found a pair of heavy women’s shoes which she found acceptable and said, “I’ll have two pairs of boots ready for you nextdaynigh, Marcy. Will sayt I have to have you all booten(4) as a matter of priority, and work wear always has had priority over all else.”
By eight George was at Milligan’s affairs chamber with seven ferrets, a dozen small dogs and the now booted or heavy shod squad carrying heavy sticks and two empty grain sacks apiece that had clearly seen better days that he’d acquired from the composters in return for a promise of a pair of coneys. He asked a bemused Milligan where he wished them to work first, and by lunchtime they had slaughtered nearly a hundred rats and slightly more mice. Milligan had been so delighted at lunchtime he had fed the squad till they could barely move. As they were loading the vermin into the sacks, to use as kennel food, Milligan had asked when they would be back, expecting George to say a lune or so. He was amazed when George telt him they’d left the sticks behind and would be back nextday forenoon and every forenoon thereafter till he thought the problem was down to acceptable levels. Milligan expressed surprise because he thought they must have killed most of the vermin. He was even more surprised when George telt him he doubted if they had killed enough to make any difference, certainly less than one in ten.
They returned the small dogs and ferrets to the kennels, had leaf at the Commons, went back to the kennels and collected the other dogs and the birds. On their way to their afternoon’s work, they stopped at Outgangside to see what a crowd was looking at in the large paddock. It was a huge black stallion serving a mare. “What a creature,” murmured Chris in reverent tones. The stallion finished serving the mare, and Chris threw some of the dried apples he was eating to it. It approached him, nearer and nearer to the fence as it went from apple to apple. “I’ve just got to ride him,” Chris muttered, not realising he was spaeking aloud.
“You’ll never reach to get on it, I’m not sure I’m tall enough,” laught Liam who was more than two feet taller than Chris.
“That’s what fences are for,” said Chris equably.
The stallion had eaten the last of the apples and was looking for more when Chris tipped the rest out of the bag just inside the fence. The stallion walked to within six feet of the fence eyeing the apples, and Chris went up the fence like a marten up a tree after a bird, and using the top rail to push himself off was on the stallion’s back with two handfuls of its mane as his sole method of retaining his seat. The horse screamed with rage, reared, turned and taekt the fence on the other side of the paddock flying. Chris was on it for an hour whilst the squad and the increasingly large crowd watched the spectacle of a small boy effortlessly exerting total mastery over a large and powerful horse. Eventually he returned the completely exhausted and docile animal to the paddock to the cheers of his squad mates.
As Gudrun opened the gate for them he was heard to say, “There’s a good boy. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. I promise.” He rode the horse to the tank and as he slid off he said, “Now not too much cold water boy, or you’ll catch a chill.” After a minute he said, “That’s enough for now.” He climbed the tank, jumped on the horse’s back and rode him over to the remaining apples where he slid off the stallion and fed him the apples by hand whilst patting his neck, which Chris could barely reach. He turned to the adults and said, “That is a very good horse. He’s not really bad tempered, just frightened because he has been hurt. You can still feel the weals caused by the whip on him.”
Gudrun was smiling and said, “You just maekt me a very happy woman, Chris. Since you can handle him he’s yours. I’ll rub him down, water him again in a while and see to his care myself.”
Chris was ecstatic and as Gudrun haltered the stallion before leading him away Chris said, “If he’s mine, no bit. Not ever of any kind. I don’t need one and he certainly doesn’t.” He turned to the grinning faces of the squad and telt them, “That was the best ride of my life.”
George said, “That was amazing, Chris. I shouldn’t have misst it for anything. I wish I could ride like that. I wish I could ride at all, it must be exciting, but there’s time to learn. Right now we’d better exercise these dogs and birds.” They had taken the rest of the dogs, not just the running dogs, and all the birds out. The dogs were unfit, and the birds were sulky after having had so little exercise for so long, but after an hour on the sand the squad went inland and south of the Little Arder because the grass was taller there than on the Gatherfield and they thought there would be more game there. They managed six coneys,(5) two doves and eleven partridge to give to Milligan’s butchers. The birds had also killed three gulls which as George said, “They’re worth having. We’ll boil them with the rats if the butchers don’t want them.”
The general opinion was they would have doubled the catch if the dogs had been fit, the over excited tracking dogs hadn’t put up some of the game too soon, and the birds had been more willing, but things could only improve. When Fergal had joined the squad he had explained he had flown hunting birds regularly, and George had telt him he was now their instructor and in charge of the mews. They found the exciting new skill of flying the birds was challenging, and Fergal telt them they were short of quite a lot of equipment he regarded as essential which would ensure the birds killed what was required and not gulls. George had telt him he would sort that out. “If you tell me what we need, Fergal, I’ll have it maekt.”
By the end of their day’s hunting every ferret and small dog had killed, every dog had at least chased something if not killed, and every bird had had a good flight, most had killed. May hap more importantly every member of the squad now had a craft placement, and Milligan’s attitude to them had vastly improven their self-esteem. Chris’ riding of the stallion, which they had been telt whilst he was riding it was considered by the horse trainers to be unapproachable and dangerous, had given them all a thirst to learn to ride too. In the late afternoon they fed the mice to the ferrets and birds and boiled the rats, the gulls and the washed out grallochth from their catch for two hours till the carcasses fell apart in a huge kettle set over a makeshift, cobble-stone fireplace. The vermin stew they mixt with the crumbed leftovers of lastdaysince’s stale bread and some left over food from the Refectory for the dogs.
George had scrounged the kettle, the crumbed bread and the leftovers off a willing Milligan who had said he would have Ingot, one of his bakers, ensure they had enough bread every day, even if it had to be baked specially since their needs were far less than the stores the rats taekt. He explained Eudes the Master soup cook dealt with leftovers and he would make him aware of George’s needs. Milligan had asked if bread maekt from vermin spoilt grains and flour would do. George had telt him it would be fine if the bread were baked dry and hard but not burnt. Like a biscuit was his description. Ingot, Milligan explained, was a baker, but he had a couple of dogs and was a keen wildfowler who would doubtless be interested in baking George’s dogs’ biscuits. Milligan was sardonically pleased to know the dead vermin and the food stuffs they had spoilt were to be mixt as feed for their slaughterers. That eve the healers noticed the difference in the behaviour of the tired but happy boys immediately, and it maekt their lifes a lot easier.
After eating his eve meal at home, George returned to the kennels for his early eve check that everything was as it should be. He was delighted at the formation of the squad. The squad had a range of skills, all of which he valued, and he had no problem taking advice from, or delegating responsibility to, someone who knew more than he did. That they were now a squad rather than just himself meant, once the kennels were properly cleant, none would have to work too hard at keeping the kennels as they should be kept. They had all enjoyed themselves, but the ultimate responsibility was his which he taekt seriously. He enjoyed the time when he was on his own with his charges because it gave him time to think of what they should be doing next and how to do it, and it also gave him time to create better relationships with the animals.
One of his best ratting bitches Jess had come to her breeding time, and he had penned her with four other bitches, so he could ensure she was served by Tobias, his most active ratting dog. He realised he needed to have some new pens maekt in order to prevent indiscriminate breeding of the dogs, which had obviously been allowed to happen as there were five young dogs, probably from the same litter, that looked to be a ratter, runner cross. He wished no more of that kind of accident as the five were really too big for ratting and would be nowhere near fast enough for coursing. He had decided he would use them as ratters, even if they weren’t very successful. He knew the sensible thing to do was to kill them, but despite his toughth, he liekt dogs, and he’d maekt arrangements with Alfalfa’s animal healers to have them neutered.
He was considering the surprises of the last few days: how Wayland’s unusual views so suited their changed circumstances, Fergal’s skill with the birds, Chris’ incredible way with horses and his acquisition of the stallion and most surprisingly Marcy’s expertise at salmon fishing and lethal abilities with knifes. They hadn’t had any time for fishing yet, but he would make sure they did and soon. He was just taking a look at the birds when he heard the big door open and a man’s voice telling someone, “Just put them down there out of the draft, they’ll be warm enough till I can tell George nextday.”
George shouted through, “No need, I’m here,” as he walked back to the main door where he saw three cages covered with sacking.
A grizzled old man appeared with two girls and a boy, all in their early teens, and said, “Goodeve, George. I’m Trapper and these are my great-grandchildren Xenia, Apple and Teff. We’re sheepherds and were eating the eve meal berount a good fire near the Longwood, and they came to the fire for some warmth.” He pointed to the cages. “Some of the children offert them some meat. They are obviously not wild because they sat on the children’s laps as they fedd them, so we fedd them till they could take no more. They were quite happy to sleep in the lamb cages, and I bringen them for you. If we find any more we’ll do the same.” George removed one of the sacks and, to his delight, saw a pair of creamy white polecats with dark brown face masks curled up together in a bed of old clothes. Trapper said, “There are eight of them, and they all look the same.” George removed the other sacks to see each cage cage contained three sleepy polecats.
“I am grateful, Trapper. I wish to have two dozen or so, and these more than double what I have. Would five coneys apiece be acceptable in return?”
“I wasn’t asking for aught, George. I was bringing them to you because they must be part of the incursion, and rightly belong to the Folk, not me and mine.”
George smiled and said, “That’s as may be, but you did bring them, and I don’t like to leave debts behind me. They are bad travelling companions in life. Do you not agree, Trapper?”
“That they are, Son, that they are.” Trapper offered his arm and they clasped forearms. “I’ll accept the coneys, George, for they’ll make a pleasant change from eating sheep. My gratitude, and if there’s aught me and mine can do for you you only have to ask.”
George turned to the children who were all of his age and asked, “Would you like to see berount and look at the others and the dogs and birds?”
“Please,” Xenia replied the others nodding in agreement.
George picked up one of the cages and asked Trapper, “May I keep the cages till nextday? I’d like to put them in a big pen and leave them open, so the polecats can come out when they’re ready.”
“Of course. I’ll send the children nextday at this time to collect them.” Apple and Teff picked up a cage and followed George. He opened a large unuest pen and carefully put the cage down at the back before opening it. Apple and Teff did the same with their cages, and they left the pen which George latched.
“They will probably sleep till nextday. They spend most of their time sleeping,” George telt them before taking them berount on a tour of his domain. The youngsters had all petted some of the dogs, been ignored by the sleepy ferrets and polecats and had been impressed by the birds. “Fergal is the expert with these,” George explained, “the rest of us are just learning how to fly them.”
Xenia said, “That must be exciting.”
George nodded and said, “Yes.” He realised may hap he had something to offer and continued, “There are threeteen of us in the kennel and mews squad, but we shall be happy to have more help, cleaning, exercising and hunting the animals.”
The children looked thoughtful, expressed gratitude for his time and with Trapper they maekt their way out. George suspected Xenia and Teff would be back, and as he shut the big door to go home he considered how best to let it be known the squad were recruiting full time, part time and casual help.
2nd of Chent Day 5
As Lyre, with twinkling eyes, explained to George over braekfast, “You now have a wife, and in my eyes two major domestic responsibilities. The first, and most important one, is to make me pregnant, but I’ll provide opportunities aplenty for that, and the other is to enable me to use the spinning wheel, which though not as enjoyable is of some immediacy. If you need any help to bring your things here I’ll arrange it.” She saw the troubled expression in her husband’s eyes and said, “I know I pressuriest you shamelessly when I seducet you, my love, but I couldn’t bear thinking I might have loes you because of your misplacet sense of doing the right thing according to a set of values that don’t mean aught here. I maekt you do the right thing by the Castle Way. It has maekt me happy, and I intend to make you happy too. I know how Earth Folk would regard you as a result of our age difference, but this is Castle, and Castle folk will consider I am a lucky woman to have marryt you. So do I, and I love you. I doet when I first seeën(6) you. I hope in time you will come to love me, but I’m Folk and we are patient.”
George seeing the truth, and more than a little pain, in her eyes said, “I can’t honestly say I loved you when I first saw you because such a thing never occurred to me. I can say your love makes me happy. My feelings are difficult to explain, but I know my love for you is growing, and I look forward to those opportunities you spoke of.” He smiled at her with a smile that melted her heart because it was the kind of smile that only went with shared intimacy, “And I shall alter the wheel so you can use it more easily.” She sent him off to the meeting with the Master founders that forenoon with a packed lunch in case he couldn’t manage to come home for lunch, and in their single-mindedth they forgot to go for lunch, and she telt him she would be out in the afternoon because she had something important to tell her siblings and the rest of her family. “As soon as you have time, George, we’ll go to the seamstresses’ stores to acquire some clothes for you.” She kissed his cheek as he left for the meeting, and much to her joy he returned her chaste kiss with the passionate one of a lover.
Both were still surprised at how things had turned out, but feeling pleased by events. Lyre was feeling happier than she had for over a year. She had put her unhappith over Karak’s deadth behind her and had a new love and babes to look forward to. She knew George had little in the way of personal belongings and few clothes. Now she was his wife she would do something regards that. A spinster by craft, she was naytheless a competent seamster, and she was full of plans, a married woman’s plans. George was bemused that one night of love, and he accepted love was the appropriate word, had undone all the years of celibacy he had endured. Honesty compelled him to recognise endured was also the correct word. He hadn’t just missed his wife, he had missed women or at least a woman. His joy in the intimacy he had shared with Lyre, which had restored his sense of manhood, was still a bit overshadowed by his guilt at being married to a woman young enough to be his granddaughter, but even as he thought of it the guilt was lessening.
He accepted he and a few other newfolk would be the only persons on Castle who thought that way and doubtless they were having to come to accommodations with the new society they now lived in too. Lyre was pretty too he thought, realising he hadn’t had time to appreciate that owing to the more intense thoughts of the last twelve or so hours. He was also wondering what he could make for her to enjoy for its own sake, rather than because it was functional like the spinning wheel. He decided to start on a jewellery and trinket box. He remembered he had seen some attractively marked pieces of spalted drift wood off cuts in a work shop somewhere.
2nd of Chent Day 5
Will had news for Yew and Thomas, and he found them together studying incomer files. “I’ve discovert where those intransigents had the brandy from, and they’re all dead now.”
Thomas looked at him reproachfully, and Will hastily and a little defensively said, “You have a nasty, suspicious mind, you know that, Thomas?”
“I believe you,” Thomas replied, “but if you doetn’t have them killt what happent?”
“It’s your fault really,” Will telt him. Thomas lifted his eyebrows questioningly, and Will looked at Yew for some support, but Yew just smiled as his friends looked as though they were going to continue their amicable bickering. Will continued, “You were the one, Thomas, who wisht that camp strikt as soon as possible. Geoffrey had a part loadet waggon, and he telt the waggoner and his assistant to take it to the camp and fill it. He’d been carrying brandy for Joseph, and the men thiefen(7) some cases. They must have been drinking steadily for three days. The two who raept that young woman and fleen(8) lastday forenoon must have taken some with them. Geoffrey telt me Lunelight sayt four quarter gallon bottles remain unaccountet for, which will no doubt make life easier for Gimlet and Leech.
“The other three must have drinken(9) themselfs into total madth and startet fighting, lasteve probably, hard tell when they’re dead, they’re stiff whether freezen or no. You know how drinkns(10) are, they’ll fight over aught or even over naught. Any hap, they’d sharpent a pair of eating knifes, they must have doen that before they startet on the brandy.” Will grinned. “If they’d askt me, I’d have lent them hunting knifes. Two of them gutt(11) each other and doet a good job of it. But what a mess,” he said reflectively, “and the other taekt off, I presume still drinkn. I sent Patience and Hope to find him this forenoon and they doet, freezen solid to an empty brandy bottle not five minutes from the camp. Good news. At least that’s the end of that problem. Waste of good brandy though.”
2nd of Chent Day 5
Anise had been helping Gift to dress in a new frock. Gift still hadn’t spaken much, but she had smiled a lot. It was early, but Anise was saying, “Hurry up Gift, or Holly and Dirk will have eaten all the best things.” This didn’t seem to bother Gift. She was still twirling berount looking at herself in the mirror. When Anise said, “Dad will have to go out betimes, and Mum has to go to Auntie Lyre’s for some more thread to weave,” without bothering to put her socks and shoes on, Gift ran into the eating chamber.
“Want kiss,” Gift shouted.
Heather had just picked her up when there was a knock on the door. “I’ll see who it is, Mum,” said Holly. When she opened the door she said, “Come in, Brock,” to the huge man who nearly filled the doorway.
“Gratitude,” Brock said quietly. He was a usually silent man who worked with his brother Bruin, who if aught was even bigger though not quite as quiet. They built bridges and other large works. He had started crafting as a forester and Bruin as a smith, but now they were simply referred to as Brock and Bruin, sometimes as the brothers B and B. None, least of all themselfs, had a name for their specialised craft, and they were currently supervising the construction of the new dry dock over the river. He was early middle aegt, married to Sedge and had four children. He stepped into the chamber and said, “I’ve a present for you, Gift. Sedge naemt her Snip, she’s one of Min’s and Dotn’s.” He was referring to the family cats. Seeing the familiar puzzled look on all excepts Gift’s face he said, “When he was a kitten he always had Dinner On The Nose. The name stuck like his food.”
As he put a huge hand into one of his pockets Gift was struggling to the floor out of Heather’s arms. Heather put her down, and she went straight to Brock whom she had never met before. She was entirely unafraid of this giant of a man, but may hap every one was a giant from her perspective. Gift asked, “Present for Gift?”
Brock smiled and said, “Yes, all for Gift,” and with that he produced his hand from his pocket, in the middle of which was a tabby kitten. “Snip,” he said again.
He put the kitten on the floor in front of Gift, who immediately lay on the floor on her stomach eye to eye with her and said, “Snip. Gift’s Snip. My Snip.” She giggled as Snip put a paw on her nose.
Brock looked at Jon and Heather, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “I just do what I’m telt,” and said, “I have to go,” and without another word he left.
Gift was entranced by Snip, some thread was produced and for the first time they heard Gift laugh as she pulled the thread behind her chased by Snip. Jon said, “I’ll find something for her to use for a facility and some food dishes. There’s some sawdust in the loom chamber she can use and I’ll collect another bag from Peregrine later.” They watched Gift and Snip for a few more minutes realising for Gift her world had changed even more, it was now a joyous one as well as a safe one. “I’ll find the tray and sawdust, and then I have to go too,” Jon repeated.
Index of significant characters so far listed by Chapter
1 Introduction
2 Jacques de Saint d’Espéranche
3 The Folk and the Keep
4 Hwijje, Travisher, Will
5 Yew, Allan, Rowan,Siskin, Will, Thomas, Merle, Molly, Aaron, Gareth, Oak, Abigail, Milligan, Basil, Vinnek, Iris, Margæt, Gilla, Alsike, Alfalfa, Gibb, Happith, Kroïn, Mako, Pilot, Briar, Gosellyn, Gren, Hazel
6 Chaunter, Waxwing, Flame, João, Clansaver, Irune, Ceël, Barroo, Campion, Limpet, Vlæna, Xera, Rook, Falcon, Cwm, Sanderling, Aldeia, Catarina, Coast, Elixabete,
7Mercedes, Spoonbill
8 Lyllabette, Yoomarrianna
9 Helen, Duncan, Gosellyn, Eudes, Abigail
10 George/Gage, Iris, Waverley, Belinda
11 Marc/Marcy, Pol
12 George/Gage, Marcy, Freddy/Bittern, Weyland, Iris, Bling
13 Thomas, Will, Mercedes, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna
14 Kyle, Thomas, Will, Angélique
15 Mercedes, Morgelle, Gorse, Thrift, George/Gage, Chris, Iris, Thrift, Campion
16 Bling
17 Waverley, Mr. E
18 George/Gage, Larch, Mari, Ford, Gorse, Morgelle, Luke, Erin
19 Will, Pilot, Yew, Geoge/Gage, Mari, Ford, Gosellyn, Cwm, Cerise, Filbert, Gareth, Duncan, Helen, Thomas, Iris, Plume, Campion, Pim, Rook, Falcon, João, Hare
20 Yew, Rowan, Will, Thomas, Siskin, Weir, Grayling, Willow
21 Brook, Harrier, Cherry, Abby, Selena, Borage, Sætwæn, Fiona, Fergal
22 Yew, Thomas, Hazel, Rowan, Gosellyn, Siskin, Will, Lianna, Duncan
23 Tench, Knawel, Claire, Oliver, Loosestrife, Bramling, George, Lyre, Janice, Kæn, Joan, Eric
24 Luke, Sanderling, Ursula, Gervaise, Mike, Spruce, Moss
25 Janet, Vincent, Douglas, Alec, Alice
26 Pearl, Merlin, Willow, Ella, Suki, Tull, Irena
27 Gina, Hardy, Lilac, Jessica, Teal, Anna
28 Bryony, Judith, Bronwen, Farsight
29 Muriel, Raquel, Grace
30 Catherine, Crane, Snipe, Winifred, Dominique, Ferdinand
31 Alma, Allan, Morris, Miranda
32 Dabchick, Nigel
33 Raquel, Thistle, Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Phœbe
34 Eleanor, Woad, Catherine, Crane
35 Muriel, Hail, Joan, Breve, Eric, Nell, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
36 Selena,Sætwæn, Borage, Grace, Gatekeeper, Raquel, Thistle
37 Siân, Mackerel, Winifred, Obsidian
38 Carla, Petrel, Alkanet, Ferdinand
39 Dominique, Oxlip, Alma, Allan, Tress, Bryony
40 Agrimony, Benjamin, Ian, Ella, Kestrel, Judith, Storm
41 Ella, Kestrel, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane
42 Weights & Measures and Sunrise & Sunset Times included in Ch 41
43 Ella, Kestrel, Serenity, Smile, Gwendoline, Rook, Tress, Bryony, Tunn, Whin, Plane, Sapphire, Mere
44 Pearl, Merlin, Rainbow, Perch, Joan, Breve, truth, Rachael, Hedger, Ruby, Deepwater
45 Janet, Blackdyke, Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster
46 Janet, Gina, Alastaire, Joan, Breve, Truth, Bræth, Mayblossom, Judith, Storm
47 The Squad, Mercedes, Fen, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
48 Bronwen, Forest, Opal, Spice, Vincent, Kathleen, Niall, Bluebell, Sophie
49 Janice, Kæn, Ursula, Oyster, Imogen, Wryneck, Phœbe, Knapps
50 Erin, Nightjar, Eleanor, Woad
51 Gina, Jonas, Janet, Gerald, Patrick, Tansy, Craig, Barret, Ryan
52 Constance, Rye, Bling, Bullace, Berry, Jimmy, Leveret, Rory, Shelagh, Silas
*53 Rachael, Hedger, Eve, Gilla, Mallard, Fiona, Fergal, Tinder, Nightingale, Fran, Dyker
54 Pamela, Mullein, Patricia, Chestnut, Lavinia, Ophæn, Catherine, Crane
55 Susan, Kingfisher, Janet, Gina, Jonas, Ruth, Kilroy, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew
56 Gina, Jonas, Patricia, Chestnut, The Squad, Hazel, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch, Mangel, Clary, Brendan
57 Erin, Nightjar, Xera, Josephine, Wels, Michelle, Musk, Swansdown, Tenor
58 Timothy, Axel, Nectar, Waverley,Yvette, Whitebear, Firefly, Farsight, Janet, Blackdyke, Swift, Clover, Vetch
59 Lilac, Firefly, Farsight, Lucinda, Gimlet, Leech, Janet, Blackdyke
60 Douglas, Lunelight, Yvette, Whitebear, Thrift, Haw, Harebell, Goosander, Judith, Storm, Iola, Alwydd, Heidi, Rock, Stephanie, Matthew, Matilda, Evan, Heron
61 Brendan, Clary, Chloë, Apricot, Llyllabette, Yoomarrianna, Otis, Harry, Gimlet, Leech, Jodie
62 Gimlet, Leech, Lark, Seth, Charles, Bruana, Noah, Kirsty, Shirley, Mint, Kevin, Faith, Oak, Lilly, Jason, Gem, Ellen
63 Honesty, Peter, Bella, Abel, Kell, Deal, Siobhan, Scout, Jodie
64 Heather, Jon, Anise, Holly, Gift, Dirk, Lilac, Jasmine, Ash, Beech, Ivy, David
65 Sérent, Dace, Opal, Spice, Vincent, Clarissa, Gorse, Eagle, Frond, Diana, Gander, Gyre, Tania, Alice, Alec
66 Suki, Tull, Buzzard, Mint, Kevin, Harmony, Fran, Dyker, Joining the Clans, Pamela, Mullein, Mist, Francis, Kristiana, Cliff, Patricia, Chestnut, Timothy, Axel, Nectar, Waverly, Tarragon, Edrydd, Louise, Turnstone, Jane, Mase, Cynthia, Merle, Warbler, Spearmint, Stonecrop
67 Warbler, Jed, Fiona, Fergal, Marcy, Wayland, Otday, Xoë, Luval, Spearmint, Stonecrop, Merle, Cynthia, Eorle, Betony, Smile
68 Pansy, Pim,Phlox, Stuart, Marilyn, Goth, Lunelight, Douglas, Crystal, Godwit, Estelle, Slimlyspoon, Lyre, George, Damson, Lilac
69 Honesty, Peter, Abel, Bella, Judith, storm, Matilda, Evean, Iola, Heron, Mint, Kevin, Lilac, Happith, Gloria, Peregrine
70 Lillian, Tussock, Modesty, Thyme, Vivienne, Minyet, Ivy, David, Jasmine, Lilac, Ash, Beech
Word Usage Key
Some commonly used words are below. Replace th on end of words with ness and t with d or ed and most of the rest are obvious if sounded out aloud. Some words with n or en on the end can be easily understood if the n is replaced by a d. Only difficult words and words that do not exist in English are now referred to specifically.
Bethinkt, thought.
Braekt, broke.
Doet, did. Pronounced dote.
Doetn’t, didn’t. Pronounced dough + ent.
Findt, found,
Goen, gone
Goent, went.
Lastdaysince, the day before yesterday.
Maekt, made.
Nextdaynigh, the day after tomorrow.
Sayt, said.
Taekt, took.
Telt, told.
Uest, used.
1 Lingberry, lingon related to cranberry:Vaccinium vitis-idaea.
2 Drinkn, drunk.
3 Fleetfoot, a species of small deer. Adults of both sexes are typically three feet tall at the shoulder and bucks are up to sixty weights, does up to forty-five weights. Plural fleetfoot.
4 Booten, booted, wearing boots or as here equipped with boots.
5 Coney, adult rabbit.
6 Seeën, saw.
7 Thiefen, stole.
8 Fleen, fled.
9 Drinken, drunk.
10 Drinkns, drunks.
11 Gutt, gutted.
