28th of Towin Day 1

After George had telt(1) the children that he had lived alone in an allotment shed things had gone quiet, and most of the children were thoughtful. Some had had good lifes(2) before Castle, many had not, and all the older ones wondered what was going to happen to them. Iris and the other infirmary staff were kind, and most of the children were optimistic. A number knew life couldn’t possibly become any worse and wondered just how much better could it be. A few had had lifes so bad they were just withdrawn, not even able to be grateful for the painless interlude in their torture. The very young couldn’t understand where they were and where everybody they knew had gone, and some were frightened and upset. All but the youngest children realised this place was different from any where they had ever known or even heard of, and they were just waiting on events.

Marcy had been growing up and looking forward to life. Effectively out as a physically immature trans girl in a supportive community she was an active member of she was an emotionally and socially mature thirteen year old. Her incursion taekt(3) all that away from her and reduced her back to the insecure and aflait(4) little girl she had been at the age of nine or ten when still living in London with her father and brothers. She was missing her mum and Justin, Pol and her parents and had been wondering if she would find acceptance in this new and frighteningly different place.

Her doctor had known of her identity issues since she had admitted being girly to her mum two years ago and had referred her to a gender dysphoria clinic in the capital. Two months ago, accompanied by her mum, Marcy had been to see her GP [US family doctor]for one of the routine blood tests which monitored her hormone levels. When the results came back, they shewed a slight increase in her testosterone level indicating puberty was on the horizon though not imminent. Doctor Phelan had said her consultant would wish to see her and post her an appointment date, which would probably be in two or three months. She had also said Mrs. Yeomans would probably advise immediate puberty inhibitors and then at sixteen female hormones be prescribed till Marcy was legally old enough to decide her future for herself.

The appointment date had arrived through the post, but now that appointment would never happen, and Marcy was terrified she would have to live life trying to be a boy and then be a man, at which she knew would fail, and deep within she knew she would rather be dead because she knew that was better than a life of unhappith,(5) failure and torment.

Despite her name, most of the incomer children had deduced Marcy was a boy because they knew the infirmary staff had bathed them and, despite the way she looked and behaved, Marcy had been given a bed in a chamber full of boys. They had been shewn into a large chamber before lunch, and Marcy was feeling vulnerable and isolaett(6) when Freddy, who was a big and heavily built boy, had squared up to her and belligerently asked, “Are you a fucking bender(7) or what?”

The provocation had called up all her innate resilience, and though aflait(8) she had taken a step towards Freddy. Marcy had known for a long time sooner or later she would be challenged like this, and she’d rehearsed over and over again how she would react. She hadn’t been able to help herself, like chewing her fingers thinking of it was flaitsome(9) and it hurt, but she couldn’t help it, and she had dozens of responses ready formulated. Without thinking, the response she’d been going to use was “Why do you want to know? Unless of course you’re interested in me in which case we should go and discuss the matter privately, or if not you can go and fuck spiders instead.”

A girly and quietly submissive individual she was, a coward she was not. Notwithstanding her chewed fingers, if necessary two years ago she had been prepared to face her dad and brothers, and she considered a gobbin(10) like Freddy was no big deal. Even if she were going to be hurt, she was not prepared to back down to a bully because she knew once you did you had to keep backing down. It was her belief she had a right to be herself, and she was not prepared to give that right away, and she had not only lived with pain for years she’d needed it.

A small, red headed boy named Wayland saved her the trouble. He inserted himself between the two and pushed the much bigger Freddy away from Marcy with considerable force demanding, “What the fuck business of yours is it, Freddy? Unless of course you are too?” Freddy blustered and spluttered, and Wayland pushed a surprised Freddy back several times again before continuing, “There’s more than enough shit in the world to go round without making any more for ourselves. Fuck knows where we are, and we don’t know what’s coming next. I grew up in a boys orphanage, where I learnt the hard way the only way to survive was to look after your brothers, that’s us, all of us, straight, bent or what the fuck.”

He looked at the others in the chamber, his look encompassing and including all of all ages, girls as well as boys. We’re brothers in arms.” He stared Freddy in the eyes with a look that allowed for no compromise and continued, “Now you apologise to Marcy, or I’m going to do my best to knock the fuck out of you, and I don’t give a shite how badly I get hurt in the attempt because you’re the one that will look like a cunt, not me.”

There was total silence in the chamber, and Iris, expecting an unpleasant, violent incident, sent for help. Freddy, looking at over three dozen other boys and girls just standing there watching, noticed the angry faces of the boys, many of who were clenching and unclenching their fists, and the disapproving glares of the girls. He was clearly in a minority of one. Much more significantly to himself, he also realised what Wayland had said maekt(11) sense, and he was mortified. Blushing he turned to Marcy, “I’m really sorry, Mate. I was completely out of order there, Marcy. I truly don’t know why I said it.”

The guardians arrived within the minute, but Iris restrained them from intervening as the incident unfolded.

Marcy, considerably mollified by the sincerity of Freddy’s apology, mildly said, “We’re all a bit stressed by being here. It’s just habit to have a go at any one who’s different, and for the record. Yes, I’m girly, but I’m a trans girl not a gay boy, and I don’t care who knows or what they think concerning it. I’m more than happy to explain what that means to any one who is puzzled and would like to understand. I am what I am, and I have no intention of trying to be anything else. My name was not originally Marcy, but I’ve answered to it for a long time now, and sometimes I wear frocks, perfume and make up because I like looking pretty and smelling nice. I am a girl. I don’t have a problem with that, and if you or anyone else does, you have the problem not me.”

Iris, who had been watching closely, realised, though she didn’t understand the vernacular the children uest,(12) the incident had been resolved as a result of Wayland’s intervention, and she was relieved force was not going to have to be uest with children. She gave gratitude to the guardians for their prompt arrival, and though it had not been necessary asked them to be as readily available in the future as the children were a volatile mix.

Marcy offered her hand to Freddy, who grateful his apology had been accepted, shook it and much to her surprise said, “Thanks, Marcy. I really don’t have a problem with what ever you are or what you wear. Like Wayland said, it’s none of my business, Mate.”

Marcy smiled and said, “Forget it, Freddy, just don’t call me mate please. I’ve never been a boy. My friends called me by my name or my nickname: Marce. They also used girl or gal which are female equivalents of mate, and both are fine with me. Girl and gal are usually used by girls when talking to girls but I don’t know any girl who would object to being called either by a boy. Some of my friends were called girl or gal by their brothers and dads, and my best friend’s dad who was Scottish called us both lassie. I’m a girl. Ok?”

“Ok. But I owe you more than one, Girl.”

Marcy smiled at Freddy as she said, “When I need a favour I’ll remember you owe me one. May I kiss your cheek, Freddy?”

Freddy was shocked, but realising Marcy was pushing him to prove what he had claimed, he said, “Yes, that’s ok, Girl.” Marcy’s kiss was over before Freddy had even been aware of it and he’d been so genuinely happy he’d kissed her cheek as swiftly in return and whispered, “Thanks, Marcy.”

Wayland remarked caustically, “You’re both full of shit. Brothers don’t owe each other favours, and, come to think of it, no more do sisters.”

Bling had been watching when Freddy had threatened Marcy, and she’d been angry on Marcy’s behalf. Earlier, she’d noticed her behaviour and her fingers and, uest to observing and analysing the behaviours of strangers quickly, she’d drawn appropriate conclusions, which had been accurate. It wasn’t Marcy’s fault she was the way she was any more than it had been her fault her own life had been the way it had been. She’d not had spaech(13) with Marcy, but she knew a few of the boys who worked the city, the rent boys they were contemptuously called by the punters, which hadn’t stop the pervs(14) paying for their services, and many of the boys were effeminate.

She’d been glad when the other boys looked like they were going to knock the shit out of Freddy, and she thought it would serve the bigoted cunt right, with his frame he’d never been short of food and he didn’t look like he’d ever had a hard time. She’d been surprised when Wayland intervened, for he was smaller than herself, yet he hadn’t hesitated to push Freddy back as though he were the bigger boy not Freddy. Come to think of it, she reflected, maybe he is. She was even more surprised at Freddy’s obviously sincere apology. When Marcy offered to shake Freddy’s hand she’d been shocked, for she’d have kneed him in the bollocks. When Marcy had kissed Freddy’s cheek and allowed him to kiss hers she’d been completely overwhelmed.

Thinking of the incident she’d come to the conclusion both Wayland and Marcy had behaved with the utmost of decency, far better than she would have done, but it was the way she wished to behave in future. She’d telt Freddy she’d have kneed him in the balls for what he’d said, and he’d maekt his peace with her too, which taekt her aback, and he didn’t seem so bad after that. Thinking idly, she considered Freddy to be a good looking boy, and was surprised by the thought, for she’d never bothered with boys before because they didn’t have any money. She decided she wished to know Freddy as well as Marcy and Wayland. She later found out Freddy’s life hadn’t been without its problems, and he was a nice and rather insecure boy.

George had disinterestedly watched the incident. He’d had no intention of becoming involved in the disputes of others, and Freddy, who he had initially thought to be a bit of a wanker, had surprised him. George knew he hadn’t backed down and apologised because he was afraid of the rest, but because he’d realised he had been out of order and embarrassed by that he’d wished to put things right. In George’s book that meant he was all right. George had never heard of the word integrity, but he had great respect for the concept.

Bling had impressed George, and he recognised she was as streetwise as himself. He had a pretty good idea of what lay in her past, which didn’t bother him at all. He didn’t regard a whore as any worse than a thief, at least what they selt(15) was theirs to sell, and he had been a thief and then selt what had belonged to someone else, so maybe a whore was better than a thief. As he thought that, he realised had been was the key. He was not a thief and Bling was not a whore. They had been.

Marcy was interesting. George had met a few like her, boys with girls in their heads. It had never bothered him, but Marcy was much more than just that, she’d been prepared to fight to protect herself without regard for the outcome. George recognised Marcy as highly defensive rather than aggressive, and he regarded that with considerable respect, because it meant Marcy would be a good mate, even if she preferred to be referred to as gal, to have in a tight place, and he was aware, nobody could have too many mates, or gals.

It was Wayland who had surprised George most, and who he conceded the most respect to. A ginger, under grown, skinny, runt of a little kid, who was scared of fuck all. That he’d had a hard life was obvious, that he was on top of it any way and was clever was even more obvious. It was Wayland’s views of life, of the necessity for being brothers and looking after and out for each other no matter what, in Wayland’s words ‘straight, bent or what the fuck’, that had really impressed George. Most of all it was his remark, ‘brothers don’t owe each other favours,’ that had given George the idea he really wished to know and understand Wayland much better.

What had had the potential for becoming an unpleasant incident with far reaching consequences had not just been resolved amicably, but had also embedded Wayland’s views of brotherhood in the minds of all who had observed the incident. Both the boys and the girls realised with his views on life sexism wasn’t even a possibility, for his look had encompassed all. The girls realised Wayland had not been excluding them by referring to brothers, it was just he had been spaeking(16) from personal experience, and he had grown up in a boys only orphanage. Wayland’s views were a good basis for living, and as a result all the older children, both girls and boys, decided to accept not just Marcy but all as she, he or what ever as they wished to be accepted as.

Iris considered she was looking after a group of volatile children, particularly the boys, where violence could braek(17) out at any time and had decided to inform Gosellyn of the situation. She believed the sooner they could start placing the children in order to reduce potential conflicts the better.

Notes on Word Usage

1 Telt, told.
2 Lifes, lives.
3 Taekt, took.
4. Aflait, frightened or afraid.
5 Unhappith, unhappiness.
6 Isolaett, isolated.
7 Bender, the term originated from gender bender, one who dresses, behaves or lives as a non-typical member of their birth sex. Most oft uest as a pejorative term for a male homosexual.
8 Aflait, afraid.
9 Flaitsome, frightening.
10 Gobbin, derogatory term for one with a big gob: a loudmouth. Usually one who has nothing worthwhile to say but says it loudly.
11 Maekt, made.
12 Uest, used.
13 Spaech, speech.
14 Pervs, vernacular for perverts.
15 Selt, sold.
16 Spaeking, speaking.
17 Braek, break.

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28th of Towin Day 1

Margæt, though a midwife, like all of the healers was helping the office with the management of the incursion. She was struck by the resemblance of twelve year old incomer Phillip to Woodcock, her sister Alsike’s eleven year old son, who had dien(1) four lunes since. That Alsike would suffer every time she saw Phillip, as she was certain to do from time to time, Margæt had no doubt. She sighed with regret for Woodcock’s deadth from an unknown illth,(2) he had simply faded away. He had been a pleasant and helpful boy, and Adze his father hadn’t been able to mention his name since. A thought so dreadful in its apparent cruelty, yet to her so clearly a path out of Adze’s despair and Alsike’s desperation to reach through to him occurred, and she hesitated but a moment before deciding it had to be done. She walked to the Huntsman’s Place, and located Adze in the stores where he crafted and asked him to come with her for an hour or so.

Adze didn’t even ask why, he just asked Charr to take over for him. She nodded in understanding, and he followed Margæt out. Margæt put her arm through Adze’s and led him to the healers’ crèche area. She taekt(3) him to a small eating area where a number of adults and children were eating a snack with a mug of leaf. She went for some leaf and said, “I’ll be back in a moment, Adze.” She left and returned a few minutes later with Phillip. They had entered the eating area from a side door, and Adze hadn’t noticed them approach. She spake(4) quietly, “This is Phillip, Adze, he’s twelve and needs a mum and a dad.” As Adze taekt in Phillip’s face, he dropped his mug which shattered on the floor. All eyes in the chamber looked at him for a few moments.

“My s—sorrow,” he stuttered, “it must have slipt(5) from my grasp.”

He looked at Margæt with pain on his face, and she gently and very quietly, so Phillip couldn’t hear her, said “Phillip needs a mum and a dad, Adze, and you have to put your grief aside eventually. If you don’t take him you’ll still see him almost daily. Do you will to put Alsike through that?”

Adze realised what she was saying and that she had deliberately not referred to his hurt. He slowly turned to Phillip, “My son dien half a year over, he lookt(6) a bit like you. His mum and I have two other children, Redwing is eight and Truffelle is six. I still miss Woodcock dreadfully, he was eleven. Would you like to have a home with a mum and dad and two sisters? You are well come, Phillip, and we could all help each other over the shock of you coming here and us losing Woodcock.”

Phillip was a shy and sensitive boy, and though he didn’t understand the pain in Adze’s voice he could see Adze’s offer was genuine and he wasn’t a substitute for a dead son. “Will my new mum and my sisters like me?”

Without hesitation, Adze replied, “No. They will love you. Why don’t we go and find your mum now and tell her the good news?”

Phillip nodded, “I want to meet her and my sisters too.”

Adze telt him, “Margæt is your mum’s sister, so she’s your aunt.” Adze hugged Margæt, “Gratitude, Sister. It was a shock, but you were right to do it. Gratitude again.” The three of them noticed something behind them, but it was only someone sweeping up Adze’s braeken mug.

They left the eating space, and Margæt asked, “Adze, would you like me to come with you to meet Alsike?”

“Yes please, it may make things a little easier.” They headed to the meeting chambers, where a lot of grower crafters could be found at that time of day, and Phillip had an arm through each of theirs as they walked. Alsike was where Adze had expected, and as the three of them walked towards Alsike she was in a state of shock at seeing Phillip. Adze taking Phillip’s arm from his went to her, and hugging and kissing her said, “This is Phillip, Love, he’s twelve, and he’s our son now. I had to act quickly,” he looked and smiled at Phillip as he continued, “to make sure we adoptet(7) him before some other(8) did. A son of this quality isn’t available every day you know.”

Margæt was sure Adze was working through his grief now and regaining his normal sense of humour, and she added, “Of my doing, Sister, but as Adze sayt it had to be done quickly.”

Alsike, relieved something had reached through to give her her man back, looked at Phillip and held her arms out to him, not sure if a boy of his age would accept that, but he was still shocked at his arrival on Castle, and he needed a mum. He walked into her arms, and as she hugged him and stroked his hair he started to cry. Alsike kissed his forehead and said, “Things will be much better for you now, Phillip. I bethink me I’ll finish for the day. Let’s go home for you to meet your sisters.” With one arm berount Phillip, she reached for her sister and hugged her. “Gratitude, Margæt. Will you share the eve meal with us?” The arrangements were maekt and Alsike, Adze and their son went home.

Notes on Word Usage

1 Dien, died.
2 Illth, illness.
3 Taekt, took.
4 Spake, spoke.
5 Slipt, slipped.
6 Lookt, looked.
7 Adoptet, adopted.
8 Some other, Folk usage for someone else.