WARNING – Thrift, the final tale, contains a disturbing account of the damage done to a child as a result of child abuse. It is based on a reality many would prefer to pretend didn’t exist.

There are notes at the end on word usage

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30th of Towin Day 1

Mercedes was interviewed twice, the first time by a man and later by a woman. Her interviews were an hour and a half apart. At both interviews someone was taking notes, and the interviewers maekt(1) the odd note or two. She explained to the interviewers she had no skills or qualifications, the latter they didn’t understand, but she was willing to learn. Remembering Miss McVane, she said she would like to learn to keep bees, and if possible hens too.

She was asked if she had any idea of what she wished in terms of personal placement, and she replied, “I am not entirely sure what that means. Would you please be clear what my options are?”

She was telt,(2) “I can only tell you in terms of how we understand these things.”

Mercedes nodded and said, “Of course. That's what I want to be explained to me.”

Sorley, the young man interviewing her, looked a little relieved and after mentally translating her use of That's what I want to be explained to me, into That's what I have a want of explaination of, he continued, “For a woman of the Folk of your age her first choice would be to marry. She could marry a single man or woman or marry into or form a multiple marriage.”

Mercedes asked, “Could you explain that please?”

She was telt, “A marriage is determint(3) by the folk in it. That could be of any number or combination of men and women. If they say they are marryt(4) then they are. Most marriages are between one woman and one man, but any combination is valid.”

Mercedes nodded and asked, “How does one get married?”

“If the folk involvt(5) say a marriage is in existence, it is. They can likewise dissolve the marriage, but any children they have a care to, all of them will always have a care to.”

Mercedes said, “Thank you.” She thought the principles of marriage mongst(6) the Folk to be enlightened, and though she knew she only wished one man she approven. She also noted the construction have a care to and determined to use it in future.

Sorely continued, “A woman could be adoptet(7) into a family as a sister, or a daughter of older folk, or adopt elder folk as her parents to be grandparents to her children. Mongst the Folk adoption has the same family and kin status as blood. If there are any especially unusual terms someone requires it is usual to put them to the Folk at a Quarterday appearance which would then have the force of law. I can explain further if you wish?”

“No, thank you. I think I have understood enough about that for the now. I have had a poor life with so little in it I almost died from self neglect as a result. That I didn’t was only owing to chance. I should like to marry and have a family. I have a need to belong and to be loved. I want someone I can love. I don’t mind whether they have children or not, but I want to have children myself too.”

Both of her interviews were similar, but the conversation with Kirtle, the female interviewer, was more focussed on her needs as a woman, whereas that with Sorely had focussed a little more on her crafting requirements. Mercedes thought that was probably deliberate, yet again she approven of the procedure. She had a great deal of respect for these Folk who lived with a level of technology she imagined would be that of the pre-industrial-revolution era where she had come from. The rest of the day she spent learning as much as she could of this new world, and by the time she went to bed in her small but pleasant chamber in the Keep she had acquired a basic working knowledge of the Way.

28th of Towin Day 1

At the meetings with the Master at arms staff on her first afternoon on Castle Morgelle, whose name meant young woman of the sea, had struggled to explain herself, she spake(8) the English the other incomers spake, but it wasn’t her native tongue, and sometimes her vocabulary let her down. She telt them she came from a small island community, in an archipelago called the Ocean Isles,(9) where they spake Vorn, a different language from the Gaelic spaken on the Outer and Inner Isles, which she also spake, and the English spaken(10) on the Big Islands, and she was unfamiliar with Big Island(11) life. She explained that she had never visited the Big Islands whence the other incursionists came though she had clansfolk there and on both the Outer and the Inner Isles too.

Though she didn’t realise it, of all the incomers she was the one who was most similar to the Folk. Taken from a much earlier when than any other incursionist, she had grown up when electricity was just a fascinating phenomenon to wealthy Big Island eccentrics, and that notwithstanding she had many skills and much knowledge a Big Island child of her age, or indeed the parents or even grandparents of that child, would have been unaware of. Though only partway through puberty, she was socially much more developed than her thirteen year old body would indicate. She’d had a relationship with Caoilté,(12) a young man slightly older than she from a nearby isle, and though a virgin, it had been recognised by all the young couple were not far away from starting their marriage which they would formalise with the Big Island authorities as soon as they were old enough to do so. Custom and usage on the Ocean Isles reflected a more ancient cultural tradition than was followed on the Outer and Inner Isles and a much more ancient one than on the Big Islands.

She knew she would never see Caoilté again, and knowing that left an aching void in her life too painful to think of other than in fleeting moments. She knew it wasn’t reasonable to be jealous of which ever young woman he would eventually marry, but all the same she was. She hadn’t yet considered she too would eventually find someone else, the pain was still too raw. She explained as best as she could to Shearwater, the young woman from the Master at arms office who was interviewing her. Shearwater recognised, despite Morgelle’s age, unlike most of the younger incomers, Morgelle was socially older than her equivalent in the Folk rather than younger, and she was having spaech(13) with a young woman rather than an older girl.

“At threeteen(14) you should really have goen(15) with the children. Why did you not?”

“I’m nearly fourteen, and when the man asked me how old I was I said fourteen without thinking. I didn’t deliberately lie. I just didn’t think of it and didn’t realise it was of any particular significance. I’m sorry if it’s going to cause any difficulty.”

Shearwater smiled and said, “If you consider yourself as fourteen we are happy to accept you as an adult. Would you prefer to find a placement similar to your previous life? Or would you like a change?”

“If it’s possible, I should like a similar life. I was happy with the life I grew up with, and I have skills I should prefer to be able to continue using rather than having to learn a new way of life.”

“It may take a few days, because the folk I’m thinking of will have to be contactet,(16) and they live at an isolaett(17) coastal holding yclept(18) Graill Shores on the other side of the river, a day and a half north of the Keep. I know they would love to adopt you as a member of their clan. They’re a medium siezt(19) clansfolk of near fourty(20) folk, headet(21) by Fritillary and Bistort who have grown up children and grandchildren. They also have near the same number of kin and clan who live here, at the Keep.”

Morgelle’s eyes lit up at this, she was a McFionn of the Isles, and the mention of the word clan resonated with her understanding of life, so she asked for more details. “Fritillary and Bistort are in their early fifties, and they mostly concentrate on collecting shellfish and ocean leaf, which are delivert(22) here at least twice a tenner during the season by the ship Masters. Bistort has a boat, and according to the season, they also harvest shrimp, prawn, scallop, oyster, mussel, other shellfish, graill,(23) rocksquat,(24) crab, lobster, eel and some fish, mostly flatfish. They also collect drift wood for the wood crafters and bulk seaweed off the shore for the growers to use as fertiliser, both of which are usually transportet(25) here by the waggoners when they have dryt(26) out.”

Morgelle had said she would like to meet Fritillary and Bistort, and Shearwater had agreed to make the necessary contact as soon as possible. Morgelle looked ill at ease and possibly as if there were something else she wished to say, but was not sure how it would be received. Shearwater asked, “If there is aught else you will to say or ask, please do so. It is important to the Folk you place here as comfortably as possible.”

Morgelle taekt(27) a breath and said, “On the Ocean Isles we have always made our own entertainment, for travelling entertainers rarely visited us, and there is a tradition in Clan McFionn of the Isles going back many centuries that our womenfolk excel at playing the cruit.(28) The cruit is usually now called a clàirseach or a clàrsach by different peoples on the Big Islands, but we of the Isles held to the old name. I had inherited my great great granddam’s,(29) and I was regarded as a good player who one day would achieve excellence. I am saddened by the loss of my instrument, but I know it will be greatly appreciated by whomever it is played by now. I should like to know if it is possible to borrow enough to have one made here? And how would I then repay the price?”

Shearwater asked gently, “What is a what ever you said because I know I can’t pronounce it? I have never heard any of those words you uest,(30) and I doubt if any here has either.” What baffled Shearwater concerning Morgelle’s pronunciation was her pronounced rolled rs which sounded exotic, and she had no idea how to reproduce the sound.

Morgelle, embarrassed by Shearwater’s word’s, turned away saying, “It is a musical instrument, but it doesn’t matter.”

Shearwater put her hand on Morgelle’s shoulder and said, “No. It matters greatly, Morgelle, and it matters as much to every member of the Folk as it does to me. The Way, which is the codifyt(31) will of the Folk, says an entertainer has to be able to entertain, for the Folk need them for our very essence. To us culture is as important as craft for without either as a people we diminish and our children need it to enable their learning. You may have to wait a little while, because I am going to send for Master luthier Gorse. I see little point in you explaining to me when we can have a Master of the craft here for you to explain to.”

Few of the incomers were dealt with this way. Thomas’ plan had been just to take notes and to deal with all matters arising nextday, but Shearwater was concerned Morgelle, on the cusp of girlhood and womanhood, would allow the matter to be dropped.

“What is a luthier?” Morgelle asked in perplexity.

“Gorse makes musical instruments, mostly stringen(32) ones but not entirely so.”

“A cruit is a stringed instrument,” Morgelle explained.

“Gorse is definitely the person you need to have spaech with then. Give me a minute to send a message, and I’ll send for some leaf whilst we wait.”

Shearwater send a runner to ask for Gorse to spare them some time and returned with two mugs of leaf.

It was nearly an hour before Gorse arrived and Shearwater introduced him to Morgelle explaining, “Morgelle is a musician, and she needs a stringen instrument making.”

Gorse smiled and asked what she required. Morgelle tried, unsuccessfully, to explain what she wished, and Gorse suggested she draw her instrument. She did so, and Gorse went into prolonged thought before announcing, deeply satisfied, “Yes, of course, now I mind(33) it. It’s what I bethink me incomers long before I was birtht(34) have refert(35) to as a telyn or a telenn harp. May I?” he asked pointing to her drawing. Morgelle passed the drawing over, and he modified it, including the sounding board holes and giving the outlines of Morgelle’s drawing more generous curves. His instrument was bigger bellied than the one she had left behind which Morgelle knew would give it a fuller, richer tone. “Is that more like what you mean?”

Morgelle looked at the modified drawing and with a rueful smile said, “Yes, that’s a cruit. I’m not good at drawing.”

“I may be able to provide you with one. Leeberry, my Master’s Mistress who dien(36) not long after I became an apprentice, telt me of a previous incomer who’d had one maekt years before when Leeberry was but was a girl. When the musician, I was never telt her name, dien, the instrument was returnt(37) to our stores where it will still be. Other than that tale which probably I am the only one to be aware of, despite it being in the archives, the only awaerth(38) any have is our use of the personal names Harp, Telyn and Telenn, but we use a lot of names none know the origins of. The instrument may not be playable any more. I know not because it must be over a hundred years old, but if it is it is yours to ward and play, and if not at least I have a pattern to work from.”

Morgelle a little embarrassed asked, “How do I pay for it when I have nothing?”

“The Way commands that entertainers are supportet(39) by the entire Folk because they give meaning to the lifes(40) of the entire Folk, so like all entertainers, you redeem their aid by entertaining. The instrument will always be the property of the Folk, but as its player you shall have its wardth(41) as long as it is playable and you can play it. Moreover, if the old instrument is playable there will be no charge to the Folk. They payt(42) for it long over, and we do not own it we are its custodians. I shall make another any hap because I will to, and you may have it maekt to your personal requirements. As to how I am remuneratet(43) for making a new one, I inform Hobby, the Master of our craft, and he notes the debt to me via the craft from the Folk. If you play a few times at Quarterday Gathers or at Great Hall banquets the debt is dischargt,(44) and Hobby has Sagon who manages the Collective transfer the tokens from the Collective(45) to my account. The better your music is liekt(46) the quicker the debt is dischargt.”

Morgelle looked dubious and asked, “What is the Collective?”

Shearwater explained, “It is the Folk’s fund we all contribute to for just such things as your instrument and the supplies requiert(47) by artists, it also pays for major works such as the repair to the water supply that is needet(48) at the moment.”

“I see.”

Gorse asked, “Can you spare me an hour or so now? To look for and assess the instrument.”

“You are finisht(49) here, Morgelle so I suggest you go with Gorse to the Keep,” Shearwater telt her. “I shall contact Fritillary and Bistort for you. Gorse, when you and Morgelle have finisht would you take her to the Master at arms office and tell them she needs a chamber please?”

“Of course.”

Morgelle nodded, thanked Shearwater and she left with Gorse.

WARNING – Thrift contains a disturbing account of the damage done to a child as a result of child abuse.

28th of Towin Day 1

George’s group of children were taken into a large space for lunch, where they met the younger girls and boys, and there were may hap fifty of them in all. Some of the children were very young, possibly no more than two. The children’s lunch was delivered to the infirmary by the kitcheners,(50) and it was for a number of them the most substantial and nourishing meal they had ever eaten. Many had survived on less each day than they had thatday(51) eaten for braekfast.(52) The meal of roast aurochs, gravy and a selection of four vegetables with roast and mashed starchroots(53) was enjoyed by all, and the healers were pleased to see many of the older children were helping the younger ones with their meal after they had noticed Iola, one of the older girls, doing so.

A number of the children didn’t know what peas and redroots(54) were, and an even greater number were clearly not uest to handling cutlery. Iris noted the inept closely watching the competent before re-attempting to use their knife and fork. For many the peas had been a major problem till they saw the efficient but elegant way Chris was dealing with them. She smiled thinking peer pressure was indeed a powerful thing. Watching the way some of the children were eating, bolting their food whilst constantly looking berount(55) as though they were aflait(56) the meal would be taken off them before they had eaten it, she wondered how many of them had had enough to eat before their incursion, certainly a number appeared malnourished.

The food that had not been served was dished up as second helpings to any who wished some and there was naught left to be returned to the kitchens. Iris sent an apprentice down to the Refectory with an explanatory note requesting a box of fruit. The substantial fruit and raised cereal layered pudding was accompanied with thick cream and honey sauce, and was again enjoyed by all. Milligan had sent two boxes of mixt(57) fruit, and on the back of her note had written, ‘A hungry child in need of food where there is aplenty is a major perversion of the Way. Let Coaltit know when you need more.’ When the children had finished eating she telt them, “There is fruit in the boxes. Eat some now if you like, and take some in case you have hunger later. When we run out, I’ll send for some more.

An emaciated girl of six or seven, whom like the others they had bathed earlier whilst she was semi-conscious from the herbt(58) leaf(59) and the caltth,(60) asked nervously, “May I have one of those please?” pointing to a ceël.(61) The girl, who kept looking at and stroking her frock as if she couldn’t believe what she were wearing, had arrived covered in blood and dresst,(62) if that were an appropriate word, in filthy, verminous rags which the healers had burnt, and she’d had no shoes, socks or underclothes. As well as the bug bites, she had head lice and was covered in deep bruises, small circular burns and human bite marks over her entire body. Her hands and feet had braeken(63) bones and looked as if they had been stamped on by someone wearing heavy boots and the soles of her feet had hundreds of scars and substantial muscle loss indicating repeated beatings over a prolonged period that had lacerated her feet to shreds.

Her bleeding mouth, anus and vagina had scarring indicating she had obviously been subject to long term sexual and physical abuse and the blood was crusted into scabs over her entire body. The sight of her had maekt apprentice midwife Tabby cry. They had close shorn her filthy hair before bathing her. The bathing produced a surprise, the crusty blood scabs floated off, for she had few fresh open wounds, certainly none that would yield the amount of blood she was covered in, so the blood clearly wasn’t hers, which was a relief to the healers. After gently drying her they treated her hair, scalp and skin with a powerful insecticide(64) that gave her skin a slightly yellow colouration, but it did kill the parasites. They’d dresst her in light clothes and slippers that would put no pressure on her hurts. She was nervous, didn’t seem to remember aught of her past, not even her name, seemed not to understand their questions as to the source of the blood and was fearful to take the fruit herself.

“Of course, Dear. It’s a ceël.” Iris handed her the fruit, but as her hand offered the fruit the child flinched and stepped back. “None is ever going to hit you here, Dear. Have you remembert(65) your name yet?” The child shook her head, cowering expecting to be punished for her inadequacy. Iris smiled and continued, “Perchance, since this is a new life for you, you may like a new name. The names of flowers are favourites for girls here, and there’re many pretty ones to choose from. My name, Iris, is a flower.” Iris taekt(66) another ceël from the box, and offered it to the child saying, “They’re delicious, but not very big, so may hap you should have two.”

Iris saw the child almost smile for the first time as she said quietly, “Thank you.”

Five folk the children hadn’t met before and the healer staff they already knew asked for their attention. One of the new women spake first. “I am Campion from the Master at arms office. I am here with Meadowsweet, Ymelda, Larch and Michael, and we are here to help you understand what has happent(67) and to adjust to it. You are no longer on your world, Earth. You are on Castle, and we call ourselfs the Folk. We don’t know how or why this has happent, and we don’t know how to return you. You now must live here. We do know this has happent before, and the last time was fourty-two(68) years over.(69) You are children by our law till you are fourteen when you become an adult. You are most well come,(70) we need and value every one here.

“There are sixty-eight of you children, but twelve are only babes who wouldn’t understand explanations. The babes are in the chambers below us. Some of you fifty-six who are here are very young, but you are still most well come. Castle is a calt(71) place, and in order to survive you need a family who will love you and have a care to you. Your family will teach you what you need to know as they teach all children. This is our way. You will need to learn skills, so at fourteen or so you can make a choice of craft. The younger ones will be providet(72) with a family. In a few minutes you older ones can have spaech(73) with the five of us of the kind of persons you are and what kind of a future life you would prefer. You can ask us what kind of folk we have who are looking to adopt children, and you can decide whom you would like. All of them will wish to have you join their families, we’ve far more of us seeking children than there are of you.”

Some of the children were distressed by the idea they couldn’t go back being so bluntly stated, and many were crying now. “We don’t wish to upset you, but you do need to know the truth, and none will ever lie to you here. If you are not ready to discuss this just yet, follow Michael and Ymelda into the next chamber.” Michael and Ymelda shepherded the younger children with them, and a third of the children went with them.

At this point, ten other young adults entered the chamber carrying files. Campion telt the children, “These are more members of the Master at arms office who have with them details of those who would like apprentices or youngsters in any capacity including adoption. I suggest we split you into four groups, and three of us shall initially join each group, and we shall pass you over to which ever group has the files on what you are interestet(74) in. We shall note your wishes and arrange for you to meet the kind of folk you wish to meet. There will be many folk wishing to meet you hoping you will accept them as parents, but the choice is yours to make, not theirs.”

This worked, and a lot of the older children, as the archives suggested would be the case, settled issues of both their family desires and craft wishes within an hour. Some of the Master at arms staff left at various points, but they were replaced by others from their office. The children were informed of the tradition of Quarterday appearances, and some after being assured naught was spoilt by leaving choices till after the appearances decided to wait, because as they were telt, again by Campion, “Our files are good, but they won’t be up to date and may not contain details of all who is seeking someone. But as I have telt you the choice is yours to make.”

The girl who couldn’t recall her name, still holding her remaining ceël, after listening to Ymelda went to find Iris. Iris and her staff had noticed to their surprise, given what they knew of her physical condition and what they had surmised caused it, that she clearly had less flait(75) of men than women, though she was ill at ease with all. Sometimes she appeared intelligently evasive rather than unknowing, but fearful of inflicting more distress they didn’t press her for answers. She telt her, “The seal was very nice, thank you.” She pointed to the casement and asked, “What is it called, please?”

Iris didn’t worry her with her mispronunciation of the ceël, and not understanding what she meant asked, “To what are you referring, Dear?”

The child went to the casement and pointed at a huge expanse of pink flowers and then to a single small one of the same species that was tenaciously growing on the stonework at the outside edge of the embrasure. “The flowers. I like them. What are they called? Please.”

“They’re thrift, and they grow all over the edge of the dunes in the sand.”

The child nodded and pled, “I do like them, may I be called Thrift too? Please?”

“Of course. What a lovely name. We must walk down to the dunes, so you can see them all in full flower. Have you had spaech with the Master at arms staff yet?”

“No. I didn’t think they would want to talk to someone who didn’t have a name. I’m not sure I shall talk to them. I like it here and don’t know what I want any way, but I like it here. I’m ten.”

Iris, realising Thrift had maekt great steps in her healing and to push her faster than she was ready to go would be a grave error, telt her, “I’m pleast(76) you like it here, Thrift. You can always have spaech with them when ever you will.” She watched as Thrift smiled when she heard her name for the first time on some other’s lips and opened her arms. Nervously Thrift went to her. Iris hugged her, kissed the top of her head and felt Thrift relax and hug her in return. Iris watched Thrift collect a chair and use it to climb up into the embrasure where she sat nibbling her ceël staring out looking at the flowers. She was piteously small for a ten year old. Thrift spent the rest of the afternoon just sitting looking at the flowers and occasionally smiling at the solitary one growing on the embrasure edge.

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Key Word Usage

1 Maekt, made.
2 Telt, told
3 Determint, determined.
4 Marryt, married.
5 Involvt, involved.
6 Mongst, amongst.
7 Adoptet, adopted.
8 Spake, spoke.
9. The Ocean Isles are a fictitious archipelago father away from the mainland than the Outer Isles whose most south eastern extremity includes the isles of St. Kilda.
10 Spaken, spoken.
11 Big Islands, technically this refers to the two large islands that make up Greater Britain, but when the expression is uest by a native of the Ocean Isles usually only the larger one, also referred to as The Mainland, is implied. They refer to the other big island as the Lesser Isle, or the Green Isle.
12 Caoilté, pronounced keel + chay, (ki:ltʃei).
13 Spaech, speech.
14 Threeteen, thirteen.
15 Goen, goen.
16 Contactet, contacted.
17 Isolaett, isolated.
18 Yclept, called or named. Unlike the verb in English it is not archaic in Folk and neither is it ever uest for folk.
19 Siezt, sized.
20 Fourty, forty.
21 Headet, headed.
22 Delivert, delivered.
23 Graill, a giant isopod that lives in the sea and uses the tideline possibly to breed between two and four nights a year. They can reach three feet long and forty weights. The plural of graill is graill.
24 Rocksquat, a small crustacean rather like a langoustine without the oversized claws.
25 Transportet, transported.
26 Dryt, dried.
27 Taekt, took.
28 Cruit, lap harp.
29 Granddam, specifically maternal grandmother.
30 Uest, used.
31 Codifyt, codified.
33 Stringen, stringed.
33 Mind, to remember in this context.
34 Birtht, born.
35 Refert, referred.
36 Dien, died.
37 Returnt, returned.
38 Awaerth, awareness.
39 Supported, supported.
40 Lifes, Lives.
41 Wardth, wardship or custody.
42 Payt, paid.
43 Remuneratet, remunerated.
44 Dischargt, discharged.
45 Collective, equivalent to the treasury or exchequer, the fund for public enterprises. The Collective also functions as a banking service.
46 Liekt. Liked.
47 Requiert, required.
48 Needet, needed.
49 Finisht, finished.
50 Kitchener, though part of the kitchen staff the kitcheners are a distinct craft comprising kitchen supervisors and their staff of servers, waiters, dish washers and storekeepers.
51 Thatday, that day in this case today.
52 Braekfast, breakfast.
53 Starchroot, floury potato. Waxy potatoes are referred to as waxroots, though the distinction is neither absolute nor always adhered to.
54 Redroots, carrots, often cooked and served with the green tops still on. Castle redroots vary in colour from almost black through purple, red, sunset, yellow to white.Sunset is the Folk word for orange.
55 Berount,
56 Aflait, afraid.
57 Mixt, mixt.
58 Herbt, herbed, usually implies treated with medicinal herbs, but can be applied to culinary herbs too.
59 Leaf, mildly stimulating beverage more like tea than coffee.
60 Caltth, cold a noun.
61 Ceël, pronounced sea + ell, (si:ɛl), a small sweet pear-like fruit unique to Castle, often dried and powdered unripe as a vanilla like flavouring.
62 Dressed, dressed.
63 Braeken, broken.
64 Insecticide derived from what the Folk refer to as Strewing Daisy: Tanacetum cinerariifolium. A daisy like flower with white petals and a yellow centre that contains pyrethrins. The yellow colour is due to a harmless and inactive substance added to make the insecticide instantly recognisable and so safe.
65 Remembert, remembered.
66 Taekt, took
67 Happent, happened.
68 Fourty-two, forty-two.
69 Over, ago.
70 Well come, welcome.
71 Calt, cold an adjective.
72 Providet, provided.
73 Spaech, speech.
74 Interestet, interested.
75 Flait, fear.
76 Pleast, pleased.