After a week of serving patients, training and learning to ride, Fanis has insisted that both Ursula and Tyra take a day at ease. They begin by visiting Tyra's parents and then move on to the docks.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

28 - A Day at Ease

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2020 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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Seven days had passed since the sons of the Duke had returned home, one causing an inexcusable incident the following morning. Since then, Ursula had been out visiting patients every morning while Tyra had been learning the basics of armsmanship, if there were such a thing when applied to women. After their post-lunch naps each day they had both been to the riding school to see to their frayen, and in Ursula's case to ride. Tyra had ridden for merely two days, but that was because there was an unprecedented demand for saddles and hers had taken that long to make and fit.

As had the specially crafted helmet which the Duke had insisted that she wear.

After breakfast Tyra had changed out of her new Personal Servant's uniform and into a ship dress, but one which still indicated that she was a servant of the Duke. On each shoulder was the quartered blue-and-white of the Duchy, while above that was an embroidered patch showing a gold crown on a blue background, indicating a Ducal retainer, while underneath was another with a blue hand on white showing that she was somebody's personal servant.

"I still don't understand why you want to wear that," Ursula had told her. "If you are supposed to be at ease why not just wear an ordinary ship dress like mine? You were not wearing a uniform when we met the other day in the city."

"But today is special, Mistress. It is the first visit to my family since I became your maid. I want to show my family my new status in the Duke's residence. It will do no harm for others to see it, too. If we go out together on another day, of course I would not wear it unless it were for some official purpose."

Ursula stared at her suspiciously. "You will not use your new-found status to pull rank over your friends, then?"

"What? Oh, no, Mistress! I would not think of such a thing! They will all want to congratulate me on my promotion. To serve the Duke, that is a great thing in the city, since it usually means a good job and benefits." Tyra's eyes widened. "But you must not think we do it for that reason!" Her voice lowered. "Some do, possibly. I could not say. For myself it means that, through your own service, I am serving all Joth the best way that I can."

Ursula considered this and then nodded. "Very well. Have you got your bag? Then we should be going before it warms up too much."

"As you say! Though the thunderstorms of the last three days have helped somewhat."

"Yes, the air seems fresher somehow. Let's go. You know where we are going first?"

Tyra closed the door behind them as Ursula nodded to the armsman on duty at the top of the stairs.

"Aye, Mistress, to look at the new clinic."

"Do you know the way there?"

"Aye, it is in Sabbar Street, so you told me. I know of it."

As they were crossing the front yard, Ursula asked, "Most streets seemed to be named after things, so what is a sabbar, if I may ask?"

Tyra giggled. "Mistress, this time it is not a thing, it is a man. Marshal Sabbar is said to have defended Joth a long time ago, probably from those of Yod again." She frowned. "That is all I know. Mayhap my father will remember more." She added, "There are some few streets in the city named after men who have done great deeds for Joth. Not all are plants, animals, fish or crafts, though many seem to be."

"No women?"

"Not that I know of, Mistress. Of course, until recently there would have been no woman worthy of the honor but there may one day be one named after Her Highness, I deem - and maybe even one after you in time."

"Me? I haven't done anything for Joth! What gives you that idea?"

"Your new medical knowledge, Mistress. If you save enough lives, prevent children from dying too young, then you might have that honor awarded you."

Ursula sighed internally. "You may be right, Tyra, though it is not something I would have wanted. Look! Cross the street now, before those wagons get too close."

In a part of the city unfamiliar to Ursula stood Sabbar Street, a wide thoroughfare faced both sides by seeming warehouses, though odd noises indicated other activities. In fact, through the open double doors at street level it was apparent that they were indeed used for the reception and storage of goods, namely the bales of fibers of several kinds used for spinning thread and weaving cloth. Tyra indicated one of these near the beginning of the street, one which only had a single human-sized door left open.

Inside the welcome shade they found a large open expanse, presently occupied only by a second-hand carriage. A ramp to one side led up to the next floor, where again there was a wide expanse of space, mostly empty apart from a stack of sawn timber. A group of craftsmen were gathered near a window overlooking the street, discussing a floor plan one of them held. They noticed the newcomers and came to greet them.

"Mistress Ursula, greetings! Welcome to what will in time become your clinic. As you can see, little has yet been done since we await more timber for the partitions and nails and screws with which to hold them together."

"Master Follan, good morning. Uh, this is my new maid Tyra."

He smiled but there was a question in his eyes. "Greetings also, Tyra. You look familiar."

"Aye, Master Follan, my father is Hulo the fisherman. We are on our way to visit my family in Foti Lane, as it happens."

Follan nodded. "Hulo, of course I know him. If you would pass on our best wishes. How are his arms these days?"

"Mending well, Master, and he has been out on the river again these past nine days."

"That is good to hear. No true man desires to spend his time idle without sufficient reason." He turned to Ursula. "Mistress, you had no maid when last we met but I can see the need for one."

"Master Follan, Her Grace more or less insisted and I have been forced to admit that, though maids are not customary where I come from, Tyra has been a great help." She added, "She does not usually accompany me in the mornings while I am out on my rounds but only once I return to the Mansion."

"As you say, Mistress. Now, doubtless you have come to inspect the building, not to have idle chatter today. There is little for you yet to see on this floor but upstairs is almost finished, as it required extra time for the tiling to dry and we decided to start up there. If you would follow me."

Follan nodded to his fellows and led the way up a second ramp to the next floor, which Ursula saw extended into the roof space. There was a kind of central landing here, with a corridor that stretched to the front of the building and several doors either side. At the rear of the building, behind double doors, was a space the width of the building where surgical operations might take place. Two great windows looked out over the lower properties behind, allowing plenty of light into the chamber revealed.

Here the floor had been leveled with plaster and covered with closely fitted glazed tiles, the flat space ready for an operating table once one had been designed and made. The walls had also been lined and tiled up to the waistline. Over the space were two chandeliers on chains, so that even when the daylight was bad or non-existent work could continue if urgent. All the upper surfaces of the space had been painted in a pale yellow to reflect even more of the light back onto the subject.

"This is very good," Ursula commented. "I would never have thought of using a weaver's space for an operating theater, and certainly not one at the top of a building!"

"You spoke to us of needing light and a colleague remembered that this building had become vacant. Of course, weavers also require much light when they are weaving cloth with complicated designs on them. The ramps will make it easier for you to bring people up here for your work, as I understand it. Is the space large enough for your needs, Mistress?"

"Certainly, Master Follan. It will be bigger than many theaters I have used. It will take some time for us to work out how best to use the whole building but I expect you already know that."

"As you say. Theaters? I do not know that word, Mistress, but no matter." He smiled. "I doubt not that in your specialty you have your own words, just as we carpenters have our own. These buildings were all designed for looms and spinning machines and to use them for something different will take some adjustment to one's thoughts. Do you expect to make use of the whole building, Mistress? This seems to me a large space for what, after all, is something that Joth has never needed at all before you came."

Ursula shrugged. "The idea is to bring here someone who has a bad injury or some problem that cannot be easily dealt with in their own home. If they do not need to be brought into this room straight away then they can be placed into beds on the middle floor while we nurse them -"

"Nurse them, Mistress? You speak of something done by mothers with babies?"

Ursula silently cursed the variations in language. "I apologize, Master Follan. Where I come from the term nursing is used for any situation where someone is injured or ill and cannot fend for themselves. It would not just refer to mothers with new babies. It could refer to, for example, looking after an elderly relative at home or caring for someone who has a broken leg."

"Ah, I understand, Mistress." Follan frowned. "I cannot think of a similar term we would use here, Mistress. Mayhap another word might be preferred else people could misunderstand, as I did."

Ursula thought. "You are probably right, Master Follan. I will speak with Senia and others and try to work out some new names for what, after all, will be something new to Joth. Now, as I was explaining, downstairs we will keep those people and also those who we have worked on up here, at least until they have recovered enough to go somewhere else."

"And up here?"

"Offices, stores of drugs... ah, potions and medicines, bandages, tools of the trade and so on, while at the front of the building where there are more windows we would probably have examination rooms."

Follan nodded. "That was what we assumed, Mistress, from our original discussion last week." The Master Joiner led them out of the empty chamber and back to the landing. He gestured either side. "You will also find here a pantry and a small chamber of rest, that you might feed yourselves and your patients and rest between your labors."

I had forgotten food and drink! I will need to speak with Senia about that. A room to rest in sounds good as well.

She listened to the clacking of looms from the buildings either side. I am not sure how much rest anyone will get, though. Perhaps this is the wrong place to locate something like this!

...Only time will tell...

He gestured to doors either side before leading the way forward. "Here are four rooms that you could use for storage or offices, Mistress, though none of them are very large. You will note that there is sufficient light for such purposes from above, since all these buildings must needs have roof windows to assist the weavers in their businesses. Of course we can also install lanterns at need. At the front we have presently left the space as a larger room either side but it can be divided another way should you so wish."

He opened the two doors either side at the front of the corridor to show large, airy rooms with big windows overlooking the street. Ursula looked in both before nodding and returning to the corridor.

"It looks as though these could be just what we want," she remarked. "As I said, we will need to start using the building to find out if it works well enough for our purposes."

Follan led the way back down to the ground floor and saw them out through the door. "If you next come in seven days time, Mistress, we are likely to have much of the middle floor ready for your inspection. Will we see you before then, do you think?"

"It depends. If Mistress Senia has any patients around here then we may call in to see progress. Otherwise it could be at least another week depending on how busy we all are."

"As you say, Mistress. Oh! Here, look, this appears to be our next delivery of wood for the middle floor. If you would excuse me, Mistress."

"Of course, we'll get out of your way."

Ursula and Tyra went back to the middle of the street to let the dranakh and wagon pull in. The huge animal swung its head and gave her a considered look before turning away. Why do they do that?

Ursula turned to her maid. "Which way now, Tyra?"

"Either will do, Mistress, since Foti Lane runs the same way as this street does. If we may go yonder, you will learn another way to reach the docks."

"Lead on, then."

The other end of the street led to a narrower way which tied together all the cross-streets in that area. Opposite those streets was a continuous line of three-storey terraces which backed onto the city walls behind. Ursula followed Tyra along this way, grateful for the shadow of the wall to her right. They passed another wide street like the one they had come from, the noise of looms just audible even at this distance. Then, a much narrower lane with lower, smaller properties on both sides, followed by another lane down which Tyra turned.

"This is Foti Lane, Mistress. My family lives along here."

Ursula was struck by both the strange old buildings in front of her and by the tumult of activity, most of it by children. The properties were the same on both sides and, though cramped, were three storeys high. They were continuous terraces and, just visible, it appeared that they were supported by brick walls which divided the properties. Everything else was of wood, and there was a lot of it.

At ground level, there were no fronts to the buildings, only a gaping hole which reminded her of 'car ports' in Canada. She could not see much of what was within because a wide balcony overhung the frontages, running the entire length of the terrace and accessed by wide stairs at both ends. The balcony was supported by sturdy wood posts which continued upwards to support the roof, which overhung the balcony to provide shelter and, in the present season, shade.

At the balcony level each dwelling - if that was what they were - had a door and a single window. Above, the roof was continuous and consisted of the standard glazed green tiles used everywhere in the city. Poking out of the roof was a long dormer-style window, divided for each of the dwellings below.

Crossing the street from one side to the other at several levels were many ropes, most presently hung with washing. Children were playing everywhere, on the street, on the balcony and running up and down the steps, stairs and occasional set of rungs set into the balcony supports. Some, Ursula saw, were even swarming hand-over-hand along some of the washing lines, without anyone apparently considering the possible dangers.

Hanging from one of the nearby lines was a small child, about four years old, who saw them coming. He scrambled along to one end, swung himself onto the balcony and rushed into one of the dwellings shouting, "Ma! Ma! Tyra coming!"

Tyra said to Ursula, "If you would climb the stairs, Mistress. I am used to this place but you are not, and it would be unseemly for you to have to climb as I might do on my own."

They ascended to the balcony, which Ursula now realized had no guard rail. The pair walked along to where the boy had vanished. Before they had reached the door several people had emerged to wait for them.

The small boy came towards her and grabbed Tyra around the legs. "Tyra! You came again!"

She reached down and tousled his hair. "Greetings, Mischief. Aye, I am returned, but you must wait until I have introduced my mistress to Ma and Pa. Where is Pa? Down at the docks?"

The boy pulled back and stared at Ursula. "Hello. Are you a mistress?" He frowned. "What's a mistress?"

"Enough, Teen! Let me speak to Ma."

Ursula gave the boy, who could not have been more than about four years old, a smile, intended to reassure him. He suddenly became shy and scampered back to hide behind the skirts of his mother.

"Ma, if I may introduce Mistress Ursula. Today we both have a day's ease so I thought to bring her and introduce her to all my family."

Tyra's mother curtseyed to Ursula. "I am very pleased to meet Tyra's mistress, Mistress. When she told me that her duties had changed we did not know what to think." Her expression suddenly became anxious. "I trust that she serves you well? You have yet found no fault in her duties?"

"Mistress -" Ursula began and stopped, uncertain. The etiquette of introductions in ths society was something that she was still discovering.

"Ah, Mistress," Tyra explained with a start, "if I may introduce my mother Raysa. These are my brothers and sisters." She pointed to each in turn. The eldest was a youth of about twelve beside two girls of about ten or eleven. "There is Hulan, he helps Father with his boat each evening. Next is Tally and then Hursa and then finally the family's troublemaker, Teen."

Ursula nodded to each. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Tyra added, "There is another brother older than me, Rayanar, he is presently away as a levy, I know not where. We also have an older sister, Noria, who is married to another of Joth's fisherfolk."

A large family, but then, I doubt they have much in the way of birth control around here.

Though, I do remember, Senia spoke of a herb, what was it called? We were interrupted as she was telling me of it and I never did find out what it was or its intended use, but I thought it had something to do with stopping pregnancies.

I must speak to her about that! It could be important.

...And I am also now a fully functional woman. Perhaps that herb will become important to me!

She smiled. "I see that Tyra comes from a large and close family. To answer your question, Mistress, where I come from it would be unusual for any woman to have a personal maid, so I am just as unsure about what is supposed to happen as Tyra is. We have decided to just make it up as we go along and see what happens. So far we have not made too many mistakes, not that I have noticed."

"Well." Raysa was taken aback by this plain statement of facts. "Mistress, you are welcome to come to our humble house at any time. If I may offer you pel? It is a little early, but you have been walking the streets, I deem."

"Mistress," Ursula began. "I -"

Raysa interrupted. "Mistress, please! You should not name me so. I am not a Mistress, not like yourself. My plain name will be sufficient."

"Now this is where I have a problem," Ursula said with a smile. "You see, I have worked out that being a Mistress means something but I don't know what. It seems like a distinction that we don't have where I come from. I am not even sure that I am entitled to be a Mistress myself."

"But Mistress!" Raysa was surprised. "If His Grace or Her Grace says that it is so, then it is so. You do not..? Ah, what a curious thing! How are matters managed, then, in your own lands? I assume that the names of people's status is different there, as it does in some of the Valley countries."

"It... is complicated ...Raysa. If I can just say, we don't have Kings or Dukes or anyone like that. There are ranks, in a way, but nothing that you would understand."

"That sounds strange to me, Mistress, but I must needs accept what you say."

Ursula smiled. "I am a stranger here, things are bound to be different. I would not want to put you to any trouble," she had a thought, then added, "or expense, but it is already warm and the streets are becoming uncomfortable. A small drink would be welcome, if it does not interrupt whatever you are doing."

Raysa waved a dismissive hand. "There is always washing to do, but Tally and Hursa can carry on what I have begun while I make pel. If you would like to come inside, out of the heat."

"Of course. Tyra? Lead the way."

Inside consisted of a single long room which ran the depth of the property. At the rear was another single window and a door, causing Ursula to wonder if she had missed another balcony running along the rear of the terrace. To one side at the back, next to the window, was a range where the food was obviously prepared. A narrow stair rose at one side that would lead to the sleeping space above. A large table stood on the other side, with benches for dining, while at the front was an assortment of chairs, stools and an ancient settee which seemed to serve as their living space.

"If you would sit down, Mistress."

Nobody was going to move until Ursula did, so she accepted the inevitable and chose a wicker chair to sit on. The two girls headed to the rear while Hulan and Teen plopped themselves onto the floorboards in front of her, both studying her intently. Raysa went to the range and began preparing to make the herbal brew.

Tyra asked Hulan, "Where is Pa, then? Teen seems to have been struck dumb by seeing Mistress Ursula."

"He is down at the docks, as you might imagine," the older boy replied. "The men of the Princess -" he cast a quick glance at Ursula, "- are helping look after boats and tack so Pa asked them to help with his." He looked annoyed. "I wanted to go but Pa said there would be too many there so I have to stay at home with him."

Teen looked up. "Not my fault!" He looked equally annoyed. "I wanted to go too, to see what the hairy men are doing."

"I think," Tyra said to both gently, "that there will already be too many people there and you could both get in the way. You wouldn't want to cause an accident, would you?"

"Suppose not," Hulan was grudging. He changed the subject. "Is that your new uniform?"

"It is a summer version, yes. It is a lot more comfortable than what we usually wear."

"It looks cool." He pulled a face. "I wish there was something cooler the boys could wear. I do not feel too bad now but soon it will become too hot. You know this."

"Aye. Actually, there will be something different for men and boys to wear soon. Have you seen the hairy men yet?"

"Of course! Everyone who possibly could went down to the docks the day after that strange ship arrived." He frowned. "Why? The clothes they wore then, as I remember, were even thicker and heavier than what I am wearing now!"

Tyra turned to Ursula. "Mistress? If you could explain. I was not privy to Tenant Maralin's thoughts when he designed their new uniforms."

"Ah," Ursula said. She addressed Hulan. "The men complained, while we were sailing here, that their clothes were becoming uncomfortable. I don't know for sure but I was told that the land they came from is much colder than it is around here, so all their clothes are designed to keep them warm. Tenant Maralin had some ideas about better clothes they could wear and the seamstresses have been busy making them.

"I have seen the men wearing the new designs when they have come to the Mansion and, by now, many of the soldiers there are also wearing something similar. Eventually, I expect that many of those in the city will be wearing something lighter, men and women, boys and girls. I am wearing a similar design to Tyra, but it is not a uniform."

"Do you tell me?" That was Raysa, bringing two mugs and being followed by both daughters, each with two more mugs. "I must say I thought that your dresses looked good when you arrived, Mistress. So simple and yet so cool. And this is to be her summer uniform, then?"

"We think so. As yet this is all experimental and there may be some design changes as time goes on."

"As you say."

Ursula and Tyra were given mugs of pel. The rest were distributed between mother and children. Raysa sat down in a more comfortable-looking chair that was obviously her normal choice while the girls took two more seats.

Raysa remarked, "I have not been to the Mansion, Mistress, either before those of Yod came or since it has been renewed. I trust that you are comfortable there?"

"Very comfortable, Raysa. None of this is what I am used to but I have managed so far. I -" Ursula glanced at Tyra. "I am supposed to be meeting Her Highness's men at the docks this morning, so I can't spend much time today telling you about myself. You probably have many things to do yourself."

Raysa snorted. "With this lot? Always! Ah, Mistress, I am curious, as anyone would be, but I can wait. Doubtless you will call again?"

"Probably so, Raysa. It will make a pleasant change for both Tyra and myself, though I would not want to intrude on a family gathering."

Raysa waved a hand. "Do not concern yourself, Mistress. If Tyra serves you then you are almost family yourself, I deem. As I said before, you will always be welcome here."

Ursula was overcome with an unfamiliar emotion. These people are so friendly, so welcoming! This is so unlike Russia or even Canada. Have I really found myself in the right place, and entirely by accident?

They spent some time with Tyra's family and then Tyra decided that they were wasting too much of everybody's time - though she did not put it that plainly - so the two reluctantly took their leave. Outside, the heat had risen, but for some reason it seemed more bearable than on previous days. Both adjusted their wide straw hats and then walked along to the other end of the balcony before climbing back down to street level.

"Where are we now?"

"If you would look just there, Mistress, we are but a cast from one of the dock gates."

Round the corner stood the city wall, here with a gate tower straddling a large gap in the stonework. The reason for the gap was obvious, just beyond the wall could be seen carpenters busy finishing the two new gates which would hang in the gateway once they were trimmed and waterproofed. To the right, parts of the wall appeared to be under repair but not much could be seen because of the intervening buildings.

They walked to the gateway and were stopped by an armsman with a spear.

"Oh, good morning, Tyra! I did not recognize you in that uniform. Do you go to seek your father? He is yonder, with his boat."

The man pointed off to the right, beyond where Ursula could see.

"Aye, Tanit, I have come to introduce him to my Mistress." She gestured. "If I may introduce Mistress Ursula, a new healer in the city and presently residing at the Mansion."

The man bowed. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mistress. I have heard of you and the good works you have already done in the city."

"Good day to you," Ursula replied. "Tyra and I will probably be coming here every week or so to see how things are going."

"Then I shall not keep you, Mistress. If I may advise, there is much work going on outside the wall and around the dock gates. Be careful where you may tread."

"We'll be careful."

They walked through and entered a large cobbled hardstanding in front of several long piers. Vessels were not tied up to these, however, but to pontoons either side which stretched out a long way into the river. The hardstanding was busy with work, such that Ursula could not take it all in. They walked out to go around the two gates, flat on trestles on the ground now, but a shout made them turn.

«Hey, boys! It is Ursula, with a young lady friend! Perhaps she is for us!»

There was a scramble from the works around the wall and in a few moments they were surrounded by about half of the crew of the Visund. All were wearing the new 'tee shirts' and cargo shorts. Most were also wearing, Ursula saw with amusement, regular-looking straw boaters with ribbons in Eriana's colors making them look just like nineteenth century seamen.

«Hello to you all. This is Tyra, who has been made my maid. You may look but not touch.»

«I knew that it was too good to be true!» That was Ormund, one of the seamen. «It is good that you have a maid now, Ursula, it is proper that you have some help.»

«Thank you. What are you all doing here?» she asked.

Brodgar shouldered his way forward. «Mistress, you may notice, some of us are helping the masons rebuild the wall. While we do not have the experience, we know ropes and spars and most of us have the strength to move the stones. Others are helping the fishermen with their boats or gear and we have even helped with loading and unloading some of the barges that come here. Mistress, have you a purpose here? Have you come to look at our injuries?»

«We have just come down here to say hello and to see what you are all doing,» she replied. «Of course, I have come prepared,» she held up her basket of potions and bandages, «so we can look at you if you want us to.»

«Your maid, is she a healer too?» somebody asked. «I see she carries a bag.»

«She is not, but for now she does what any maid does - helps her mistress.» She smiled. «If she is to accompany me, then of course that may change in time.»

A larger man shouldered his way through the small crowd, which had now begun to swell with others interested in whatever was going on.

"Oh, Mistress Ursula." It was Lars. "Good morning. I wondered why men had gathered."

"I am sorry to have distracted them, Lars. It is the first time I have been to the docks since I arrived. I wanted to see what was happening."

"Mistress, they wanted to see you, it is good. You will look at injuries?"

"Of course, if that is what you want." She added, "Are there any more bumps and scrapes from what they are doing now?"

Lars pulled a face. "Some, Mistress. Fingers too big, get squashed by stone. Rope runs through fingers, hand gets burned. On the ocean, in battle, men experts. Work with stone or wood, not so much."

"So it is enthusiasm more than experience, then?"

"As you say, Mistress."

She looked around. "This is not all of them, surely?"

"Some busy stopping stone fall on heads. Some over there unloading boat. All will come when safe to do."

"Very well. Where can I set up to look at the men, then? It will be too hot to stand out here."

Lars pointed. "See shelter? Men get drinks there, space inside for Mistress to work."

The shelter was an open-sided awning near one of the piers. It had a counter at one side where somebody was brewing drinks and supplying snacks to anyone on the docks who needed them. Looking around, she saw two others doing similar business. All of them had tables and benches under the awning for their customers to sit out of the sun.

"Thank you, Lars. Come on, Tyra, let's get out of this sun."

Lars started shouting instructions in Norse and the crowd slowly dispersed. A small number followed the two women to the shelter, most limping.

The proprietor bustled over when they arrived. "If I may serve you, Mistress?"

"This may be awkward," Ursula replied, "since we have just had a drink elsewhere. I would like to have use of your shelter for a short while." She searched for a way to sweeten the request. "Commander Lars recommended you to us."

Tyra butted in. "Nando, we have just had pel at Ma's house. My Mistress is a healer and wishes to look at the injuries of the men."

"Good morning, Tyra! I did not recognize you in your new dress... which I see now is a uniform. Your Mistress? I had heard a rumor... Aye, of course you may come in, provided that my usual customers may share the shade."

"I do not think that we will need much of your space," Ursula assured the man. "A table and two chairs - no, make that three chairs - should be sufficient. That one there, perhaps? Then we will be out of your way."

Nando bowed. "As you suggest, Mistress. Shall you require anything of me? Water, perhaps? I do not know what it is that you desire to do."

Ursula gestured at the line of men forming outside the awning, a line, she noticed, that seemed to be steadily growing larger.

"I arrived on the Visund with these men, so I know them all. There was an incident before we arrived here which caused many of them to have injuries. As a friend and a healer, I have been asked to have a look at them all, see how far their injuries have been healed."

Nando nodded. "I have been told the tale of the gogon, Mistress. You were with them? It is fortunate, then, that you were not injured yourself."

"That is so. Some of us were lucky, others not so fortunate."

Nando gestured. "Your table awaits, Mistress. If there is anything you desire, send Tyra to ask and I will either do it myself or send an urchin."

"Thank you. We will try not to get in the way of your normal customers."

He smiled as they turned. "Most of these men are my normal customers, Mistress. I am sure they will do what is required."

Ursula and Tyra walked over to the table. She sat down and indicated that Tyra should do so as well.

"But Mistress -"

"Not here, not now, Tyra. It will become hot and there is really no need for you to stand all the time, not while you are waiting for me like this. In the Mansion, perhaps, it is different, because there are so many other servants about, but not here."

Tyra sat, although her expression showed what she thought of the idea. The first patient limped forward.

"Mistress."

"Torvin. Sit there, please. I will need to examine your ankle. How are you feeling today?"

«Much better to see you here, Mistress. My ankle heals, I try not to put too much weight on it to help it get better, as you instructed us.»

Ursula lifted his foot and gently stretched and manipulated the joint, trying to find the limits of movement and what discomfort was caused by her actions. It seemed that all was healing well.

«This looks good, Torvin. I would suggest that you try and walk normally for part of the time, if you can bear it. That will help your muscles recover. By limping, you are in effect stressing the muscles in your other leg, which will cause you to be unbalanced. Not a good thing aboard ship.»

«I did not think of that, Mistress. I will do as you advise.»

«What work have you been doing down here?»

He shrugged. «What I can, Mistress. Cleaning weapons, mending armor and harness, that kind of thing. I can do all that sitting down. Some of the sailors have taught me how to make and mend nets so I have been helping the fishermen as well. Do you know if the Captain wants to leave soon? The days pass and we all wonder.»

Ursula smiled. «I can understand your desire to get back onto the water, Torvin. It is where you all belong. I think that Her Highness is of the same mind. Though she enjoys being a Princess in His Grace's Mansion, she really wants to feel the hull beneath her feet, just as you do.»

Torvin nodded. «It is as you say, Mistress. We wonder at the delay, that is all.»

«A week, no more, if all the injuries are no worse than your own. She is thinking of the safety of her crew. Then you may sail away again.»

«To have a sailing date, that is good to know. But, Mistress, will you be coming with us?»

Ursula grimaced. «No decision about me has been made yet. There is much for me to do in Joth and it may be that Joth is where I am intended to be. However, I am not completely comfortable here. There are... things going on that make me wonder if anything is being hidden from me.» She shook her head. «That is my problem, though, not yours. Exercise that leg and foot and in a week you should be fit enough to pull an oar again - and maybe even swing a sword.»

Torvin stood. «Mistress, your words reassure me. Now I must make way for others. By your leave.»

As Torvin stood the next man came forward and the same question and answer sequence began. As Ursula worked her way through the crew she realized that Eriana had been keeping her men informed but there were certain matters they were still unsure about. Talking to them seemed to settle them down and that could only help them recover faster.

As patients came and went it gradually dawned on her that the line wasn't getting any shorter. Looking up, she realized that, once word that a healer was present had gotten around, many of the others who were working on the docks wanted to take advantage of her presence.

She gestured to someone wearing a dusty apron to sit. His left upper arm was nearly black with a large bruise.

"What happened to you?"

"Mistress, a line snagged as a block was being lifted and when it came free the block swung and squashed my arm against a block in the wall."

Ursula winced. "Oh dear. You will not be making that mistake again?"

He gave her a rueful grin. "Indeed not, Mistress. If you can tell me if the bone is broken."

She studied the arm. "If you can walk around with it like that I would guess that it is not broken, but I can make certain. I assume it hurts a lot?"

"As you say, Mistress."

"Very well. I will smear some special salve on it so that I can test the bone. This will make much of that arm numb, do you understand?"

"As you wish, Mistress. It will be better to know for then I can plan my recovery. Even with the extra help from the Princess's men we are behind with the rebuilding of the wall, since His Grace is anxious to have it finished."

"I can understand that. Having your city invaded will have shaken everybody up."

She dug around in her basket and pulled out a small bottle, looking up at the man sharply.

"You have not had this before? When did you hurt yourself?"

"Mistress, it happened yesterday afternoon. I knew there would be a bruise, I did not think it would come up like this overnight. I saw you over here and it occurred to me that you could tell me how bad it was." He added, "The salve, I needed it once when I was an apprentice. Long ago, that was."

"Very well."

Having prised out the cork, she pulled out a small flat stick from a bundle in her basket and dipped it into the salve.

"You know this is dangerous, then? It will make your whole arm numb and it can only be used once. I am sorry, it will probably wear off in the middle of the night and then the pain will keep you awake."

"What must be, Mistress. I am prepared for what must come."

She smeared the salve thinly in stripes along his upper arm on all sides. To begin with, he flinched from the touch but as the ointment began its work he visibly relaxed. Carefully restoppering the bottle, she then stood and turned to Nando, holding the stick carefully.

"Can you burn this, please? I don't want it to touch anybody's skin, the salve is very strong and dangerous."

The stall keeper opened the door of his tiny stove. "As you wish, Mistress."

By the time she sat down again the salve had done its work and the mason's arm was mostly numb, though he still had touch from his wrist downwards. To avoid touching the salve, Ursula wrapped his upper arm in a bandage and then began testing cautiously to see if the bone had broken. Satisfied that it had not, she leaned back.

"You have been lucky," she told him. "The bone appears to be whole and neither your elbow joint nor your shoulder joint seems to be affected. It will be better if you can keep that arm in a sling, to stop you trying to use it accidentally. I suggest that you go home today and rest, give that bruise a chance to recover. Will you come to work tomorrow?"

"Of course, Mistress. If I may not wield hammer and chisel, I can yet supervise others."

"Very well. I will tell the other healers that you will be here and somebody will come to see you tomorrow."

The man stood and bowed. "I am indebted to you, Mistress, for your attentions and advice. Word of you and your knowledge has not been exaggerated, I deem."

Ursula reddened slightly. "I don't know what you mean, Master Mason. I have not been here long and I am only doing what the other healers do."

"It is not so, Mistress. We Jothans take care to know who resides with our Duke and we appreciate what you are doing for us." He bowed again. "And now I must let you continue with your work, as I must attend to my own."

He turned and left. Ursula gazed after him, wondering if he would ignore her instructions, but he spoke to a small group of masons in the distance before heading through the farther gate. She looked up to see a dock worker waiting for her attention.

The line had mostly come to an end when Tyra suddenly shot up.

"Pa! You found us!" She frowned. "Is something wrong? Do you have need of a healer?"

"Nay, daughter, I am as fit and healthy as I ever was. And this is your Mistress..?"

"Ah! If I may introduce Mistress Ursula, about whom I have already spoken."

The man, shorter than Tyra, sun tanned and weatherbeaten but certainly fit, turned to Ursula, who immediately stood.

"Mistress, I am Hulo, Tyra's father and a fisherman of Joth, as you may see. It is a new step for her, does she attend her duties as is required?"

"Master Hulo, I am pleased to meet Tyra's father. Please sit down a moment. Tyra and myself are both new to the business of mistresses and maids so we are still adjusting to the new way of working. As you may know I am recently arrived in Joth and she has been of great help showing me where everything is and how it works. She has been very helpful and I'm sure we will make a good team in time."

Hulo nodded. "That is good to hear. If I may ask, do you now attend the docks regularly, or is this a special visit? I saw you examine Kardron the mason just now."

"This is a special visit, of a kind, but I did not come for the mason. You may know that I arrived with Her Highness Princess Eriana on her ship, and I know all her men fairly well. It was those men that I came to visit and any healing of others that I have done has been in addition to that."

"Ah, I see, I wondered about that. Rumor is that the ship will be departing in a week or so."

He was clearly trying to find out what was going on and Ursula decided that telling him what she knew would do no harm.

"Master Hulo -"

He held up a hand to stop her. "If you please, I am just Hulo. One day I may become a freeman, or even an alderman in time, but for now I am merely a simple fisherman."

She smiled. "If you insist... Hulo. Where I come from we do not have distinctions like that, so all this is new to me. As I was saying, a day before we arrived there was a meeting with a gogon -"

Hulo nodded. "Mistress, all have heard the tale. You are lucky to be alive, all of you, since they are fearsome beasts."

"So I have been told. So, many of the crew have various injuries and Her Highness was forced to remain in Joth until her crew are fit, or mostly fit, before she can continue her voyage. Having examined most of the men today I can now tell her that they should be fit enough to sail in about seven days time."

"And do you sail with her, Mistress?"

Ursula shook her head. "That has not yet been decided."

"Ah." His expression was sharp. "You are torn between Duke and Princess, I deem. I trust that the final decision may be acceptable to you."

"I had not -" Ursula paused.

The city is a small place, really, and it appears that most people know about me and my business here. They can sense that there is a tension between Wallesan and Eriana, something which I have mostly overlooked until now.

What is it that I actually want? I have no idea. Everybody seems to think that I will settle down here and set up Joth's first hospital, and yet...

My gut instinct tells me to keep my options open. But why?

"Hulo," she said instead, "I am still a stranger in Joth and there may be things happening that I do not understand. For now, I am just living in the Mansion and helping out wherever I can. Once I am sure enough what choices there are to make, I will make them."

He nodded. "As you say, Mistress. In a strange land, you must needs keep your wits about you."

Now didn't Eriana say the same thing a while back?

"I am doing my best." She decided to find a more comfortable subject. "Hulo, I thought that you would be out fishing by now."

He smiled, but stopped himself from outright laughing. "Mistress, it is not the time of day to fish. As we ourselves do, the fish mostly rest during the middle of the day and cannot be tempted. It is our custom to fish at sunrise or even before and then to fish again once the sun is a bell from setting. It is at that time that most things that live in the Sirrel will seek their food - or their prey, as might be."

"Ah, I did not know that." She smiled back. "I am a healer, of course, and what I know of fishing could be written..." she thought briefly, "...on the head of a nail. Today I have learned something new, then. So what do you do when you are not fishing?"

He shrugged. "There are always repairs or improvements to make, of course, and maybe nets to repair, and of course I must also sell anything I catch. Today I am over there with my boat," he pointed, "having a small leak caulked. Then, after lunch and my nap, I will attend a weakness I noticed in the edge of one of my nets."

Nando came over then, drying his hands on a small towel.

"If I may serve you lunch now, Mistress."

"Lunch?" Usrula looked at Tyra. "Is it lunchtime? I had not realized... of course, I have seen many more patients today than I expected."

"I heard the noon bells some time since, Mistress. It is certainly time for lunch, and, as you may see, I think that Nando would prefer to serve you first before his other customers."

Tyra gestured behind Ursula. She turned and saw a line line of men waiting, mostly the same faces that had waited for her previously.

"I did not expect... Tyra, how will we pay for this? I have no money and I don't think you have any either."

Nando bowed. "Mistress, I would not charge you for food, not when you have helped so many. I have watched you tend the men and know that you have a good heart and great knowledge of your craft. I will bring you food and drink, and I will also feed Hulo and Tyra today, that you may not feel embarrassed."

He turned back to his counter and came back with a wooden platter in each hand, returning for a third platter and then mugs of pel. Ursula looked at what he had placed in front of each of them, a short roll of the kind the Canadians called a 'sub' containing flaked grilled fish and some leaves that she guessed were the equivalent of salad.

"I can only thank you, Nando. This is most welcome after a morning's work." She paused. "Um, I need to wash my hands first. I have been touching many bodies today -"

"If you would come this way, Mistress. When I have been cleaning fish it is always necessary for me to wash my hands afterwards."

At the back of the counter was a bowl, soap and towel. Ursula cleaned herself up and returned to the table. The other tables were now beginning to fill with men, each holding a roll in one hand and a mug of pel in the other. Hulo excused himself to wash his hands and, after a moment's hesitation, Tyra followed. When she returned they waited for her to begin eating before following suit.

"This is delicious!"

Hulo nodded. "It should be, Mistress. I caught Nando's stock of fish myself this morning. Everything you may eat here will be freshly made today."

Some of the greens were just that, salad greens, but some were herbs she recognized from meals at the Mansion. It made the grilled fish taste much better than she had expected, and much better than she had supposed Nando could supply. Ursula began to revise her opinion of the local Joth folk, whom she had just considered "peasants" up until now. Under the surface, there was a hidden sophistication lurking, waiting for someone to spark them into action.

Is that what I am here for? To trigger something off? Is that what Maralin was brought here for? He told me that he had changed the face of warfare in the Duchy but I haven't seen enough to know if that is true or not.

I have seen his clothing designs, though. They have brought Joth from Medieval times right into the 20th century. It seems that we can make a big difference, wherever we are, whatever we do.

What am I here for, then? Maralin has made changes to warfare, and he has changed what people wear, but he told me that on Earth he was a trained chef! Perhaps I am here to improve medicine, perhaps for some other reason.

There was a commotion on the other side of the hardstanding, near the farther gate. She peered through the others eating to see an open carriage pulled by four frayen. It had a driver, a single male passenger that she could see, and two footmen in seats attached to the back. There also appeared to be two outriders.

Someone noticed them and asked, "Who's that?"

Several of the diners stood to see better and blocked her view momentarily. When they sat down again she could see that the occupant of the carriage had now risen and was scanning the hardstanding, a hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun.

"It cannot be good," remarked someone. "He is from the Mansion, I deem. I wonder what he wants here?"