by Candy Rae
When Beth returned she was set to spooning six measures of sweetening into the milk. Anton told her to stand by the pot and stir it with the huge wooden-handled ladle to make sure that it heated evenly and did not stick. He told her to watch as he dissolved the rennet in water before adding it to the pot.
“Keep stirring,” he said, peering into it, “and let me know when it begins to boil.” He then left her for a while, she, anxiously stirring, whilst he went off to oversee what else was happening in his kitchens.
Beth was beginning to enjoy herself. Anton looked over from time to time but she seemed to be coping with her task. He was surprised however, when he looked over to find Beth not at her position beside the stove but supervising two of the male kitchen workers as they carried the steaming pot over to the long table next to the cold room where it could cool before being transferred into the said room to set.
He nodded to himself, pleased to see this show of initiative. Who she had asked what to do next when she had realised that he was too busy to attend to her, he never found out.
This incident marked the beginning of Beth’s independence, the first time since she had arrived at the Stronghold that she had thought out the problem, come to a decision and acted upon it.
Anton would build on this show of confidence during the months ahead.
Incidentally, Beth became almost the only member of the cadet fraternity who actually enjoyed cookhouse duty, especially the bells she spent helping Anton concoct some of the delicious dishes for which he was famous.
* * * * *
Dunthed (First Month of Winter) – AL156
Quartet (3)
It was the first long leave for the junior cadets.
Hannah and Kolyei were to spend their leave in Argyll at her parent’s farm. She was to act as escort for young Robain and Balindifya who were also returning home for a visit.
After waving goodbye to them, Jess and Tana, followed by the more sedate Beth made their way to Ryzcka Melody’s office to sign out on their own account.
“You’re all going to Jess’s parents?” queried the pleasant-faced woman, adding, “I hope they know what they’re letting themselves in for!”
“That’s not fair,” exclaimed an indignant Tana.
The woman in charge of the senior cadets laughed, “have a good time and don’t be late back. If you are you’ll be on fatigues duty for at least a month!”
They all resolved to be back with plenty of time to spare.
At the farm that was their destination, Jess’s mother Anne was readying herself for the onslaught. She had decided to put all three girls and their Lind in the main parlour of the farmhouse. The family bedrooms were upstairs and access was by way of a narrow and steep wooden stairway, impossible for the Lind to negotiate without a lot of trouble. She pushed the furniture against one wall and brought in three large truckle beds for the visitors to sleep on. There was no question of relegating their four-pawed guests to sleep outside in the barn.
“It’ll be a bit of a squash,” she said to her daughter Annette, “but I don’t suppose they’ll mind.”
“Shall I bring in the covers Mummy, now that the mattresses are in place?”
“You could do that,” she assented, “where are Xavier and Ruth?”
“Out in the root garden I think,” she answered, “you asked Xavier to dig out enough for tea.”
“So I did,” Anne replied and, when her second daughter returned, helped lay out the pillows and blankets. “Thank the Lai our kitchen is a large one otherwise this visit would be more than a little uncomfortable.”
“When do they arrive?”
“Before dusk I expect. They’ll be hungry too so we’d better have the meal ready. Your father will be returning from the narrow field he is ploughing, he said he wanted to be here to greet them.”
“I wonder what Tana and Beth are like,” mused Annette as she watched her mother rearrange one of the beds to her satisfaction and plump up the feather eiderdown. “Jessica didn’t say much when she wrote.”
“They’ll be much like your sister,” Anne replied, “anxious to enjoy their leave-time and experience family life again after all those months in the barracks.”
“Will Jess have changed much?”
“Shouldn’t think so,” said her mother and Annette had to be content with that.
Of their guests, Tana was looking forward to exploring the countryside around the Crawford farm. Tavei had even indicated that they might cross the river into the rtathlains of the Lind themselves, time permitting.
Beth was looking forward to the more simple pleasure of experiencing what she had been told was a ‘normal’ family life here in Vadath. Jess explained that they would all have jobs to do, a busy farm like the Crawford one had no room for passengers, welcome guests or not.
Jess just wanted to see her family again.
The girls’ excitement infected their Lind and it was with bouncy springing steps that they topped the rise that overlooked the Crawford farm and surveyed the scene below.
As was usual in this area of the continent, the farmhouse and outbuildings were made of wood. The former was a long, low-gabled building with a sloping roof and dormer windows peeking out through the ivy. The house, Jess had informed them, was an old one, having been built not long after the Battle of Trumpet Keep.
“Has your family lived here since then?” asked Tana.
“No. My great-grandmother purchased the farm.”
“Where did your family live before?”
“Northern Argyll I believe, but I don’t know much about it. If you’re interested, ask my grandmother. She’s fond of old stories.”
“Does she live with you?”
“Yes, she’s getting on a bit and can’t get upstairs. She has her own room on the ground floor at the back looking out over the vegetable garden. Nothing wrong with her mind though, she’s as sharp as a tack.”
Tana was looking at the ordered fields before her and Jess, seeing her gaze, pre-empted her next question.
“Root crops and maize. It’s a mixed farm so we’ve also got a large herd of kura and another larger one of zarova. Father is one of the Vada’s main suppliers.”
“I hope he has kept some good meaty ones for us,” said Mlei, licking his lips.
Jess laughed, “he promised me he would. He remembers how hungry you always are and how appreciative.”
Mlei ‘sent’ a fleeting feeling of pleasurable anticipation to Jess and both Tavei and Xei picked this up if their brightening expressions were anything to go by. The Lind all enjoyed a hunt but were certainly not averse to munching on well-fed domestic beasts when they were available.
“I can see Mother,” cried an excited Jess. “She’s waiting at the door. Can you see?”
“Who’s that man beside her?” asked Jess. Beth stayed silent, apprehensive about meeting the Crawford family.
“My father,” answered Jess with pride. That she adored her tall handsome father was easy to see, “and behind him is my sister Anne, we call her Annette.”
“What are the two younger ones called again?” whispered Beth who didn’t want to make any mistakes.
“Xavier, he’s six and little Ruth who is four.”
“Annette?” asked Tana.
“Eleven.”
“Will she bond with a Lind like us do you think?”
“You can never be sure but she’s never expressed an interest,” said Jess, “Ruth though, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“Xavier?”
“He wouldn’t thank you for it. He wants to farm like father. He took over many of my jobs when me and Mlei left.”
“Not Annette?”
“She’s a real home bird. Wouldn’t last two bells at Vada,” pronounced Jess.
“At least she would know what to do in the cookhouse and the latrines,” said Beth with wry humour as they began their walk down to the farm. Her early attempts cleaning latrines would go down in history as the worst ever.
“Wish we could do a permanent swap,” said Tana who hated everything to do with a needle and did not mind chore duties in the cookhouse.
“Wouldn’t be allowed I’m sure,” answered a despondent Beth.
“Leave her be Tana, she improves but your fine needlework continues to be less than averagely good and likely to remain so for all that you were brought up in the trade.” She egged Mlei forward faster, anxious to get home.
The other four held back as they approached the house and watched Jess dismount. Both she and Mlei were immediately deep inside a family gaggle of excited people all talking at the full pitch of their lungs.
“The wanderers return,” intoned Tana to Beth who giggled.
It was little Ruth who was the first to disentangle herself from Mlei who she had been hugging with ecstatic abandonment and approach her sister’s guests, her voice trilling with delight as she espied Tavei and Xei.
Two new victims, thought Tana as the little girl ran towards them. Mlei had warned both Tavei and Xei what to expect. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Xei brace himself against the miniature onslaught as Ruth reached for his face with two caressing hands.
“You are so beautiful,” uttered the mite as she performed her ministrations. Xei’s violet-striped face bore a pained look, Tavei, if she could have seen it, an apprehensive one as he watched and wondered how Ruth would greet him. Mlei had informed both he and Xei that Ruth had retained, from her baby days, a great interest in whiskers and he was not relishing the prospect of his being played with.
By then the Crawford family had reached their two guests (Mlei stayed behind, recovering, and thankful that there were now another two Lind to share the burden of Ruth’s exuberances) and, absently disentangling her youngest daughter’s fingers from Xei’s whiskers, Anne welcomed them.
“Which one of you is Beth?”
“Me, I’m Beth,” the words emerged as a strangled whisper.
“Climb down from that mountainous Lind of yours and give me a hug.” Jess had written to her mother telling her about Beth’s antecedents and Anne had decided that the girl needed a surrogate mother’s care. To Beth’s embarrassment she was subjected to a very public and affectionate welcome, the like of which she had never experienced before.
Tana, watching this display with growing horror, dismounted and shook both Jess’s father’s and brother’s hands in what she considered a manly way and much to David Crawford’s amusement. She smiled at Annette and little Ruth, daring them to copy their mother at their peril. Ruth had moved from Xei to Tavei and, kneeling down, was examining his forepaw with great concentration, impervious to what was going on around her and to Tavei’s great mystification as to what was so interesting about his paw.
“Shall we go inside?” offered David.
Tavei extricated himself from Ruth with some difficulty and he and Xei joined Mlei, the latter announcing their intention in a loud voice of going off to explore the woods nearby and that they would return before darkness fell by which time, as he telepathed privately, young Ruth would likely be in bed and asleep.
The farmhouse kitchen was all that a farmhouse kitchen should be. It was warm and inviting, its large, central and well-scrubbed table full of good things to eat, bread rolls filled with appetising fillings, slices of meat, and Tana’s nose twitched, pickled white-roots, her favourite.
Seated at the far end of the table, on a chair placed near to the wood-stove sat a white haired old lady with a sad face, although laughter lines crinkled round her mouth and eyes. She was wearing a high-necked white blouse. A large pendant broach shone stark against it.
Town-bred Tana knew quality when she saw it and she wondered how a farmer’s widow could have afforded such an expensive jewel.
The old lady was introduced to Beth and Tana as Jess’s grandmother and the guests discovered pretty sharpish that she was an integral part of the household. Granny Robson was seventy-six years old and physically frail but her mind was as sharp as ever. “Come sit by me,” she ordered Beth in a kind voice.
Tana had entered the kitchen deep in animated discussion with Xavier about the farm and the surrounding countryside whereas Beth had entered trying to hide behind her hostess so as not to draw attention to herself so perhaps old Jessica Robson’s prescience was not to be wondered at.
Soon the two of them were deep in conversation about the different threads that could be used to sew a wall hanging the old lady was repairing, both seemingly oblivious to the babel of conversation elsewhere in the kitchen. It was Annette’s turn to help her mother serve the hot dishes and generally keep everybody supplied with food and drink. Beth felt herself begin to relax and enjoy herself.
“Your turn tomorrow Jess,” announced her mother, “let’s let Tana and Beth down gently.”
“Will do Mother,” said Jess with a resigned grin at her friends that said ‘told you so’.
Tana looked disappointed. She had hoped Jess and Mlei could help her explore the surrounding countryside.
Jessica Robson saw the look, “perhaps Beth might like to stay at home and help tomorrow instead of Jess,” and was rewarded by a shy smile from her southern guest. “Let Jess show Tana around.”
“Would you mind awfully?” asked Jess, turning to Beth, “I did say that I’d show Tana the lichen woods and it’ll take most of the day to get there and back.”
“No, I’d like to,” said Beth with another shy smile at Jessica Robson.
“But you must see them too,” protested Tana.
“Beth can see them another day,” said Jessica Robson.
“That’s settled then,” said Anne. “Does Xei go with them?”
“I’d like to go,” announced a wistful Xavier.
“Me too,” piped up Ruth.
Annette also expressed a wish to visit the woods. She had an old skirt she wished to dye and lichen would provide her with the means to do it.
“You can’t all go,” protested Anne.
Beth’s next words surprised even herself, “if Xei is agreeable Annette could ride him,” she suggested in a half-scared voice, “then Tana could take Xavier pillion and Jess, Ruth.”
“Good idea,” announced an enthusiastic Tana, “we could take a picnic as we will be out all day.”
“And Beth and I can get to know one another,” finished Jessica Robson with an approving nod.
No-one tried to argue and as both Tana and Beth were to find out, nobody ever did argue with Granny Robson and win.
All Anne did was nod and enquire of Beth if she was sure.
Beth, having by now gained Xei’s acceptance of the scheme, assented with relief. In her eyes a day spent in the farmhouse with the two adults was to be preferred over a day with Jess’s siblings. She wouldn’t have minded if Annette had wanted to stay. She sensed a kindred spirit there. Whilst Jess, Xavier and little Ruth were confident and go-ahead youngsters, it was obvious who was the quiet one in the Crawford family.
In this instance however, Annette was flushed with excitement at the thought of being permitted to ride Xei to the woods and she was thinking happily about the large amount of lichen she would be able to gather. Perhaps there would be enough to dye her heavy wool kura winter coat as well as her skirt! Both items had been inherited from Jess when her older sister had grown out of them and had seen better days. Okay, Jess hadn’t worn either much, trews and tunics were more her line, but worn them she had on occasion and it showed. Jess was always hard on her clothes.
“Mlei and the others are coming back,” announced Jess at this point and there was a mad rush to get the tea things cleared away.
Annette opted to wash the dishes and Beth volunteered to help her. Xavier and Ruth led Tana and Jess into the parlour to inspect the sleeping arrangements, Ruth conveniently forgetting that now was her bedtime and ignored her mother when she called after her.
“She can h
ave her sleep out in the morning,” said David Crawford with an indulgent shrug that said don’t make a scene, this is her big sister’s first night home.
Tana exclaimed her delight and voiced appreciative thanks to Anne.
“We quite thought we’d be housed in the barn,” she enthused, “this is pure and undiluted luxury. Tavei will love it.”
“I hope the trestles are strong enough,” said Anne in a doubtful voice.
“There’s oodles of room and they’re plenty strong enough,” countered Tana, “and after the barracks, well, our beds are not exactly uncomfortable but ...”
“More often or not you sleep with Tavei on his bed,” Jess continued for her, “quit exclaiming and I’ll show you the farmyard before it gets too dark to see properly, we can go out with Dad later when he checks the stock. He said that, with us here, he won’t need to do the outer field checks as we can do them faster with Mlei and Tavei. Do you mind?”
“I’d love to,” announced Tana, “now?”
At Jess’s nod the two girls sped out of the parlour, through the kitchens, followed by the plaintive cries of both Xavier and Ruth who wanted to go too, but were halted on their way to the door by their father who pointed to the stairs with mock severity and uttered one word, “bed!”
The two youngest Crawfords grumbled but did what they were told. Annette and Beth exchanged a look that said it all.
“They’ve so much energy,” whispered Annette, “are you sure Xei doesn’t mind me riding him tomorrow?”
“He’ll be glad to,” Beth reassured the younger girl. “Mlei has told him of the fun he used to have chasing the vuz when he came here when he was younger. He’ll have a great time. Now, that’s the last dish, where do we put them?”
“Over there,” answered Annette pointing to a large allst-wood dresser set against the wall. Largest at the bottom.”
“Smallest dishes at the top,” smiled Beth, picking up the first group of dinner plates. “I used to watch the servants doing it when I was a little girl.”