She laughed and shook her head. “It’s a gift, I s’pose. The All-Mother blessed me with a good memory. And while I remember the house, I can’t remember your mother’s name. I can see her face. I know I know it, but I just can’t remember.”
“Eloise, mum. Her name was Eloise.”
“Was?”
He shuffled his feet. “Aye, mum. She passed over a couple winters back.”
Tanyth sighed but, again, wasn’t surprised. Even when Tanyth had been there, the woman had been little more than a rag and bones. She tried to support the family on what she could get from raising the flowers and the odd vegetable crop scratched from stony ground that nobody else wanted.
The two men stood side-by-side, light from the rising sun on equinox morning casting their shadows dark across the hearthstone that had been colored with Tanyth’s own blood. They waited patiently while Tanyth considered.
“Farewell, then, Willum Grits and Herm Ridgewood. May the All-Mother’s blessing bring you peace on your travels and keep you safe until you find your homes once more.” She reached over and pulled the small tinker toward her, her free hand on his shoulder. She was surprised to find him barely taller than she was. She kissed him once on the forehead. “Farewell, Willum,” she said. She had to reach up to pull the burly cloth merchant down. She kissed his brow as well, murmuring, “Farewell, Herm.”
She stepped back and time itself seemed frozen for one crystalline instant before a raven’s loud caw broke the mood. The silence in the common room was so complete, they heard the heavy bird land on the ridge of the roof, heard the scratch-scratch of talons on wood shingles as she settled down.
Tanyth looked up and smiled. “Thomas? Have you put out a rabbit lately?”
He laughed. “No, mum. I’ll find one today for her.”
The joyful breakfast noise resumed then and Tanyth looked back to find the two travelers staring at her.
“Thank ya, mum,” Herm said.
“Yeah. Thank ya, mum,” Willum echoed.
“You’re welcome, I’m sure. Now, daylight’s burnin’. Don’t you men have someplace to be before night falls?”
The two looked almost startled by the realization. “Yes’m,” Willum said, pushing the larger man ahead of him toward the door. “We does, indeed, and thank ya. Most kindly.”
“Blessed be,” Tanyth said.
The two disappeared out the door and down the steps.
Tanyth’s legs felt a bit rubbery and she sat, perhaps more heavily than she intended. She reached for her mug and found that somebody had refilled it for her. She took a grateful slurp and felt better.
The group looked to be in the final throes of breakfast, and she saw Jakey gathering the quarrymen with his eyes. They’d head out soon and the celebration would be over.
She turned to find Frank’s deep, brown eyes smiling at her.
“Still think it’s just words?” he asked.
Tanyth started to laugh at him, but she caught sight of the stained hearth and paused. Above them on the roof, the raven cawed again. She heard the wagons rolling out of the yard over the breakfast noises. She closed her lips over the retort she had planned and looked back at Frank.
He gave her a wan smile and an affectionate pat on the shoulder, but didn’t say anything else.
“Hey, Frank,” Jakey called from the other end of the table. “We’ll have the load ready in three days.”
Frank nodded. “I can bring the wagon up today, if ya wanna start loadin’.”
Jakey flashed a grin. “’At’s what I hoped. Thanks.” He turned his attention to the quarrymen grouped around the table. “Now if you lovelies can tear yourselves away from your troughs long enough to earn your crust...”
His pronouncement was met with jeers and catcalls. Several crusts sailed through the air toward Jakey’s head. He caught one on the fly.
“All right, you lot. Daylight’s burning. Let’s get some work done today.” He gnawed the end of the crust he’d caught and headed for the door into the kitchen and the inn’s back door beyond.
Around the table, the quarrymen snatched final swigs of tea and took what food they could carry to eat on the way. As a group, they followed Jakey through the door to the kitchen and on out of the inn, the hubbub of young men in good health fading into the distance.
Frank looked to Tanyth. “Three days, mum. Probably leave on the fourth. You gonna be ready?”
Tanyth lifted her cast in its sling and considered it. The low ache in her arm had subsided to a maddening itch. She wriggled the fingers and thumb experimentally. “It’s gettin’ there,” she said, then nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be ready.”
He turned his gaze toward Rebecca who was helping Amber and Sadie to clear the table of the wreckage of breakfast. “What about her?”
“Dunno. She said she had some ideas, but I haven’t found out what they are yet.”
“Ideas?” Frank asked, eyebrows arched in surprise. “About what?”
“Well, she thought we should have a pack beast, but I turned that down.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Care and feedin’ on a long road. Hard enough to care for myself let alone an animal.”
Frank sucked air through his teeth and squinted. “Could be. Lemme think on it. What else?”
“We don’t wanna look too enticin’ to anybody we meet on the road. We talked about why I wear trousers instead of a dress. I think she didn’t quite consider how dangerous it might be to look like an old man and his daughter out travelin’ on their own once we get to North Haven.”
Light seemed to come on behind Frank’s eyes. “That’s why she wanted the sword, I bet.”
“Sword?”
“One of the weapons we took off Birchwood’s men. She asked William if she could have one.”
Tanyth frowned and watched Rebecca back through the door to the kitchen with a pile of dirty crockery in her hands. “Carryin’ a sword and not knowing how to use it is just askin’ for trouble.”
Frank’s head bobbed slowly. “Yup. I think so, too. And I think I see what you mean about the pack animal. If you got so much to carry that you need it, it might be worth stealin’.”
“Yeah. That’s why I never travel with more than I can put on my back. The animal itself is worth stealin’ for some. A poor, old man travelin’ alone? What’s he gonna have?”
“Well, you’ll be a poor, old man travelin’ with his beautiful granddaughter if you’re not careful,” Frank said.
Sadie leaned down, clearing away the dishes. “I don’t think you’ll need ta worry about that,” she said.
The two looked up at her. “Why’s ’at?” Frank asked.
Sadie just smiled. “Talking about Rebecca?”
They nodded almost in unison.
“She’s got some surprises.”
“I hope she’s not plannin’ on carryin’ that sword,” Frank said.
Sadie shook her head. “William convinced her t’would be more dangerous to carry than to go without.”
“Then what...?” Frank asked.
Sadie shook her head again. “That’s her surprise. I s’pect you’ll be satisfied with the result.”
Sadie finished clearing the dishes and disappeared into the kitchen, passing Amber at the doorway.
“You two still here?” Amber asked. “Go pack, shoo. Whatever you need to do. Scoot.” She made shooing motions with her hands.
“You sure I can’t help with the clean up, Amber?” Tanyth asked.
Amber cast a pointed look at the sling and shook her head. She gathered the last dirty bowls and mugs in her capable hands. “You’ve done enough for one day, mum, and I’ve got all the help I can handle in the kitchen right now.”
A shriek of laughter punctuated her words and she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.
“See what I mean?”
Tanyth stood and tottered on legs that lacked strength. Frank caught her arm and steadied her.
“You all right, mum?”
Amber asked, eyes narrowing in concern.
“Oh, yes, my dear. Just sat too long and my legs need some stretching.”
Amber shot a knowing look at Frank. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to help you, mum.”
The comment shocked a laugh out of Tanyth even as Frank groaned.
“Off with ya, then,” Amber said. “We all got work to do.”
Tanyth turned toward the door leaning more heavily on Frank’s arm than she really thought necessary.
“You gonna be all right walkin’ the roads?” Frank asked as they stepped out of the inn and into the brilliant morning sunlight.
Tanyth drew a deep breath filled with the scent of moist earth and blew it out slowly. “I don’t know why I’m feelin’ so weak. Not like I’ve done much.”
Frank snorted. “Yup. Nothin’ at all.”
“Well, nothin’ to speak of.”
“Well, do me a favor?” he said, patting her hand where it wrapped around his arm.
“If I can.”
“Don’t go sayin’ any more prayers until you get your strength back.”
She looked up at him, eyebrows beetled in confusion. “Prayers? What’s a few words got to do with anything?”
He snorted and shook his head before looking into her eyes. “Just promise me? Please?”
She read the concern there. “I don’t get what you’re so worried about. It’s just words.”
“Promise me.”
She gave a little nod. “All right. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I guess.”
“Now about that leg stretchin’...” he said with a grin.
She blushed, but grinned and tugged at his arm. “Now, you behave yourself. It’s not my legs you’re thinkin’ of stretchin’, and you got horses to harness and a wagon to drag up to the quarry.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Aye, that I do,” he said as they reached the door to her hut.
She unwrapped her arm from his and gave him a little push. “Git. You got work to do and I need to do some organizin’ myself.”
He stood there for a moment looking down at her. “All right.” He reached in to peck her on the cheek. “You be careful this morning. You’re a lot tireder than you think.”
She shook her head in mock exasperation. “Just a few words, Frank. Stop being an old woman. That’s my job. Go play with your horses.”
She lifted the latch and slipped into the cool dimness of her hut. At the foot of the short stair she turned to watch him walk away toward the barn.
“Frank?” she called.
He stopped, turning to look back at her.
“When you get done with the wagon? You could stop back here. I think I could use a little help stretchin’ after all.”
His brilliant grin all but sparkled in the morning light. He gave her a jaunty salute with two fingers and turned back toward the barn. He seemed to be walking a bit faster than before.
Tanyth smiled to herself and eased the door closed. She started to stoke up the banked fire in her hearth and found a long, splinter of kindling in her hand. Before tossing it on the blaze, she pulled the cast out of its sling and struggled to get the rough bit of wood under the top edge. The almost-there feeling of not quite scratching the itch had her pushing harder and harder until something gave and she was able to stick the whole length of the splinter down her arm. With a whimper of relief she worked the rough wood up and down, scoring her arm with scratches where the cast stopped, but getting to the itch at long last.
Chapter Six:
Surprise
Frank brought the laden lorry wagon down from the quarry late in the afternoon. William and Thomas helped him unhitch the horses. Tanyth watched from the back stoop of the inn as the two men led the team to the barn, then she slipped inside to join the dinner preparations.
“You sure I can’t help?” she asked, inhaling the homely smell of sourdough and spices that permeated the new building, already beginning to overwhelm the new wood scent of fresh construction.
Sadie had been baking all day and a wisp of sandy hair fell down across her face and stuck in the sweat honestly earned in front of a hot oven. “Yes, mum, we’re sure.”
Amber straightened from the kettle of stew that bubbled over the fire and gave Tanyth a warm smile. “You’re the guest of honor, mum. Wouldn’t be proper for you to do the work.”
“Don’t be silly. It’s your last chance for cheap help,” Tanyth said, waving her free hand as if to bat away the objections.
“Well, if you must do something,” Amber said, “check that teapot. It should be about steeped. You’ll prob’ly have to try a cup to make sure it’s all right.”
Tanyth chuckled at the blatant ruse, but did as the younger woman bid, settling on a stool in the corner out of the way.
“So, you both know what’s in the hut? How to use it?” Tanyth asked.
Sadie pulled the last loaf out of the oven and slid it onto the worktable. “Yes, mum. We been over it a few times already.”
“Few dozen, more like,” Amber added. She smiled at Tanyth. “We’ll be fine, mum. Don’t you fret.”
Tanyth blew across the mug before taking a sip of the hearty tea. “Well, just so long’s you’re not sendin’ after me because somebody got the flux again.” She grinned at them and they laughed in return.
“No worries on that score, mum,” Sadie said. “We’re in good shape to weather the summer and who knows? By fall, maybe we’ll find another healer to move out here with us.”
“Frank’s goin’ ta put the word out in Kleesport, mum,” Amber added. “We’ll miss ya, right enough. You’re part of the family, but we’ll get by until you come back.”
Tanyth sipped again and felt her heart beat heavily in her chest. “You know I’ll prob’ly not be comin’ back, don’t ya?”
The two younger women shared a glance before Sadie answered. “Yes, mum. We know, but...” she shrugged. “Ya never really know what’s gonna happen ’til it does, now do ya?”
Amber said, “And there’s always Frank. You’d be hard pressed to find a better man to fill your wood box.” Her eyes twinkled over a sly smile.
Sadie giggled and scrubbed a bit of butter across the tops of her fresh loaves.
“Oh, you two and your wood box fillin’,” Tanyth said, her own laugh escaping in spite of herself. “I’m more interested in what Rebecca’s up to and I’d feel a lot better knowing what she’s planning before we have to get on the road.”
Amber glanced at Sadie who gave a small shrug in return.
“You two know what she’s plannin’?”
“She asked us not to tell, mum,” Sadie said.
Amber added, “You’ll see soon enough, and you’ll have plenty of time on the way to Kleesport to fix anything that’s wrong.”
Tanyth looked back and forth between the two for several long moments. “Long’s she’s not planning on haulin’ any more than she can carry.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, mum,” Amber said. “She’s packed up her goods and will be droppin’ off a couple of trunks full when she gets to Kleesport.”
“Frank already left room for ’em on the lorry wagon,” Sadie said.
“Does she have a bedroll and a backpack?” Tanyth asked.
“Yes’m. William and Thomas gave her one out of stores, along with travelin’ gear. She and Thomas been practicin’ for the last week and if Thomas says so, she’s set,” Sadie said and Amber winced.
“Practicin’?” Tanyth asked, eyeing Amber with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, you know, mum. Lightin’ fires, layin’ out a bedroll, cookin’ without a hearth. Like that,” Amber said.
“Uh, huh.” Tanyth wasn’t convinced but judging from the narrow-eyed glances the women shot back and forth, she wasn’t about to find out from them. The uncertainly made her uneasy.
“What about you, mum? Are you ready?” Sadie asked. “You figured out how to put on a pack around that sl
ing?”
Tanyth grunted. “Won’t be pretty, but we can do it. Just have to put the sling over my head, put on the pack and then put the arm in the sling after that.”
“And your coat?” Sadie asked with a wry grin.
“That’s a bit more trouble, but it has to go on over all of it.” Tanyth sighed. “I’m just hopin’ I’ll have this cast off by the time I need to wear the coat and carry the pack.”
“Got supplies and all?” Amber asked, following Sadie’s lead in trying to change the subject.
“Oatmeal, tea, a bit of cheese. I’ll stock up in North Haven before we leave there. Not much sense in carryin’ food all that way.” She nodded at a crate tucked in the corner of the kitchen. “Frank’s got enough food in there to feed half the village, I think. More’n enough for the three of us to get to Kleesport.”
Amber snorted. “And back most likely.”
They heard the sound of boot heels in the common room and Amber frowned. “I didn’t hear anybody come in.”
Just as she turned to investigate, the connecting door swung open. A youth slipped through and froze, mouth poised to speak. Tanyth had just time enough to register the homespun trousers and deer hide vest before she recognized the face staring out at her.
“Rebecca?” Tanyth said.
“Well, that kinda spoils the surprise,” Sadie said.
“Oh, mum. I figured you’d be in your hut packin’.” Rebecca sighed and let the door close behind her. “You’d have seen at dinner anyway, but we were gonna surprise ya.”
“Well, I’m surprised right enough,” Tanyth said with a short laugh. “What’ve you done?”
Rebecca stood with her arms out from her sides and gave a shuffling turn. “Got the clothes from the quarrymen. Mostly they’re Kurt’s stuff that the others couldn’t use. Got a spare pair of pants and a couple of shirts.”
“You cut your hair?” Tanyth felt a pang of guilt for the woman’s sacrifice. “You had such a lovely braid.”
“Thanks, mum, but it’s just hair. It’ll grow back. Charlotte cuts the quarrymen’s hair. She did a good job with it?”
A leather thong held a small, ruddy-brown ponytail back off Rebecca’s face. Charlotte had chopped her bangs off square in the front and it emphasized Rebecca’s chin by taking some of the roundness out of her face. She’d never pass close inspection, but at a distance, she should fool most.