Continuation of: Tales of Their Past - Windbreak
Once Meadowyn was gone, Aegaldred pulled himself over the fence on lept beyond its confines.
“Where do you go, little brother?” Meadwine said as he watched Aegaldred take in his surroundings with intent. “I am not little,” Aegaldred said and glanced back. “But I go to find victory where you do not, brother.” With that, Aegaldred went off and Meadwine watched his back as his brother disappeared around the corner.
As Aegaldred came into the market, his eyes wandered around searchingly and intentfully. He offered smiles and greetings to anyone who passed him by, in small towns there was more than reason enough to be polite. The stalls weren’t so busy and there was no large market in Grimslade, and that’s what made the seeking eyes find their target with ease. A young woman behind a farm stall, trading farmer’s produce. Aegaldred beamed his nicest smile and slipped a hand into his pocket. Finding the target was the first step. The second was seeking a subtle justification for approach; means to start conversation without lacking grace in his steps.
In that pocket he found a few coins and counted them, there were seven of them. He enclosed them within his hand and approached the stall with confident steps. “Westu hal!” He greeted, and the young woman offered him a smile. “Westu hal!” She greeted in turn, “are you interested in our crops?” She asked.
“Certainly,” Aegaldred agreed, he lied. “How much are the carrots?” He pursued the conversation with innocent means, behind the most charming smile that he could form and some brief moments of eye-contact.
“Two coppers each, friend!” She said, “how many do you wish?”
“Three,” Aegaldred confirmed and he separated an extra coin from the pile. The girl on the other hand took three carrots at their stalks and offered them over with one hand, her other open as to accept the coins. The exchange was met, but Aegaldred stopped and he chuckled. That was the second step, maintaining interaction and being casual. The ice was broken and now he would endeavour to keep her attention without being dismissed, thus draw her interest; step three.
“What is it?” She asked with a smile and a chuckle of her own, as if laughter was a contagious.
“Ah, forgive me!” Aegaldred said, “you remind me much of a song that I know, seeing you made me think upon the words.”
“Truly?” She asked, “is it a funny song?” She tilted her head and wore a smile. Now Aegaldred knew that he stood upon a fine blade, those words were a risk and his laughter made them worse. The last thing that he wished for was to insult her, but he shook his head and kept a casual demeanour. “Nay, in truth it is a beautiful song of a farmer’s daughter,” and he was sure that those words make it right. “Will you tell them to me?” She asked, and as a measure of politeness she added: “Please.” That’s how Aegaldred assumed that she surely wished to hear the words, but he wasn’t going to tell them to her. He would sing them.
Ho there, farmer’s daughter,
At the market she was
when I sought her!
Hard she worked,
from sunset to sundown;
Bringing life
to barren ground!
The fields o’,
They be needing a-tilling
The wheat o’,
It was a-milling;
Our stomachs o’,
They need a-filling!
Though her hands were a-dirty,
Her clothes were a-murky!
Healthy children shall she have,
When she grows a-thirty!
For ho there, farmer’s daughter!
For more than business
I should have brought her!
Then the young woman laughed, she was doubtlessly amused. Aegaldred smiled with a hidden measure of pride that he would not let show; he had successfully made it through the third step. Now the rest was not as easy, step four was to endeavour to safely learn more of her so that he shan’t tread blindly when dealing with her. He would not assume her to lie, for he believed that there was little to lie of as a farmer’s daughter.
“I am Aegaldred, son of Meadred.” He introduced himself.
“Herlwyn,” she said and smiled. “It is a pleasure to meet one with such a lovely voice,” and she seemed to blush. It was doubtless that Aegaldred had gotten her off-guard, but before he could continue with his efforts to woo the woman, her father came along and settled in behind the stall with a bucket of water. He greeted Aegaldred with a smile and then curiously beheld the look on his daughter’s face with a strange look. Aegaldred masked his panic behind a welcoming smile, he feared the protective fatherly figure as any lusty young man should. It was by fortune that he had found her there alone, and now the young woman gave her father an innocent smile. The silence was becoming awkward and Aegaldred felt that he had to take the reigns ere it led to an unwanted affront.
“I shall take my leave,” he said. “Perhaps we shall speak again!” He said and bowed his head to the two before he turned his back to leave. Yea, that was his brightest idea: retreat, and to do so before the man started asking questions. As his back was turned to return home, he could hear the father addressing his daughter.
“What were you speaking of?” He asked.
