Ethel was awake very early the next morning. No doubt she was eager to hear our thoughts on Erbrand’s house. She was also likely wondering what Waelden had made of her letter to him.
She wasn’t quiet. Her pattering footsteps, followed closely by the clicking and clacking of Herne's paws, was not meant to see we continued to sleep. Neither was her heavy handling of utensils around the fire pit. But it was the smell of mushrooms cooking that actually woke me.
“Ohh...quiet just a little longer!” I echoed the frequent morning call of today’s cook. In reply, she started merrily humming a tune.
I threw back the blanket in resignation, to have Waelden draw it back over me. He was chuckling.
“You are no help!” I accused him. “I could have slept another hour.”
“Me too, but you have to admit it’s nice for someone else to get breakfast, eh?”
Well yes, that was true. He and I usually took it in turns to cook the first meal, unless we already knew Ymma was bringing something through. Ethel did sometimes cook dinner though.
A ‘good morning’ kiss, and I snuggled back down. He stroked my hair almost absent mindedly. I think both our minds were on the house.
“Come on, you old folk! Get up. Breakfast is ready.” the girl’s eager call rose up the staircase, then…”Oh...oh..what’s this?”
“She has found my letter,” Waelden whispered, placing a finger to my lips to indicate we both played silent for a few moments.
It was quiet downstairs apart from Herne’s eager whining, and the sizzling of the mushrooms, then “Papa, you wrote back!” Heavy feet were pounding up the stairs as Ethel, large spoon in one hand and open letter in the other raced up. She waved the letter. “Breakfast” she shouted at us excitedly, then was off back to put her offerings on plates.
Soon enough we were all seated at the table. A large plate of fried mushrooms and scrambled eggs, with some thick slices of bread awaited us. Ethel had even sprinkled a little of the valuable salt on the meal.
“Letter first, “ she said, going to give Waelden a hug and a kiss. “Papa, I only wrote to you so you could see how I am doing, you know. But your idea we write to each other every few weeks, well I like it!”
Waelden grinned at her and hugged her back. “You make me very proud, pumpkin. You are doing so well.”
“And breakfast?” she asked.
“Excellent,” he and I said in union.
“Then what about the house?”
That took a little while to explain. We told Ethel it needed a lot of work, but that we both liked it. We told her if we bought it, there would be a room for her and her own front door.
“I want to pick my room,” she stated with determination.
“You can certainly look around and see what you think.”
“I will, mama.”
Waelden winked at me. We both knew which room she would choose, given the chance.
“But, you need to come and take a look if we are even going after it, girl. We won't move unless we are all happy, aye! Even then, we will have some work to raise the money needed.”
It was a more hurried meal than usual, but we were all eager to see what Ethel thought, especially Ethel. Soon enough we were dressed in suitable clothes. It was chilly, but not raining that morning. And we walked over the fields, past the windmill, to Erbrand’s house.
“Don’t get Ethel’s hopes too high, love.” Waelden spoke softly with me as Ethel and Herne raced ahead. “There is a lot of money to be found, and other folk may be interested.”
“If we want it, I shall ride into Edoras later today and see about finding a buyer for my ‘treasures’. They are of no use to us while we don’t have our own home. They are only dim memories to me.”
“My payment for that escort duty will be here any day now.”
I knew he didn’t want me selling my belongings, but we both understood time could be of the essence. Waelden’s payment from Lord Tiubar could arrive later in the day, or if riding conditions were poor, or Riders very busy, in a couple of weeks.
“Better we have too much than not enough, aye? I doubt my tapestry and silver will bring thirty gold. More like fifteen at the most. They are valuable to the right buyer, but I don’t even know when the next proper market day is.”
He squeezed my hand gently. “We both ride to Edoras. It will be our first time there since we lost the farm. I don’t want you going alone.”
As it turned out, Ethel loved the house, and loved her room (the one we knew she would, being the whole of the cellar and a room on the ground floor) running to explore every place she could find. It was dirty, it was almost empty, it was sad. “We can do this!” she said, giving both her papa and I a hug before running out *her* front door to love the yard apart from the broken fences, and particularly love the forge in the barn, which I couldn’t help but show her given her excitement. That would need some work too, but even though Waelden was not a carpenter, he would make a good enough job on the place. We both wondered at asking for Duncadda’s help, if he was around in the spring. If we got the house….
Thirty pieces of gold. Where could we find that amount in time?
So, we returned the key to Northgyth, and told her we would do our best to raise the money. She looked at us with serious eyes, understanding our situation. “If you can raise it, I will ride into Edoras to have a word with Erstan. We could have this settled fast if all goes well.”
We had asked her if she would keep watch on Ethel. We hoped to be back later that night but if there was a market to be held in a day or two, we may stop over.
“Erstan wants a quick sale,” Northgyth reminded us.
We knew.
We rode out of Bancross within the hour.
It felt a little strange leaving our horses in Edoras. Wynn and Ealfin were very familiar with the place, and made no fuss. They knew the stable master, they knew his boy. Wynn knew she would get an apple. All was well there.
Walking into the Tavern made me feel like I was stepping back in time to the beginning of the year. We used to stay there, all three of us, in the small but clean downstairs rooms. It was our necessary lodgings before we reclaimed the farm. Ha, they had been a strange couple of months. We had all still been getting to know each other in many ways. Ethel hadn’t yet quite come to trust me, nor I to really understand her moods. But we liked each other. Aye, I think we liked each other from the start in Floodwend, she and I. Now I would not be without her.
The barkeep there recognised Waelden and I of course. ‘How were we? What would we have to drink, to eat? Were we planning on staying the night, as he still had room?’
Being early afternoon we hoped to have enough time to conduct our business, though if we did not, we may well take up his offer, we told him. Having just an ale each, I asked about the market and the auction house.
“Just a small market today I think. There was a large auction held a few days ago. Most folk have spent and sold what they wanted. What are you wanting to buy or sell?”
Always brusque, but never of ill-intent, the man genuinely wanted to help.
“I want to sell some of my belongings.” I replied, feeling Waelden’s hand on my shoulder in support. “An old tapestry, a set of silverware and a drinking horn. We were hoping to catch an auction.”
“Hmm.. that’s a bit of a problem then. If you want to try the market maybe go to Cwenburh’s stall, and tell her I sent you. She won’t try and cheat you. She’s my brother’s wife. Some of the others I am not so sure of. You will likely remember those.”
Refreshed by the ale, and with some hope, at least of Cwenburh, we headed out to the streets, the vault being the first place to call.
“No one may want the rooms, but you two have always been good customers here, so I will hold one for you until the market closes anyway.” came the call after us.
The steps from the gate up to the market square and nearby vault-keeper were steep, but the quickest path. We hurried up them. Neither of us would be at rest until we knew how much we could get.
“It’s a shame,” Waelden pondered out loud. ”If we had caught the auction and there had been an interested seller, we could have made a good price on the silver.”
I nodded. “It was the last thing we had from my grandpapa’s kin, dear. That set of silver tableware was made to grace a fine house. We never used it, though my grandmama would get it out to show us all now and then.”
Waelden made an expression that said ‘What’s the use of that?’ and I chuckled, as I agreed with him.”Aye, better a set we will use. The tapestry is from my grandmama’s family, a few generations at least. You saw how large it was when we found it. It’s a little faded, but of good quality.”
“And the horn?”
I grinned. ‘My grandpapa would get that out on midsummer day and blow it. He told me it was the horn of Rohan, and made in part of mithril.”
We both laughed at that. “An heirloom of the descendants of Eorl, eh?” Waelden teased me.
“Well the family of Eorl would say they had it, wouldn’t they,” I winked back.
Then we were walking past the stalls at the market, and to the Vault-keeper. I gave the man my agreed password and handed over the key I had kept safe. After rummaging a few moments he returned with the items in the wooden box I had presented him with some months ago.”
“Twenty five silver to settle,” he said. I had already paid him that in advance.
Waelden took up the box. We made a quick check that all was as it should be, then left to start to work our way round the stall keepers.
“So how much are we asking for each item?”
“If we can get eight of nine gold for the silverware, I think that will be good, The horn, not actually being the Horn of the Mark, and so not getting us arrested as thieves, will likely fetch two gold at most. The tapestry I am not sure of. Anywhere from five to eight gold I think.”
“We are still going to be short by quite a bit,” Waelden frowned. “I have six gold on me, but we still have to live.”
“And I have two, as you know. I will return with my grandpapa’s sword tomorrow if we cannot make enough.”
I could see a hint of dismay in Waelden’s eyes. ”If only we had a week or two longer.”
But we had to do the best we could with what we had.
We asked at the first stall after Cwenburh, and were directed to a woman, thin of frame and with sandy hair woven in braids. She had an unusual selection of items on display, from pots and pans to fine eating knives and cakes. We told her we were sent by her husband’s brother, and she sighed.
“Well show me what you have then!”
Waelden lowered the box as I began to explain the contents, but Cwenburh held up a hand.
“Just the silver, if you please. I have no use for a horn, and I never deal in tapestries.”
She likely noticed the disappointment on my face as she pointed to a stall directly opposite.
“Take it to Burchwen, she sells that sort of thing.”
So followed a brief haggle for the price. Haggling was not one of my strengths and I could almost feel Waelden wince as I managed to get nine gold.
“She loved it. We could have got more,” he whispered.
“We got as much as I hoped for. Maybe you try next time?”
“They are your heirlooms, love.”
Burchwen was taller, light brown of hair, and hazel of eye. She waved at us dismissively until Waelden unfurled the tapestry, giving me one end to hold, so we could show it’s full width.
“Are you certain you are not interested in such a piece of our history?” he asked. “This was made by my lady’s great great grandmother, and depicts a battle fought while our ancestors were still in the Northlands.”
Still looking dubious, Burchwen at least stepped forward. “What is happening here...what battle is this supposed to be?”
“My grandmama always said it was a battle between a remnant of our ancestors and the Wainriders, in the Vale of the Andune.”
“And these? The bears ?”
I shook my head. “Some of the animals there joined our folk, I believe it was said.”
She snorted. “I may have a buyer. I will give you three gold for it.”
Waelden snorted in turn. “It wasn’t worth unfurling for so little. We will take it elsewhere.”
And I saw the look in her eyes as he spoke. It’s worth a lot more, and she knows it, I thought.
“Alright. Rob a poor woman would you. I will give you five, and that’s my final offer.”
Waelden and I exchanged glances. We both knew.
“Fifteen gold,” he stated.
“Bah, are you mad?”
So he began furling the piece. “Come then love, we will find another buyer, or one in Aldburg next auction.”
“Wait...wait..”
Burchwen moved forward much faster that I could have expected. She was almost like a spider-woman clutching at her prey.
“Fifteen is the price we ask,” I repeated Waeldens offer.
The woman spat in my direction. “As you wish. But only because I have a buyer in mind. It isn’t worth anything like that, but he won’t know.”
She walked back to her stall and knelt down a moment, returning moments later with the coins.
“Don’t be telling folks what I paid here or you will run me out of business.“
We had no wish to spend a moment longer than necessary with her, so gave her what was now hers, and left.
“I feel a bit sad selling that work to someone like that,” Waelden said, as he left the box with a small pile of others and threw the green baldric of the remaining horn over his shoulder.
“I know what you mean. I hope she sells it on to someone who will appreciate it. But look, we have got twenty four gold here! Plus your six and my two….we are there.”
He winked at me. “And still have this amazing Dwarf made mithril horn to sell.”
I left him to make the final sale alone, as he told a wonderfully embellished tale to a trader it seemed he knew from earlier days. The man paid attention to the story rather than looked at the horn Waelden held out. After some time he shook his head.
“If that tale is true then my father was a pheasant!” He announced with a laugh. “Why don’t you come and work for me, Waelden, with that silver tongue of yours you could earn a lot?”
Waelden grinned, and shook his head. “I have a place and a plan now, my friend. What will you offer me for what is still a well-made silver horn?”
The man folded his arms over his chest.
“Four gold, and no more.”
“Four gold!”
“Aye, well there may yet be some mithril in it if I look close enough.”
Both men laughed.
So a deal was made. My heirlooms were sold. But we had made twenty eight gold that day. We had enough!
We headed back to the tavern, to tell the keep we would be returning to Bancross. We were so eager to speak to Northgyth we didn’t even take another drink. But there was something else we wanted to say.
“If anyone asks after us, we would rather you didn’t mention you have seen us.” Waelden said.
The tavern keep continued cleaning tankards. He nodded. “Some trouble then?”
“No more trouble for awhile, if we have our way. But there is someone we would rather avoid for now.”
The man nodded without looking up.
“Who are you two again?”
With that, we both thanked him and walked to the stables. We were going back to Bancross.
We would have our home.
