Bronaa

I envied Waelden for his ability to sleep. My mind was still more active than I wished as the small hours approached, but he slept as if he hadn’t a care. That was not true. After speaking with him of Isa, he had much to ponder.

Hild was thinking hard.

It was not as if she didn’t have enough to do with trying to make her supplies last out. Or with talking to folk in the village about dropping in for a drink and some of her ‘special’ onion and bean pottage. It was never as popular as her mutton stew for some reason, but she had to make the meat last.

Under Yllfa’s careful watch, Bronaa had been making a syrup to ease winter ailments. The autumn was slowly progressing, and the chill months ahead often saw more of the older folk in particular laid low with chest and head pains, and with stubborn coughs. It could lead to the death of weaker folk, both old and young. 

Hild climbed the stairs at the back of the ‘Roaring Dragon’ and headed to the door of Bronaa’s room.

“Ethel is here” she stated, as she knocked on the wood and entered.

The girl, Bronaa, stands by the table before me, and recites the tale I have told her. The hearth fire is lit, because although the days are still mostly bright, the Harvest Season is upon us, and the evenings can be touched by a chill finger at times.

The clouds were racing across the sky, like a drawn out white fluffy hunt of horses, riders and hounds, Bronaa thought. She stroked back her hair from her forehead and smoothed it behind her ears, tipping her face up to the thin morning sunlight. The cool wind was about her face as she delighted in taking larger than usual breaths. Ah, it felt good after the storm clouds, the gray and red sky of battle.

“Ethel, are you awake?”

There was no reply, though the corn-haired girl muttered slightly and hugged the blanket around herself.

((The kin members do not feel happy continuing writing the series of battles in this planned story line at the moment, due to world events. This is a short winding up of the tale so far. Others may post their summary as well. Further writing after the summaries will focus on more peaceful matters. ))