*~* Out of long habit, her fingers stroked the simple locket that hung
around her neck. It was wrought of gold and shaped like a tiny leaf.
Inside lay coiled one long silver gold hair. She'd had it made over a year
and a half ago and never took it off. Ever. ~ Nebride "The Caverns of
Mirkwood, Chapter 2"*~*
THE FAERIE GOBLET
Chapter 4 ~ "Baird of Bree"
Baird sat up cautiously in bed. The splint on his leg itched like mad, but he'd learned to ignore it over the past many weeks. At least the constant pain was gone.
Carefully swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he lowered the injured one to the floor. Yawning mightily, he stretched his arms above his head. He could smell bread baking and knew that Alede was up. He never heard her rise in the morning, despite that he knew the floorboards in the loft squeaked. Somehow she was always silent.
He felt guilty about her baking the bread. From her speech, Baird knew she was an educated lady. To have her doing such menial chores was degrading, though she never complained.
I'll hire a housekeeper for her, Baird thought once he worked up his courage to ask her "the question". He'd been thinking a lot about Alede. She'd been more than kind to him and Baird had taken a fancy to her from the very beginning. With her long gold hair and gentle green eyes, she was a striking woman. Not as beautiful as some of the girls in town, but she had a sweet face and his heart had been hers for quite some time now.
Anxious to see her this morning, Baird reached for the crutches she'd placed beside the bed. Tom, the cabinetmaker had made them for him, once it became obvious that the fever wasn't going to finish him off.
*Stingy ol' Tom! Wouldna waste the wood, if 'e thought I was gonna up an' die on 'im.*
In his haste to stand up, Baird lost hold of one of the crutches and it clattered to the floor. Before he could try to pick it up, his door flew open and Alede hurried into the room.
"I told you to call for me," she chastised picking up the crutch and handing it to him.
Baird felt his face burning up with heat. Alede seemed not to notice that he was standing there in only his drawers, but he was mortified all the same.
"Ya needn't have come, Alede. I would 'ave managed it," he said as she helped him into a heavy robe.
"I know. But we've just gotten that leg healed. I don't want you to have another accident." She patted his back in that business like manner of hers, making it difficult to tell how she really felt. There were times when Baird was certain she fancied him, yet at other times, he couldn't tell.
Even if she didn't love him right at the moment, he knew she would learn to. Baird was the wealthiest man in Bree and he'd earned his wealth by the sweat of his brow. He might not be as learned or fancy talking as the mayor, but he was a lot younger and if the behavior of the girls in town meant anything, he was a lot more handsome too.
Not that Baird took any notice of the girls that fluttered eyelashes at him when he stripped off his shirt and swung his great hammer. He was a gentleman, a modest man through and through. He might dance with the girls at the harvest gatherings, but he never took "liberties".
That was one of the reasons he knew that he was the right man for Alede. With her wild talk of Elves and Wizards and her uncanny habit of traveling alone, she needed a good solid man to settle her down. And since she was not bad to look at and had a kind disposition, Baird was happy to be the man to settle her.
He'd just have to work up his courage to ask her. Alede's independent ways were a bit unnerving to him, but he was certain she'd get over them in time.
He stumped carefully out through the back garden to the outhouse and then just as carefully made his way back. Alede's gray horse poked her nose over the edge of the stall and watched him.
*Uncanny horse.*
There were times when Baird was certain the filly understood what was going on around her. He shook his head to clear it of such foolish thoughts. Horses didn't think about anything but oats and grass.
All through breakfast Alede kept up a light conversation about the events around the village. Baird loved people and being shut in his house for so many weeks had been difficult. Alede had sensed this early on and made a point of bringing him the news each day.
"Now," she said as she cleared the table, "let me get the water started for the dishes and then lets see about taking off that splint for a few hours."
"Do ya think it's healed enough?" he asked urgently.
"We'll see," she answered laughing a little at his impatience. Setting the big kettle on top of the stove, Alede bent over and opened the door of the firebox to add more wood. Because Baird was looking down at his leg, he didn't see what happened. But he thought that Alede flicked her heavy braid over her shoulder to get it out of the way and caught her fingers in her necklace.
All he heard was her panicked gasp and looked up in time to see her reach into the flames and pluck the necklace out.
"Alede!"
Her face was white as she stood up and she clutched her hand to her chest, breathing hard.
"Alede, are ya alright?" Baird stumbled to his feet and clumped over to her. "Have ya burned yourself?"
"Yes, actually I did," she said shakily and Baird could hear the pain in her voice.
"Well, goodness lass. Sit down and I'll fetch some butter for ya."
"No, butter isn't good for it. Thank you anyway." She seemed to recover herself and set the necklace down on the table. "I'll take care of it. Sit down."
He watched with concern as she rinsed her hand off with cool water and then went to the cupboard for some of her outlandish smelling ointment.
"That was a foolish thing tae do," he scolded, fingering the delicate necklace. "That little fire wouldna melted this. Its good quality gold."
"Maybe not." Alede returned to the table, two of her fingers wrapped with thin strips of cloth. "But it might have caused what's inside to burn up."
"Ahh, it's a locket then." Because he was looking down, he did not notice Alede stiffen when he popped the tiny lid open. Three long silver gold hairs lay coiled within. Baird looked up, puzzled. "Your sister's?" he asked. The hair was too pale to be Alede's.
"No," she whispered taking it from him and closing the little lid. She slipped it reverently into her pocket. "Its." he watched her swallow hard, as if she were about to cry, "it was given to me by a friend."
"Well." Baird wasn't sure what to say. He didn't see why a friend's locket would make her cry, but if it was that important. "I think I can fix it. It was just a broken link."
"Really?" Alede asked, her eyes focusing on him once again. "Could you?"
"Aye," Baird's chest swelled a bit as she gazed at him so beseechingly, "fixin' metal is my trade ya know. Now if you'd just fetch me my toolbox. Normally I'd leave this tae the clockmaker, 'cause he's got clever fingers for such small work. But I think I've got the tools tae fix this."
Alede set the toolbox in front of him and then fetched a lantern to the table as well, hovering anxiously over his shoulder as he worked.
"There ya be," Baird said holding it up after several moments. "Good as new."
"Oh thank you!" Alede cried, fastening it back around her neck. "Thank you so much!" Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. Baird was glad when she turned away to start the washing up so that she wouldn't see his blush of pleasure.
Aye, he thought happily. *She fancies me.*
~ ~ ~
A/N: Don't be too sure Baird! The action starts in chapter 5 "Call of the Sea". You didn't forget about the "Trader" did you? ;)
THE FAERIE GOBLET
Chapter 4 ~ "Baird of Bree"
Baird sat up cautiously in bed. The splint on his leg itched like mad, but he'd learned to ignore it over the past many weeks. At least the constant pain was gone.
Carefully swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he lowered the injured one to the floor. Yawning mightily, he stretched his arms above his head. He could smell bread baking and knew that Alede was up. He never heard her rise in the morning, despite that he knew the floorboards in the loft squeaked. Somehow she was always silent.
He felt guilty about her baking the bread. From her speech, Baird knew she was an educated lady. To have her doing such menial chores was degrading, though she never complained.
I'll hire a housekeeper for her, Baird thought once he worked up his courage to ask her "the question". He'd been thinking a lot about Alede. She'd been more than kind to him and Baird had taken a fancy to her from the very beginning. With her long gold hair and gentle green eyes, she was a striking woman. Not as beautiful as some of the girls in town, but she had a sweet face and his heart had been hers for quite some time now.
Anxious to see her this morning, Baird reached for the crutches she'd placed beside the bed. Tom, the cabinetmaker had made them for him, once it became obvious that the fever wasn't going to finish him off.
*Stingy ol' Tom! Wouldna waste the wood, if 'e thought I was gonna up an' die on 'im.*
In his haste to stand up, Baird lost hold of one of the crutches and it clattered to the floor. Before he could try to pick it up, his door flew open and Alede hurried into the room.
"I told you to call for me," she chastised picking up the crutch and handing it to him.
Baird felt his face burning up with heat. Alede seemed not to notice that he was standing there in only his drawers, but he was mortified all the same.
"Ya needn't have come, Alede. I would 'ave managed it," he said as she helped him into a heavy robe.
"I know. But we've just gotten that leg healed. I don't want you to have another accident." She patted his back in that business like manner of hers, making it difficult to tell how she really felt. There were times when Baird was certain she fancied him, yet at other times, he couldn't tell.
Even if she didn't love him right at the moment, he knew she would learn to. Baird was the wealthiest man in Bree and he'd earned his wealth by the sweat of his brow. He might not be as learned or fancy talking as the mayor, but he was a lot younger and if the behavior of the girls in town meant anything, he was a lot more handsome too.
Not that Baird took any notice of the girls that fluttered eyelashes at him when he stripped off his shirt and swung his great hammer. He was a gentleman, a modest man through and through. He might dance with the girls at the harvest gatherings, but he never took "liberties".
That was one of the reasons he knew that he was the right man for Alede. With her wild talk of Elves and Wizards and her uncanny habit of traveling alone, she needed a good solid man to settle her down. And since she was not bad to look at and had a kind disposition, Baird was happy to be the man to settle her.
He'd just have to work up his courage to ask her. Alede's independent ways were a bit unnerving to him, but he was certain she'd get over them in time.
He stumped carefully out through the back garden to the outhouse and then just as carefully made his way back. Alede's gray horse poked her nose over the edge of the stall and watched him.
*Uncanny horse.*
There were times when Baird was certain the filly understood what was going on around her. He shook his head to clear it of such foolish thoughts. Horses didn't think about anything but oats and grass.
All through breakfast Alede kept up a light conversation about the events around the village. Baird loved people and being shut in his house for so many weeks had been difficult. Alede had sensed this early on and made a point of bringing him the news each day.
"Now," she said as she cleared the table, "let me get the water started for the dishes and then lets see about taking off that splint for a few hours."
"Do ya think it's healed enough?" he asked urgently.
"We'll see," she answered laughing a little at his impatience. Setting the big kettle on top of the stove, Alede bent over and opened the door of the firebox to add more wood. Because Baird was looking down at his leg, he didn't see what happened. But he thought that Alede flicked her heavy braid over her shoulder to get it out of the way and caught her fingers in her necklace.
All he heard was her panicked gasp and looked up in time to see her reach into the flames and pluck the necklace out.
"Alede!"
Her face was white as she stood up and she clutched her hand to her chest, breathing hard.
"Alede, are ya alright?" Baird stumbled to his feet and clumped over to her. "Have ya burned yourself?"
"Yes, actually I did," she said shakily and Baird could hear the pain in her voice.
"Well, goodness lass. Sit down and I'll fetch some butter for ya."
"No, butter isn't good for it. Thank you anyway." She seemed to recover herself and set the necklace down on the table. "I'll take care of it. Sit down."
He watched with concern as she rinsed her hand off with cool water and then went to the cupboard for some of her outlandish smelling ointment.
"That was a foolish thing tae do," he scolded, fingering the delicate necklace. "That little fire wouldna melted this. Its good quality gold."
"Maybe not." Alede returned to the table, two of her fingers wrapped with thin strips of cloth. "But it might have caused what's inside to burn up."
"Ahh, it's a locket then." Because he was looking down, he did not notice Alede stiffen when he popped the tiny lid open. Three long silver gold hairs lay coiled within. Baird looked up, puzzled. "Your sister's?" he asked. The hair was too pale to be Alede's.
"No," she whispered taking it from him and closing the little lid. She slipped it reverently into her pocket. "Its." he watched her swallow hard, as if she were about to cry, "it was given to me by a friend."
"Well." Baird wasn't sure what to say. He didn't see why a friend's locket would make her cry, but if it was that important. "I think I can fix it. It was just a broken link."
"Really?" Alede asked, her eyes focusing on him once again. "Could you?"
"Aye," Baird's chest swelled a bit as she gazed at him so beseechingly, "fixin' metal is my trade ya know. Now if you'd just fetch me my toolbox. Normally I'd leave this tae the clockmaker, 'cause he's got clever fingers for such small work. But I think I've got the tools tae fix this."
Alede set the toolbox in front of him and then fetched a lantern to the table as well, hovering anxiously over his shoulder as he worked.
"There ya be," Baird said holding it up after several moments. "Good as new."
"Oh thank you!" Alede cried, fastening it back around her neck. "Thank you so much!" Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. Baird was glad when she turned away to start the washing up so that she wouldn't see his blush of pleasure.
Aye, he thought happily. *She fancies me.*
~ ~ ~
A/N: Don't be too sure Baird! The action starts in chapter 5 "Call of the Sea". You didn't forget about the "Trader" did you? ;)