Sunday Snippet: Fawsetwood Fathers
Today being Father’s Day and all, I thought I should say something about the fathers in Fawsetwood. Elspet and Alec grow up not knowing who their father is. That is a constant irritant to Elspet who cannot figure out who from all the possible candidates sired her. She and her Fairborn brother are progeny of the Great Priestess Elisabeth. Asking who fathered Fairborn children is considered bad form. They are the children of all the witches, cared and raised by their mothers for the greatest and highest good. The other younger men all are married with children. They all teach all the children what they know. If the youngsters are with George and Andrew, they learn farming, how to read the plants’ health and harvest before the rain.. If they are with Arlie, they learn smithing. Arlie and Andrew both stand as great priests. They teach how to find the power of the earth and bring it through the body, how to read the signs in nature, how to Hear and See what people aren’t saying. Harry is responsible for animal husbandry. They learn how to herd and quiet the farm animals, and wordlessly draw them close. Quiet and respect them when they are harvested for food and hides. Then there is Evan the Bard. He drops by as often as he can. He is a musician, a stage magician, storyteller and father to Alain. The Fairborn Alain didn’t know that until he moved to Fawsetwood, but they are so alike there was no denying it and no need to ask.
When the young boy Grant was brought to Fawsetwood by Evan, no one seemed to know why, but the truth of it made Margot cry. No one explained that either. However, Grant and Andrew’s son David are around 4 and 6, close enough be friends, so they spend the first few days playing together by the beck. I’ll let Alain tell it.
“Evan sat with me that first week though. He seemed to enjoy their frolicking around like little pups. Sometimes he would run around the yard with them and awe them with magic tricks as he had me the first time I saw him. Sometimes I ran with them, though I more often watched. Once in the late afternoon we sat with our backs to the sun watching the boys build mottes and baileys with small stones.
“I be sorry, Alain, that I dinnae see yer like this with yer brother. I’ve missed a piece of life being who I be. I want yer ta ken I love yer, an’ I think about yer even when I be no' here." He was lookin’ straight ahead, as if he might deny what he said if I told him ta bugger off.
“Yer do? I be glad ta hear it, Da, fer sometimes I be awful lonesome. I love me family here, but tis no’ th’ same. I be no’ their blood an’ they be no’ mine.”
“Then come with me, lad. We can ride up an’ down the length of England singin’ an’ makin’ music an’ teasin’ th’ lassies. Tis a great life ta see th’ King, th’ nobles an’ ta match wits with ‘em when they think yer have none. Truth be told, they be th’ men of slow wit! Or I’d no’ get th’ better of’ them." He slapped my shoulder, delighted with his inspiration. I could see us roaming all over, following our noses and fending for ourselves in an uncertain world that rewarded talent and punished it by the same hand on different days. It seemed a risky business, but that was why Evan liked it. It was also why I would not.
“Nae, Da. I came ta learn th’ magic, an’ I’ve no’ learnt it all yet." I spoke earnestly. Evan snorted.
“Nor will yer, lad. Nor will yer. There be too mickle magic fer a man ta learn in a lifetime. But if yer’ve a mind ta try, I’ll understand. Still, yer can come with me when yer wish. If things gar gammy, then yer can bail an’ ride with me." I nodded and said I’d remember that, though in those days I could not guess how much could change and go bad in the space of a month or tyan.”
That Evan is also a spy for various nobles is not made clear at anytime, but traveling the road with him is a risky business for sure. Alain made the right choice. He has good common sense.