Intertwined Book One

Aftermath

Beth turned around facing Master Dudlow. “How do you get back to normal after this?”

Master Dillon just laughed. “Hang around a little longer and you shall see some magic tonight.”

Beth looked doubtful.

“Why don’t you go help my wife rummage around the house. She’s hoping to find some things that were spared by the storm. Besides I don’t want you alone. Dillon and I have to go and check the fields, I just hope it isn’t has bad as the house.”

Dillon plodded through the fields with Master Dudlow. The ground was wet and in some places the soil had turned to mud. After getting stuck in a deep patch of mud and nearly losing his boot, Dillon tread more carefully on the field. The field. Half the field was washed out, but Master Dudlow said nothing. They went to the other two fields they had worked on and found one had debris from other neighbors strewn all about it. Somehow the third field was untouched even the soil was not heavily drenched. A tear left Master Dillon’s eye.

“Miracles do happen. Lets check on the hen house.”

There was no hen house, it was flattened and signs of crushed eggs could be seen. There was clucking from behind the barn and they went to check it out. All the hens had managed to find safety behind the barn and they were happily scratching the earth for something to eat. Even the geese were accounted for. The geese found a large puddle that they soaked themselves in.

“Lets get these critters into the barn.”

The next hour they spent chasing chickens and trying to catch them. They were not happy when they were being held and Dillon suffered some scratches from claws and small bruises from chickens pecking his hands. By the end of it he was exhausted and sweaty. The geese were not much of a problem. They just followed Master Dudlow into the barn as if he were their leader. With the extra noise in the barn from the birds it seemed that silhouette was displeased. Dillon had never seen a horse express get me out of here in it’s eyes before. He gave Silhouette a rub down and fed him some hay. He then took the horse out of the barn and let him run.

Silhouette ran in circles around the field, his head held up high, The tail and mane streaming behind him. Dillon could tell that this horse was strong despite the abuse wrought all over him. Eventually silhouette stopped running and trotted to Beth. The horse pulled on the hem of Beth's blouse with its teeth. Beth who was facing the other way searching for things under the fallen house jumped up and turned around. When she noticed it was the horse she gleefully grabbed its large neck and hugged him.

Dillon wished he was the horse at that moment. He shook his head of the stupid notion. He did not want attention from a girl who could change temperaments in a flash. All he will do for her is see her safe then he’ll be off. There was no point going to the church and he decided he would go search for his brother.

Evening came and they ate some raw roots from the cellar. Master Dudlow was away for a couple of hours. When he got back he had a big grin on his face.

Missus Dudlow shared his grin. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes tommorow.”

Dillon was curious and couldn’t help but ask. “What’s happening tomorrow?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Missus Dillon pulled on her apron. “How does everyone else fare?”

“Not much better than us, at least the mill was spared. Apparently some of the lower quarter inside the city was destroyed.But that was about it. Some other farmers were untouched, but Barnab lost his herd.”

Beth gasped.

Master Dudlow looked at Beth. “Do you know the man?”

“No, no. What will he do?”

“I’m not sure, the queen was hard on him with a previous judgment. I just hope she takes pity on poor Barnab. I have no idea how he is going to make a lively hood, now that his cattle is gone.”

“I hope so too, Master Dudlow.”

When night came they took refuge in the Barn. It was not the most comfortable of lodgings. They had to make due with hay for their mattress, Beth didn’t look to pleased about lying in the hay and she gingerly examined each piece of straw before lying down it.

Dillon wondered why even a chambermaid would fuss over something like that, she may have worked in the castle, but she wasn’t highborn and was surely exposed to the common things that normal folk did to survive. It was as if she were acting as a princess. Dillon sputtered out a laugh and Beth gave him a dirty look. Thinking of Beth as a princess brightened up his mood. A princess would be more regal and certainly would not lash out verbally to someone. There was no way Beth could fit the profile of royalty. Dillon turned on his side a smile on his face. Pulling some hay over his body he tried to gain some extra warmth. Sleep was hard to come by with he sounds of the chickens and geese, but eventually the world darkened around him.

Master Dudlow woke Dillon up, the woman were still asleep and he didn’t bother waking them. Master Dillon held a lantern in his hand.

“Where are we going?”

Master Dudlow placed a finger over his mouth and continued walking. Dillon followed Master Dudlow off the farm after five minutes of walking in the dark, he was led to another farm. The barn was collapsed but the house was in good repair. A group of men carrying tools stood around a fire.

“Dudlow, your late.”

“Couldn’t be helped Orson, didn’t want to wake the wife, brought some extra hands with me though.”

“Is he useful?”

“Very much, he’s been helping me around the farm. He’s a good lad and stronger than he looks.”

Orson, was a large blond man with short blond hair. His muscles bulged and he carried a large hammer over his shoulders. He wore a smock and despite the morning chill he had rolled up sleeves.

“Don’t be scared of Orson, he’s the smith around here and though he carries a large hammer he only uses it to beat iron into shape. He’s one of the gentlest men around. I’ve even seen him carry a feild mouse caught in a trap to meadow instead of killing it.”

Orson laughed. “Don’t believe everything you hear, I fed it to the cat.”

Master Dudlow winked. “Sure you did.” The group of men laughed and some slapped Orson’s back. Dillon let me present you to some of the best men I have known most of my life. The man dressed in overalls is Sam, he’s the miller, we couldn’t do with out him. Sam nodded his head. Beside him we have mire the cooper. He may be short and skinny, but don’t let his size fool you. Ive seen him juggle barrels.

“He’s good at juggling woman too.” Someone shouted. The men roared Orson put his hand on Mire’s shoulders. Oh I think his juggling days are over. Ive seen Harriot pining over him and chasing other woman away. Mire’s shoulders drooped.

“The two men just behind Mire are Chad and Claude, twins as you can see. They are the Brewster's, they just took over the business from their mother, somehow the ale has become more potent and they get many a nasty knock on the door from some of our wives.”

Chad shook his head. “Not just the door, they’ve been knocking on her heads too.”

The bald man on the end, that’s Bradon. Doesn’t talk much but he swings and axe like it was a feather and fells a tree like it were a stick.” He saluted Dillon with two fingers to the head.

“Boys this s Dillon, a friend of the family.”

He was welcomed with shakes of the hand and slaps on his back.

“So when are the rest of our help arriving?”

Orson looked down the road. “Give it a few. Many are still getting up. We should see them arriving shortly.”