"Where are we going?" I manage to blurt out, stumbling after the surprisingly nimble old women dragging me by one hand back down the streets of Kirkwall.
"We," She strides on with perfect posture, "are going to visit Alice."
"And who is Alice?"
"Alice, is every ladies dream, and every mans nightmare."
That can only mean one thing.
"Alice is the village tailor?"
"Of course my dear, who else would she be,"
"But I do not have any spare money to buy clothes with nor room in my bag for when we continue journeying." I reason.
"Nothing to fret over. Think of this more as a lending of clothes whilst you are here then at the end of your stay, if you are sure you don't want them, you can give them back to me."
The look on her face tells me not to argue with her. "If you are sure?"
"Of course I am sure, everybody dresses well for tomorrow, you will stand out like a sore thumb if you are not dressed well."
I decide to except my fate and I mean, dressing like my gender will be enjoyable to do again. My experience so far with wearing men's clothing has been surprisingly enlightening and makes me wonder why women are expected to do so much in a kirtle everyday when breeches make movement so much easier.
However that is not to say I don't enjoy wearing gowns, because I do.
"Would you tell me more about the festival, Killian only briefly mentioned it."
"I don't know what to do with that boy," She sighs, "of course I shall tell you, it all started many years ago, or so the legend goes."
We continue walking down the street, her words filling the air, immersing me in the legend of Swanhild.
"This is the story of an event that took place when my grandmother was only a young girl herself living in Kirkwall. The village back then was not as it is now, take a look around you," She says softly.
My gaze wanders over my surroundings, small streets bustling with life, smells of wondrous food wafting out of the occasional building and children weaving in and out of people playing chase.
"The village is alive and joyful," I breathe.
"Yes, but back then it was not. Come we are going down here," She suddenly drags me right and we go down a little secluded alley, above us are clothes strung out to dry.
"What did it used to be like?" I ask, curiosity eating away at me.
"I shall get to that, once we have talked to Alice," We turn down another alley and eventually come face to face with a door at which Gisela lifts her hand up and knocks sharply twice.
No answer.
"Alice? Are you in there?" Gisela calls out, giving me a 'be patient look.'
We here muffled movement and finally the door awkwardly swings open to reveal a middle aged lady gesturing for us to come in whilst holding a large piece of green material in her other hand.
"Good gracious Alice, are you okay?" Gisela asks as I follow them inside.
"Mmmhmmm," Alice holds up her hand and then points to her mouth and I suddenly realise she has a needle being held there.
She gestures for us to take a seat on some chairs and then waddles out the room.
"And that is Alice for you," Gisela leans in, whispering, "she never stops working that girl, always trying to make new and exciting things,"
"Ahhh," The more I take in the room, the more I realise how true this must be. Looms are scattered here and there, projects left midway done. Stacks of fabric lie in random piles and will is bundled up in a corner.
"Alice and her brother are the only tailors in town, so business is never low for them." Gisela explains, "Now where were we with the story?"
"Umm, you were saying how the village was not always like this."
"Ah yes, this village was once filled with terror and the people lived in fear. It was dark days..." She trails off.
"I can't even imagine that," I say in shock.
"Not many of us can, we have only known peace, but our ancestors didn't they knew only to fear the iron ruling fist of Tirynthius."
"Tirunthius?" Even the name sends shivers down my spine.
"Not of village born, but instead an outsider who came and preyed on our defenceless village and forced everyone to work for him and his men, if you went against his rule sever punishments would be inflicted."
I gulp, "So how did he get defeated? Did the villagers finally find strength and rise up together?"
"In a way yes," Gisela smiles knowingly, "their strength came in the form of a child, a baby found on the banks of the lake."
"Where did the baby come from?"
"And that remains a mystery to this day," Says Alice coming into the room, "I see you are telling this young lad our village's tale, but what brings you to my doorstep?"
Gisela stands, "This here in not actually a young lad, but a young lady in desperate need of your attention."
Alice's large eyes widen, "A lass under all that clothing! My, my, your figure is entirely hidden!" She walks around my chair, "I am used to the lasses here wearing more masculine clothing styles but this!" She waves her arms wildly, "Is purely a man's clothes alone, what happened to you lassy?"
"It is a long story," I tell her sheepishly.
"Well, I see my help is needed, are you looking for anything specific?"
I look over to Gisela unsure of what to say.
"She shall need an every day outfit, the usual smock and kirtle, as well as a gown for tomorrow," Gisela tells Alice.
"I will do my best." She turns away and goes over to a table and grabs a measuring tape, "Stand up lass, I need to take your measurements then I shall have a look at what I have stocked up."
I stand up and whilst she starts measuring Gisela continues the tale.
"As I was saying, the baby's origin was a mystery, but she was found and taken in by a village fishermen and his wife who lived just outside the village. They raised the child and she grew into a strong young women, fully of life and joy, her hair blonder then yours, so white it challenged the even the swans colour."
"Wow."
"As she grew older the fisherman and his wife realised that she was different to the other children, she aged quicker than normal but thankfully because they lived outside the village nobody witnessed the sight."
"Hold this," Alice whispers interrupting the story and passing me the tape measure to hold with one hand.
"When she reached around eighteen the fisherman and his wife couldn't stop the curiosity of the young lady from wanting to going into the village. They warned her over and over of the evil that lay there but she took no heed of their talk and one morning they found her bed empty."
"I shall pause you there for a second." Alice interrupts again, "You are lucky, I am almost certain that I have some clothes out back in your size, I shall be just a minute."
"Thank you," I smile up at her and she walks out, "so what happened?" I ask eagerly.
"The fisherman and his wife waited all day but it was only as the sun began to set did they see her figure running up their path, crying."
"Oh no,"
"Oh no indeed, the horror's that the girl saw were unspeakable of, but the determination in her eyes was what first caught the couples eyes. She ran straight past them, crying out only, "This has to end!" And then disappeared off down the path towards the lake."
I sit there in rapt silence.
"Moments past by and then the girl appeared again. At first the couple could not believe their eyes. Dressed in feathers as white as snow, a crown upon her head that twinkled in the sunlight, and in her hands a sword, that as legend says, had fire licking up it's blade."
"Wow."
"She marched right back to the village, the swans from the lake following on her heels."
"The swans followed her?"
"Yes, every single one of them and more."
My eyes feel so wide, "What happened next?"
"They say she marched straight into the village right up to Tirunthius and told him to leave and never come back. He laughed in her face, but she only drew her sword. Her purity overcame the darkness that was living in the village that night and freed the villages from it's clutches. Tirunthius and his followers were banished to the darkest parts of the mountains and told never to return."
"What happened to the girl?"
"Nobody knows. Some say she vanished into thin air, others say she lived out her days in the village," A twinkle lies in Gisela's eyes, "but my personal favourite is that she turned into a swan and swims the lake to this day." She takes a breath, "What the villagers did know for sure, is that the girl, the girl they named Swanhild, saved their lives and so every year, on the day of their freedom, they have a festival to celebrate her and the swans that blessed our village."
I'm speechless for a few seconds, I never would have thought that such a tale is tied to this tucked away village in the mountains.
"Tomorrow you shall witness our biggest celebration, and this is why we have to have you dressed well for the occasion. Our village goes all out for this, it is a celebration of love and courage." She explains and I finally understand the need for good clothes. It is part of how they honour Swanhild.
"Then I am much looking forward to seeing what Alice has for me." I say.
Gisela gives me a wrinkly grin, "She won't disappoint."
A/N:
Wow! I have had such a hectic week, been doing stuff non stop and blimey it is tiring!
I hope everyone had a good week!
Vote if you enjoyed :)
SouthernAlps other and out...