"Thank ye kindly."
He had sat there for a good few hours with no help in sight until a lone, older woman with a cane came walking up the road; most likely heading for the homesteads. He made a call out to her and to his relief, she was not hard of hearing.
The woman came over and she aided him to his feet, questioning what had happened and he told her truthfully. The woman offered her sympathies along with the cane to help support him when she found out his foot was too sore to step on. He, in turn, extended his arm for the woman to grab and the two made their way to the homesteads together.
The two took to talking as they walked and he learned her name was Sofia Butcher, a widow of two years, and as he had guessed she was on her way to meet family for a celebratory feast. She asked if he was married and he shook his head. She asked why and he answered that he had not found any woman to court. Again she asked why. He told her that it was hard these days with all the exotic men from the south coming up north. She chuckled at that and admitted that even she had turned her head at some fair-haired men as they walked by.
The two laughed and talked further until it came time to part at the gate to his home. She asked if he had family to visit and despite not wanting to lie to the woman, he knew what she was about to offer. He told her that he was indeed visiting family and again thanked for her help.
The cane was returned and the two exchanged their farewells and good wishes. He watched the woman and smiled, waiting for her to be out of sight before hopping his way inside and avoiding being knocked over by the worried dogs that surrounded him.
He sat down at the table and on it he noticed a letter waited, someone had visited while he was away and a person friendly enough that the dogs allowed them to pass.
The letter was read and he smiled. Maybe the Yule feast was not completely lost. The only problem now was to prepare the house and get himself cleaned and with only one good foot to use it wasn't an easy task. However, as he went about his business he wondered if he would hire a helper until his leg would heal. He'd have to remember to write up a letter to pin on the board in town.
