Now Hild had not intended to be at all nosy about Thane Averel’s coming and going. She had thought in the past few weeks that surely he would return to Bancross soon, as he did every year at around this time. The village had prepared well for the leaner months, but she was finding herself eyeing some of her supplies in the Roaring Dragon a touch wistfully. The vegetable stores in the lower cellar were quite depleted, though there was enough pickled cabbage and beet in the room at the back of the house to last another month or more. There was smoked pork and salted venison. She had four fattened geese still. She had a reasonable stock of dried berries, nuts and seeds. But her stock-in-trade mutton was running low, and there was almost no salted boar left.
When would Averel be back to set up the yearly boar hunt? Folk relied on the event to carry them through to the spring. And she, along with a few others, usually made a good amount of coin travelling out with the hunting party to supply them with food and ale after their hard days work.
So when she saw him riding down from his house, an armoured guard at his side, she wondered what she had missed?
It was just past midday, and she was heading to Northgyth’s to order some extra eggs for the following week.
And Averel rode straight past her on his sable warhorse, with not so much as a by or leave or slight nod of his head. His expression was firm set. A little haughty, aye, but closed off in his own thoughts, as was not usual for him. For Bema’s sake, he knew her… and he rode right past her best curtsy.
Hild stood back, as his companion almost rode into her. “Off the path, woman.”
And that was it. She stood and watched as the pair rode into the Garrison, and out of her sight.
‘Well that doesn’t look promising’, she thought to herself. ‘I only hope Captain Denholm doesn’t let him get away with any nonsense.’
Feeling a little put out, but also with her curiosity piqued, (for though Hild was a reformed woman since Yule, she was still a bit of a gossip) she headed swiftly to the store, fighting with her skirt to keep the edges from the remaining mudded slush.
As she pushed open the wooden door, she could see that Ymma was finishing serving one of the women from the north farms, someone Hild rarely saw in the south of the hamlet.
“I am sorry I could not be of more help there, Whitberg. We do not usually carry large supplies of onions. I am a little surprised Cwennwyn couldn’t help you out. The market is much better stocked than we are.”
“It’s been a hard winter.” the woman, Whitberg, replied, taking her purchase and wrapping up the bunch of onions in a spare shawl she had brought. “And it’s not over yet. These will at least add more flavour to the pottage this month.”
With a nod of thanks to Ymma, and a general nod of acknowledgement to Hild, the woman left the building. Her slow walk, and lowered shoulders suggested she was rather tired from her onion hunt.
Hild turned her attention to the kindly and helpful Ymma.
“Folk are running low on supplies?”
Ymma shook her head, then blew back a long lock of wavy hair that had fallen over her face. “Possibly Waelden and Yllfa are, with trying to feed that daughter of theirs” she said with a hint of a grin. “Perhaps you have a similar issue with Brona?”
Hild did her best stare, but Ymma shook her head again. Her tolerant, solid nature was not one to be intimidated by any stare. “Some folk were less prepared than others. They may need to ration food in the coming days… but we will all help each other out as best we can. It does seem that little is coming through from the outlying farms, or from Edoras at the moment. We will manage.”
“We need the boar hunt, Ymma. You know that as well as I do. What is Averel playing at, leaving it this late? And now he looks like he is having a word with the Captain down at the Garrison. They are never involved in the hunt, apart from one or two scouts.” Hild spoke swiftly, in her need to inform. She looked over at the large wicker egg basket on the floor in a fleeting distraction by her original purpose in visiting the store.
“And I need to order at least three dozen eggs for next week.”
“We should be able to meet that order, Hild. I will have one of the lads bring them up on the first day of the week.”
“I mean, I will help others where I can, but I have to make a living.” Hild continued. “And there is an extra mouth to feed now Paega is back with… us.”
The kindly Ymma just smiled. Most of the village had seen Hild’s husband, Paega, about the place recently. Those who were interested were generally pleased at the development.
“He will find work soon, apart from helping me out,” Hild rambled on a moment, before returning to the matter of the Thane. “Paega would make a good scout for the hunt!”
With a deep sigh that echoed through the small room, Ymma gave news Hild had not wanted to hear. “Thane Averel and his guard rode into Bancross at first light. He rode straight to his house, I am reliably informed by the lad who followed him up past the orchard. He spoke to none. The boy said he could hear arguing from inside the house, though only Averel was inside, and fled rather than be caught up in something that did not concern him. The boy is wise. But I suspect… well, something is amiss. Maybe Denholm can sort it out?”
“Nothing… serious?” Hild sought reassurance. “Nothing to do with those ruffians my daughter saw a few days ago? They are still here I believe.”
“Hild, I know little about those men who rode in recently. But something tells me Averel will not be staying his usual month this time.” Ymma said gently. “And I don’t think he will hold a boar hunt this year. We in Bancross will need fend for ourselves.”
