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[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

The third day of the full Anthesterion (Saturday, February 27th)

A cool day yesterday was, but despite the louring sky we stood under it clad in our finery and embraced one another, for we welcomed into our midst a new member. Better it would be to have baptised her under a spring sun, in an orchard blooming, or at harvest time under trees ripe with fruit, but we did what we could to make it joyous. Dried fruit we shared, and winter apples stored in the cold, sweet and fresh as the day they were plucked. She put off her old name and took on a new - Halie, after one of the Nereids.

Came into town I did early today to visit the market, and as I approached the place I saw the first flurry of snowflakes come down. I buy what I need, and I should hurry home, but the snow does not seem to be falling faster - same steady whiteness - and so I decide a warm drink and a meal after time browsing and bartering would be best. So I take myself to the cafe, and I ask for whatever is hot and ready. A slice of chicken pie I get, crust puffed and steaming, vegetables on the side, and hot cider. Good food for a cold day.

[OPEN]

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[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

I've seen this older woman in town before. She came in with a group /a people from down south, and word's come about that they're in from Ladon, come t'spread the word of their religion.

I suppose they've a right to, but it's never sat easy with any 'v us, those folks worshippin' a serpent. I order my coffee, which Kate's got me drinkin', and a slice 'a chicken pie with pale gravy flowin' down the sides, and sit myself down near her.

"Good afternoon," I greet her, noddin'. "You're new 'round Excolo, right?" I offer my hand, focusin' a bit. "My name's Tess - I work at the apothecary."

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

A good looking girl comes in, all defiant features and long hair. Once upon a time... It makes me smile to myself, remembering. Opposite me she sits, offering her hand.

"Pleased I am to meet you, Tess," I say, shaking her hand. "You can call me Polly. An apothecary's assistant? A good line of work. A trader I am, and also leader of a new church. A cold day, is it not?"

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

"Pleased I am to meet you, Tess," she replies, shakin' my hand. There's no real whisper 'a power there, though without my charms I can't tell for sure. "You can call me Polly. An apothecary's assistant? A good line of work. A trader I am, and also leader of a new church. A cold day, is it not?"

I nod. She speaks quickly and easily, and I suppose she must be good with words to lead her church. "It is," I tell her, "though my employer ain't exactly a mentor sort 'a man." I doubt anyone's told her 'a Bluebeard, but bein' as he dunt do much in the shop I dunt really need t'warn her.

"What d'you trade?" I ask her. "There ain't many churchs as produce their own goods."

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

"It is, though my employer ain't exactly a mentor sort 'a man."

She has no affection for her master, I see.

"A shame, that is," I say, "though I suppose then you teach yourself. There are worse things." I smile and eat a forkful of pie. "This is good," I say.

"What d'you trade? There ain't many churchs as produce their own goods."

"Ah," I say, "that is not as true as you might think. Many churches I have seen are quite self-sufficient. And does not your own abbey have a loom and a brewery? So I hear." I smile. "My church is small at this moment, and so too is our trade. But we have an orchard, which I hope will serve us well. For now I barter goods we brought with us to buy the essentials we need." I take a swallow of cider. "You are from here, I think," I say, "by your voice and dress. Does it suit you, then, the town?"

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

""A shame, that is," she responds, "though I suppose then you teach yourself. There are worse things." Dunt seem inclined t'call me disloyal 'r nothin', and she just smiles and eats 'a her food. "This is good."

"Tulzcha does good food," I reply quick. "Sometimes it's even better 'n home made, 'cept fer my ma's Christmas pies." Dint enjoy it so much this year though, and the memory 'a this Christmas makes me shiver. I take a sip 'a coffee t'cover it.

"Most churches as trade though dunt move 'round much," I tell her. Dunt see why they had t'come up here. It ain't like we dunt got 'nough fer those as ain't satisfied with Nanshe 'n the new church, and we did fine 'afore that too.

"You are from here, I think, by your voice and dress. Does it suit you, then, the town?"

I shrug. "It has to," I answer. "I'm from out on the farms, but I dunt think I'll be goin' back no more." Not 'f things dunt change, anyways.

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes it's even better 'n home made, 'cept fer my ma's Christmas pies."

A happy thought it is, but something passes over her face... Discomfort with family, perhaps.

"Most churches as trade though dunt move 'round much," she says, and I smile.

"Right you are, Tess. We are a very new church," I say, "an offshoot of an older church, but we have found a new path, and it has brought us here."

"It has to. I'm from out on the farms, but I dunt think I'll be goin' back no more."

Yes, family trouble, I think. But here we have an interesting prospect: a girl estranged from her family, perhaps in need of comfort - she might be open to learning.

"The world is wide," I say. "There is no has to for any one place, I have learned. But if stay here you must, you must make the best of it, I suppose." I sip my drink. "Do you live alone? I have seen that is done here, though it was not common in Ladon, from whence I come."

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

She glosses over their reason for comin' here, but I figure she must mean they got kicked out over some argument 'r other. I dunt know 'nough 'bout Ladon t'figure what it must 'a bin, but it dunt make me any less wary.

"But if stay here you must, you must make the best of it, I suppose. Do you live alone? I have seen that is done here, though it was not common in Ladon, from whence I come."

I lift my eyebrows. "There's some folks as do, though they're mostly travellers who've ended up stayin'." I take a sip 'a my coffee and meet her gaze, 'cause you can't always tell. "I live with my - my sweetheart, Kate O'Hara, as runs the General Store."

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

My smile lifts up at what she says, though of course it's a waste for girls of their age not to be out trying to have children. But in my heart I sympathise with them.

"I've met her briefly, she's a fine woman," I say warmly. "And does the town treat you well on that score? I have seen places where they are not so friendly about that." I eat more of my pie. "And what do you make of this recent hanging? A horrible set of crimes it seemed the man was guilty of."

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

I wasn't expecting her to smile at me. "I've met her briefly, she's a fine woman. And does the town treat you well on that score? I have seen places where they are not so friendly about that."

She seems sincere, too. "She is," I say with a smile, looking past Madame Polly in the direction of the Store. "And the town - well, there's bin some trouble, but nothin' bad and nothin' official. My brother's had it worse 'n me." She must have heard about some 'a the fights and such of late.

"And what do you make of this recent hanging?" she asks, taking a bit of her pie. "A horrible set of crimes it seemed the man was guilty of."

I nod slow. "Yeah, well, even 'f I know some good folk from the Carnival, that sort does show up when folks like they come t'town." I frown. "He's best dead - we've enough troubles without worryin' 'bout men." I add quick "'A that sort."

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

"And the town - well, there's bin some trouble, but nothin' bad and nothin' official. My brother's had it worse 'n me."

"Sorry I am to hear that," I say. I wonder if she means he suffered on her behalf, or in his own right. "In my church," I say, "we see it as a duty to bear children if we may; but that does not preclude having relations with the same sex. And I have always preferred women, myself." I smile.

"Yeah, well, even 'f I know some good folk from the Carnival, that sort does show up when folks like they come t'town." I frown. "He's best dead - we've enough troubles without worryin' 'bout men.'A that sort."

"Aye," I say. "We'd have executed him in Ladon, too. Though we prefer burning to hanging." I say it mildly, and continue eating my pie. "The town seems prosperous, that aside," I say. "I hear it was not always thus."

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

"Sorry I am to hear that," she says in her strange way of speakin'. "In my church, we see it as a duty to bear children if we may," and my nose wrinkles at that though she continues "but that does not preclude having relations with the same sex. And I have always preferred women, myself." She smiles at me, and I do warm to her a bit, despite my wariness. "They're more comfortable t'be 'round," I say, though thinkin' 'a Glass I know it ain't always true.

"Aye, we'd have executed him in Ladon, too." I nod, glad 'v it. "Though we prefer burning to hanging." She says it casually, but my eyes go wide. I stop myself from exclaimin', but it's barbaric. Hangin' ain't much better, sure, but it's quicker.

My lips must be tight 'cause she changes the topic. "The town seems prosperous, that aside. I hear it was not always thus." I shrug. "We've always done well, with the wind farm 'n all. But yeah, the past year's brought more people," I admit. "And it seems more folks are comin' in off the farms too. It ain't necessarily a good thing though," I add. "There's more bad folk, and more murders and such too 'a late."

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

Shocked she is by my talk of fire, but fire is purifying. There's no greater truth in a noose.

"We've always done well, with the wind farm 'n all. But yeah, the past year's brought more people. And it seems more folks are comin' in off the farms too. It ain't necessarily a good thing though. There's more bad folk, and more murders and such too 'a late."

"Change brings both good and bad," I say. "It is always this way. But there seem to be decent people here. Are you a member of the church of Nanshe?"

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

"Change brings both good and bad," she says, and I have t'not roll my eyes 'cause that's the sort 'a thing older folks always say, 'cause it can't be wrong. "It is always this way. But there seem to be decent people here. Are you a member of the church of Nanshe?"

I shake my head. "No. They're good folks, and they deal well with the town, but 'sides my brother Billy my family 'r Christian." I wonder how she feels on that. Ladon worships a dragon 'r serpent 'r somethin', and while I dunt know how they do it, 'tween that 'n burnin' folks and makin' it a religious duty t'have children I dunt like what I do know.

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

"No. They're good folks, and they deal well with the town, but 'sides my brother Billy my family 'r Christian."

"I see that there is a Jesus church here," I say. "tI have heard of the man. And so your brother is an apostate? Cause it your family much discord?" I ask, interested. "Similarities of doctrine there are not many between your church and mine, but I believe we both value community and family."

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

"I see that there is a Jesus church here," she observes, and I nod. "Yeah, but it's pretty new. There weren't so many 'v us 'till late." I guess it's part 'a her bein' her group's leader when she asks And so your brother is an apostate? Cause it your family much discord?" Her way of speaking still stands out, even with the new people. "Similarities of doctrine there are not many between your church and mine, but I believe we both value community and family."

My back stiffens. "He's still my brother," I tell her, my voice cooling. "And no matter what the rest 'v 'em might think, you dunt toss your family over just 'cause you dunt approve 'a their choices." I press my lips together hard, tryin' not t'snap more.

"It was nice t'meet you, Mrs. Polly. I'm sure I shall see you about."

[pollyladon.livejournal.com]

"And no matter what the rest 'v 'em might think, you dunt toss your family over just 'cause you dunt approve 'a their choices."

"That depends, I warrant, on how dangerous their choices are." Some things are even more important than family.

"It was nice t'meet you, Mrs. Polly. I'm sure I shall see you about."

"No man or woman's wife am I," I say with a little smile. "Marriage we do not have in my church. If you'll not call me Polly alone, my title is Mother. Journey home safely."

[tess-thiess.livejournal.com]

"Have a nice day then, Polly," I reply.

She dunt move easy, but I suppose lots 'v older folks are like that. I feel like she's watchin' me as I leave the cafe and turn up main, t'go see Kate. I ain't sure what t'make 'v her, and I think I'll need t'learn more 'bout these folks as worship serpents, no matter how nice they act.