Chapter Text
They were three-quarters done with the Circuit. This was the closest to the border that they got, and due to the insular nature of the Holderkin who lived in these parts, they had barely met with the Elders last time, and only long enough to pass on news and new laws, and gather the required tax information.
This time, however, was different, as it was winter, and raiders had decided to cross the border over from Karse as they often did. And so, Gerick and his two interns, Kris and Dirk, found themselves performing the one function that most Holderkin found acceptable for Heralds, and that was helping to fight the raiders off.
Once the raiders were killed off, with the Holder injured, Gerick offered his interns’ services, as well as his own, to help with the rest of the chores for the day. “I’ll admit Kris is a noble and knows little to nothing about what to do on a farm, so he’s probably useless, but Dirk and I are both border bred, ourselves, and both of us grew up on farms.”
“Then the noble boy can help my sons burn the bodies of the dead raiders,” the Holder said. “If you and the other one know what needs doing on a farm, I suppose I won’t turn away a little help while I’m down to one arm. You can help with the horses, and the other one can chop some wood.”
Gerick nodded and gave the orders to his interns before following the Holder to his stables. “You’ve got a good eye for horse flesh,” he said.
“I thank you, Herald. These horses are my pride. They say some noble family up north knows their horses best. I say I can outbreed them.”
~~~~~~~
Dirk, meanwhile, headed over to the wood pile and started chopping away. He was tired from the fight, but as he knew farm chores wouldn’t stop just because he was tired, and it was a good opportunity to gain trust for Heralds among the Holderkin. He was pondering this point when he was startled from his thinking by a young girl coming out to the wood pile. When she saw him, she turned around and immediately made to run away. He caught her hand. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The girl looked up at him, brown eyes wide. “Please, sir, I just…I need to get some wood, and…and…if I’m caught talking to a man who isn’t a relative…”
Dirk wasn’t sure what she meant about talking to a man, but he could at least help her with the wood. He nodded to her to show he understood she just wanted to fetch wood. “Let me help you.” He bent down, picking up several pieces of already chopped wood, and let the girl take as many as she felt she could take. Then he loaded up again, and walked with her into the kitchens.
There, they were greeted by a loud yell of “Talia Grace Sensdaughter!” The woman who had called out the girl’s name approached, a scowl on her face. “Drop your wood in the pile and then sit in that seat over there until your Honored Father gets here. You, too, Herald. You sit in that seat over there.”
Dirk was confused, but sat. He could see the fear on the girl’s--Talia’s-- face, and his protective instincts immediately kicked in. What had he done wrong? What had she done wrong? What kind of punishment was the poor girl expecting? For surely she was expecting something awful, she was shaking and looking at the floor as she waited for her father to appear.
“Please, Keldar,” Talia whispered, “he…”
“Not a word,” the woman--Kelder--hissed. She sent one of the other littles out after Sen. She remained silent, herself, then, as she went about cooking and preparing dinner, and Dirk got the impression that it was probably better to not try to defend himself against whatever this woman was accusing him of in her mind. But what on earth was she accusing him of?
After several long, agonizing minutes, the Holder Sen, and Gerick both arrived. “Well, Wife?” Sen asked. “What happened?”
“Your whore of a daughter,” Keldar said, “was alone with a male who wasn’t her relative, and it was the Herald over here.”
Dirk looked at Gerrick, neither one sure of what to say. But Dirk was starting to get an idea of how much trouble he and the girl were in.
“All I did was help her carry wood!” Dirk protested.
“Did you touch her?” Sen asked.
“I mean, I held her hand,” Dirk said truthfully.
Talia whimpered, earning her a slap from Keldar. “You were told to stay quiet,” the First Wife said.
“Let her speak,” Sen said, overruling his Wife. “Well, Daughter? What have you to say?”
“It…it’s exactly as the Herald said,” Talia said softly. “He took hold of my hand and spoke to me to reassure me that it was alright, and helped me to carry wood.”
“Very well,” Sen said. “There is only one way to handle this under our rules. Wife, get the ribbon.”
Keldar nodded and went up the stairs. Now Talia looked as confused as Dirk felt, though she still looked scared.
Gerick looked to Sen. “If I might ask, what’s the ribbon for?”
“To tie their left wrists together until rings can be brought,” Sen said. “I still have her mother’s ring. It will do for her. But a ring is needed for him. I will send my oldest son to the Elders to inform them of the situation and to record the marriage in the books of Talia Sensdaughter to…” he looked to Dirk. “What is your name, boy?”
“Dirk…” Dirk answered. “Dirk Ainsley.” He felt about ready to faint.
“Yes. The marriage of Talia Sensdaughter to Dirk Ainsley,” Sen said.
“Marriage?” Gerick asked. “Now hold on. Isn’t there another way to resolve this? It was just some help with the wood!”
“And hand-holding,” Sen said. “Such intimacy is only allowed between married couples among us.”
Talia was looking at Dirk as if he were her savior, though, and Dirk didn’t miss it. Damn. It would probably be better for the poor girl if he did marry her. They could always get a divorce or annulment in Haven. Dirk knew he couldn’t protest the marriage now, not when Talia had tried to warn him that they were breaking the rules and he hadn’t listened, and not when she was looking at him like that. He was starting to feel very protective of her. She was probably being abused here, and the worst part was that she was the only one they could legally take, because there was no evidence of abuse or any other wrongdoing, only a scared child who’d been caught breaking her religious community’s strict rules. He signaled to Garrick that it was alright, he would marry her.
“Alright,” Gerrick said, following Dirk’s lead. “You get her mother’s ring for her, and since my wife is dead and I don’t plan on taking another, I’ll give my ring to Dirk. Does that please you?”
At about this point, Keldar was arriving with the ribbon, and she was tying Talia’s wrist to Dirk’s. Sen nodded. “It will do. Wife, go and fetch Bessa’s ring. We’ll have them wed, and then the Heralds and Talia Dirkswife may be on their way.”
Keldar only nodded and went to fetch the ring as her husband said. Sen sent a little to fetch
Kris and his older sons, and as soon as Kris arrived, Gerick communicated to him, quickly and quietly, what was going on, and to just keep his damned mouth shut until they got to the waystation.
It was a good thing he did, too, because Kris looked very much like he wanted to say something along the lines of how amusing he found the situation.
Sen got out the Holderkin holy book and looked at Dirk. “Dirk Ainsley, do you swear to care for your new wife to the best of your abilities, and as she is your First Wife, do you swear to leave her in charge of all Underwives, the littles, and the household, unless something requires a decision only a man can make?”
“I swear it,” Dirk said.
“Talia Sensdaughter, as you become Talia Dirkswife, do you swear to obey your Honored Husband in all things, to care for his Hold, to lie with him whenever he desires it, and, as his First Wife, to take charge of all Underwives, littles, and the household, presenting to him all decisions fit only for a man to make and accept his as the final word in all things?”
“I swear it,” Talia said. Her voice was small, and she looked on the verge of tears.
“Then exchange rings,” Sen said, “and untie the ribbon, and know that the two of you are bound in matrimony for all time.”