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Stigend looked insecure and reluctant to give any advice on courting. But Garstan decided there was no way out for him.
“Okay guys, just a few more planks to go and we have finished this, then we’ll have ample time for Stigend to tell his story. Would you Balvir go and get us some ale? It sure isn’t an errand for Erbrand…” He gave a pause and smiled widely. “We’ll get this done while you’re on your way.”
Garstan punched Stigend lightly on the shoulder. “C’mon mate, you’ve promised to tell me that part of the story like ten times. Isn’t this the perfect time for it, weddings and all?”
Stigend sighed heavily and shrugged. “Okay then… but I’m afraid it won’t help you Erbrand.”
The platform was soon finished and the men sat on it sharing the ales Balvir had brought them from the kitchens. It had taken him some arguing with Kara, but after she had heard what they had been doing – and that they would be sharing a love-story on this wedding-day – she had finally agreed that they both had earned and needed their ales. It was time for Stigend to tell his story.
Erbrand looked particularly worried, like he was thinking what had Balvir actually told Kara about the topics they would discuss. Garstan couldn’t help noticing it but remained tactfully silent.
Stigend took a deep draught of the ale and began.
“Some of you know part of the story already so I’ll keep those parts short. Modtryth is a daughter of an Eorling lord and a Dunleding servant-girl. She has the pride of an Eorling and the stubborness of a Dunleding…” Stigend shook his head smiling slightly. Garstan nodded knowingly.
“Anyway… I had my troubles in my youth like we all had. I ran away from my family and joined the militia when I was sixteen. I was trained to be a man-at-arms, a spearman to be more precise. But I never got used to the discipline and the hierarchical system and came back.”
Stigend took another draught and looked at the men around him. “I took to my father’s trade then, carpentry. But only then I actually realised Modtryth’s presence in the village. I had known there was a mysterious half-Dunleding in our village but I had been younger then and she had been like a child as well. But while I had been a way I had kind of become a man… and she had become a woman. But she was a Dunleding-woman for the villagers. A Dunleding meant war, filth and treachery back in my village. A Dunleding was spelled either ‘enemy’ or ‘slave’ back there. Well you can see it. Our village was in the Westfold, near the Fords of Isen… so the people had their reasons to hate those people. I only understand it now with calm reason. But those times… oh, those times I thought it was petty, malicious and unjustified witch-hunt whose target was a totally innocent… and beautiful girl. Indeed the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. And what made me fall in love with her in the end were her guts… Even as scolded, beaten and harassed she kept her pride, like there was no force to break her.” Stigend fell down to his thoughts for a moment but then raised his head up again and took a sip from his pint.
“So? How did it go?”, Balvir asked.
“Well, there were these two ruffians, Thanneth and Melden, both sons of wealthy farmers in our village. And they had decided to have their fun with her, violently. But I happened to catch them before they had done anything else but beaten her… I did beat the two black and blue with a hay pole…”
“Wooo, a hero defending a good lady in trouble!” Garstan smiled and raised his pint. “To our hero!”, he toasted and smiled even wider.
“Well, that wasn’t so heroic... They were just slackers who only had courage to tease those weaker than themselves, preferably two against one… and I had military training, remember.”
It looked like Stigend felt very much relieved after finally telling that part of his story with Modtryth. Garstan wondered to himself why it had been so hard for him to tell the story in the first place. It was a story of courage and love after all. He would ask Stigend about it later.
“And then?”, Balvir was clearly excited and even Erbrand and Lithor looked keen on hearing the rest.
“Hmm…” Stigend took another long draught and almost laughed. “Well, I did learn that Dunledings – half-Dunledings at least – are quite quick with their passion”. He winked an eye to Garstan and all bursted into a knowing laughter shared by men in so many occasions.
But Stigend soon got more serious again. “But I was probably the first Eorling who had treated her as a human being worthy of being saved from harassment… Others would have just looked on or turned their heads away had they dropped in while Thanneth and Melden were having their fun.”
Balvir was quick to lighten up the situation again. “Like you said Stigend, you Erbrand should not try to do what he did. I suggest you do not go bruising people to prove your love to Kara…”
“Like he hadn’t tried that already!” Garstan put in. And they all laughed so much that tears ran from their eyes. Only Garstan wondered whether Stigend’s tears were solely due to laughter.
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