A cold and bright winters morning, three months ago, shortly after Cenwynne had returned from his journey a knock on the door to his workshop could be heard. Not being the kind of lazy man Cenwynne was already up and working on something when he was drawn to the knock so he went to open the door.
Upon opening the door he saw a woman standing there on the steps to his workshop, draped in furs and thick clothes.
"Can I help you miss?" he asked and the woman nodded and replied "Yes, my name is Wulfreda and I am looking for a master Cenwynne, I have heard he is a skilled carpenter." The wind gave away a slight breeze as she talked to him " And found him you have" Cenwynne replied and gestured for her to come inside into the warm workshop. The air inside was filled by the smell of freshly cut wood, wax and tar and such a carpenter needs in his work but it was warm. " I am setting up a mead hall and I am in need of interior work for it. I have heard you are one of the better carpenters on this side of the river Isen" Wulfreda said as they reached the main hall, which was filled with work tables and wood chips and much much more. Cenwynne nodded as they headed to the office. "So what kind of interior work you need me to do?" he asked her once they reached the office.
"I need benches and tables and decorations for the walls. It is to be looking like a mead hall from the Mark." she said to him. Sitting in his chair behind his desk, Cenwynne nodded and took up his ledger and looked through it "It is a lot of work and I need to buy materials for it..Its going to cost a lot of coins miss Wulfreda." Cenwynne said. "I have the coins..I will pay thirty gold coins in advance for you to buy the required materials." Wulfreda said. Cenwynne once again nodded " That sounds fair but it will cost forty gold coins in total." Wulfreda nodded and handed him a pouch of gold coins, thrity in the amount of them. And so Cenwynne wrote down the costs for the job in his ledger and lady Wulfreda made her way back out.
Now three months later, the mead hall with its newly made interior stood ready and Wulfreda smiled on her way back to Cenwynnes workshop to pay him the last ammount of coins they had agreed on. Inside the workshop Cenwynne stood by his workbench, working on a carving, rough in its shape still but what is was going to be was clear already, a horse with its rider on the back. Wulfreda makes her way towards him, boldly approaches the man by the table, her golden hair raised up, she is tall and straight as she keeps a renown posture of an veteran. "Westu hal min freonde!" she says as she comes closer. Cenwynne looks up from his work and beams a smile to the woman "Westu hal min freonde" he says as he puts his carving knife down and turns around to face her. Wulfreda hails him then approaches and offering him her hands in a warm greeting. She glances down at his work "Always busy, I see."
Cenwynne takes her hands and nods "Thats true..I live to work and this is after all whats keeping bread on the table.." as he then continues " I hope you are pleased with the interior that I made for your mead hall." Wulfreda looks at him as she asks "All is made to last, and its pleasing to the eye also, min freonde. Tell me did you see your ledgers and numbers, i want to pay for your hard work." "I did see them yes. Lets walk to the offcie and talk about the payment." Cenwynne said as he gestured to the doorway leading to the little office.
"So how much did we settle on?" he asked her once they had made their way into the office. "I gave you in advance thirty gold coins, so you can buy all you need for work" Wulfreda answered him. "Aye that you did. 'I can not remember the full amount of coins we spoke of..but yes 30 gold coins in advance that I remember." Cenwynne replied. Wulfreda smiles and watches the ledger and its numbers "Lets say twenty percent additional for your effort, after you see all your expences? As we say for your handwork." Cenwynne nods "Thats a fair price indeed." "And you are always welcome to our halls, min freonde." Wulfreda said to him. "And its not every day I do work for a lovely and beautiful lady as you. I shall remember that and come and visit your halls when I can...when work does not keep me occupied." Cenwynne said to her. Wulfreda smiles and shakes her head "All is passing, beauty and youth.. but tell me i wish for pay, how much." Cenwynne looked at his ledger and then back to her "Hmm..Thirty I have already been given so..lets make it a fair price and call it forty gold coins in total..so additional ten?"
"Seems i got a quite a deal, I'll recommend your name whenever i can, master Cenwynne." she takes out a heavy pouch with gold and places on the table "Here is fifty gold, and i have last job for you. I need a sign, something tall to be seen off the main road, like those horse posts we have in Riddermark. Can you make it, to be really good." Wulfreda said as Cenwynne gives her a smile "On the other hand my lady..with age comes beauty as well, they say that age reveals the true beauty. I shall do my very best with your requset. Is there anything else I can do for you my lady?" "That is all, master Cenwynne, that is all." Wulfreda replies to his question.
Cenwynne nods "I will get working on the post for you my lady. I will have it ready in three days"
"Any words from east? From rohan?" Wulfreda asks him as they stood in the office. " None..Not for a long time.." Cenwynne replies and continues "I've been away for a time myself, trying to find someone for someone and the search took me as fas as to Galtrev..then I had to turn back home." Wulfreda looked at him and replied "Soon snow will melt on passes, and news will come." "That would be good" Cenwynne replied. "I should go, thank you for your work." Wulfreda says to him. "I need supplies from Rohan as well and when the passes closes due to the snow it gets hard to work. It was my pleasure to make it for you.." Cenwynne replied. Wulfreda smiles gently "When we will dance and drink on your binding min freonde, man alone tends to get bitter, would be ill fate for you to become as one." " I am doing what I can not to turn bitter my lady.." Cenwynne replies as he then smiles "There is still no one that have come to my heart and stayed..there have been a few short relationships but nothing that would last Im afraid." "My daughter, Eolena is still young, but in few seasons she will be in age, it would warm my heart if we find a man that is even closely capable as you, min freonde?" Wulfreda says to him.
Cenwynne blinks briefly and then smiles "I do not think she would see much in a man like myself.." "We shall see, only Wyrd knows our paths." Wulfreda replies. Cenwynne replies to her "Aye that's true words..I hope to make it back home to Forlaw as well while the passes are open.." "You will leave us?" Wulfreda asks. "Just briefly..I will return..I have some things I need to tend to back home.." Cenwynne replies " I see" comes as a short answer from Wulfreda. "My fathers farm stands alone..And abandoned.." Cenwynne replies. "That is what you must do. Of course. Forgive me it is getting late. My son will grow worried." Wulfreda says. "Aye..I shall not keep you..Three days from now and I will deliver the sign for you.." Cenwynne replies as Wulfreda bows her head "Ferthu hal, Cenwynne."
