Iselin, Kari and Ciara have watched from just inside the door and through the window as we talked. I tell them that Jane has accepted my offer and we mostly talked to inform her about the world here, compare our experiences, give warnings about what not to do, the law etc, and she apparently just liked being able to actually understand what someone was saying and have a conversation. We go out and I officially make introductions between everyone and Jane.
My life feels better. I needed that ventilation. The bed problem is easily solved. My old bed is taken out of storage and Ciara use that, while Jane takes over Ciara's. When Ciara realized she could sleep in my old bed, even though it actually is the farm's and will stay here when we move, she got such a happy little smile. Ciara is far more important to me than Jane, and honestly most mattresses here are not particularly good. A sack of hay that they replace the hay in two to four times a year is the norm among mattresses, and it usually lies directly on the floor, so the hay mattress probably has a lot of insects in it as well. But it is a bit more comfortable than sleeping pelts directly on a plank floor. The beds here, as well as my latest bed is the luxury variant with a bed base of slightly springy wooden slats and a mattress filled with small down feathers, and it is okay, but not particularly luxurious for a modern person. Far into the future, I hope to be able to make a steel spring mattress, but my replecement bed in the mansion will be pretty much the same sort, only larger and without dumb high hard wooden sides, and hopefully the redesigned springy center support will make the bed a little more comfortable there, so that there won't be a hard and completely stiff ledge in the middle of the bed.
Ciara has delivered a slate board and some chalk for Jane, and I'm curious what she can do about it. I ask Iselin to take her to Borgarsandr and let her spend 5 ounces of silver on clothes and underwear, and Jane should get two nicer everyday dresses. She looks damn good in them, but I don't want her to usually walk around in her Midgard clothes, and she needs to give the impression of being rich and important. They will also buy her a pair of leather shoes. Should they find suitable painting things, they can buy it too, and I trust Iselin to make good judgment calls about it. I don't care if it costs 5-10 ounces, but she shouldn't tell Jane that.
Its always fun to see Iselins reaction to spending silver. Her base instinct is to be very frugal, but she do enjoy spending silver, and its a guilty pleasure for her. She likes to shop and being able to get the best stuff, if its worth it. She really like to be able to decide if something is worth it or not, purely for its merits, and then just negotiate on the price.
I need to send someone to Kambsnes to try to find Dagny and buy Tom's camera bag and lenses, as well as preferably all technology such as the camera with accessories, power banks, mobile phone, sunglasses and the multi-tool. The clothes arn't really necessary and won't fit anyway. It shouldn't cost too much since most have no real use for anyone here, and I don't need them, but send someone looking for it will raises the price. I might get it for under 50 ounces of silver if I avoid stuff like the multi-tool, but everything is worth at least 50 ounces of gold if I have to. Its literally irreplaceable artifacts here, so I just hope Dagny doesn't understand that. Unfortunately, there are those damn feasts I need to leave for on the day after tomorrow. After the feasts I will send Kari with the ship to buy it. I can show her my own mobile phone, camera, power banks etc - so she knows what it is I want. Actually, I should send Jane along with her. Jane recognizes Dagny, and its easy to explain to Jane what I'm looking for and she knows what Tom had, and I get rid of Jane for a couple of weeks. Thats a tripple Win.
----------------------------------------
I finish the water pumps and start doing detail work, when Ciara comes and fetch me because Jane wants to show her craft, and Ciara seems eager to show me. The others are rightly impressed, because with a primitive slate board and simple chalk, she has drawn Ciara and Alith sitting under the tree. Its without a doubt them, and both the chalk and the board are bad and monochromatic. They have let her use a couple of more boards and Jane have made other sketches that are good, including one of the cat that Karis currently stroking in her lap. Yeah, Kari would make a fine Bond villain.
"Jane, consider me suitably impressed. Compared to Midgard that chalk and board suck."
"Thank you!"
"That chalk and board is the best I can do for now, and its still high tech here. One step forward in creating teaching tools for the Academy. Iselin will take you shopping. Get a few sets of underwear and a couple of dresses - my treat."
"As you saw yesterday, I was given a dress to work in, but its not as nice as theirs."
"It probably was nice for its purpose, and Hildifjoer is a small town with limited options. I have given her a budget so you can get nicer dresses. I don't want you running around wearing your own cloths from our world; they're really nice, and you look good in them - but try to blend in. Its better to blend in and show you're important, and that someone might come demanding a duel if you're disrespected. I'll tell her to get you ink, a couple of quills and paper. Practice with it, but it's expensive so don't waste it. I so miss my pens and tools for drawing schematics and sketches. Try to find any painting supplies that might work, or stuff you need to make it. I'll give her hints where you might look, and for what. I have what's here top of the line tools - that you can use if you're careful with them. They're primative, but still really expensive. I was happy to spend that silver though, since I would have to try and make them myself otherwise. Just imagine handcrafting precision files, both the work and the skill required."
"Oh, I believe you! I've learned how little silver you get for an insane amount of work. They will spend weeks just turning wool into thread, and then even more time weaving it by hand to make cloth, before cutting it up and starting to sew. Its no wonder they make such beautiful intricate embroidery. Its so much work just getting there."
"I know. You need to know I have been forced to attend two feasts in a few days time and will leave, and here I can't just take a daytrip with a car. I got to go play the part of Sejdmann Arnesson, and I can't avoid it any longer. I'm a bit introvert, and I've never drunken a beer or anything stronger than the weakest cider before comming here. I don't enjoy cider although I've started to drink it here, simply because I don't always trust the water, and I didn't drink coffee or tea either, and I've never smoked or used recreational drugs. I really dislike the normal drunken boisterous feast in a dark smokey warm feasthall, where I have a hard time talking to people, and I've only been to two feasts since I got here. Kari actually manage to convince the King that I wouldn't appreciate a feast when I got his support and, well... her.
One reason I went for the mysterious wandering wizard, was that I have no real common interests with anyone here. I don't know what the hell they're talking about, couldn't speak the language and I'm afraid to offend, say the wrong thing or being forced to defend my honor. Shit happens at drunken feasts. I've been avoiding feast or social gatherings like the plague, but its really increased the last month as everyone wants to get to know me, or just prove they can throw a big feast with me as the guest of honor and such, but the more I have avoid feasts, the more mysterious and exotic I have become. Kari have so proven her worth and social skills, by skillfully dodging what we could without insulting someones honor just because I decline. A bad part about being higher in the social order, is that the stakes are higher too.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
As you understand, a big problem with feasts now, is that many see their chances for an alliance, or just wealth or prestige, especially for the first wife to give me a son, as that son will likely inherit my title. But I might also be offered a desirable woman as a concubine, as that will be a legitimite child too and there is no need for a marriage ceremony to delay procreation. As I explained, a concubine can be accepted and declared on the spot, and taken to bed that same evening. They don't know about DNA, and a legitimite child could be conceived that same night. Refusing a desirable woman as a concubine gets tricky, because I will obviously be able to support them, so it can be taken that I'm not manly enough for more women, and its an insult to refuse such an offer unless its for a good reason, and so on. Powerful families really don't consider love or having a harmonius relationship as important, and a mans women are just expected to get along. I don't know how many have put out feelers to arrange a marrige with me already, but according to Kari it's most of the more or less rich or powerful families in the area with an available daughter. Christ, there is even an offer of 15 year old twin sisters in a double marrige from one family, and I'm the only one that see it as just so very wrong and icky, instead of being smart."
At least Jane agrees with me.
"Anyway, you won't be left here alone since I always leave a guard. We will probably be away for five days, but when we have moved in I want you to go with Kari, a guard, and my ship to Kambsnes and try to buy most of Toms equipment from Dagny, or anyone she sold them too. I don't really care about the cloths or backpack, or even his multitool - but I want the tech, optics, cables and plastics, with stuff like aluminium being important. To be honest I want to keep it out of others hands, and I can use those good optics and electronics for other things. I guess Tom took a photo or more of Dagny, and it wouldn't surprise me if the batteries are drained. I might be able to recharge them. Might. Otherwise I should be able to get the photos from the memory card. Anyway, can you draw a picture of Tom? Maybe it can help to persuade Dagny to let go of them."
"Of course."
"I don't mind if she wants to get dropped of somewhere on the way back, even if that means a detour to Borgarsandr. I just don't want her at my islands. I will inform Kari of the same."
I inform the others of what I just said and Kari and Alith join the shopping trip, while I get more time to work. I also ask them to try to buy two more good horses, because riding have increased, and we need more horses. I also ask them to get some deck chairs made, and I give them sketches to leave to a carpenter and arrange fabric. Stools, benches and flat straight-backed chairs suck when you just want to relax, and folding chairs will be practical on the ship. Ergonomics is another unknown word here.
----------------------------------------
Combat training with Gunhild is interrupted when they return from the city, and they have two new horses, and Jane is rides one of them. Of course she can ride better than me, and she obviously knows about it and that is why she's riding. Damn show off. Well, now I own four horses and Kari, Gunhild and Hillevi already have their own. They all seem very happy and pleased as punch, and I soon understand why.
The seamstress guild has made the first payment for the clothes according to the agreements and it turns out that Iselin is now almost 3 ounces of silver richer, and the others earned almost 1 ounce each for the 1/20 part of panties and dresses they receive, which is an extra monthly salary for Bodil and Alith. I'm 31 ounces richer. Damn, thats a copious amount of underwear and dresses sold in a short amount of time. Only Gunhild and Hillevi are a little unhappy today, because they do not get any extra income, but they are happy for their friends. Bodil promises Hillevi that they will feast properly tonight, but just like to Gunhild and Alith, I will give them 10 coins to feast for, which is almost a week's salary.
Iselin is terribly pleased to show me her new clothes she's managed to sew with the help of others. First is one of her dresses they've modified to give it pockets. The pocket itself hangs on the inside and the contents are reached via slits from the outside, and they have sewn embroidered pieces along the slits edges. It looks really good, and is both practical and an extra decoration that draws attention to the pockets, and Iselin has been curious of pockets since seeing mine. They seem so practical to carry something small and still leave your hands free. Here stuff is carried in a separate leather pocket or bag hung from the belt, or dangling at the front between brooches.
Her other new garments are obviously inspired by Rihanna; a backless top in dark blue with matching shorts, and a backless white short skirt. She is so proud that Jane has given her compliments for them and said that they are 'Much Midgard', which they definitely are. When she proudly spins around for me in my room, a memory flash to Marilyn Monroe's famous scene, but Iselins dress is backless and she lacks panties, which her sinful smile and seductive movement makes clear she planned, and we take advantage of that for a quickie.
----------------------------------------
Jane is in a good mood when I check out how her artwork is going, and greets me with a smug grin; "Last few years, Mate!"
Jane praises me for my new carriage, and she hadn't considered how unusual carriages were, even though she had seen how primitive their wagons and carts are. She has several suggestions for designs, and promises to sketch them better and on paper. As long as I solve all the technical stuff, she is happy to help with designs, and how the horses are harnessed can definitely be improved, and saddles. And horse blankets, which can be made both pretty and an impressive statement.
She admits that she was a little shocked when she realized that I'm the reason there are panties and bras here. She saw the RobA logo and how they received the payout, and she praises me for being able to keep a poker face, and for sharing the earnings with the others. They obviously told her how much I've spent on clothes and other things for them, and she agree that its stupid to not give my guards good armor. Just like my sambos, Jane bought clothes at a discount price and she is happy for several new bras and dresses. Iselin have already told me that Jane only bought Valhalla sets, and she opted for few and finest of both underwear and dresses. Jane didn't bother to buy jewellery, as she has a really nice gold necklace and earrings, which she brought with her from Midgard. Jane apparently brought makeup too.
Why am I not surprised that Jane took that along on a hike on Hardangervidda?
Jane is happy with the equipment they bought, but also because they seem to have found the beginning of things to paint with and have ordered wooden boards. Apparently it is easier to start painting on wooden boards instead of canvas that requires a lot of prep work, and they have ordered ten. They have bought many different colors to test how they are, and she has already started preparing and is grinding down a paint with a mortar.
But what have made Jane really happy is that she has realized she knows something she can make some money on. Clothes and design. Everything won't work here, and its a limited market, but she has knowledge of clothes and styles from a millennium and from a whole world of cultures. She will start by improving bras and their measuring. I have made a good effort - for a man - but she can do it better. I'm not surprised, or that Iselin, Kari and Alith are enthusiastic about helping her. Jane's smile is wicked when she explain that Kari offered to be her manager and negotiator, and that Kari wants her payment in sexy lingerie and such from Midgard. I don't really care about sexy lingerie on them, but I won't complain, and it is a luxury item to own separate sleepwear, especially if it can only be used for that. Becoming Jane's patronus has other benefits than the ones I've been thinking about.
The brush she use is nice, and Jane shows how she cleverly cuts of a piece of feather, pulls the piece through a cut off piece of feather root that works as tube and presses it on a wooden stick. A finished fine brush. When I see it, I'm reminded of the documentary series 'Tudor Monastery Farm' and how they illuminated books. How much else do I know but havn't thought about? Our discussion quickly goes on tangents and becomes lively on many topics. We both love that and it's so nice to have someone to really talk to.
It is an interesting update of my daily log, but it becomes quite concise when Ciara show of her new and very expensive lacey negligee, and we crawl into bed and just cuddle. Now I understand a few of Janes comments, and I look forward to seeing Iselin and Kari in theirs.