“Hardly ordinary, my Lord Prince,” Sionr said. “It is a rare Visserknaap indeed that comes into my Father’s office dressed as a Farmer, with his tail poking out of a hand sewn patch in the rear of his britches.”
Seth laughed, although Hadassah thought the speech a bit crude.
“Come, come − let us discuss this more at lunch. I wish to hear every detail.”
//But, I forget myself. My lovely Wife needs to learn Taal.//
//Truly, my Lord?// Sean asked, stopping suddenly.
//Yes, truly// Seth said, and they all gazed in amazement as Sean darted away into the crowd.
//What was that about?// Seth asked.
//I think − I think I know// Tristan said, //But I shall not ruin my reputation for inscrutability by guessing. If I am right we should all learn soon.//
//So// Seth said, turning to Sionr, //Tell me of yourself, since we shall be becoming very intimate soon.//
Sionr looked surprised at that statement, but soon (in a rather Elf-like manner) was busy describing the last two days.
--
“Excuse me, your Lordship,” the Man-at-arms whispered into Seth’s ear as they all sat at lunch, “but there is a Visserknaap and three Meisjen down at the gate, and the Knaap is most insistent that they be allowed to see Your Highness, immediately.”
Seth glanced at Tristan, who grinned, and then he turned back to the servant, “Have them let in and shown to me immediately.”
“Here, my Lord?!” the servant asked, startled.
“Yes, here.”
“Very well, my Lord,” the servant said, and bowing, he left.
They made quite a sight, Sean and the three Fishergirls; a sight not often seen in this particular part of the castle. Seth rose, “My Father and Mother,” he said, “I would present to you my very good friend Sean, and his Sisters: Rose, LeeAnne, and Violet.”
The King rose at his place, smiling at his Son, and even more at the discomfiture of several of the guests at the new entries’ dress code. “Any friend of my Son’s is welcome!” he said, and then to the servants, “New places, please.”
As the servants hastened to obey, Seth took Hadassah over to the four //Well, so this is what you darted off to do?// he asked Sean.
//You said as how she needed to learn Taal. My Sisters were glad to come and get to meet her, especially as she is part of our Schip-family now. A couple of days with them and she should be speaking spanking Taal.//
Seth glanced gently at Hadassah, whose eyes were round, //I’m sure she will; which is good, as we only have a couple of days left. Did they bring their things?//
//Oh, yes. I told that man outside to take them up to your room. I don’t know if he will do it though, he didn’t look happy.//
//Oh, I am sure they will make it there eventually// Seth said, grinning.
//Come, they have your places ready.// “No,” he said to the servants, “place the Meisje next to my Wife. They are her special guests.”
Hadassah sat in silence for a minute as Seth and the lads chattered on with Sean, and the Meisje next to her picked at their food nervously. However, finally turning to the Meisje next to her she asked //Your name ‘Violence’?//
The Meisje giggled, and pointing at her youngest Sister, answered, //Violet. Her name is Violet. And yours is Myrtle Tree − a lovely name.//
//You my name know? What means it?//
//Oh, yes, Miss − your Ladyship. We have passengers all the time, and learn their languages. Not Ellyll, they generally just speak Taal. But Farmers…// and she stopped and blushed.
//Farmers don’t learn?// Hadassah ventured. //Farmers rude?//
//Oh, Miss…// //Your name?// Hadassah said, breaking the awkward moment.
//Rose, Miss. I am Rose and that is LeeAnne and that is…// she giggled again, //… Violet.//
//And you have come for me? To help me?//
//Yes, Miss,// the girl brightened up, //Sean told us that you needed to learn Taal. And we were so excited. Everyone is excited that you are coming, and about the voyage and all.//
Hadassah had a hard time not staring at the Meisjes’ dress − or lack of it, and had a hard time thinking of anything else to say, but luckily Rose came to her rescue //Let me tell you about your Husband, Miss, and the trip he took with us. Did he ever tell you about the time he got so sick? It was like this…//28 The rest of the day was tiring, but Hadassah’s real shock came when she went to her bedroom and the Meisje came with her. They had followed her all over today, literally everywhere, talking all the time, but in the bedroom…?
//My Husband?// Hadassah said, as he and Sean stood together, and as she stared at the place where their bed had been and where there now was a large pile of blankets and pillows.
//My lovely Wife// Seth said, waving his hands at the pile //welcome, in a small way, to Schip life.//
//We sleep together?// she said, as Sean was there too, and everyone else was getting undressed for bed.
//Of course// Sean said, with a grin. //That is what I did wrong when I tried to transform into a Farmer − I slept with all of my Visseren. But now, it goes the other way round...//
Oh, well. This was easier than her trip on horseback, anyway, Hadassah thought, and was soon cuddled next to her Husband and one of the Meisje.
//So, we have the big meeting today, no?// Rose asked her the next morning, watching with fascination as the Maid tied her various laces and fastened the buttons.
//Yes. Afternoon. King will speak, and General. We all be there, and many of the other people from city who want.//
Well, if nothing else, Hadassah thought, this time had been good for her Taal. She was speaking much better already.
//Would you − would you like to come see the Schip?// Violet asked.
Hadassah heard something in her words, //That would be nice, if I can// she said, looking at Seth.
//Yes. If you go right away, and come back before noon.//
Right away? Before breakfast? But the Meisje had heard and were already urging her Maid to hurry up her dressing.
//It’s this way// Violet said, holding Hadassah tightly by the hand //Oooh, Rose. I’m hungry. Can we buy?// she asked, pointing at a vendor.
//I will…// started Hadassah, but Rose interrupted her, //Certainly, Violet// she said, then to Hadassah //It is our trip, it is our treat.// So saying, she pulled several coins out of her pocket and went over and started arguing with the vendor, coming back in a couple of minutes with two steaming baskets.
//Ooooh!// said Violet, taking a meat stick and a Bearpaw, alternating a bite from each. //Ooooh! I love these.//
They were greasy, and Hadassah ate them awkwardly, but she had to admit they were good. It slowed the walk down dramatically, with Rose having to stop frequently to hand out more, and then switching with LeeAnne so that she, Rose, could eat too! But it wasn’t far in any case from the castle door to the top of the dockside hill, and soon LeeAnne was clutching her arm…// Look, there it is! There is our Schip!// With the dozens of Visser Schippen tied up, Hadassah couldn’t really tell which one was meant, but she nodded and her heart started beating faster.
In a matter of hours she would be boarding that Schip for real, and leaving this new home, her old home, and all of her country behind.
//The Princess is coming, the Princess is coming!// Violet shouted, running forward along the dock toward a Schip halfway down. Hadassah could see heads turn from all of the Schips, but particularly the one addressed. And she saw movement stop, and then change, as men and Knaapen raced down the lines on the Schip to the deck and, seconds later, women and Meisje too, came running up from down below.
By the time they actually reached the Schip (Hadassah frantically wiping her hands on her napkin, and wiping her face) the crew had all sorted themselves out on the deck, with two lines, men and boys in one, women and girls in the other, lining each side of the entrance. And then, standing directly in front of Hadassah as she boarded the ramp, was a man, obviously the Captain. “Greetings…” he began, but Violet interrupted, //Taal, Cap’n. She wants to learn Taal!// she insisted, and the Captain began again, //Welcome to the Schip, Ma’am. We are glad to have you aboard,// he said, bowing, and the crew let out a loud shout, and most of them went back to whatever they were doing.
The men and lads, anyway. A large portion of the women and lasses, including the Captain’s Wife, came closer and greeted her, all in a loud bunch and without her understanding one word in ten. //Come, girls, she wants to see the Schip// LeeAnne said, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her off.
Two hours later, two hours, two dozen rooms and an innumerable number of girls later, Rose said //We have to take her back now. We have things to do, and they have this fancy way of eating − you wouldn’t believe it.//
The other girls all complained vociferously, and proclaimed their intention of continuing the tour and the introductions when Hadassah returned.
//Well?// Violet asked, as they descended the gangway //Did you like the Schip?//
//It was wonderful// Hadassah said //and the lasses were very nice.//
Seth saw the truth in her eyes when she returned, and hugged her //It can be overwhelming, on Schip,// he said. //I think it was good that you went.
That way tonight will be less of a shock.//
Hadassah hugged him tighter, but said nothing.
There must be ten thousand people in this hall, Ishvi thought. Besides the former Hostages, (now known as ‘the young Lords’,) and their Wives, and their families; there were Dwarves, Ellyll, a few Sjefen, hundreds of Visseren, and thousands of ordinary residents of the Capital. They had all been waiting a half an hour or so, until the King finally mounted the dais in front of them.
“Lords, Ladies, and citizens of Eilish, we are gathered here to launch an expedition which will affect the entire history of our nation. Long we have said the phrase, ‘Come the Day’, until it has become almost meaningless. But today we will be imparting fresh meaning into it. Today we will be launching an expedition to the neighboring continent. Our forefathers, when they first settled this island, did so in the firm expectation that we, their offspring, would dedicate ourselves to continuing their work, and planting new colonies.”
“Today my Son, and General Amasay will leave, with the colonists they have chosen, on a voyage to fulfill that goal. We are gathered here to encourage them in their endeavor.”
The rest of the ceremony had gone pretty much the way that those ceremonies always went. He had not usually attended such ceremonies with such a diverse group, though. As Ishvi and Mehetabel walked down with the rest toward the Schip, he wondered how their time on Schip would go. He had traveled by Schip before, but usually just as a passenger among a few other passengers.
Met clung to his arm (just as most of the Wives were doing to their Husbands). They certainly had had a different honeymoon and beginning of marriage than expected. None of them seemed to mind, though. They had formed a solid group during their language learning time, and everyone seemed thoroughly excited to be part of a project together.
The Schip was in chaos. Mehetabel clung tighter to his arm as they reached the gangplank. Visseren, Visserfrau, Knaapen, and Meisje were all over the place. A long line of Dwarves was disappearing down one set of stairs, and he could see some of the other ‘young Lords’ going down a different set. They stood at the gangplank and… “Names, please,” she said, brushing her hair back out of her face.
Mehetabel seemed a bit taken aback by the Meisje, dressed in standard Vissermeisje fashion. Perhaps she had never been on Schipboard before. She clung to him even tighter as he said, “Ishvi and Mehetabel Gregson.”
The girl had a piece of paper which she consulted, and then said, “Cabin 5c” and began to lead them through the bustle. Avoiding several small collisions they reached the stairs and started down them.
Below decks everything was extremely cramped. What had obviously been one large hold had been broken up into dozens of small compartments; extremely small compartments, with narrow halls between them. She led them up one hall and down another, looked at the curtain in front of a door, and said, ‘Here it is, cabin 5c’.
Mehetabel pushed the curtain aside and went in, with the air of someone determined to make the best of things. Ishvi glanced in. There was a bed, extremely small and thin, with a cupboard above it. And space to barely walk. The walls rose to five feet, leaving a foot or so between them and the ceiling − for ventilation he supposed.
“Are Seth and his party going to have to live like this?” he asked, appalled at the thought. Bad enough that he, as a Hostage, should have to! “Seth?! And Tristan and them? They wouldn’t live like this! Why would they when they can sleep with us? They have traveled with us before you know. They don’t need none of this foolish landsman stuff − begging your pardon,” she added hastily.
“Can I see where they will sleep?” Ishvi inquired.
She gave him a funny look, but said, “Sure enough.” They went down one hallway and came to a narrow door, again covered with a curtain, and he stepped into − space.
It was a large room, filled with nothing but chests, one chest every few feet. He looked, not understanding, and eventually asked, “But where will they sleep?”
“Why here, with us”, she scoffed. Seeing his confusion she explained, “Each of these chests is where a hammock hangs; one hammock per family.”
Ishvi’s imagination kicked into high gear and he saw − chaos.
Hundreds of people milling about in this space; no privacy at all; children running underfoot...
“And Seth will stay here?” he asked, gazing wonderingly around.
“Of course! He’s family. He and Tristan − Wynforr − their Wives.
They’re family. Catch them staying in those little wooden boxes!”
Something of what that speech meant threatened to trickle into his brain, but he shook it off. Sufficient to the Day. Certainly his Wife and his friends would find these conditions appalling. Thanking the Vissermeisje, he went back to his Wife.
“Well, if nothing else, it will be easy to keep clean,” she said to him when he reappeared. “Where were you off to?”
“I went off to see where Seth and his are going to sleep.”
“Bigger cabin?” she asked.
“Well, sort of,” he said, and described the large hall, the myriads of hammocks, and what it must be like.
“Wow. I wonder why he stays there. Surely they would give him his own cabin if he asked. He’s a Prince and a leader of the expedition.”
“The Vissermeisje seemed to scoff at the idea that he would want to sleep anywhere else. Said he was ‘family’,” Ishvi continued, seeing again the vision of the crowded room, the families all talking and dressing children, chasing each other around, all speaking the piercing Visser language. “It would be − it would be − interesting.”
“Are you awake then?” Ishvi asked, feeling Mehetabel stirring underneath him.
“As you have been; I just lay quieter,” she said, as Ishvi climbed out of bed. “It was so early, still dark outside, when I awoke. I wanted to sleep some more but…”
“Conditions aren’t ideal,” Ishvi said. “I love sleeping with you, but felt like I was going to roll out of this bed every few seconds as the boat rolled.”
Met got out and stretched, “Well, I’m not totally used to sleeping with you as yet, and you are truly heavy,” she said, grinning. “But what bothered me most was the stuffiness. Even when I slept I dreamt of being locked in a closet with Fishen laying all over on top of me.”
“I see,” he said, kissing her, “and that makes me a fish?”
She laughed, “Well, you are slimy enough, truly. Everything is wet on this Schip.” She held up the dress that she was preparing to put on. “This thing is already damp, and it hasn’t been sleeping with me all night. It is cold, too.
Not really cold, but, I don’t know, damp cold.”
“Well, maybe it will be better on deck,” Ishvi said. “So, throw on that wet thing, and then we can go up.”
Met shuddered as she pulled it over her head, “Well, better than staying here, I am sick of this room.”
“And we can’t sleep because you two are being so noisy,” came Hosea’s voice from over the wall. Ishvi stood on the bed and peered over, “Did you sleep last night? I didn’t hear any of your snoring.”
“I don’t snore!”
“Oh, poor Esther! So he hasn’t snored yet? Wait until he gets really tired, then will he snore like an earthquake…”
Met pulled at Ishvi’s shirt, “Come on Love. Leave them alone. Let’s go up on deck.”
“Very well, Love, as you will.” Ishvi climbed down grinning and took her by the hand. Together they went through the corridors and climbed the narrow stairs. “Wow,” Met said, “I guess we aren’t alone.”
She took their chamber pot to the railing and tossed its contents over, and then the two of them went to the opposite railing and they stood with four other couples at the railing. “This sun is incredible,” Ishvi said.
“Look behind you,” Caleb said, and they turned. Their shadows stretched out across the deck, and continued out over the water, along with the shadows of the others and the Schip. Ishvi could see the shadows of the Visseren in the rigging, dancing from wave top to wave top.
“Well, Lord Gregson? How is the voyage going for you?”
Turning, he saw Seth and Hadassah. He should by then have run out of the ability to be surprised by anything; but the sight of the Prince and Hadassah walking around the deck in Visserguise still managed to shock him.
Farmers, especially Farmer lasses, did not tend to experiment much with their dress. All of his life he had been surrounded by lasses in the same long skirts with the same solid colored blouses. Except for various tasks, or when bathing or going to bed, he had rarely seen a Farmlass wearing anything else. The Horsegirl costume that he had seen Hadassah in the first day was scandalously undressed; and the Visserfrau costume she now wore was worse.
Seth didn’t seem to feel any explanations were called for, however, and Ishvi was, by now, too well trained to comment on anything that his insane Prince did. So he merely responded, “Well, my Lord, we are still busy getting used to the quarters. They are a bit different than we are accustomed to.”
“Ah, well I thought you would find those cabins more congenial to your taste than where we are staying, with the Visseren. I was afraid my Wife was going to have a heart attack last night, and then again when we got up this morning. It is quite an experience being with the Visseren when they all get into, and get out of, bed, all together. Leaving alone the fact that five of my buddies tried, and three succeeded, in sleeping with us along with two of Sean’s Sisters. I hope your Wife is doing well?”
“Quite well, thank you, my Lord,” Met said. “Tired, of course − I haven’t travelled much before.”
Ishvi saw the two lasses looking at each other and realized that he was being left out of something. “So, my Lord, we are well on our way…”
Ishvi and Seth wandered off talking of the trip, and the lasses. As they walked away Ishvi was struck with a strange feeling. But he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. But something was wrong, he was missing something.
This feeling increased as the day went on. Going down to lunch in their little cabin felt oppressive. He talked it over with Mehetabel who, while she expressed a great confidence in him, confessed to a complete lack of understanding of what he was trying to get at. She said that she had always found travel to be very difficult, and thought it was just something one had to endure.
A while after they had finished their cold and uncomfortable lunch they heard a loud hue and cry from above decks. Everyone hurried toward the stairs but Mehetabel was stopped by a blushing fellow Wife. A whispered conference and she stopped, blushed too, and waved Ishvi on.
He got to the top of the stairs, along with several other men, just in time to see the last few Visseren strip off their clothes and jump off the larboard rail, accompanied by shouts and yells. At the center of the deck a few Ellyll 87 were also stripping off, although more slowly. Only the Dwarves and Farmers were, so far, not participating in the general undressing. On the opposite side of the Schip he could hear the feminine equivalents. He walked over to the second mate, who was one of the only two Visser left on the Schip. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“It’s our tradition. Every day at this time we go for a swim; men on the larboard, women on the starboard. Are you all going to join in?”
Ishvi walked to the larboard rail, joining several of his fellows already there. Sure enough the water was filled with swimming Visseren and Knaapen.
He even saw some Ellyll. “Sure enough,” he said. “Lads!” he shouted, “Seems like every afternoon they go swimming here; men and lads on the left side of the boat, women on the right. Someone go tell the lasses,” he continued, “and let’s get in.” The men cheered, he saw one of the younger Farmers dash back downstairs, while everyone joined him at the pile of clothes.
This is a marvelous tradition, he thought as he dove off the deck, narrowly missing a Fashgen. And they do this every day! Where is Seth, I must ask him why he hadn’t told us anything about this. Where was Seth? Or Tristan? He had seen Wynforr, and Sionr, and even Mgwan. But the other leaders seemed missing.
Suddenly he felt something pulling him under the water. He panicked and started kicking. Eventually he opened his eyes and saw a Visserknaap grabbing at him, and grinning. He fought back, ineffectually, and eventually the Knaap let him go and followed him to the surface.
“Not fair,” he shouted, “You Knappen breathe water!”
“Actually, we don’t,” the Visserknaap responded, “although we can hold our breath for a long time. You ought to try it.”
Suddenly Ishvi made a startling revelation, “Seth! I mean, my Lord Prince.”
“Don’t bother with the whole, ‘My Lord Prince’ business while we are both naked, will you?”
“But, you are a Visser!”
“Yes. As I said, you ought to try it.”
“What, just turn into a Visser?”
“Sure, why not? That’s what I did. Of course, your Wife might object.
Haven’t you seen Tristan?”
“No. Is he a Visserknaap, too?” Ishvi asked, looking around him.
“Yes, he and I were busy fishing with Sean and his family, and then I saw your legs and couldn’t resist giving them a pull.”
“Fishing?”
“Yes. It is the Visser way. After we swim for a few minutes, we start fishing. With guests, there are always a few Visserknappen and Visseren that stay around with them to keep them company. But the rest of the Visseren are 88 Vonsbooks.com down below fishing. The Knappen do most of the grabbing of the fish, and then they give the fish to the Meisje, who carry them to the Schip, cut and store them. Nice seeing you, see you later,” Seth said and disappeared again.
Suddenly Ishvi figured out what was bothering him.
“Met,” he said, once the men were able to go back downstairs, “go get me Caleb and the others, will you? Caleb, Yaosh, like that. Don’t let Seth or any of them know.”
“As you will,” she said, looking confused, but scurrying off obediently enough.
“What is’t, Ishvi?” said Caleb, coming in.
“Just a second, let me tell you all at once.”
It was a cramped meeting, with six men crowded into their cabin, and three of the women hanging around the outside. Mehetabel had gone off on deck.
“OK. You know I am no more on board with this whole ‘Come the Day’ thing than anybody. But we are missing a trick; and I don’t believe in doing something poorly if I am going to do it; even something as crazy as this!”
Yaosh looked like he was going to say something. He was from Seth’s home area and had been ‘on board’ with the plan the whole time; and had been the third young Lord to get a Wife. Ishvi held up his hand, “Hear me out, I am talking no treason, quite the opposite,” he said, and Yaosh settled back on the bed where he was sitting.
“You all have seen that Seth is now a Visser?” They nodded. “Well, I think he wants us all to change, too, but doesn’t want to push us too hard. And I for one would rather run ahead than be pushed.”
“Change? To Visseren?” Ariel said. “That would be…”
“Awesome,” Renon finished for him (although there was some doubt, from the look on Ariel’s face, that that was what he had meant to say). “Have you seen the way they can swim? And dive?”
“So, what do we have to do, to make it work?” Ishvi asked.
“Well, we’ll need clothes,” Yaosh said. His Wife, Abiah, was standing at the door, “Abiah, can you get a hold of some Visserfrau and the other hostage Wives? We are trying to keep this mum, and not let Seth and them know.”
Abiah looked shocked, but with an, ‘As you will’, she nodded and darted off.
“What else will we need?” Ishvi asked.
“I know someone who would know,” Ariel said, “There is one of those Visserknaap, by the name of Sean, and I heard he turned into a Farmer just before we left, just to play a joke on Seth.”
“Sounds like just the person we need,” Ishvi said, “if he likes playing jokes on Seth. Miriam, could you go get me a Visserknaap? Quietly like!”
89 Miriam nodded, and grinned. She was a quiet lass, but with a real sense of fun, and it was only seconds later that she came down with a wide eyed Visserknaap of about eight. Or, he seemed to have eight Farmer years, anyway. He was probably only five, by the sun and the seasons.
“Boy,” said Ishvi, bending down, “we need your help. We need you to get Sean down here, without telling anybody else. Can you do that for me, Boy?”
The Knaap nodded, grinned, and darted off. It was fully five minutes, anxious minutes, before Sean arrived. “What is this, then?” he asked, “Some kind of joke, I hear?”
“You did?” Ishvi said, looking at the grinning Knaap at his side.
“Oh, yes sir,” the lad said, “it is all over the Schip already. The women all know, and the Knaapen and such. But don’t worry, we haven’t told anyone important.”
“Oh,” said Ishvi, a little deflated.
“Well?” said Sean.
“It’s like this,” Ishvi began...
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.
If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!
If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
LinksIsland People
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.