The three men were taking a break from building and Noah had suggested today might be a good day to test out Engin’s pond. The days were becoming crisper as winter was approaching and they feared that soon the water would be frozen and the opportunity for fishing would be gone.

Engin struggled with his fishing rod. He had somehow managed to get the line tangled around his leg and was having a difficult time unwinding it. Noah had brought two rods he had made during the autumn days when it had rained too hard for work on the castle to continue.

The King had finally decided that the castle building must be put on hold. Many of the women on the island were now pregnant and there was fast approaching a time when the ships would become very cramped indeed. So he had set the men to work on building homes for the peasants, which would not take so very long. Engin and Darina were the first to have an almost finished house as their baby was due in only a few weeks.

Engin finally got himself untangled and proceeded to cast with as much momentum as he could muster.

Unfortunately, Engin was no expert fisherman, in fact he had only been fishing once before. He cast with such might that he managed to throw his entire body toward the pond, tripping and sprawling in the mud on his behind.

He heard a chuckle from Steen who was lazing on the side of the bank, content to watch the other men’s attempts at glory.

“You be trying to use yourself as bait for those them fish then are you Engin? I think they might not be finding you such a tasty morsel… they would probably be preferring them worms you attached to the line”, Steen gently teased him, grinning ear to ear.

He looked up to see Noah was also chuckling a Engin’s misfortune as he cast his line in again.

Anger rose in him, his face turning red as he stumbled to his feet and disentangled himself from the line which was now wrapped around his legs again. He would show him, he would be the one to catch a fish and then who would be laughing.

He suddenly heard a splash next to him and then Noah was reeling in a fish.

“I think he’s being just big enough to keep for the eating, what do you lads reckon?”, Noah asked.

Steen congratulated him, but Engin made no sound and sullenly threw his line in this time with a little less force. It did not matter, it was not a big fish and Engin was sure he would have a bit more luck now his line was actually in the water. It couldn’t be that hard after all if Noah could catch one.

It had only been minutes when he heard the familiar sound of reeling and the sploosh as another fish left the water.

He looked over to see Noah holding a large catfish, about twice the size of his last catch. Engin sighed in exasperation.

Noah grinned and laughed, “Here’s a more sizeable one then, look at his face, he sort of looks like you over there Engin with all your whiskers”.

“It seems like you’ve got yourself a fair little fishing pond here you have”, he said to Engin.

Engin did not reply and stared forlornly into the depths of the pool, wondering what it was he lacked and Noah had that made the fish fair jump out of the pond and into his waiting arms.

He was desperate to prove himself better than this man, as he stood there, gripping the rod so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white, a look of fierce concentration plastered across his face.

He stole a quick glance at Noah and saw to his extreme annoyance his face was a mask of relaxed calm. He looked like he was actually enjoying this, Engin thought with a surge of irritation. He would show him.

There was a distant rumble of thunder and a few drops of rain began to fall. Steen leapt to his feet, putting his hands up to feel the raindrops on them.

“I think we better get back to work, it looks like it’s going to be being a big storm and we still have to be getting a roof on that there privy of your’s otherwise your poor pregnant wife is going to have to be going in the rain”.

He may as well have been talking to himself as both men stared fixedly into the water.

Engin heard the sound of footsteps crunching behind him and turned slightly to see his extremely pregnant wife, waddling up the hill like a ship in full sail.

Here was his chance. He would impress Darina and prove himself better than Noah in one moment. As he was thinking this he heard Noah struggling beside him and then there was a monumental splash as Noah brought in the biggest fish he had ever seen. It was massive, its huge mouth opening and shutting as it fought for life. He heard Darina gasp behind him and his heart sank.

“Well Goodman Ulcar, that is by far the largest fish I have ever been seeing with these own two eyes of mine!” she exclaimed.

“I had no idea there were being such big fish in this here pond of mine”, she emphasised the last word and Engin understood where this was leading.

It seemed that Noah did also and he said graciously, “Well it will definitely be big enough to be feeding the two of you for quite some time, perhaps even the three ‘specially if you be smoking a large portion of it.

He smiled generously, and Engin felt the green hand of jealousy wrap around his heart and give a sharp squeeze.

Then he looked at his mercenary wife’s face and realised she was not in fact very much impressed, although she was definitely pleased with her own cunning. He had seen her truly smile and could see this one for what it was, so brittle and false it could snap off her face at anytime.

Suddenly it fell, and a look of annoyance replaced it.

“Do you not be thinking you strong men have had enough playtime and that perhaps it is time to be putting a roof on that there privy… we are not too fond of sitting out there in the rain”, she rubbed her swollen belly fondly and with her piece said, flounced off down the hill.

Cade, Rawtharn, Ulcar