The Families

This chapter has been retired.

Ethelmund and Githa Ashdown

Githa Ashdown had been disappointed with her husband so far. He was the laziest man she had ever known, and neglected both her and the small farm her father had given them in order to go fishing or talk over the fence with his friends. A radical change was needed. So when she heard about the opportunity in the valley, she secretly sold the farm and informed her husband one morning that they were going someplace new. The farm that Sigefrith offered her was far larger than her father’s—larger even than her father’s and her uncles’ put together. More importantly, there was no fishing hole, and their only close neighbors would be a Earl’s family and a few peasants, so there was little chance of Ethelmund getting friendly with either group. Best of all, when she saw Alwy Hogge building his hut next to her land, she knew that she would have the ideal neighbor: too stupid to question her commands, and strong as an ox. Ethelmund just shrugged and accepted his fate. He had already figured out that the vast forests surrounding their farm would be a great place for wandering and hunting.