The Challenge

One day at the Merchant Queen's establishment, the Trickster was up to her usual antics.  But everyone at the store had already seen her tricks and heard her stories so no one paid her any heed.  Which vexed her sorely.  Betimes the Bard had packed her bags and was headed out of town on new adventures and happened to be passing by the door.  The Trickster met her in the street and began to spin a yarn of woe and anguish.  "Do you know that the Merchant Queen has challenged you to a stitching duel?" said the Trickster?  "She has seen the new pattern "Paradise Lost" and has said that she feels she can kit it and finish it before you.  Which I doubt is true, but you never know with these things. What say you?"

The Bard looked perplexed at this turn of events for it was known far and wide that she was the fastest stitcher in the Village and the Merchant Queen had no time for stitching as her business took all of her time and anything she had to spare as well.  There was barely enough time for beer, the Tavern Mistress had complained on many an occasion.  "I have not heard this challenge and not seen this new project..." started the Bard but before she could complete her thought the Trickster had produced the pattern with a gleam in her eye.  "Oooohhhhh!!" exclaimed the Bard for it was fair beautiful to the eye with all of gods creatures, angels, and Adam and Eve in the garden.  "This is beautiful and it fires my soul to begin working on it.  Yet I am on my way to further parts and don't know when..."  The Trickster produced fabric and fibers just like what the Bard would have chosen herself and held them for her to see.  "Oh, this is wonderful!  I'll get started right away. But what is the wager in this?  What is the challenge and what goes to the victor?"  Said the Bard with a gleam in her eye.

The Trickster replied, "oh, its very simple.  Whoever finishes last buys the beer at the Tavern."  "Not a problem," said the Bard and she strode off to other adventures.

Now the Merchant Queen knew none of this being focused on the sale of her many goods to all of the Village of Stitchery, which has a great hunger for stitching projects which rivals its thirst for good beer.  When the Trickster returned to the store the Merchant Queen was none the wiser for her absence and continued in her rounds.  The Trickster, feeling full of herself and relishing the mischief to come sat that the far table and mentioned, to no one in particular, "The Bard accepts your challenge."

"Hmmm...what?" said the Merchant Queen as she helped a maid with her choice of linen.  "The Bard has accepted your challenge.  How could you not when you threw it in her face that you could stitch faster than she," said the Trickster with feigned boredom.  "What?!!" said the Merchant Queen looking up and moving towards her. "I thought it only fair to let her know that you had challenged her to a duel over Paradise Lost and that the last person to finish the piece, not frame it mind you, would purchase the beer at the Tavern" said the Trickster looking at her with a wicked smile.

The Merchant Queen has known the Trickster for many a long year and knows her ways and her mischief, which is good hearted and brings no real harm.  So she stood with her fists on her hips and shook her head in mock disbelief, then sighed wearily.  "I suppose that I should put my stitching where your 'fable' has put me and find fabric and fiber to stitch with," and off she ambled to go through her inventory for just the right ones of each.  "And you'll need to join in as well since this seems to have begun with your telling..." she said over her shoulder.The Trickster shot up out of her chair with a smile that lit up the room and scurried to the fabric to choose her piece as well.  

Later that evening the  Smithy arrived at the shop to sit for a minute and rest her weary bones after a long day at the forge.  The room was atwitter with gossip about the challenge and finally the store came in fits and starts to the Smithy who sat somewhat astounded for a moment, then laughed out loud.  "That Trickster!" she said.  "She keeps it lively around here.  Well, we'll have to see what can be done." and up she got to talk with the Merchant Queen.  She explained that she felt it unfair that the Bard was one against two and that she would side with the Bard and take on this challenge.  She picked out her fabric and fibers that night and started to stitch forthwith....