Deciding a truce was in order, Alannah offered, "do you have any kale?"
"We have lots of kale."
"Spinach…ew?"
Rosemary made a sour face. "I'm afraid so."
"Brussel sprouts?" And the list of things Alannah was lacking went on. The more they talked the more Alannah opened up, but something was amiss about this woman.
"So tell me, little Alannah, why does it give you pleasure to grow these things yourself, when you can just buy them in the markets of Port Lira?"
"Honestly?" Alannah asked her, not wishing to be made fun of when she declared her reasoning for growing the fruits and vegetables.
Noting Alannah look, Rosemary's mien sobered. "Honestly."
Alannah thought a moment, and sighed deeply, realizing that her explanation was going to sound as foolish as it seemed. "It's a spiritual thing, when I am up to my elbows with the soil I can't help but be thankful for the things that God has given us. This beautiful land, the rich soil, new friends," she offered with a smile.
Dominic frowned in surprise, even as Rosemary raised an eyebrow. "Spiritual? That sounds very pagan, little Alannah."
"I come from an ancient pagan civilization, but I am no Pagan" Alannah told her. "All civilizations come from a pagan society if you go back far enough. The civilization of hunter and gatheres, the Pilgrims, they all tiled the Earth at sometime to grow their own food." she reminded Rosemary.
"How blasphemous! You say that as though Catholicism were no more than an historic afterthought!"
"Ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome were rather ancient by the time Christianity came along," Alannah said simply, "and paganism is far more ancient still. The church may reign supreme, but it cannot wholly banish or exercise the very stuff that our souls are made of. Like it or not, we are all pagan by nature."
Rosemary's smile was not altogether kind. "I was always told that children are born knowing God."
"I've not yet met the child that didn't have to be instructed about God but we all fell from grace, and some fall away from their religious up bringings." Alannah replied.
Dominic cleared his throat at this. "The older folk will soon be inspired to lecture the two of you if you continue this conversation in their presence," he warned quietly.
Rosemary gave Alannah a conspiratorial look, "shall we continie this at another time, then? Maybe under other circumstances even."
Alannah bit her lower lip, wondering what those "other circumstances" might be.