Chapter 4
Vorinia made sure to present a believable reason for Shevo's mistake next morning.
"You poor fool" she said to the newly demoted drudge "Can't even tell the legitimate one from the bastard; and serve you right at that!"
Shevo goggled, mouth agape; then a nasty look crossed his face.
"You're the old caprine's side issue? WELL! I wonder what her Ladyship would say if she knew her new drudge was her sister?"
"What, you stoop to attempting coercion by threat of disclosure do you?" sneered Vorinia "I'd not even try it of I were you."
"Oh, if you are about to claim that she'd not speak to me, you're right; but I am literate. I could write her a letter" said Shevo.
"Oh, and what would you say – 'I'm sorry I tried to screw you because I thought you were your sister'? do you actually suppose that SHE doesn't know who I am? YOU might be blind, daft and er Gormless" – this she borrowed from Caligar – "But my Lady isn't. Short of temper, yes. Short of brains, no. She believes in keeping bloodties close; and making sure that I am grateful too her. For that, I give her loyalty, and I could have applauded if the old man HAD thrashed you to death."
Shevo was not happy; but then Vorinia had not intended that he should be!
She and Josis were not the only ones to be ordering him around to the worst jobs; any of the more attractive women whose paths had crossed that of the philandering serving man found excuse to come with the need for a drudge to undertake dirty and demeaning jobs.
Shevo slunk out of the Hold halfway through the day; and was never seen there again.
oOoOo
The snows came, quietly, insidiously, inexorably.
One evening was cold, grey and depressing; and the next morning there was the strange white light that denoted that snow was shining in the light of Timor setting as Vorinia rose to join Josis.
"It'll be a fine walk out this afternoon if the snow holds off" said Vorinia, shivering into her simple smock. "Jo, our people aren't all dressed very adequately, are they? I mean, you and I dress as though we're expected to be looked at and so mustn't be too ugly…but….." she glanced down at the homespun cloth in its dark blue and green stripes crossed with a black line that marked their Hold.
"But who cares if a drudge or two dies of cold?" said Josis dryly "The wages to most Hold workers are set out by the Harpers but wages to drudges, who are often those least able to handle money for being the halfwits, are in part 'suitable clothing and food' you know; and the Holder determines what is suitable. We are to be seen as you say, so we wear the livery of the Hold. As you know, most drudges wear undyed clothes made as often as not from old blankets worn too thin to use on the beds of higher ranking servants."
"That's not good enough" said Vorinia "I'll be seeing the steward after breakfast. And that frail old woman – I've a warm shawl here she can halve. Josis, what skills has she?"
"Cleaning and such. She's a drudge. She knows some healing – she used to drudge in the healing rooms – but not much more" said Josis.
"Bring her up to that outsized cupboard of a room the spare quilts are stored in; it's next to a chimney. She can – she can be responsible for cleaning out and lighting my fire; and you and I can heave the blackrock and wood between us and take out the ashes."
Josis nodded.
"I shall do that right away if you don't mind – can you do the laundry alone now?"
"I most certainly can!" said Vorinia, sturdily; and set off to do so.
The steward's personal drudge, who ventured a sally about the two girls having fallen out demonstrated how well Vorinia had learned to handle washing for he received a face full of hot wet soapy pillowslip by way of answer to his snide comments and a
"Oops! So much less easy to control without two of us doing it" by way of a less than apologetic form apology. Vorinia then turned her back on him to concentrate on her work.
Unlike the laundry women her hands did not suffer too much; generally it was only the finest clothes that Josis dealt with, and the girls used plenty of lanolin, permitted to a lady's maid, to protect them before washing and to soften them afterwards to keep their hands soft to do the mending and sewing as a personal drudge must do.
oOoOo
After breakfast – the Lady Vorinia's breakfast – Vorinia took herself to the steward's office. Not, it may be said, without some trepidation; but certainly with determination.
He rose as she knocked and entered; filled with consternation over what the Lady might want of him; funds perhaps for some itinerant trader if she had overspent her allowance.
Vorinia nodded to him.
"Olban" she said crisply "I notice that some of the drudges appear to be inadequately dressed for the weather."
"They have their clothes allowance, Lady" said Olban,
"Then it would appear to be inadequate, would it not?" said Vorinia sweetly "Or they would not be blue with cols without decent footwear and with – in some cases – short sleeves and threadbare shawls at best. Nobody CHOOSES to go cold, Olban. I want to see them issued with sweaters, boots and long underwear."
"It'll cost the Hold money, Lady" said Olban gloomily.
"For what, a dozen of fifteen drudges? A maximum of thirty marks and their work improved for being able to work better and harder for not being incapacitated by cold and less likely to lose a day's work through illness."
"Oh if they become ill, they are made Holdless; you need not worry about them costing marks for no work" said Olban.
"They WHAT?" screeched Vorinia, her voice hitting those registers that made all in Lambo's Field Hold wince. "Olban do you WANT me to report you to the Harpers for violating the Charter?"
Olban stared.
"It's your father's orders" he said sulkily.
"Then you had better not carry out such illegal orders, had you?" said Vorinia her voice now as quiet as the screech had been loud. Somehow Olban found the quiet voice more chilling. She went on "You are not actually telling me that he NOTICES anything about the drudges in his own Hold? You run the place; which is why I come to you, not to him. You'll take MY orders from now on; and return him soft answer and lie if you have to."
"Yes, Lady" said Olban.
"Olban: I'll check up" said Vorinia, still very softly "If you don't start improving the way our people are treated, in line with the Charter, I'll be seeing my way to inform the Harpers; AND Lord Bargen."
"That will indict your father too" said Olban.
"He should have thought of that before he started robbing people of their rights" said Vorinia "I've no chance of talking HIM into changing his ways: YOU however are dependant on the Hold and one day I shall inherit. It is in your interests to please me."
"Yes Lady" said Olban with grudging respect. The spoilt featherheaded brat had come back from the Weyr with a changed attitude and a thought or several behind her baby-blue eyes.
Olban was not himself a bad man; and he was scrupulously honest. The deficiencies in the diet and clothing of the drudges were not his idea nor a way to make his own profits; but he had become apathetic and accepting of the way things were.
What she had said about Holder Vorn was true though; providing that his profits flowed in, he would not interfere in the running of the Hold for he found the details of accounting tedious. Olban knew well enough that if he had been dishonest, it would have been easy to feather his own nest.
"Did my Lady want to check my accounting?" he asked.
"Olban, I wouldn't know how to catch you out if you were fiddling the accounts; but I fancy that you'd be sleeker and more self-satisfied if you were; so I trust your honesty" she said
Olban stared; then gave a reluctant laugh.
"An interesting way to judge a man's integrity" he said "And I don't deny I mistrust the sleeker stewards and marksmen myself. Would my Lady like to learn accounting?"
"Now THAT, Olban, is a good idea" said Vorinia "After breakfast for an hour each morning if that will suit you?"
"If my Lady pleases" said Olban.
oOoOo
Now that Vorinia found the physical demands of drudgery less hard it seemed a good idea to learn as much as she might. If she failed to Impress in the future she WOULD inherit the Hold.
And if she did Impress?
Well such skills would be useful to help the administration of the Weyr. But in other respects, Vorinia was very disturbed about what to do.
Her father had been the centre of her life, doting on her fondly. And she had always believed that she had loved him: and he lover her. Recent events were, however, opening her eyes; and she wondered whether he loved her: or prized her almost as a possession. Even a bargaining chip to make an advantageous marriage.
His first act after pulling Shevo off her had NOT been to comfort her and ascertain her well-being, but to start punishing the man for the slight. She could have fallen into a swoon and he would not have noticed. And his care for his people was anything but tender, which had come as a severe shock to tenderly protected Vorinia! Indeed, Vorn was fairly universally hated by his underlings: and Vorinia wondered if any outsider could believe that, for he was quite charming to others of his own status and Rank or those above him.
Which would make it difficult to keep him from oppressing the people if she DID Impress.
Was her duty then to remain? Sooner or later he would find out that she was interfering; and then there would be a scene and she would be forbidden from doing any more and perhaps those she had been trying to help would be punished for making her put their needs first.
It was hard to know what to do!
She must get advice; and advice from someone who could keep a close mouth and yet who was also Ranking.
oOoOO
Vorinia made up her mind; and as soon as the first good freeze came she asked Caligar to drive her out visiting with her maid in attendance.
When they were out of the Hold she directed him to Northfork Runner Hold.
Northfork was only an hour and a half's sled ride from Lambo's Field Hold: and it was a pleasant day for a run too. Swathed in furs, which she had also arranged for Josis, Vorinia managed to enjoy the trip despite her worries.
oOoOo
Tragen and Kaili received the girl coolly; but with more civility than had not D're come to speak to them and tell his sister that he believed that a talking to had made the girl think.
Vorinia took a deep breath and looked scared enough that Tragen and Kaili both re-evaluated a girl who would normally have sneered at them.
"Holder, Lady Kaili, I owe you a number of apologies" said Vorinia, swallowing hard "I – I have not behaved well at all; I offer to you as some excuse that I knew nothing of cooling off, and - and I hava also always been terrified of runnerbeasts" she concluded in a rush.
"Terrified av runnerbeasts? Sure, and how can anyone be terrified av the dharlin' creatures?" said Kaili indignantly.
"Because they're big and snorting and step on your feet and bite and – and are scary!" said Vorinia "Maybe there's something YOU'RE scared of that I'm not; I'm not afraid of dragons and I'm not afraid of heights and I'm not afraid of small spaces but I have heard that there are people who are afraid of all of those things though I find it difficult to understand. Shut me in a cellar for hours and I get no more than bored – but I see that THAT thought disturbs YOU Lady Kaili."
Kaili frowned.
"I see" she said "Well if runnerbeasts make you feel the way I feel about bein' enclosed, why then would ye be ridin' av them?"
"Because my father expected me to" said Vorinia "And I suppose somewhere deep down I knew I should fear his wrath" she shrugged "It was expected that I would ride; and my father seemed to think, and taught me that, runnerbeasts should be beaten to intimidate them. As I hated them anyway I had no hesitation in following his lead."
"Well I am ready to accept your apology, handsomely given too" said Tragen "For I appreciate your courage in coming with it. Don't you my dear?" he said to Kaili.
"Sure, and don't I know how hard it is to admit to a fault; and to turn away from bad behaviour" said Kaili "And it's the first I should be to be offerin' me hand to someone able t' do it so I should. And I apologise too, so I do for the doubtin' av you for fear av runnerbeasts not bein; somethin' I could understand. Nor fear av dragons fer that matter" she added candidly "Though I'm told there are folks that DO fear dragons."
"Well I AM sorry; and my groom has been helping me to overcome my fear by getting me used to a placid mare first" said Vorinia "And I'm hoping to learn not to fear any, for old Whitebrow is a good gentle mount and I'm actually starting to find her a little too placid and lazy; which has to be good. But…..but I don't want to talk about runnerbeasts; I came to beg your advice."
"Why don't I get klah and cakes?" said Kaili.
"My man's cooling the sled beasts; can he be given klah?" asked Vorinia.
Kaili raised an eyebrow.
"You HAVE come a long way me ghirl" she said "And your maid?"
"Josis is my friend as much as maid; I hope you'll treat her as such. She'll hear all I have to say and may have her own comment to make" said Vorinia "I've not yet burdened her with the seriousness of what I've been thinking and worrying about."
"Idiot" said Josis "A trouble shared is a trouble halved."
"But I didn't think you'd be able to think of anything better than me" said Vorinia "It needs a man of Rank who's an outsider."
Sat down with klah she outlined all her concerns, Tragen and Kaili shocked at the abuses she described. That Josis' face did not change save to nod occasionally, proved that Vorinia was not exaggerating from hysteria; and Tragen looked very grave.
Kaili was furious.
"He should be deposed, so he should! Ye should go t' Lord Bargen!"
"Lady Kaili, how can I? he's my own father!" Vorinia's eyes filled with tears "I – I don't know how I feel about him right now – apart from rather betrayed – but he's always been tender towards me and – and I CAN'T!"
"And it's unfair on the child to ask it of her" said Tragen "Yes, I see your dilemma. You say you've been able to make some difference covertly?"
"Yes, Holder Tragen; the steward is taking my orders and he knows to tread softly. My father is free with his fists even to high level underlings. And…." she gulped "He makes people Holdless readily – for things like falling ill. I believe him morally responsible for the death of my nursemaid, the nearest I ever had to a mother" and she explained quickly about Davinda.
Kaili was shocked enough to drop her klah.
Tragen shook his head.
"I have NEVER liked Holder Vorn" he said "But whilst he was civil I could hardly refuse to do business with him. I knew his runners didn't like him you see – for I am a Whisperer. And you do not surprise me, for I distrust men of charm. I knew how Fax charmed his uncle you see. To take on yourself so heavy a duty as to covertly run the Hold and hope – probably vainly I have to say – that he'll not notice is unreasonable. And the strain is already showing in your eyes, my child. You and your friend here should foster elsewhere; D're has already spoken to us and suggested that you should come to us for a while if you were ready and willing at any time. I'll open the place to a couple more girls and get you out. AND make a report on Josis' behalf to the Woodcrafter Hall" – for Vorinia had not left out how Josis came to be her drudge – "To demand fine on her behalf. And I'll ask the Harpers to slip a spy or two in there so it need not be your business any more; for they will judge if it needs reporting or not. Does that help?"
Vorinia nodded.
"Thank you sir; yes it does. Shall I tell daddy that I want to foster with you?"
"If he'll accept it after the fracas you caused with poor Avalanche" said Kaili "Not wishing to be casting it up in your face, but jays you were wishful t'do me an an ill turn."
"I shall suggest that I make myself agreeable to you to be eyes in your household" said Vorinia "He's envious of you, Holder Tragen, how you get so much productivity."
"And have you figured out why?" asked Tragen.
"That he should use fair words instead of curses and financial inducement instead of whippings? Oh yes" said Vorinia. "The atmosphere here is quite different – I could sense it this time. People sing and whistle about their work. It's spotless – not just cleaned where it notices. But he won't acknowledge it nor any fault in himself. Easier to believe that you have some secret threat to hold over people. Though I suppose" she sighed "I could write to him in reports what make the good atmosphere and HOPE to change his attitudes."
Tragen nodded.
"That's worth a try" he said, thinking to himself, even if only for this poor damaged filly to feel that she's done her best!