A/N: Wheeeeeeee!
The Journal of
Kienta Bails
Tuesday, April 14, 246
At Days End
I once more woke at four of the morning, and dressed in plain breeches and tunic, before taking Jinglenob with me to Mama's house for our Temple garb.
I spent the morning cleaning the dead once more, and even helping with the Novices and Adepts for an hour when High Priestess Stonuels had to leave, an hour before High Priest Locks would arrive to replace her, to oversee a funeral for a Dog in Highfeilds. The spring storm, which had finally finished yesterday morn, had brought to the Temple a good dozen of those who died from the cold and wet, from slipping on the cobblestones and cracking their skulls or necks, and several who had died of pneumonia. I cleaned one such dead while explaining to new Adepts why we did so, how to do so, and what happened to the body afterwards. I taught the Novices a few tricks to keeping their robes fresh and clean, and had the Adepts name and explain the reasons for all the different incense, prayers, and prayer-candles, before High Priest Locks finally arrived.
Jinglenob and I left at noon, and returned to Mama's in time to get a ride in Maggie and Fintel's food cart to the Daymarket.
"Kienta!" Siarana called when we got there, sounding worried. "Tinsle's sick, an' Oriver chipped a tooth slippin'. I gotta get this wagon about, now that Jinglenob's 'ere, but no'un'll be 'ere to man th' counter. Can ye take over the bakery?" I nodded and made shooing motions at her, while another of Kindle's rusher friend helped my sister load the cart and hook Jinglenob up, while my own guard, a rusher I didn't recognize, helped me unload the cart and helped a green-tinged Tinsle and a sobbing Oriver into the back, for Fintel and Maggie to take back. Quickly, I got to work, as we were all but swarmed by mots and coves wanting hot treats to stave off the chill.
We had a bit of trouble, when a cove tried to leave without paying, but the rusher got him to change his mind at the end of a dagger, and I caught a little gixie trying to help herself to a treat. She was a skinny thing, face thin, so I gave her a meat pie and a little packet of cinnamon balls, before shooing her off.
I was beginning to be swamped, though. Mots and coves alike were shoving one another, tempers brought high by the misery of the last three days, and the sky was beginning to get dark with clouds again, promising more rain tonight. I struggled to keep them in order, to get them their orders, and keep my coins in order and change exact as well.
"Oi!" Came a bellow. "You sarden scuts, keep it in line!" It was Finch, glaring fiercely, black eyes looking darker with his smoke-gray tunic and black breeches. Ferrows was next to him, blue eyes looking brighter even as he scowled fiercely at the crowd. "You'll get your sarden food and get back in your homes a'fore the rain comes down only if y'don't go rushing Bails like a bunch of sarden whelps at their bitch's tits! Keep calm and keep quiet!" After he and Ferrows had glared the crowd to mild obedience, I found myself with two helpers at the counter, to my relief. Finch took over the coins, and Ferrows handed the food out, while I made sure he got the proper orders, and kept the over fires fed and heated cider and ale alike for extra selling to those who'd brought their own jacks and asked for it.
The skies opened up just as the last few in line had gotten their orders, and I quickly got their food to Ferrows to hand out, before darting to the side and pulling the rusher guard inside with a tired grin. Siarana returned moments after the first flash of lightning, with Jinglenob and an empty wagon and rusher in tow, and I got the three of them inside as well. With a relieved sigh, I passed out hot drinks and cinnamon pastries, and gave Jinglenob a few meat pies as well, as we all found someplace to sit inside the bakery.
"It's a bit harder work then I'd thought it was, being a baker," Finch acknowledged, while Siarana snorted at him.
"An' ta t'ink, ye only helped at th' counter, Master Finch!" She teased, drying her honey-blonde hair with a flour-spattered towel, the cleanest I could find for her. Her guard (A dark-haired, tan-skinned cove named Clint Henselly with pretty brown eyes) had declined a towel, while Jinglenob was happily rolling in a towel that had ruined batter on it. "Ye've yet ta really work until ye've kneaded th' dough an' made th' dozens o' cakes an' th' like, been on oven duty 'til yer skin's red wi' th' 'eat, an' manned the counter. Tis exhaustin' sometimes." Finch and Ferrows were giving me strange looks, so I just smiled sweetly at them and wiped sweat from my brow onto my green shirt sleeve.
"So, 'ow many brats are there?" Ferrows asked after taking a deep drag of his jack of ale.
"Nineteen," Siarana and I answered together. "And mor on the way," we added; we both had a good laugh at the faces my Dogs and our rushers gave, and I flung my arm around my little sister's shoulders, pulling the eight-year-old against me, where she snuggled in.
"There's Jakoal, Lyddy, Markus, an' Barret, who all live an' work in Port Caynn," Siarana started explaining cheerfully. "Then Kienta, Kip, Corth, Maggie, an' Fintel, an' those eight is from Papa Farren, who died a'fore Maggie & Fintel was born. Then there's Jesabel, Jorath, Nikolai, me an' my twin Tinsle... Oriver, Cail, Kala, Kir, Mark, Hanse, Leorn, an' Mick, and th' babes on the way, and the eleven o' us is from Papa Kindle!" She beamed brightly up at the four men, and I laughed aloud at their gawping.
"How d'ye keep 'em straight in yer heads?!" My Guard (blond, blue eyed swordsman named Tanir from Scanra) demanded, and my sister and I shrugged.
"Jus' do," she told him, before I had to get up and handle a cove at the counter, covered in a wax-coated cloak that kept him dry. He ordered a basket of fritters and cinnamon balls, and gladly had his jack filled with hot ale. He paid in silver, and waited as I checked it and found it true. Then he bought the basket as well, tugged his hood in a bit of a salute, and trundled off into the rain.
My group and I stayed inside as the rain tapered slowly off again after an hour, before disappearing all together and the sky cleared. Finch and Ferrows stayed about to help me at the counter, and I happily taught Finch how to make cheese fritters during a lull in customers. Before it got dark, my Dogs left, wishing me a good night and stalking off. I spent another two hours at the bakery, before gathering what goods remained and walking Siarana home with Jinglenob as Maggie and Fintel brought Jorath and Jesabel to take the Night Market.
I spent the night at Mama's once more, as Tinsle, Kip, Corth, and Cail had all gotten ill from the rains, and Oriver's poor tooth was making him miserable.
Now I sit here in the Nursery, writing this by candlelight as I let Kir and Kala cage me in on either side, already mostly asleep. Jinglenob in nearby, already deep in his dreams, with little Mick laying upon his side and drooling into his fur. I shall end this entry here, and go to bed.
Black God bless.
A/N: Wheeeeeeee
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