A/N: Hello lovely readers! This chapter's relatively short, but I think by the time you finish it, you'll see why. Also, I want to thank all of you for the sweet comments you've been leaving on this silly little fanfiction! You have no idea how happy I get when I see how much joy (...and sometimes tears) I'm able to bring you all and reading your comments literally makes me do a happy dance! :) Oh, and the discussions I'm able to get into with you lot? Those are pretty fun, too~
I also wanted to leave another little reminder that my second Hobbit fanfiction, Born of Lies, is up and currently has two chapters -juuuust in case you wanted something else to read ;D
Chapter Thirty-Three
Dark, grey clouds covered the sky, scattering a white blanket of snow across the Lonely Mountain and the city of Dale. Human children and dwarvish children alike ran around, bundled up in heavy, wool cloaks and mittens as they threw snowballs, built snowmen, and crafted snow forts with one another. Not caring much for age, they would hit each other with snowballs as well as their parents and anyone else who passed by their games.
It wasn't only children participating in snow-filled shenanigans, however.
A shriek of laughter echoed through the courtyard of the Full Tankard, quickly followed by the sound of snow hitting glass. Galiene poked her head over the sill and shook her head as she saw Adela duck behind the well, a snowball narrowly missing her bum. Across the yard, Baylee held the lid of a barrel as she kept her back to a corner while, nearer to the stables, Wenna was crouched behind a wooden cart.
"Those girls…you'd think the lot of them were still in their teens!" she chuckled, wiping her hands on her apron.
"They certainly sound like it," Warren grinned. He didn't lift his eyes from the carrots he was slicing. "It's good, though. I'm glad 'Lee is walkin' 'round just fine. Same with Adela. As for Wenna, well…the lass needs t' throw all her energy somewhere since business has been so slow."
Galiene laughed. "Well, when it's cold, people prefer t' stay indoors. Unlike Demelza an' Richard." She shook her head, more in disbelief this time. "Can't believe they've gone t' Lake Town in this weather."
Shrugging, Warren scooped up the carrot rounds and put them into a bowl. "That's what happens when family gets sick, though –ya go tend t' them."
Tasting the broth for some soup, Galiene sighed and added in some dried herbs. "That is true," she mused. "Hm. Needs more pepper…" Adding the pepper, she glanced out the window once more. "How're the carrots comin'?"
"Almost done," he replied. "Anythin' else ya need me t' do after this?"
"If ya could get me the cured beef from the lower pantry, that'd be nice."
"How much o' it?"
She thought for a moment before shrugging. "Enough t' feed two dwarves, Will, an' yourself," she joked.
Warren laughed as well. "Will do."
Stirring the broth again, Galiene sighed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Grabbing a much smaller pot, she went to grab her ladle only to find that it was missing. She frowned and looked around; it wasn't by the stove, nor was it by or in the sink. She leaned over and peered out the window yet again –just in time to see Wenna using the ladle to fling snow at Baylee, who blocked it with her 'shield'.
Going to the door, she opened it and put her hands on her hips. "Wenna! What in the world gave ya the idea t' use my ladle o' all things in a snowball fight?"
Wenna looked up, her gold curls bouncing about her red cheeks. "Er…Well…" She yelped and stumbled sideways as Adela pegged the side of her face with snow. "That was cheating!" Quickly scooping snow into the ladle, she flung it at Adela and ducked back down behind the cart. She knew she was not in trouble; in fact, she heard Galiene simply laugh before returning inside.
Baylee was just shaping a snowball when something caught her attention. Coming into the courtyard were Will and Bard, both of whom seemed to be oblivious to the girls. Baylee held up her hand, signaling for a stop to be brought to the shenanigans. Despite this, she wore a wicked grin as she pointed at the two men.
Simultaneously, Bard and Will let out shouts of surprise as they were suddenly bombarded with snowballs. From all sides they were pelted, though the assault only lasted half a minute. Will looked up, his eyes wide in shock and horror –snow had managed to slip down the back of his shirt.
"What in the world was that for!?" he cried, doing a funny dance as he tried to get the snow out of his shirt. "Can't two blokes get some lunch without gettin' hit by snow?!"
Baylee snorted, blocking a snowball sent flying at her by Bard. "Your fault for walkin' into a battle zone!" she giggled.
"She's right, love," Adela smirked. She had one hand on her hip while the other lightly tossed a snowball into the air before catching it again. "You're lucky Wenna here didn't get ya –she's got quite the aim with that ladle."
Bard, who had been readying a second snowball, grinned. "He didn't, but I did," he replied. He shook his head and snow fell out of his dark locks. "I certainly wasn't expecting this when Will promised me a good bowl o' soup, that's for sure!" He aimed the snowball at Baylee, but at the last second, threw it at Wenna, pegging her in the face.
Wenna let out a squeal, trying to brush the snow off her face, but some of it managed to slip down the collar of her dress. It was her turn to do a silly dance.
Walking over to her husband, Adela stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Your da' is helping Galiene make lunch," she told him, "so it may be a while yet before the soup's done."
Will managed to get the last bit of snow out of his shirt, his nose scrunching up as he shivered. "That's fine…it'll give us some time t' warm up with a bit o' mulled wine," he told her, a small grin coming to his lips.
"Mmm…Mulled wine sounds good about now," Baylee agreed, walking towards a barrel. Replacing the lid, she turned around and froze as she saw Will, Wenna, and Adela wearing large grins. "What…? Why are you lot lookin' at me like that?"
"You're not allowed t' have anythin' stronger than ale, remember?" Adela giggled.
Bard cocked his brow as Baylee groaned. "Why is that?" he inquired, glancing at the redhead.
"Oh," mused Adela, "nothin' too bad. The night o' the festival, Baylee just got a wee bit drunk…"
Will snorted. "A 'wee' bit? That's an understatement."
"It wasn't my fault that my drink got switched with Bofur's," Baylee pouted, taking off her mittens and smacking them together to get the clumps of snow off of them. "Aye, the mead was tasty, but it's not like I meant t' drink it."
Wenna covered her mouth as she burst out giggling. "Either way, the two o' you were adorable," she managed to say, her whole body being shaken by her laughter.
Bard glanced at Baylee, finding her cheeks to be beet red. "Dare I ask what happened?"
"We found Baylee an' Bofur fast asleep under a table the next mornin'," Will laughed. "The two o' them had mighty hangovers the next day."
"As did half the town," Bard chuckled, somewhat amused.
Baylee groaned. "It's not that funny," she protested. "Why do you lot keep bringin' that up when ya could be talkin' 'bout how Dwalin, Nori, an' Ori were dancin' around without their shirts? That seems more o' a highlight t' the night than anything, especially since Dwalin started it."
Will patted her atop head. "Because, dear sister, we don't want t' remember the sight o' that."
Adela and Wenna shrugged in unison. "I don't know," the redhead chirped, "Dwalin's not too bad without his shirt."
Wenna waved her hand. "No, no –it's Nori who looked quite good without his shirt. The nicely braided beard helped a lot, though." She thoughtfully scratched her chin. "Ori's not so bad, either. He was more adorable 'n handsome, though. Dwalin was a wee bit scary."
"Are ya jokin'? Did ya not see the muscles o' his stomach?" Adela gaped. "Ya could use 'em as a washboard!" She grinned at the thought.
"An' that's exactly why he was a wee bit scary," Wenna told her, matter-of-factly. "When muscles are tha' defined, it gets a bit scary an' gross."
"I'll second that motion," Baylee giggled, noticing how disturbed Bard and Will looked. "C'mon –enough about dwarves. Let's head inside before these two freeze t' death." She motioned for them to start walking. "Anyway, Bofur is the most handsome dwarf, shirtless or not."
Will cocked his brow, looking down at his sister. "And you know what he looks like shirtless how…?" He watched her cheeks get just a touch darker.
"Before Ori an' I were kidnapped," she replied without missing a beat, "saw him comin' out o' the bathin' room while still puttin' his shirt on. That's how." A cheeky grin spread across her lips.
He didn't seem convinced. "That better be the only way you've seen him shirtless," he muttered, his voice loud enough for her ears only, "otherwise he's a dead dwarf."
She frowned and elbowed him in the side. "Now that's the pot callin' the kettle black," she replied.
Coming into the kitchen, the five humans stamped the snow off their boots and brushed it off their cloaks. Wenna offered to take their cloaks and coats before heading off to hang them up in the common room. Will and Adela led Bard out there as well while Baylee grabbed a basket and started to fill it with food.
Galiene cocked her brow. "What're you doin' lass?" she asked, cubing up some cured beef.
"Gettin' some lunch ready for Bofur an' Bifur," she replied, standing on her tiptoes in an attempt to grab some bread. "They've been makin' toys at the shop for the last few days, since they're runnin' low on a few things. Knowin' them, they're too lost in the craft t' realize what time it is."
"Sometimes it's hard for me t' remember tha' you're Bofur's lover an' not his mother what with how well ya take care o' him," Galiene teased.
"Oh, ha-ha."
The backroom of the shop smelled heavily of carved wood and dust. An inch of wood shavings covered the floor around Bofur and Bifur's feet as they quietly whittled away on toy soldiers and rocking animals. On the table before them (and on the counters behind them), there were stacks of animals, soldiers, dolls, and even a few sleds were resting against the wall.
It was this mess that Baylee walked in on. Her brow rose and she gingerly swept aside some of the shavings before stepping into the room. Greeting the dwarves, she wasn't entirely surprised when neither of them really replied –Bifur had grunted at her, but she was positive it wasn't a grunt of acknowledgement.
"Well then. I'll tidy up a bit, shall I?" she chuckled, setting the basket of food down on the only bit of counter space. She shivered slightly; the fire had died out hours ago and hadn't been rebuilt since. She shook her head and made a mental note to rebuild it. Taking up a broom, she started to sweep, doing her best to gather everything into one corner for easier scooping. "Ya know, you two missed a wonderful snowball fight earlier. Us lasses managed t' ambush Will an' Bard."
Bofur muttered something in Khuzdul as his knife slipped.
"Oh, aye –it was loads o' fun seein' Will dance around like a chicken as he tried t' get snow out o' his shirt," she chirped. "Poor Bard, though –he was mostly confused by everything. Oh! Apparently Wenna an' Adela found Nori an' Dwalin rather attractive when they were dancin' 'round without their shirts durin' the festival."
Bifur cursed as he cut his thumb, but didn't look up from the rocking horse he was making. Instead, he wiped his thumb on his trousers and continued working.
"So scandalous, I know." Finishing the sweeping, she started to move the piles of toys from the table into neat rows on the counters. This was a harder job, as there was less counter space to work with than what she had anticipated.
When twenty minutes had passed, she finally had the area in good enough condition to lay out the food. Then, when she had finished that task, she quickly made a fire using handfuls of the wood shavings (which, she found, were excellent starters) and the timber piled up beside the hearth. Finally, she went over and plucked the toy soldier from Bofur's hands and pulled the rocking horse away from Bifur.
It was as if a firework had gone off, they were so startled.
"By my beard, Baylee! Give us a warnin' next time!" Bofur cried, having fallen off of his stool. Across from him Bifur was going off in a string of Khuzdul, his eyes wide in surprise.
Cocking her brow, Baylee motioned to the somewhat-cleaned room. "I did give ya a bit o' a warning," she gently scolded. "I even talked t' ya, but you were so absorbed in your work, you didn't notice." Smirking, she leaned over and helped pull Bofur back onto his chair before kissing his cheek. "But, if ya lads don't want this lunch I brought for ya…"
"Food?" Bifur mumbled, still a bit dazed. His eyes widened again as he found his workplace filled, not with tools, but with a bowl of hot soup and a platter of still-warm cheesy bread. "Aha! Food! Thank-you," he grinned before starting to dig in.
"By the beards o' the ancients, âzying!" Bofur exclaimed, seeing two plates of cheese and two bottles of cider as well as a plate of biscuits. Wearing a large grin, he kissed her cheek before also diving into the food.
Rolling her eyes with a chuckle, she pulled up a stool beside Bofur. "How long have the two o' you been working?"
As he chewed a bit of cheese, Bifur stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Morning," he answered. "Before sun."
Her brow rose. "…Did the two o' you even have breakfast then?" she asked, stealing a biscuit to dip into her soup.
"You know…I don't remember," Bofur sheepishly replied. "All week, we've been more focused on makin' toys than anything." He hid a yawn behind his hand; Baylee could see the dark circles under his eyes.
Frowning, she reached over and brushed some specks of wood from his hair. "I think the two o' ya should take the rest o' the night off. Get some rest. Ya look utterly exhausted."
Bofur shook his head as he simply gulped his soup straight from the bowl. "No, love, we can't do that. Once us dwarrows set about doin' somethin', we need t' get it done or else it'll itch in the back o' our minds until it's done. Right now, for example –I'm really wantin' t' get back t' work on that wee soldier, but I know I need t' eat." He gave her a small smile. "It's how we are. But! We're almost done. I think I've only got three soldiers left an' Bifur's got the one rockin' horse."
Resting her hand on her knee, Baylee looked over her shoulder at the small army of toys. "I would hope. I mean, I think you've got enough toys here t' keep the whole town happy for a good, long while," she chuckled.
Bifur nodded in agreement. "Many toys…many happy," he told her before breaking off a piece of the cheesy bread. He pressed a chunk of cheese into the middle of it, rolled it up in his hands, and took a bite from it.
Bofur reached under the table and gave Baylee's stool a small tug, dragging her closer to him. "How's your day been, âzying?" he inquired, uncorking a bottle of cider.
"Slow, for the most part. Though, we had a snowball fight in the courtyard," she grinned. "It ended when Will an' Bard walked in…an' us three girls pegged them in the face with snow."
The two males snorted. "Ya know, anywhere else in Middle Earth an' you'd be thrown in jail for assaulting a king like that," Bofur joked.
"Then I'll count my lucky stars that he's a friend o' the family," she smiled.
"How Lovisa?" Bifur asked, his head tilted. "Not seen few day."
She cocked her brow. "She probably visited, but the two o' you were too busy with toys," she joked. "An' the silly woman's out huntin' rabbits today."
He nearly choked on his food. "Still hurt! Should rest!" he protested, eyes wide.
Reassuringly smiling at him, she took a bit of the bread as well. "Uncle Richard looked her injury over before he an' Aunt Demelza left for Lake Town an' he said that she's pretty much healed up," she explained. "So she's takin' full advantage o' that today. Knowin' her, she'll come back with a bushel o' rabbits, some fish, an' a deer even…"
Bofur laughed. "After seein' her hunt an' track, I have no doubt that's exactly what she'll bring home," he grinned.
Suddenly, the three of them heard loud, hurried knocking coming from the back door.
"What the…? Who could that be?" Bofur murmured, getting up. Opening the door a crack, he could see the mess of blonde curls that was Wenna. "Wenna? What're you doin' here, lass?"
"Where's Baylee?" she breathlessly asked; it was obvious she had ran there. As she leaned back, Baylee could see a worried look on her face.
"I'm right here, lass. What's wrong?" Rising to her feet, Baylee also went to the door only to have Wenna grab her by the shoulders.
"Ya need t' go t' the castle right now! Somethin's happened –there were soldiers! Loads o' 'em –they took 'em without proper reasons-"
"Whoa, calm down Wenna!" she gently ordered. "Why do I have to go to the castle?"
Wenna swallowed hard. "I don't know the whole story. I just know tha' a bunch o' soldiers came an' took your da' and brother. Bard sent me after ya; he wants you at the castle." She let out a squeak as Baylee pushed her out of the way and bolted out of the door, not even bothering to grab her cloak.
By the time she reached the castle, her lungs burned, her legs ached, and her hip throbbed. All this she ignored as she shoved past the guards and hurried through to the courtyard. To her relief, Bard was pacing the stone pathway leading to the throne room; he glanced up as she approached before hurrying to her side.
"Wh-what's going on?" she panted, having to lean on one of the wooden pillars for support. "W-Wenna s-said somethin' 'bout…'bout…"
"It's nothing good," Bard warned her. His face had lost all the humor he had earlier worn. "Mannus Stover had Warren and Will arrested."
"On wha' charges?" she cried. "They've done nothin' wrong! They've never done anythin' wrong!" She started to walk, wincing with every few steps.
He shook his head. "He hasn't said yet. He wanted you present before he declared the formal charges." Rubbing his temple, he pushed open the door for her. "Adela's here, too; Folki's with Galiene."
"He dragged her into this as well?"
"It has to do with her."
Baylee cursed under her breath –though she quickly uttered a louder one as they came into the throne room. Not only were Mannus and Adela waiting for them, but Warren and Will were both in chains, two soldiers guarding each of them, and the entirety of the Elder Council was present. Mannus wore a cocky grin as he stood near the council, though it faded somewhat as Baylee and Bard entered.
"Alright, Mannus," Bard spoke, moving to stand by his throne, "Baylee is here. Now tell us, why in Middle Earth have ya had Will and Warren arrested?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Baylee go to her brother and father.
Mannus took a small step forward, his hands behind his back. He was a man who tried to cling to what youthfulness he had left, but with thinning, red hair, a pot belly, and a greying beard, it was clear he was no longer the handsome lad he tried to be. "My Lord Bard," he began, his eyes darting between the king, Baylee, and Will, "I've had Warren and William arrested on charges o' theft an' dishonor. Specifically, the theft o' my daughter, Adela, an' the dishonor o' soiling her purity before marriage."
"Oh, that's a load of bollocks!" Warren snapped. "You all but disowned her!"
"You screamed at me in front o' the patrons at the inn!" Adela added. "You humiliated me in front o' them!"
Glaring at them, Mannus cleared his throat. "But I never disowned you," he replied, his voice even. "I may have expressed my…disagreement with your choice o' lover, but never disowned you." He turned towards Bard once more. "My Lord, young William never paid the bride-price before marryin' my daughter. As such, he has stolen her from me an' brought dishonor on my family by havin' an out o' wedlock child with her."
"Oh, dishonor on your cow!" Baylee growled. Glancing at her brother, she could see that he was too angry to say anything and that his fists were balled tight enough for his nails to draw blood from his palms.
Bard did not seem convinced, either. "There haven't been any marriages with a bride-price payment in nearly half a century, Mannus," he replied. "At least amongst the common folk. Which you are."
He wiggled his finger almost scolding at the king. "Ah, but it is the law, my lord." He glanced at the council behind him. "Isn't that right, gentlemen? Not only that, but as Warren and I are both owners o' inns an' make a fair amount o' gold, wouldn't you say tha' we're o' the higher class?"
One of the older council members stepped forward, having to lean on a cane for support. "It is the law, Lord Bard," he rasped, "we have checked. Elder Thomas has the Book of Laws." He motioned behind him, beckoning another council member forward. "As much as it pains us to do such, the council agrees that Mannus is in the right to his claim of theft."
Elder Thomas–a slightly younger man- stepped forward and opened an ancient-looking tome. He showed Bard the passage that the first elder referenced, his shriveled finger tracing the elegant script.
"The bride-price must be paid to the wife-to-be's family before the marriage can take place," Bard read aloud. "If a marriage between a couple is performed and no bride-price has been paid, the offending husband and father of the husband shall be arrested and jailed until either the bride-price has been paid in full, an annulment is performed, or death claims them." He glanced up, swallowing his horror before reading the last few lines. "If the bride-price cannot be paid and an annulment refused, the wife's father or eldest male relative may claim any amount of lands, wealth, or businesses the husband may own instead of the requested bride-price."
"What's your price for Adela, then?" Warren snapped. "I'll pay anythin'!"
Lightly shrugging, Mannus looked away. "I want two things, really…but since I have mercy, I'll ask for only one," he replied coolly.
Bard narrowed his eyes. "Well then? Out with it."
"I want Baylee for my wife."
Baylee almost retched in shock and disgust; just in case, she clamped her hand over her mouth. Warren tried to lunge forward, but the guards managed to restrain him. There was a thud from Will's guards as they were forced to shove him against the wall to keep him at bay.
"You leave Baylee out o' this!" he shouted. "Leave my sister alone or else-" He suddenly fell silent as Bard held up his hand and gave him a stern, but understanding, look.
"You said there was a second price that could be paid," Bard spoke, doing his best to retain his anger. "What was it?"
"Oh, it's quite unattainable, my lord, that's why I didn't ask for it," Mannus replied with another small shrug.
Bard went over to Mannus until there was barely a foot of space between them. "You are trying my patience, Mannus Stover," he hissed, "with this ridiculous drivel of yours. Now, as your king, I order you t' tell me: What is the second price?"
Mannus seemed to balk under the intense gaze of the king and he swallowed hard. "Th-the Horn of Thúnor, milord," he replied, his cheeks turning bright red. Finding his courage again, he stood straighter. "My daughter is a priceless treasure t' me, just like the Horn o' Thúnor was t' his people. I'll accept nothin' less than that or Baylee's hand. A fair trade, don't you think?"
Shouts broke out from both the accused and Adela. Warren was arguing about how the horn didn't exist. Will was threatening to cut out Mannus' tongue for such wickedness. Adela was insulting her father's sanity, claiming it had disappeared when her mother had left him. It took all of the soldiers' strength to restrain Will and Warren –both of whom stood a head taller than the four men- without bringing injury to either themselves or to the other two men.
"BE QUIET!"
The silence that followed was a stunned one, for it hadn't been any man who had shouted, but Baylee. Turning, Bard quickly stepped to the side as he saw the small woman storming up to Mannus –and with good reason. Such was the intensity of the hatred and anger written on her face, for the first time in her life, Baylee looked terrifying. What she had felt when she found Damayanti trying to assault Ori was nothing compared to what she felt towards Mannus Stover.
"Ya claim that it was Will who sullied your family's honor," she told Mannus, her voice dangerously quiet, "an' yet, here you stand, bringin' shame an' dishonor upon my family an' my sister-in-law by bringing up ancient, obsolete laws tha' no longer have a place in our city. But you will have your nâstagûl bride-price an' it's certainly not goin' to be my hand in marriage."
Mannus glared down at her, wearing a mischievous grin. Regardless of his façade, Baylee could see the fear in his eyes as he refused to meet her gaze. "Is that so?" he mused.
"Baylee-" Warren began, but he was cut off.
"By Mahal's sacred anvil, I swear that I'll deliver Thúnor's Horn to you –that is, if it exists."
He smirked, showing yellowed teeth. "Then so be it." He looked to Bard and the council. "Ya heard her –she swore t' the Valar that she'll give me Thúnor's Horn!" he declared, throwing out his arms and looking at the people around him. "And, until I get my payment, William and Warren Braddock are to be kept in jail!"
Bard stared at him for a long, silent minute, debating whether he should stab the man and free Baylee of her obligation or send his lifelong friends who had shown him so much kindness through the years to jail. His duty as king, however, dictated that he must do the latter.
"Take them to the cells," he quietly ordered, sitting down in his throne. Slouching forward in defeat, he rested his arms on his legs. "Mannus, council –leave my sight."
Adela huddled beside Baylee as the soldiers took Will and Warren, both of whom had given up their struggles, from the room. The Elder Council followed them, but Mannus lingered. He held his hand out to his daughter, wearing a sickly sweet smile.
"Come along, Adela," he told her. "Let's go home."
"I'm not goin' anywhere with you!" she snapped, partially hiding herself behind Baylee.
Mannus frowned and started towards her. "Adela, don't be silly. You're coming home until this little-" He stopped short, feeling cool metal pressed against his throat.
Baylee stared up at him, her face void of any emotion, save the hate in her eyes. "She stays at the Tankard," she told him, knuckles white as she gripped the blade.
"She's my daughter-"
"Nowhere in that law did it state that she has t' go back an' live with you. She stays at the Tankard."
Bard looked up. "She's right, Mannus. Now leave before I have you arrested for trespassing."
As Mannus hurried out of the hall, Baylee tucked the dagger back into its sheath, which was hidden in the front of her dress. Setting her hand on Adela's arm, she glanced at Bard, who had his face buried in his hands. A quiet sigh left her mouth and she forced herself to look away.
"I'm sorry," he told the two of them, his voice muffled by his hands. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to send them to jail, but…"
"Ya didn't have a choice," Adela murmured, her voice shaking. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, trying to keep herself composed. "You did all that ya could. We couldn't have asked for more from you." She managed to give the king a quaking smile, but he did not look at them.
"You should get back to the inn," he quietly spoke. "Return to your son and your friends…Do ya want a soldier to go with you? In case he tries anything again?"
Adela looked down at Baylee, who hadn't spoken since her threat to Mannus. "No. I think we'll be fine. Thank-you, though."
Baylee wordlessly wrapped her arm around Adela and led her out of the castle. Neither one cared about the stares given to them by curious onlookers.
An hour later found the Full Tankard temporarily closed for the first time since it opened. Inside, its staff was gathered in the kitchen with Baylee sitting in the chair that was normally occupied by Warren. She looked smaller than normal as she sat in the oversized seat, but everyone was silent as they listened to her, showing her the same respect they would have shown her father.
"…Business won't be good for the next few days –maybe even the next few weeks. I don't doubt tha' there are already nasty rumors bein' spread, an' we know how fast gossip travels." With a heavy sigh, she tiredly rubbed her face before looking at the people around her. "Valar only know what's bein' said about Will an' papa right now, but whatever's goin' around isn't true. Adela an' I told ya the true story. Remember that."
Wenna, out of everyone, looked the most worried while Galiene, who sat beside her, lightly squeezed her hand, letting her know everything would be alright. Gawen was polishing the silverware, though his hands shook and he dropped a spoon more than once. Adela was cradling Folki as she sat in Baylee's normal spot, quietly cooing to the infant as tears silently trailed down her cheeks. Peter was the only one not sitting –he was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he slowly chewed on the end of an unlit pipe.
"We have loyal patrons though," she finally continued. "An' just because Will an' papa are…gone for a while, doesn't mean we're goin' t' slack off in our jobs, alright? Aye, things are hard an' will be hard for some time, but we owe it t' whoever comes through that door an' orders a meal or room t' give 'em our best –nothin' less."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Galiene stood up, moving to check on the various meats she had started roasting before Baylee returned with the news while Wenna went to check on some rising bread dough. Peter, however, moved to the hearth. These things they did in almost total silence, knowing that Baylee wasn't quite done yet.
"I'll…probably have t' hire on some temporary help," she continued, also rising to her feet. She limped over to Wenna, taking one of the bowls of dough and moving back to the table. "With my aunt an' uncle bein' gone an' me leavin' soon, you lot will be shorthanded." As she spoke, she kneaded the dough, add dried fruit and nuts to it every couple of turns. "Luckily, I've already got some people in mind…Wenna, Peter: It'll be up t' the two o' ya t' train them an' get them up t' speed on how things run around here, alright?"
"Aye," the two of them chorused.
"Who're you going t' leave in charge while you're gone?" Gawen asked, putting the last knife in its place in the box. Standing up, he carried the box of utensils back to its proper place on the counter.
"Er…" She went silent for a moment. Her mind had been racing a hundred leagues a minute ever since the confrontation and she had come up with so many plans already, but she honestly hadn't thought over who would be in charge. "I still need t' think on that one," she admitted. She looked up as a cup of tea appeared in front of her and a large hand cupped her shoulder.
"Take your time, girlie," Peter gently told her. "You've already done quite a bit o' thinkin' today. You need t' rest. We can handle things for the time bein'; why don't you go lie down for a while?" He plucked up the board that she had unconsciously filled with small loaves of bread, moving to put it in the proofing box.
Slowly nodding, she wiped her hands on her dress, not caring that she just covered the rich, indigo fabric with messy, white flour prints. "Thank-you," she quietly told him.
His reply was a simple pat on the back.
She got to her feet and, taking the tea with her, headed towards her quarters. The common room had a few people gathered around the hearth, but they paid her no mind as they talked amongst themselves and drank warm, mulled wine or hot cider. As she came nearer to her room, she didn't notice that she had begun to shake, though she found herself swallowing hard over and over again.
Entering her room, she closed the door before leaning against the wall. Tightly hugging herself, she finally allowed the mental dam to break and she slid to the ground, crying. She tried to be quiet, in case Adela came down the hall, but it was a useless effort. Looking helplessly into the night, she started to lightly rock herself, tears pouring from her eyes.
"Valar, give us strength," she sobbed into the darkness. "Please give us strength."