Goat Ewe (January 3010) - [Ceolmund]
Oct 8, 2017 7:46:48 GMT -5
Post by Runa on Oct 8, 2017 7:46:48 GMT -5
Runa fought through the January pre-dawn winds, pulling her heavy cloak tight over her shoulders. Overnight a new layer of snow had fallen, but the skies were free now of the falling snow, and the grey, wintry clouds still covered Edoras.
This was supposed to be her day off. She felt guilty for being disappointed; she loved her job, and her mother had still been in bed when Runa had left which meant she must have really not been well…but she had been near living at the Hall for the past few weeks, and Oda was right—she needed a little time to reset. Her body was exhausted, and so were her emotions. “Well, at least Elin shouldn’t show up,” she said to herself. What a silver lining.
Well, maybe she would not show up. She had to walk right by Ceolmund’s house to get to work. If she was within 20 paces of the soldier, Elin was always a risk. She growled with frustration at the very thought of Ceolmund. He had been acting strange yesterday, far different than in any of the time they had known each other. He had told his mother that she was like a sister. She could even understand how that could happen, however much it saddened her. She had been a twelve year old bearing tea the first time they had met at the Healing Hall when Hildred had been tending him. Maybe he still saw her as the fiery little girl who chased her brother and his friends around. Maybe she should see him as a brother, too.
She paused, eyes on the ground, a frown on her face. In the snow were footprints. Large ones, with the imprint of a crutch. As if to confirm her location, she glanced to the doorway. Indeed it was Ceolmund’s house. She dropped back to examine the footprints. Yes, they were leading away.
“Eorl’s flaming knickers, Ceolmund!” She grunted as she picked up her paces back toward the Hall. This was not staying in bed. “If you come in today and need work, I’m making Adelais deal with it.”
She got to the hall, and the day was a familiar whir of caring for the sick, and keeping bedside company to some of the longer-care patients. Oda had given her tasks ranging from stitches, to poultice applications, to bone setting, and beyond. At least Paega seemed to be feeling better; she had probably exhausted herself with all the excitement the day before, and had slept through the night for the first time since coming to the Hall.
The sun was on its downward trek when Oda came over. “It’s nearly four,” the woman declared. Runa glanced up from the fire, where she was stoking it against the wintry wind that was whistling in through the thatch roof. “Why don’t you go home early—it’s calmed down enough now that I think the rest of us can handle it. Why not take tomorrow, and I mean it—if I see you in here, you’ll be in trouble.” She lifted her eyebrows pointedly.
Runa nodded. “Thank you, Oda,” she said tiredly.
She kissed Paega goodbye and promised that she would be back soon, grabbed her cloak, and headed for home. The path was familiar, and she frowned as she passed by Ceolmund’s house. There was no smoke rising from the chimney; he had definitely taken her order of sticking to bed as more of a suggestion or guideline.
It was a fair walk to get back to her own home, and her cheeks and nose were tingly with the bite of the wind when she arrived. However, before she had even turned the corner she could hear revelry. And the sound of a goat? The woman frowned.
They did not own goats.
Runa turned, and in front of her house, some twenty paces away, a goat was indeed tied to a post, walking about, bleating, and chewing on some hay that had been spread for him in a makeshift trough.
She eyed the goat as she passed and reached for the doorknob. “Papa, why is there a goat outside?” She called as she sought to open the door. However, she could not do it. It swung open an inch before hitting something that made it impossible to move any more. The sound of many male voices and laughter were filtering through the crack, and it was almost immediately a man turned and opened the door, moving out of the way. His cheeks were rosy.
“She’s here!” He called. Was that mead on his breath?
The entire house seemed to erupt into cheers, and the man reached for her shoulder to pull her inside. “What in Eorl’s name—” Runa started as she was pushed through a tight river of men all the way to her sitting room. “Papa, what’s going—” She stopped, frowning harder as she noted Ceolmund sitting on the sofa beside her father, glass of mead in hand. “Why are all of these men here?”
This was supposed to be her day off. She felt guilty for being disappointed; she loved her job, and her mother had still been in bed when Runa had left which meant she must have really not been well…but she had been near living at the Hall for the past few weeks, and Oda was right—she needed a little time to reset. Her body was exhausted, and so were her emotions. “Well, at least Elin shouldn’t show up,” she said to herself. What a silver lining.
Well, maybe she would not show up. She had to walk right by Ceolmund’s house to get to work. If she was within 20 paces of the soldier, Elin was always a risk. She growled with frustration at the very thought of Ceolmund. He had been acting strange yesterday, far different than in any of the time they had known each other. He had told his mother that she was like a sister. She could even understand how that could happen, however much it saddened her. She had been a twelve year old bearing tea the first time they had met at the Healing Hall when Hildred had been tending him. Maybe he still saw her as the fiery little girl who chased her brother and his friends around. Maybe she should see him as a brother, too.
She paused, eyes on the ground, a frown on her face. In the snow were footprints. Large ones, with the imprint of a crutch. As if to confirm her location, she glanced to the doorway. Indeed it was Ceolmund’s house. She dropped back to examine the footprints. Yes, they were leading away.
“Eorl’s flaming knickers, Ceolmund!” She grunted as she picked up her paces back toward the Hall. This was not staying in bed. “If you come in today and need work, I’m making Adelais deal with it.”
She got to the hall, and the day was a familiar whir of caring for the sick, and keeping bedside company to some of the longer-care patients. Oda had given her tasks ranging from stitches, to poultice applications, to bone setting, and beyond. At least Paega seemed to be feeling better; she had probably exhausted herself with all the excitement the day before, and had slept through the night for the first time since coming to the Hall.
The sun was on its downward trek when Oda came over. “It’s nearly four,” the woman declared. Runa glanced up from the fire, where she was stoking it against the wintry wind that was whistling in through the thatch roof. “Why don’t you go home early—it’s calmed down enough now that I think the rest of us can handle it. Why not take tomorrow, and I mean it—if I see you in here, you’ll be in trouble.” She lifted her eyebrows pointedly.
Runa nodded. “Thank you, Oda,” she said tiredly.
She kissed Paega goodbye and promised that she would be back soon, grabbed her cloak, and headed for home. The path was familiar, and she frowned as she passed by Ceolmund’s house. There was no smoke rising from the chimney; he had definitely taken her order of sticking to bed as more of a suggestion or guideline.
It was a fair walk to get back to her own home, and her cheeks and nose were tingly with the bite of the wind when she arrived. However, before she had even turned the corner she could hear revelry. And the sound of a goat? The woman frowned.
They did not own goats.
Runa turned, and in front of her house, some twenty paces away, a goat was indeed tied to a post, walking about, bleating, and chewing on some hay that had been spread for him in a makeshift trough.
She eyed the goat as she passed and reached for the doorknob. “Papa, why is there a goat outside?” She called as she sought to open the door. However, she could not do it. It swung open an inch before hitting something that made it impossible to move any more. The sound of many male voices and laughter were filtering through the crack, and it was almost immediately a man turned and opened the door, moving out of the way. His cheeks were rosy.
“She’s here!” He called. Was that mead on his breath?
The entire house seemed to erupt into cheers, and the man reached for her shoulder to pull her inside. “What in Eorl’s name—” Runa started as she was pushed through a tight river of men all the way to her sitting room. “Papa, what’s going—” She stopped, frowning harder as she noted Ceolmund sitting on the sofa beside her father, glass of mead in hand. “Why are all of these men here?”