Dawn is only an uncertain promise behind the eastern hills when Ceolfred steps out quietly from the back room where the three men have been sleeping. He looks over at the sleeping girl, huddled in the pile of furs beside the hearth, and studies her for a long moment before moving quietly toward the door. Picking up two buckets, he heads out to the well, letting the door shut soundlessly behind him. After a few minutes he returns, buckets full, and sets them back down. He moves quietly over to the table against the wall and begins to chop up vegetables - onions and garlic from the ropes that hang from the rafters above him - as well as slicing off strips of meat from a hunk of cured ham.
The rhythmic sound of the knife against the table, slowly wakes Immalaine up from her slumber. For a moment, forgetting where she was, she panics in the near darkness. Instinctively, she buries herself in the furs, covering herself so that nothing could be seen but the tip of her head as her waking brain attempts to sort through her racing thoughts. Upon moving her leg, she feels an aching pain, bringing back to mind the small lynx that bit her the night before. 'Rastellion's uncle,' she thinks to herself, sighing a bit in relief as she placed her surroundings finally. She had found him the day before, after searching high and low. Peeking her head back out from the furs, she looks around the room, barely lit by the hearth.
Ceolfred finishes chopping the vegetables, then turns toward the hearth. He doesn't seem surprised to see Immalaine watching him - perhaps he heard the small sounds of her waking. "Tea okay for ya, lass... er, Immalaine?" He asks. "I'm not one fer tha' coffee stuff as they brew in town."'
She sits up, stretching her arms out as she looks up at him. "Tea's fine, thank ye. Is there anything I can do t' help?" she says, her voice ending on a yawn.
Ceolfred smiles at her. "If yer ready t' get up, sure." He returns to his chopping, his back to her in case she needs to adjust her garments as she rises. "Y' know yer way 'bout a farm... you can see what th' ladies out back in th' coop have fer us this mornin'! Don' let 'em out, though, an' keep th' fence gate shut. Don' need t' be feedin' the lynx a chicken dinner!"'
A small giggle escapes Immalaine's lips, as she thinks to herself perhaps the chickens would be a better meal than herself, as she reaches for her shirt and slips it over her head. Rising from her fur bedroll, she moves over to grab her shoes and slipping them on, replies. "I can do that right quick, tis no trouble a'tall." Brushing her hair back from her face, she heads to the door to find the coop.
As she starts toward the door, Ceolfred hands her a small bucket. "Give 'em their feed and they'll love ya. Coop's around on th' left side." He lifts one of the buckets of water and moves to the hearth, where he pushes the furs away. He fills the kettle, hangs it on the hob, and then sets to building up the fire. Outside the first birds are starting to sing.Once he's gotten the fire starting to blaze, Ceolfred swings out the arm from which to hang the kettle, then, with a slight groan, rises and steps to the back room. He nudges Rastellion's ankle, where the young man is still asleep on his pallet. "Nearly dawn, lad," he says in a low voice. "Be gettin' up with ya. City life's gone an' made ya' soft already."
Rastellion grumbles, stirs, then sits up, blinking around him for a few moments as he regains his bearings and orders his memories. "Yer lass is already up an' about!" Ceolfred adds. Rastellion blinks at him and his jaw drops slightly. He seems momentarily at a loss for words. Ceolfred chuckles and returns to the front room and his culinary preparations.
Having taken the bucket from Ceolfred, Immalaine slips out the door and around the side of the house where he had said the chicken coop lay. Quickly she filled the small bucket with feed and began feeding the hens, who flocked to her as the began pecking at breakfast. Using their distraction as an opportunity, Immalaine heads to the other side of the coop, reaching in to check the nests as she hums quietly to herself. Looking down, she nods in satisfaction, seven small white jewels laid gently into the feeding pail and she carefully carries them back inside. "Hope t'is 'nough," she said as she entered the cabin, "Dun think I can make them lay more on demand if'n it ain't."
Ceolfred chuckles as he takes the pail from her. "That should be just fine for th' four o' us," he says. Rastellion comes out from the back at this moment, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, Uncle, I forgot t' tell you las' night that I asked...." He breaks off, seeing Immalaine ... he smiles, steps forward, then falters and hesitates.
Rolling his eyes, Ceolfredf reaches over to cuff the back of Rastellion's head. "I've told ya b'fore, lad," he says, quietly, "If yer going t' grab somethin' in life, grab tight or not a'tall. Battle ne'er won by a solder as dropped 'is sword."
Rastellion gives Ceolfred an ambiguous glance - embarrassment? respect? irritation? - but then turns back toward Immalaine and, no longer hesitant, steps forward to put an arm about her waist. "Mornin'" he greets her, and leans in to kiss her mouth.
Momentarily surprised by his greeting, she stays still as she feels the warmth of his lips against hers, her mind still reeling from the night before. The kiss sends tingles down her spine though, and with a small sigh she wraps her arms around him and returns the kiss, before looking up at him. " "Morning handso ... Rastellion ..." she says, blushing.
An amused grunt escapes Ceolfred's lips. "Better," he says, quietly, to himself - then, louder, "Now, what was it as y' forgot, lad?"
Rastellion turns back to his uncle, his arm still about Immalaine's waist. "Hunh? Forgot? ... Oh, right!" He shakes his head slightly, then resumes his earlier comment. "When I left Whitey down at that ranger camp, I asked 'round about th' affidavit I'd need, if I'm t' sign for pa an' get th' gold finally. If I couldn't get him t' come back t' Bree, that is." He purses his lips. "Thought mebbe if he saw the Breeland farms he'd change his mind an'...." His voice trails off. "Anyway, that Dúrlammad fellow said he could do it, if I needed, an' that he'd stop by here this mornin', either way, since it's his day for makin' the rounds."
"Five for breakfast, then." Ceolfred nods and turning, winks at Immalaine. "Any more, an' you might have t' go back and see just how convincin' you could be t' a chicken after all!" He takes the pail of eggs and the bowl of chopped vegetables and ham and carries them over to the hearth, where the fire is crackling brightly now.
Giggling quietly, she watches Ceolfred head to the hearth, before turning back to Rastellion. "How'd ye sleep last night?" she whispers to him, as she looks at his face, the light of the fire and the morning rays shadowing his features somewhat.
Rastellion actually seems to blush slightly. "I, ah, took a while to get to sleep," he admits.
She reaches up, pushing a stray strand of hair from his forehead as she nods. "So did I," she whispered, as she laid her head on his chest. "Still, the furs were warm 'nough and softer than a haystack."
From the hearth comes a sudden sizzling sound, as Ceolfred pours the chopped vegetables and ham onto an oiled skillet he's heated over the fire. "Water's hot," he calls over his shoulder. "Bring over the teapot, would ya, lad?" Rastellion hesitates, then gives Immalaine's waist a squeeze before grabbing the pot and carrying it to the hearth, along with the jar of loose tea leaves.
Watching Rastellion help his uncle, Immalaine turns her attention to the pile of furs laying along the wall. Making her way to them. she begins to stack them neatly, folding them as best she can before setting them in the corner out of the way. The smell of the cooking foot wafts through the room, causing her stomach to grumble in complaint. "Where are t' plates?" she says aloud.
Ceolfred chuckles. "Ya think this is some fancy 'obbit house?" He waves a hand toward the side wall. "Got some polished boards there, 'neath th' table." He starts to crack eggs onto the skillet. "Rastellion, best go wake yer pa an' tell him..."
Ceolfred's interrupted by the sound of jingling harnesses outside and the call, "Hello, the house!"
(Credits and love go to Rastellion, who provided the voice of the male characters in this story. *Blows kisses to Rastellion and grins widely*)
