Sitting in my usual seat at the tavern; I shut my eyes recalling a cold but bright winter morn. I was but seven years old and resting under the covers of my bed. I was roused from my sleep and saw the woman above me, just before she left my life. Neither warm nor cold but more reserved than anything else she motioned for me to rise to my feet "Oi! Get up now ain't right for ya' to be sleeping all morn. When there are chores to be done." I nodded and rubbed the sleep from my eyes "Yes Mummy." She motioned to the kitchen and silently handed me a broom; I hadn't even a moment to change my clothing or eat. My lips curled up into a smile as I looked up "I love you Mummy, I'll work hard today I promise." She looked down at me and nodded "Aye, you will because I'll make sure of it." She snorted and rummaged through the cabinet looking for her bottle of brandy. Sweeping the floor and yawning, I looked at her every now and again. At first I thought she was the prettiest woman in all of town. Long shimmering black hair and eyes a deep forest green, her skin tanned without a single mark upon her face. She was a bit taller than most Bree-land woman standing at roughly 5'7 and had a willowy frame. She caught me looking at her as she brought the bottle to her lips and asked "What are you looking at lass?". I looked to the ground shifting my feet "You Mummy." She shook her head and sighed "Go back to sweepin'."
My head lowered and my little hands held onto the broom sweeping as I was told "Mummy will you smile please?" She looked over her shoulder at me as she started to walk into the bedroom "I told you to keep sweepin' Cass." She walked into the bedroom and didn't come back out; then Da came in after working at the forge and he raised a brow "Up a little early aren't we pumpkin?" Six in the morning was early indeed for me at the time. I looked to the ground "I'm just being a good girl for mama." Da narrowed his eyes and wiped the soot off his hands "Bein' a good girl fer' Mama? Yer' always a good girl lamb." I remember dropping the broom and running over to Da crying "Why doesn't Mama like me?" He wrapped his arms around me "Darlin' Ma's jus' tired righ' now she don't mean et' none." I nuzzled my face into his chest "I want to work hard, but she don't smile at me ever." Da sighed heavily "Go back to bed darlin' don't worry, we are still a family we'll stay together." My eyes opened and I returned back to reality clutching the ends of the seat.
