Leaving Things There

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 31st May 2008

Characters: Zandreu, Misara
Description: Zandreu meets Misara, another of the Tavern staff.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 9, day 20 of Turn 4

Zandreu started in the ground floor office of the Tavern Master by clearing a space. First the chair, then a small space on the desk. He wondered how long people would have kept piling up papers and hides in the office if Bhervehan had never come back. Would they have stopped when the flat surfaces were covered? Or when the of the small room wouldn't close any more.

Regarding the room with disfavour he picked up the pile of papers and hides he had moved and walked back out into corridor, stopping when he caught sight of a new face. He'd met a few of the staff during the morning, and seen a few the day before during Threadfall, but this woman wasn't one of those. "Hello. Do you work here at the Tavern?"

"Er, yes?" Misara took a few steps forward, her face creasing into a frown. The children had kept her back this morning, and she was rushing to start on the recently vacated rooms above, but this was a stranger in Bhervehan's office; had Causton finally found someone willing to take the position on? "I'm Misara, I clean the rooms upstairs."

"I've heard your name mentioned, Misara. I'm Zandreu, and I'll be the Tavern Master while Bhervehan's away."

"Oh? Okay. Well I can't spare you a moment right now, I have to get the rooms upstairs done, but if you'd like to talk later, I can meet with you later?" She didn't know how to react to his sudden appearance, it was almost as sudden as Bhervehan's disappearance.

Zandreu was surprised by the woman's off-handedness. All the other staff had been pleased to find time to chat with him, to introduce themselves and explain their duties. "All right. I've taken the room at the end of the passage, overlooking the river. It obviously doesn't need cleaning, but that's why it's occupied in case you were wondering."
He nodded a dismissal. "I'll see you back here when you're ready for a break from your work."

"Oh? So you're not..." she stumbled for a moment with her thoughts, "You're not here to replace Bhervehan completely, then?" she asked, now wondering if perhaps she had read the situation incorrectly.

"Let's talk about it when you're ready for a cup of klah," the master vintner said dryly. It was no credit to him, but he felt a little smug at being able to be as off-handed to the woman as she had been to him.
"I'll be in the main room."

"I'll be back in about a candlemark..." she nodded, and turned abruptly.
His appearance at the Tavern over the last few days had been like any other visitor to the Hall and hadn't raised her curiosity, but his sudden appearance in Bhervehan's domain this morning had come as a shock to her.

She hurried through her mornings work, her mind ticking over the new development; her irritation at Causton knew no bounds - he could at least have given her some warning of the way things stood. He was the one who had wanted to be careful and make sure no one discovered her secret and here he had planted someone totally unexpectedly, in authority over her.

Zandreu had gone back to work sorting out the papers and hides that had built up in the office when he heard footsteps in the corridor outside the open door. He straightened up and looked around, papers in hand.

The stand-offish staff member.

"Are you ready for klah now?" he asked coolly.

"I could murder a mug," she nodded, wiping her brow with her kerchief she flashed a brief smile towards the Master Vintner. "I must apologize for earlier, I was caught off guard." she said with a slight shrug. "I thought you were Bhervehan back for a moment, when I heard you in the room."

"I'm sorry to have surprised you, then. Have a seat while I go and organise klah. Do you want anything else? Something to eat? Or a cold drink as well?"

"A juice might be nice, just to break the thirst. But a klah would go down a treat. I could come and help - if you like?" she offered, taking a step back towards the office door again.

"No, no. You sit down and I'll organise something. I want the staff to be treated as well as the patrons when it comes to food and drink, so we'll see what the kitchen staff come up with." He waved his hand, again indicating a seat. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Okay..." Misara nodded, and took a seat. It wasn't the first time she had taken a break with the Tavern Master, but this time it felt strange.
Zandreu wasn't Bhervehan - far from it. This felt like a betrayal to the absent Master. She glanced around the familiar room, not much had been change - so far.

"All organised, and here's your juice to start with." Zandreu placed the glass on the table in front of the woman. "I understand you are a widow with children who live here with you."

"Thank you." she picked up the glass and took a few quick sips, before answering, "Yes, Bhervehan was good enough to take me on without reference."

Zandreu hadn't realised that, and was a little surprised by the admission, and that the woman felt she need to make it. It changed the direction of his thoughts and his questions. "Why don't you have one?"

"I've only ever worked in a Hall and with my husband in his Tavern. I don't have references from either, since I was working at a vintner hall in the north, too many turns ago now to bother with - and my husband was killed earlier this turn."

Zandreu tried to untangle the explanation. "You and your husband both worked in a Tavern? _His_ Tavern? He was the Tavern Master?"

She nodded, "Yes, Treast had the rights to the Tavern, until he was killed and the Holder installed someone else in his place."

"Treast? The name's not familiar to me. And you're his widow? And your children - how many are there?"

She felt as if she were under interrogation, something Bhervehan had taken at face value, this Master didn't appear to want to accept at all.
"Yes, his name was Treast, and we have three children." she nodded.
"He was a very talented man, very successful which led to his downfall..."

"In what way?" The woman just kept making statements that begged questions. He wasn't sure if he was being offered a harper's tale but whether it was true or not he wanted to know more.

"The Tavern became more successful - but with success came an unwelcomed element. Bandits and holdless became more daring, and on three occasions he was attacked and robbed on his way to deliver the takings to the Holder. The third time... he was killed," she finished quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you feel more secure here? With the Tavern as part of the Hall? Is that why you came here?"

"Yes... and no." she shook her head. "At first I wasn't sure where I was going, I just knew I could no longer stay at the Hold - there were too many memories. And since the Holder had inserted the new Master at the Tavern staying there was out of the question." She held up her hands in supplication. "I packed up only the possessions we could carry and left, not really knowing where we would end up."

"You took a chance, then." Absent fingers tapped on the desk. "Are you happy here? Satisfied with the work you're doing and the arrangements for your children? Because the Hall has a responsibility for the dependants of its crafters in situations like this."

"Are you not happy with my work?" she asked, suddenly worried that her lateness because of the children would be a black mark against her.
"I've... I've been very - settled, since we arrived." she finished.

"I've only just arrived," he reminded her calmly. "And if Bhervehan had no complaints about your work then I don't imagine I will." He glanced up at a knock on the open door. "Here's your klah - and it looks like a snack for two. Shall we leave things there?" he asked as the young man entered the room at his nod. "You're here now, with the children, and part of the Tavern staff. For the moment that's enough."

She allowed herself to breathe again at his words. She gave a small nod and an even smaller, tight smile. nerves had a grip on her stomach, and she could feel the tension, more tension than she had felt in a long time, ripping her insides; but the breathe she took seemed to ease some of the knots out. She looked over the tray the young kitchen hand had brought in, and reached out for a mug of the steaming klah grateful for something to do, to take her attention from the tavern Master. "Thank you, Zandreu." she said, quietly.

"You're welcome, Misara."

Last updated on the June 1st 2008

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Leaving Things There