Cookies For You

Writers: Chelle, Suzee
Date Posted: 27th July 2011

Characters: Bryvin, Parale
Description: The Steward goes to check on a new resident.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 12, day 16 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Ioven

Bryvin

Bryvin consulted his notes from the last interview before getting up
from his desk to stride the halls toward his destination. Nothing like
new people to bring out the complainers. He shook his head as he
traveled. He was fairly certain their comments were blown all out of
proportion with reality. He figured in this case he needed to see for
himself and greeting a new comer in their own environment tended to
put them at ease. Which was fine for now. Arriving at the appropriate
door he rapped his knuckles against the solid surface.

She had been hard at work baking a pie for her small family. Parale
was wearing her bright orange sundress with a red scarf tied in her
hair. Her usual assortment of earrings were shining in her ears as
she pulled herself up at the noise. Wondering who it could be, she
headed over to the door with a towel in her hands. Opening it, she
came to find the Steward. "Ah well..hello there sir. May I help you?"

A passably pretty young woman opened the crafter's door. The smell of
baking drifted out. "Mmm that smells good," he smiled. "I'm just
checking to see that you've settled in well. We like to make sure our
crafter families are happy." He kept his own personal reaction to her
clothing and extensive jewelry out of his face and voice.

She opened the door and allowed him inside. "Please come in." Parale
had grown up with Penryn, so she was used to stewards but this man
might be different. Her eyes followed him as he came into her domain.

His eyes scanned the space quickly and noted it was clean and well
cared for before he turned with a friendly smile for the woman. "You
can call me Bryvin," he said with a small nod. "How are you and your
husband enjoying the hold?"

"Well he lived here before...but I'm still trying to learn my way around."
Her Garnet Valley accent was thick, making it obvious where she was
from.

"Yes I'm sure you are. It can sometimes be hard getting to know people
and finally feel like you fit in." He'd moved around enough in his
years to know the truth of it. "Have you had a chance to mix much yet
with the other families?"

"Not quite. I've met a few other ladies and the Headwoman, but that's
about it. She said she would find something for me to do while the children
are in chores and lessons after I get settled." Work was Parale's joy.

He was quite happy with her reply. He'd thought that perhaps with her
unconventional and rather garish dress and myriad piercings she'd use
this opportunity to badger him about crafting or some other nonsense.
"Well then, it sounds like you'll be keeping busy. We can use all the
willing hands we get." He smiled.

"Indeed. I particularly like to play with dyes, though I'm not craft trained. Just what I've picked up over the turns." She hadn't yet unpacked her loom, but it was on her list of things to do. "I was a fostermother before but now with the girls, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to take on any others."

"I can see that, did you do these yourself?" He indicated the clothes
she was wearing.

"Aye, I do all my own things and some for the children." She hadn't yet
bothered with Ioven's clothes, except his work tunics which needed to be
red.

He chuckled. Mentally he just shook his head. The complainers just
needed to focus on something else. There was nothing here to be
concerned about that he could see. "Well, they're certainly bright."
He smiled and sniffed. "Baking?"

"Mmm....the girls like sweet things sometimes." Not to mention her
husband, but it was mostly for the girls. Smelling the pie and realizing
it was almost done, she excused herself to pull it out and then set it on
the ledge to cool. "So, are you married?" The more ladies she could meet,
the better.

His eyes shadowed momentarily. "No," he shook his head. "She is... no
longer with us."

"Oh I'm sorry. My husband....I'm his second wife." Parale blushed slightly
at her gaff, then moved back some. "Would you like a cookie? I have a few
of those."

"Sure," he said with a touch of sadness still in his eyes. He would
always taste a woman's cooking at least once.

She turned and began to rummage through things before producing a faintly
ginger smelling cookie for him. "Here."

He took it and lifted it to take a whiff before biting into the sweet

and chewing. "Very nice," he chuckled. "I think you'll have to be
careful of trying to bribe the Steward if you're not careful."

"Eh well it's only a bribe if I ask for something in return," she
retorted smartly. Parale took a cookie for herself, then leaned against the counter. "So tell me about your Hold. I've seen a bit of it, I confess I don't much about this place yet."

"Have you been down to the docks yet? We're quite busy with supplying
the ships that come through. Citron, staples, repairs, you name it.
We also warehouse goods for shipment to the inland holds. We're
building the operation."

"We came in through there," she had hated the experience, but had been
glad to be finally on ground.

"Ahh," he said. "Any suggestions for improving the traveler's
experience? We're attempting to attract more business to the area."

"Honestly, you need to have a separate area for passenger disembarkation.
What we see now is where you unload and load all the cargo and smelly stuff
and it isn't very inviting." Parale hadn't had the best first
impression of the place as far as that went.

Internally he chuckled but kept a serious expression on his face.
"That is a very good idea," he said. "I will make a note of it."
Bryvin turned toward the door. "It's been a pleasure to meet you."

"And you as well, Steward sir." She watched his back as he left, wondering what Ioven thought of him.

Last updated on the August 3rd 2011

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