[peral]

Sharya made her way down to the kitchens. The sky outside was darkening and she smiled when she noticed the lack of any rain. She needed to find the innkeeper, what was her name again? Aman or something. Yes, surely there was some hard labour that they could offer her for a meal or something small. She didn't know what customs they had here or how they would respond towards her just out of the blue asking for a job, but she had to try. She touched her money pouch again and felt the few lowly coppers that jingled in it still. Yes, she needed money and fast.

She needed to find the innkeeper, but where would the innkeeper be? She touched Ruby on the shoulder gently and when the girl turned around she asked, "Could you tell me where to find the innkeeper?"

Ruby looked slightly taken aback, but nonetheless answered promptly, "I do believe Miss Aman would be in the kitchens now, at least, that's where I last saw her." Sharya thanked Ruby and quickly headed to where the girl was pointing.

The kitchen was clean and Sharya began changing her previous opinion on the state of the area where food was prepared in bars and inns. She could find no apparent fault in the cleanliness of this kitchen. She saw Aman standing in the corner.

She approached her and being met with a questioning look, tentatively asked, "I was wondering, if it was possible, if I could possibly find some sort of work." Then seeing the look on Aman's face she quickly added, "I can do any sort of work, just need to tell me to do it and show me how to."

Aman looked at her thoughtfully. "Perhaps if Ms Bunce," she said indicating the cook, "has anything that she needs or wants help with. But you'll have to ask her yourself."

Sharya took a deep breath and swallowed a few times before approaching the cook who was watching over a colossal pot of food, no doubt the dinner that would be served soon in the Common Room, that she herself would most likely partake of later that evening.

"Ms Bunce, I was wondering, if you had anything that I could help with, for perhaps a meal or two," the words came out in a huge rush, and she could only stand back and wait for an answer.