Eorling Mead Hall

[Kath]

After building the fire to her satisfaction, Kara had sat with Frodides and kept a careful eye on her. She didn't seem to be running a fever and there were no nightmares disturbing the sleep she had fallen into since Aedhel had returned with the chamomile tea, so when the message from Eodwine came that she was to go to market and fetch food for the days meals she felt that it would be alright to leave.

Making her way back down the stairs Kara had seen that the rest of the Hall's inhabitants seemed perfectly alright, even if the building itself was in a bit of a state. She began to walk towards the kitchen to pick up her cloak for the journey, but stopped as she caught sight of the pile of rubble and thought that perhaps she could do without it for one day. Nodding to Saeryn and the newcomer as she went out the front door, Kara left, a little worried about the journey as it was the first time she'd had to plan two entire meals by herself. She had thought about waking Frodides to check that what she was making was alright, but then wondered if it was worth the tongue lashing she would receive for her insecutiry. Anyway, if Frodides was leaving Kara would need to get used to this.

* * *

Kara returned a couple of hours later, laden down with goods from the market. Things seemed to have calmed down a little since the disaster that morning, though plenty was still going on. She put everything down just outside the doors to keep it away from the dust still being stirred up inside, and suddenly realised that she had nowhere proper to put the food, or indeed to cook it, since the kitchen was a mess.

Deciding to leave that problem for a few minutes she ran up the stairs to check on Frodides, and found that she was now awake and seemingly in not too much pain. She stoked the fire until it was back as full heat, despite Frodides' insistence that she need not be fussed over. Ignoring this Kara poured the cook a little more tea and sat on the bed next to her until she, grudgingly, drank it. As she did Kara told her of her dilemma, and was told in no uncertain terms that it was Eodwine's job to make sure the household ate and she should go speak to him about it at once. But it might be an idea to suggest an outdoor oven, as that was bound to get people involved.

Taking Frodides' reluctant advice Kara ran back downstairs to find Eodwine. It took a few minutes of searching but she eventually came across him and put the question to him.

"My Lord, I have the food for the meals but nowhere to cook it. Frodides suggested an outdoor oven, would it be too much to ask that some of the men help me build one that I might get something made?"

Eodwine thought for a few moments and then nodded. Motioning for Kara to follow him he led her out of the Hall and around to the east of the building. He pointed toward the grass a little way off.

"It will have to be done in a camp style and make a stone-rounded firepit somewhere in this area. I would be happy to let Saeyrn and Degas help you but they are indisposed right now. Can you not do it alone?"

"I'm sorry my lord but it will be difficult for me to build and prepare the food at the same time but if you don't mind your meal being a few hours late then yes I can."

Eodwine looked a little surprised at her being so candid, but then smiled.

"You can ask for help from anyone here. I'm sure there will be someone who is willing and able."

Thanking him Kara headed back inside to find some helpers. Marenil soon offered his services, but warned that he would not be able to do anything too demanding as he was still not completely recovered. Happy that she had at least one person Kara accepted and sent him off to find wood for the fire. She set to work marking out a space for the oven to go, and hoped that someone would walk past and offer help as she and Marenil alone wouldn't have this finished before midnight if they had to work alone.

[JennyHallu]

Linduial had changed out of the ruined dress, finally, laying it carefully aside so she could try to salvage some of the silk embroidery thread later. She now wore a gown of yellow linen, delighting that they seemed to have left the rain behind with the morning, and had spread her cloak on the large stone she now sat on, carefully transferring Marenil's dirt drawings to paper, writing his rough measurements and the ideas he'd told her down in her fine lady-like hand.

Her hair was now neatly tied back and up into a womanly chignon at the base of her neck, and she was enjoying the warming air as the early spring sun shyly peeked around the thinning clouds. She'd grabbed an apple out of the stash in her room when she'd changed and fetched the paper, and ate it slowly, careful not to muss her work with the juice. She was quiet, and thoroughly engrossed in what she was doing; she noticed little of the doings around her, except for Marenil, who was slowly beginning to sort what bits of wood and stone he thought were salvageable, and piling the rest in a corner of the yard for Kara to use as kindling, not interfering with Lord Eodwine's own survey of the damage.

The two of them were an island of calm in what was still a fairly chaotic atmosphere.