Go Fetch The Straw For The Beds

“Sure Aunt Caris.” I nodded and stacked bowls as I dumped them out.

“Thank you dear.” She said as she took one from me. “Go ahead and leave the mattresses off. Me and Gabriella have to wash them anyways. Speaking of. You get a chance to write up those notices I asked about?”

“No. Not yet. Maybe if I get some free time later to sit and write them this afternoon while I have some daylight in my room. Can't really do it by candlelight.” I frowned. She was talking about notices to hire people for the season. Every year or two there was always new girls working as tavern maids, wenches and cooks who would work here for a bit during the busy reason then they meet husbands and get married after learning a few domestic skills from my aunt. My aunt said if a woman could work at the tavern managing a household was easy. Hell she had managed four children counting me while helping my uncle run this place so who was I to argue.

“Once you strip the mattresses you can have a break and write the notices.” My aunt gave me a smile.

“So I get a break from work to do work?” I laughed.

“Don't smart mouth me young man.” She splashed some water at me.

“Just saying.” I gave a shrug of the shoulders.

“I will make you go pick soapwart and then wash your mouth out with it if you mess with me.” She teased though I doubt they were in bloom yet thankfully but I wasn't about to say anything as there were far worst ways to make soap that would taste far worst. Animal fat came to mind as well as potash from the stove and fire place.

I headed out to the barn and grabbed a bale of hey and lugged it inside through the back just as the adventurers were leaving out the front door. They were off on some epic quest and here I was hauling hay up the stairs. I admired the rangers ass as it swayed on her way out the door as she slung on her quiver. And then she was gone.

I knocked and opened the first door and pulled back the wool blanket and took off the deer skin mattress rolling it up. Luckily it wasn't in to bad of shape. If I had to carry a full bale for each of the beds that would mean twelve trips up and down the stairs so if I was lucky I could do it with only six and save myself a few trips. As I tossed on some fresh straw I looked through the old straw and smiled as a glint caught my eyes in the corner and I pulled out a copper coin. People sometimes lost coins and other things in the bed or left stuff as they were in a hurry to get to there next destination. An extra coin here and there added up over time and I saved every coin I could. I headed to the next room and did the same before heading down for more straw where Gareth had already started mucking out the stalls as the adventurers had went riding off as I saw them crossing the bridge into the Duchy of Fairfields. I headed back up again with the second bale. Though I didn't find any more coins I did find a book lying beside the bed and the bedside wash stand which was even more rare then coin.

I got a little excited at first till I picked it up and saw it was a book on magic. Healing magic. Not the most exciting magic one could think of. At least the book would be worth something as books took a long time to write by hand so there could not be a lot of copies of it. It be worth a couple of silver at least if I could find a buyer provided the owner never came back for it. Still I opened it and started reading the first part as it talked about magical theory and spell casting for healers. Then it got into practical applications talking about restoration magic or the magic of healing and the various healing methods.

The first one was called stitching and the caster ran two fingers along either side of the wound while concentrating on closing the wound by seeing it close in there mind while reciting the word of restoration sanare. The larger and deeper the wound the more energy it required from the caster. A slash wound was a novice level and could be as simple as a paper cut to as deep as an sword slash injury while a stab wound would require at least a apprentice and as the wounds were far deeper. I was thinking stuff like arrows that could go clear through flesh.

The next spell was still healing but involved bruises. It was a little harder according to the book as it required the healer to heal under the skin of the injured person by moving there fingers around the wound in a circular motion moving from the outside inward erasing the wound as if scrubbing it out like a wine stain from a clothe. I smiled and closed the book and went back to work. Sadly I had no way to try the spells even if I could do it as it requires someone to get hurt but I wanted to know more as I found it fascinating and wanted to read as much as I could. Later.

I finished all but two rooms that were locked as the guest had either slept in or where in the town. I knew one was a traveling wool merchant who would spend a day or two and buy up as much wool as he could then go to Lakeholm and sell it. The rocky hills of Shirestone were not ideal for farming but perfect for grazing and wool was the fiefdoms biggest export.

As I was going back down my cousin Gabby had started gathering the chamber pots from the rooms which her least favorite jobs while I stuffed the book under my arms and carried down the bundle of deerskin mattresses for my aunt who was stacking the wooden bowls, spoons, and mugs on the shelves in the kitchen to dry.

“Here you go. I went ahead and brought down the mattresses for you.” I smiled setting them down by the back door.

“Thank you sweetheart." My Aunt gave a little wink as she looked over. "What's with the book?"

“Found it in one of the rooms.” I smiled. “Thought I give it a read before the owner comes back for it.” With any luck I could finish it before they did if they ever came back at all. People came and went so often that it could be a whole year before we saw someone again if ever. I wasn't sure who had stayed in that room last night or if it had been there for several days now.

“Just don't loose it. Can you be a dear and do me one last favor?” My Aunt stopped me as she dried her hands on a wash clothe vigorously making her bosom jiggle slightly in the process. I was so close to escaping. I planned on writing out the notices and then steal a little free time and do some reading.

“Do I want to ask?” I frowned and looked back at her.

“We need eggs. I used the last of them for breakfast.” My aunt smiled. Great she wanted me to go on a fetch quest.