Aimee hummed in acknowledgement, resting her bottom against the edge of one of the shelves in the shed. She let out a small breath, partially dreading the washing of their clothes but knowing it needed to be done, and relatively quickly before Jocelyn called them all back in to dispatch for their mother down by the wharf. She was unsure how much she would get done in the time between now and then, Elann would surely be done before her. Elann’s words seemed to draw her out of her thoughtfulness, the she-wolf sharply humming at the Benshira’s question.

“There are businesses here that’ll wash your clothes for a silver or more, depending on how much you want them to wash,” she informed. “Usually if momma can’t get to everything, or we don’t feel like doing it, we’ll send it to the launders to get it all done and just pick it up when it’s ready. It’s pretty cheap since no one likes washing their clothes, and they do a good job. I swear whatever they use as their bluing agents makes the whites shine as if there was never a stain in them.” Aimee smiled to emphasize just how much she did enjoy having her clothes whitened by the cleaners.

“Well, we should get started, yeah?” she asked rhetorically, the playful Fratava suffix twanging out at the end of her statement.

She pushed herself away from the shelf of the shed and turned, pulling out the shallow tubs that would hold their clothes as they went through the various steps. She took one of the tubs and came outside into the beaming sunlight, rounding off to the side towards the spout, which was in the ground.

“Now,” she went, setting the tub on the ground under the spout, “you have to crank this one by the lever on the back here, like this.” She went on to demonstrate, taking the lever in the back and working it up and down a few times before the water started to flow out. First it was a sputter and then a smooth draining down into the tub on the ground.

She released the lever, letting it return to its resting position. She then heaved up the tub of water and moved it off to the side near the entrance of the shed. “Do you want to give it a try?” she asked Elann, glancing to the Benshira and then the spout. “It’ll be easier this time since I got it started for you. The longer you let it sit though, the longer the water will take to come up.”

Aimee stood up straight and dusted off her hands. “I’m going to get the lye and soap and set them on the shelf. It’s soft soap but it’s a little thick, so it might not come out the jar easily. We have paddles in here too,” she continued as she walked into the shed, her voice growing louder so Elann could keep on hearing her, “so you don’t muck your hands up with stirring it all around.”