writingrin

The Deposed Dilemma

For being so tired, he was still very chipper. She actually liked that about him, although if she'd met him back when she was a queen.... Well it was best not to go down that line of thought, wasn't it?

When he brought the ingredients she started to get nervous. But she paid close attention. Once the water was starting to boil over the fire she took off the mittens and took up the knife. It wasn't the first knife she'd ever held, but it was far sturdier than ones used at dinner time. "So I just... chop... all of this?" she asked, looking at the spread. She picked out the cheese first and cut it up. But the potatoes... she couldn't just slice it or stab it with a fork and cut it. She had to actually hold the end with one hand? She did so very gingerly, her fingers far away from where she was trying to slice. But of course that wouldn't work, she was being to timid! The potato slid away, practically laughing at her.

The Deposed Dilemma

Ferona relaxed slightly. She took the apron and looked at it strangely. But once he put his on she copied him. It felt particularly weird but she understood it's purpose, at least.

She followed him into the kitchen and set the rose down. Her mind flashed through the cookbook but settled on her first night here.

"The stew?" she suggested. It seemed easy enough.

The Deposed Dilemma

No mention of showing her how?! And as to 'what she would come up with' well surely it would be awful?

"I'll set the house on fire," she warned him. This was one of the many fears that had cropped up while she was reading that useless cookbook. Just got a house over her head again, only to burn it down like it was under siege. Her face was seriously fretful.

The Deposed Dilemma

Proud of her, huh? That was strange. She mentally shrugged and left off petting the dog.

The truth was, she was dying to go back into town. Now that she wasn't just some street person they could all terrorize or pity. And now that her ribs were healed. She could go shopping for herself! "That sounds novel!" she said. It would definitely be better than staying here, bored, all day. But then he had to ruin it with talk of the donkey. "Oh, not the donkey!" she cried, shuddering.

But he must have thought she was cold? Come to think of it, she was a bit chilly. But soon that changed. As it warmed up, Humphrey settled nearer to Ferona and began to doze. Berek seemed tired too, laying down like that. There was something attractive about the casual pose but she looked away from it.

"I--" she started and then paused, questioning what she was about to say and why on Earth she would say it... 'I could cook something for us'? No she could NOT. What was she thinking? She twisted toward him. "Alright. But show me how to cook something too."

The Deposed Dilemma

She glanced around and then sat next to him on the cot, continually toying with the rose.

"Oh, it was fine. Before the needlework I was reading with Humphrey. And then I tried moving those rocks but the..." she waved a hand around, "the cart is too heavy." She tried to think of something less dull to say but there wasn't much. "Oh and Humphrey played catch with me for a while. Didn't youu?" she picked him up so that he was sitting on the cot between them and petted him. "What else did we do?" she was forgetting something...

The Deposed Dilemma

She was just thinking of herself, like she always did. She would look silly, especially with just the rose and not the scarf... but that wasn't even the image he'd suggested! It was just... it WAS a touchy subject!

But the moment HE began to think badly of himself her stomach twisted. She hadn't meant...

"No!" she said, reaching out for the rose and accidentally taking his hand in the process. She looked at their hands but left hers there. "Um," she faltered, something she rarely did, "No, it isn't... I'm sorry." She took the rose and slipped her hand away slowly.

She brought the rose to her face and smelled it, closing her eyes. For a just a second, the lovely smell reminded her of home... Then she kind of held it to her chest, blushing now, and thanked him.

The Deposed Dilemma

She'd been beginning to blush and so had he. Why was it so hard to make eye contact with him for very long, sometimes? So she'd looked away.

At least he appreciated the gift! She'd started out doing it because she was bored but eventually that's what it had become--a present. He didn't give her a direct, flowery compliment like she was used to but clearly liked it and thought it was well done. That pleased her.

When he began talking about her hair, she set down the dress and snatched up the scarf. She fiddled with it anxiously while he talked. But when she realized what he was getting at, she blushed. A rose to wear over her ear? She grimaced slightly at the thought. She would look too silly!

The Deposed Dilemma

Ferona's smile faltered slightly. "Yes," she said, but very quietly as he was already talking over her. She didn't really want to admit as much. "Sure..." she'd tell him all about it as he recounted his day to her.

She accepted the package eagerly. The dress was both plainer and a little fancier than she'd expected. Basically, the design was so lacking but the color was a nice surprise. And it was satin, instead of this coarse stuff she had on! She rubbed the soft fabric between her fingers. It was feminine--that was the main thing!

Then she laid it over her arm and looked back at him. "Thank you," she was saying, at the same time as he spoke. Her eyes warmed too and then she looked away.

She touched the patch. "It's not quite done..." She flexed her fingers which had stiffened and cramped. "I'll finish it tomorrow."

The Deposed Dilemma

Ferona's head shot up and she set aside the needlework. "Berek!" she said, sounding as excited as the dog who burst into a fit of barking at the sight of him. She smiled with relief, having just begun thinking he wouldn't make it back tonight. She approached, with hands clasped like a little kid. "Come in! How did it go?"

The Deposed Dilemma

Ferona made a face at him, feeling a spike of alarm, but didn't object. "Goodbye. We'll be waiting..." Together with the dog she watched him go. Then she bent down and picked him up, petting his head as she went back inside. She took a seat at the table and propped up her feet, letting Humphrey be a lap dog, while she read the rest of the cook book. She was almost done but it still wasn't making all that much sense to her. She just didn't have whatever background knowledge and experience its readers were supposed to have. But she wasn't an idiot she understood the concept... There were just little things about the instructions that kept tripping her up. She wasn't ready to attempt it. She flipped the book closed once she got to the end and let the dog out to pee.

At that point she decided to attempt the task Berek had given her. But as soon as she entered the barn and went to pester the donkey a bit she started to feel intimidated. She didn't belong here. She might look like a donkey right now but she was a purebred! She kicked the stall and turned away. Jeffery brayed in annoyance and then went quiet again.

Sighing, she walked around. Ore... what does Ore look like? Well there was a pile of rocks... She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Rocks = Ore? She didn't see anything else that looked promising. So she bent down and began inspecting pieces. Some of them did seem to have strains of metal inside. So yes... this must be it. She looked around for a wheelbarrow and began to load it up. But she got tired and quit. When she came back to the wheelbarrow she realized it was too heavy to move! Annoyed, she left it and went inside for some water and a sandwich (pretty much the only meal she felt capable of fixing). She didn't end up going back out. But she did wander around the house looking for things to do...

Something about the furniture was bothering her. It wasn't arranged pleasingly enough, and she wasn't used to going around things so she kept bumping into them. Eventually she thought of one thing she could do well... She gathered up all Berek's clothing and searched until she found needles and thread. Whether it had belonged to his mother(?) or if he occassionaly attempted his own mending, Ferona could do this much. Not mend exactly... But needlepoint was a thing. She sewed up every tiny hole and took one of his shirts and began to actually embroider it. That's what she was still working on by the time night fell. It was like a patch over the breast with a knight's helmet, a horse shoe, and an axe. She was planning to add the words 'Berek's Forge' to the bottom later.

While she worked she'd thought a lot about him. Despite having chats with him, she hadn't asked very much about him. Like she thought there WASN'T any more to him. But that wasn't true... It might be interesting merely to compare stories about their lives. Was there any common ground at all? So far it seemed that they both liked dogs and that was it. As far as his personality... He was kind, first of all. But also honorable and generous. Hard working. Handsome... She shook that thought away. She liked having him around much more than anyone else she'd met here. And... she was missing him.