Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman

After lunch they broke the Braell up into groups with different tasks. The cook and one other person from each crew were sent to the kitchens, where they first helped to wash up from lunch. They also set to washing the knives that the army had brought. Deandra didn't even want to think about what the Baasgarta had used them for. After the washing was done Aunt Gerdy set them all to simple tasks, slicing and peeling ingredients, learning to make bread and the like. Aunt Gerdy of course insisted that they sample things as they went along 'so that they would know how it was supposed to taste.' Naturally each of the 'assistants' was given a thwittle of their very own to help with the work. Deandra smiled to herself and thought, kitchen-duty is going to be very popular for a few days…

In the great hall the remaining Braell were divided into groups. Some of the household showed one group of them how to fit and resew their clothes. Several of the militia were brought in and helped another group with the boots. As yet the supply of hides was limited so they mostly focused on modifying the boots they had. A last group helped with the laundry. They did not yet have any of their own but the household and militia had brought plenty back with them.

Throughout the day Deandra was teaching them the language as they went, identifying each new thing that they encountered and making them repeat the words until they got it right. Squirrel was kept busy running from group to group and translating as best he could when needed. Most of the tasks were simple enough that they required little more than showing the Braell what to do and how to do it.

The Braell started out on these tasks dutifully, but as it dawned on them that they were doing these things for themselves and each other their enthusiasm grew. As alterations were completed on clothes and boots the groups rotated. The laundry was completed early, so that group joined the others as well.

Many of the former slaves already knew things like a simple whip-stitch from mending their clothes in the mining-pit. From what Deandra could gather they had also stitched hides (provided by the Baasgarta) around their feet to protect them in the winter-time.

One of the women, a girl really, approached Deandra shyly and pointed to the embroidered trim on the cuffs of Deandra's dress. She held it up for the girl to examine and she did so eagerly, fingering the stitching and examining how the trim was stitched on. Then the girl pointed to the trim and to herself and mimed stitching.

Deandra indicated the stitching and said, “Embroidery.”

The girl repeated this a few times and Deandra mimed stitching on the trim herself and said, “Embroider.”

In a very few minutes the girl understood the difference between the two words and Deandra pointed to the girl and asked, “You want to embroider?”

After a little more pantomime the girl understood and nodded her head enthusiastically. Deandra spotted Squirrel and waved him over.

“Please tell her that if she will sit with me by the hearth this evening I will teach her to embroider.”

This led the girl, appropriately named Sunlight, to learn the words 'thank you.'

The Braell were in a celebratory mood at dinner, animatedly discussing their day and what they had seen and done. After dinner they lingered at the tables while Ynghilda, Deandra and other folk of the steading gathered around the hearth. Ynghilda beckoned Squirrel over.

“Each crew has a leader, do they not?” she asked him.

“Yes Ma'am, they all have a boss,” he said.

“For now we think the 'bosses' should stay in charge of their crew,” Deandra said, “Do you think this will be a problem?”

Squirrel thought about that for a minute before replying, “Maybe, maybe not. Some good bosses, some bad. Make bad bosses be good, is good. Some…”

He was interrupted by a commotion at the back of the room, raised voices and a scuffle followed by a scream. Ynghilda scooped up her rifle as she and Deandra rushed to the source of the disturbance. She pushed through the crowd and bellowed, “MAKE A HOLE!”

The Braell may or may not have understood the words but they took the meaning well enough and parted to let them pass. A muscular older dwarf was holding a girl by the wrist with one hand and a thwittle menacingly in the other to hold off a group that Deandra thought were the girl's crew.

Ynghilda leveled her rifle at him and in a quiet but penetrating voice said, “Drop the knife or I will end you.”

Again the exact words might have eluded them but her intent was crystal-clear. The dwarf holding the thwittle let it fall and released the girl, dropping into a cringe. The girl scrambled away and her crew closed ranks between her and her assailant.