Topic: When the Sun Rises.

Eiellani Rose

Date: 2008-03-18 12:59 EST
The sun rises each morning, making its daily progress across the sky. It doesn't care that the day before, clouds covered the sky, and storms raged across far away places. It does as it has always done.

It was much the same for Lani. The news of the Lord's death had reached the tower quickly. Indeed it was hard to miss the master's pet project storming around the place, she was frightening all the slave girls. Lani would give her a day to grieve, and then speak to her about this. A frightened slave was an inefficient slave. And Lani most hated having to punish the poor girl for their inefficiencies. It disrupted her own schedule

Life goes on, and the Lord's death was no excuse for slacking. The daily business of the tower and the inn went on as usual.

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2008-03-18 13:43 EST
Katerrina returned to the Tower in the darkness that comes before the sun rises. Her fury still raged. She'd cut a path of destruction through the wretched city, but there was no consoling her. Girls scrambled to get away from her as she stormed up to her room and flung herself onto her sleep-couch. She lay unmoving, but she didn't sleep. She couldn't close her eyes without seeing her Master fall.

The morning came, and it saw no end to Katerrina's rage. The girl responsible for bringing her morning meal fled her room, cowering to avoid the tray Katerrina threw out of her doorway. If the girl was punished, she didn't care. She was blinded by grief and rage.

Eiellani Rose

Date: 2008-03-18 13:53 EST
Lani stood in the open doorway to Katerrina's room frowning down at the mess of broken crockery. The girl who had come running back to the kitchen sobbing had been set to work in sarah's garden.

"Unacceptable." One simple word delivered in her near whisper as she stepped over the mess and into the room.

"You owe the household seven silver for the broken crockery" She stared blandly at the angry grieving woman quicksilver eyes betraying nothing of her own mental state. Her voice never rose above that whisper but there was something deadly serious in the quiet tone."And you owe me an apology for disrupting the household and causing me to have to reassign all the girls to compensate."

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2008-03-18 14:18 EST
Katerrina turned with a snarl towards the disturbance. The whisper from her Master's first made her pause. This was the one he'd set on her early in her training. This was the one who was perfect in all things, even in grief.

She saw her reflection in her small mirror. Her face was smeared with dirt and tears. Her unitard was torn in several places. Her curls were darkened with matted blood. Katerrina glanced at Lani. She was perfectly neat, not a speck on her dress.

Katerrina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her bureau drawer and took out a small purse, counting out seven silver coins. She held out the coins for her.

"I.. forgot myself."

Eiellani Rose

Date: 2008-03-18 14:23 EST
Pocketing the coins Lani looks around the room. " See that it does not happen again. And clean up this mess."

Lani turned smartly on her heel and left the girl, too many things yet to do, and not enough hours in the day to do them all.

Katerrina Hess

Date: 2008-03-18 14:37 EST
Katerrina set to work cleaning the evidence of her tantrum. She thought of her Master, how unhappy he'd be with her. How many times had he told her to take control her anger, not let her anger control her? She knew his death would be no excuse for failing.

The broken pieces were thrown away. The spilled food was wiped up. The floor was spotless once again. The tray was set neatly by her door as it should be. Katerrina took a fresh change of clothes from her bureau and headed to the bath. Her anger and grief were still present, but she had regained mastery over them both. Katerrina would carry on, as his first was.

Eiellani Rose

Date: 2008-03-18 21:15 EST
Keeping on like nothing had happened was the easiest part for Lani, it just seemed the thing to do. But for the other girls, it was not so easy. Everywhere there were whispers among the girls. Talk of the future without the Lord.

Lani quickly shushed them saying only "We keep on as things always were. It's just the way of things. The Lord's death does not mean that there are not chores to be done or patrons to be served."

It seemed to help. Things went on just as they always did. Chores were completed, and patrons served, everything as brisk and efficient as before.