DCW: A Semblence of Normality (1/2)

Writers: Kaysea
Date Posted: 30th May 2007

Characters: Dargan, Xara
Description: Dargan and Xara help in the clean up operations and fall into discussion about Impression and what they plan to do if not successful.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 23 of Turn 4

You're back again today?" Xara asked as a familiar face appeared around the
doorway, "I thought you'd be sick of us by now." she grinned.

"Xara, you should know better than that, I go were assigned with a smile and
cheerful disposition in tow." Dargan replied, "I've come for my favourite bop
and mucket."

"Your favourite bo.. Oh you! You had me going there for a moment." she waved
the dirty cloth she was holding, in his general direction. "For that, you can go
and get it yourself."

"Thanks Xar.." he slipped past her and out to the storage room further down the
back corridor from the kitchens. The mud covering the floors was still quite
thick back here, the main rooms being more important to clean before the smell
permeated through the weyrs up above.

The doors were all still swollen from the waters and were hard to open; he had
to put his shoulder to the storeroom door before it would budge, then it sprang
open with a bang when it hit the shelving behind.

He grabbed one of the mops that were hanging from the wall and a bucket from the
collection on the floor. He contemplated closing the door again, but figured
there would be others down here again soon to collect more, so he may as well
leave it ajar, some may not be as strong as him.

"You want to give me a hand Xar?" he asked as he walked back through the
kitchen. "I'm to give the dining cavern and entrances a going over again, I
don't know where all the sludge is coming from, but since the water receded,
it's been seeping in each night." he shook his head.

"I'm busy in here today Dargan. I'm beginning to think we'll never be clean
again. It's amazing just how dirty the water made this place, it just doesn't
make sense." she shook her head as she took in the grime and dirt that covered
the once spotless floors.

"I know what you mean about it appearing overnight, there's seven of us in here
cleaning out cupboards and shelving, and each day when we come back in, it looks
as though we haven't done anything."

"Well I wouldn't be cleaning your floors for a while if I was you, there'll be
more candidates and drudges down here soon. Ylisahn is busy assigning chores
right now, but when I spoke with her last night, she told me to just come
straight here in the morning and get stuck in."

"Well we'd better get 'stuck in' then." Xara smiled, "Come back and have some
klah with me in about a candlemark. I'm putting a pot on down here today, we've
cleaned out the stove yesterday, so we can at least burn wood to heat the place
today. It also means we can boil water too, so I'm making the most of it."

"Morning Xara." Aveery appeared through the doorway, "Darg, how goes it?" he
asked, as he slipped his apron around his waist.

"You need to ask?" Dargan answered lifting the mop and bucket in each hand.
"I'll just fill this and then I'd better get a move on."

"Just remember the klah." Xara reminded him as he turned and left the kitchen.

"Klah?" Aveery turned and looked in askance at Xara. "We have klah?"

"Well - we will once I get the stove going." she grinned back. "I'm not working
down here today without some heat, and with heat comes boiling water." she
winked, at him.

"Look its taken us a good solid two days of working so far, to get this place
even fit to work in, never mind to cook in. But today I'm not trudging back and
forth upstairs just to have a klah, I can get more work done if I have one I can
just sip at while I have my head in cupboards."

"Okay, okay!" Aveery held up his hands in surrender, "I'm not arguing with you.
The heat makes sense, perfect sense - it may get rid of the damp smell that
seems to hit you the minute you walk into the kitchens."

A few minutes later she had the fire stacked with wood that had been brought
down from the next floor. Dry wood, not like the pile that had been removed the
night before which had become soaked when the kitchens flooded. "You want to
send someone for water, and we can get this place smelling a bit more like
home?" she asked Aveery over her shoulder.

** ** ** ** **

"Something smells good around here." Dargan inhaled deeply as he walked through
the door. There were people scattered around the large room; some half inside
cupboards, some busy scrubbing the walls which were covered in dirt and scum
markings where the waters had reached.

"So, where's that klah I was promised earlier?" he asked no one in particular.

"If you'll give me a minute..." a voice echoed close by, and appeared to emanate
from inside a cupboard close to the floor. "...I'm just about finished here,
and we can all have one." Suddenly Xara's face appeared over the top of the
bench. "You get the mugs," she pointed at Dargan, "I'll pour. Who else wants a
drink?" she called out to the kitchen at large.

Heads appeared out of cupboards and others stood and stretched, easing sore back
muscles from being bent all morning. "Yes!" "Yes please!" "I could murder
one.." voices rang out, some even sounded a little more cheerful at the thought
of the klah being close at hand.

"Drinks all 'round, then."

"I cleaned an area of the dining cavern for us to sit down, and someone from
upstairs has been thinking about us too, because there's a couple of platters
out there with fruits and cheeses and even some fresh bread, though I don't know
where that appeared from."

"They're sending that down so we're not away from the cleaning for as long,
today." Aveery nodded. "The bread was brought in from outlying cots and also a
couple of Holds, I believe." He was feeling a little at a loss himself; that he
was cleaning the kitchens instead of cooking in them. It just didn't feel
natural to be eating food that hadn't bee prepared in their own kitchens, but he
was determined that would change before the end of the sevenday.

They all trooped out into the dining cavern where a few more candidates and
drudges had gathered for something to eat and drink. Fresh fruit, cheeses,
breads and fruit juices had been laid out in one corner of the cavern, and then
Xara appeared carrying a tray of mugs, followed by two other workers carrying
the hot urn between them. The smell of klah was a welcome break for all.

Dargan picked up a couple of mugs, and nodded to Xara, "Grab us both a plate of
something, I'll grab the drinks, and find us some seats."

Last updated on the May 30th 2007

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DCW: A Semblence of Normality (1/2)