Let's Make a Deal

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 7th April 2010

Characters: Ioven, Parale
Description: Ioven and Parale discuss the possibility of her watching his daughters.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 5

Journeyman Ioven checked the scrap of hide once more as he stood outside
the door. It seemed to be the right number. He knocked gently as he
read the name over once more. "Para..." Shards, was it ParALE or
ParaLEE... As the door opened he looked almost startled, and blushed
slightly.

She stood there, in her indigo skirt and dark green tunic. There was
another indigo scarf around her head, but all of these looked well worn.
Her eyes focused on the man, taking in the knots. Why was he here? "Can
I help you?"

"Ah, yes. Are you..." He took a chance. "ParALE?"

She giggled for a moment, then got control. "Puh-rayle. Yes, that's me.
What brings you to my door, Journeyman?"

He grimaced slightly at his mistake, but quickly recovered himself.
"You were recommended by the Headwoman. I need to find someone who
would be willing to be a foster mother to my two daughters for a month
or perhaps a little more."

"Ah of course. Come inside." She opened the door wider and ushered him
into her quarters. They were larger than most since she had several
children to care for at one time even though she was single. "So tell me
about your daughters?"

"Well, there are two," he answered as he stepped into the middle of the
room and waited for her to close the door and follow. "Venrys is the
older and she's eight, and Syren, the younger is five. So of course
Venrys will spend most of the day in Harpers classes, but Syren will
have only a few classes. But I might be occupied right up until dinner
most nights, and perhaps even after some nights."

Parale did shut the door and walked around him, leading him to the
living space. Offering the use of the empty chair, she took the other
chair for herself. "Well usually, my children do their chores like
everyone else after lessons." She frowned, wondering what he was
thinking. "And I have them fulltime of course till they apprentice, are
of age, or they go back to their parents. Are you thinking something
different?"

"Oh. Um..." He checked the scrap of paper again. She said that her name
was the one written on it, so it was obviously the woman the Headwoman
had thought would be able to help him. "I... Well, you see, I am only
visiting your Hold for the next month or two. I've been sent to study
your geothermal generator and take some classes at the Smith Hall, and
then I'll be returning to my Hold with my girls. I don't need a
_fulltime_ foster mother. I will be busy during the day and they are too
young to be left unsupervised but I will want them back in the evenings.
But if that's not something you can do... Perhaps the Headwoman wrote
the wrong name? Or misunderstood?"

Thinking about what he was saying, Parale crossed her legs, her skirts
swishing as she did so. "So you just need a temporary sitter?"

"Well, yes. I had thought the nursery, but she suggested a foster
mother. I thought maybe things were done differently here. Maybe she
assumed that since I came alone with the girls that I would need round
the clock care for them." And she wouldn't be the first to wonder at a
father raising two girls on his own. "But really, I just need someone
to watch them while I'm at work."

Putting a finger to her mouth, Parale thought about this. At present,
she only had only one older boy who would be going to apprenticeship
fairly soon. "And what sort of offer would there be if I did take them?"

"Offer?" Ioven asked, rather confused. "I don't understand what you
mean. Doesn't the Hold give you a stipend?"

"Aye but that's for proper fosters. Not sure that'd apply in this case
since I wouldn't have them permanently." She scratched a place on her
knee that was beginning to irk.

He watched her fingers dig into the fabric. "Then I'll take them to the
nursery and explain the situation to them. I'm on a budget from my Hold,
and I have no marks of my own coming in while I'm here."

"Marks? No one said anything about marks." Parale had seen few actual
marks in her life. Much of her trade was done in complete barter. The
Hold paid her in food, clothing, and shelter. "Surely you have something
to offer?" 'He does have nice hands', she thought to herself.

"Here? What would I have here?" He couldn't help but be suspicious.
Ioven was a stranger to this Hold, for all that he had studied once at
the Hall. It sure sounded like this woman was trying to take advantage
of him.

"Smith you are aye? Do you not make anything?" Parale had lived in a
Hold of smiths for as long as her life was. She knew what they could do.
She had also lived without a man that could do things she couldn't for
some time, though her cousins were a help.

The smith crossed his arms across his chest, and considered a moment.
It seemed impractical to pay someone to care for his children when there
was a perfectly good nursery, and as such, they were wasting both of
their time. But he couldn't make this woman out. She seemed honest,
though he knew appearances could be deceiving. Finally he decided to
humor her just a bit longer, just to try to figure out what sort she
might be. "I make ceramics. But why should I make something for you
when I can take my daughters to the nursery for free?"

Ceramics. That was certainly useful. "Will the women there pay as much
attention to them as I will when they have many other children to
watch?" That was plenty true as he'd soon see if he ever went to the
nursery.

His daughters could use a little female attention. But this woman
certainly didn't seem the nurturing type. She had a head for business,
but his children were no one's business but his own. "Do you have a
deal with the Headwoman? Is there some sort of scheme going on? Is
that why she sent me to you?"

Though it was hard, she kept a pleasant look upon her face as she stood
up. "I may not have much, journeyman, but what I do have I come by
through my own hard work. It was interesting passing time with you, but
now I'm asking you to leave." Parale was a proud holder and for someone
to come into her home and say such things..

"With pleasure, madam," he muttered as he stood and lead the way to the
door, having had quite enough with this woman. Ioven was not some fool
to be played so easily!

Last updated on the May 3rd 2010

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Let's Make a Deal