Anakin saw a droid come at Ferus’s left, and moved to foil its approach at the same time as Ferus. The two Padawans collided, sending Ferus off balance. He landed awkwardly, and Anakin quickly rushed in to bury his lightsaber in the droid's control center. Ferus was up and fighting in another split second, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He sliced a droid in two as Darra dispatched the last one with a cool grace Anakin admired.
Excerpt from Jude Watson's Jedi Quest Book 1 - The Way of the Apprentice
Who are the current rulers of the crystal empire? If it's shining armor and princess cadence, maybe you could ask Twilight Sparkle for help since she's related to the prince and princess. She could send a letter to them asking for crystals to be sent your home. Though, it depends if you're living in ponyville or not. Although, you could send her a letter with evidence to recruit her for help.
Content warnings: Very mild servant/master interactions
Post themes: High fantasy, found family, friendship tension, unkind master, new friends, frustration at being ordered around, homesickness, devout friendship loyalty
Summary: Tensions are high after Sadie pledged her servitude to the cold and unforgiving Taerand Calentavar. Kireen is angry and believes her sacrifice was unnecessary but Brimir is grateful she saved his life. Sadie has a soft moment with K'lai'a'la and makes a promise she won't do anything stupid to get in trouble with Taerand but her first day on the job makes that difficult. His vague instructions and barking orders gets on her nerves and she finds herself scolded regularly. It's only the first day and she's already struggling to hold her tongue but she must do it to fulfil her promise to her beloved friend.
Intro with links to all previous posts
[next post]----[previous post]
The eyes of the entire room felt like pinpricks across their skin while three guards escorted them briskly out the front door. By that time, the remains of the vase were nowhere to be found and the party had not quite returned to its previous vigor. Once they were free of their escort and well away from the manor, Kireen let it out.
“What in the nine hells, Sadie! Did you really just turn yourself into a slave to save someone we don’t even know?!” by this point she had stopped walking, towering over Sadie and glaring down at her. This was matched by an equally fierce glare from the halfling, fierce enough that their size difference did not seem to matter quite as much.
“I know him well enough to know he doesn’t deserve to die. Also, are you forgetting that K’lai’a’la’s neck was on the line too? I don’t care if he decided to not execute her, she could have been flogged and that’s way worse.”
“That part hadn’t even been decided yet and now you-”
“Stop,” once again K’lai’a’la’s soft voice cut through the tension like butter. “Do not yell. I do not like yelling.”
Sadie’s face flashed through a range of emotion starting at annoyance and ending at tight-lipped resignation. “She’s right, it’s already done. I will move to his manor in the morning.”
Brimir then dropped to a knee and pulled Sadie into a tight hug, “thank you, Sadie. You are a true hero,” then he began to sniffle, drunken emotions taken over as even the threat of death had not sobered him up sufficiently.
“You’re welcome, Brimir. I’d do anything for a friend,” she said soothingly then looked up at Kireen from behind his back and gave her a sour face. Kireen just narrowed her golden eyes at her.
“Then to make it up to the rest of us you’re going to help us with the favor we still have to do for Taerand,” Kireen said to the back of Brimir’s head then reached down to pry him off of Sadie who was sagging under his drunken weight. When he stood, he looked at Kireen through tearstained, blood-shot eyes.
“Anything. I will do anything. I owe it to all of you,” he sniffed and wiped his nose across the back of his hand, smearing snot unattractively over his face. “I just froze. That man is… well he’s scary. I shouldn’t have snuck in.”
“Yes thank you for stating the obvious, too bad you couldn’t have had those thoughts earlier today and none of us would be in this situation,” Kireen’s face was still taut but she was slowly coming to terms with the fact that there was no changing the situation now and it ended better than it might have otherwise. She turned and led the way as they continued toward the Stag in awkward silence.
Once they turned onto the street and saw the warm firelit windows of their home, K’lai’a’la touched Sadie gently on the shoulder, bending down to do so.
“I come in to get dress off. Then I go to my tree.”
Sadie nodded and looked up at Kireen who did not look back. Instead, she entered the Stag and made right for the stairs. Sadie turned to Brimir who was swaying on his feet and sighed. From the bosom of her dress she procured a key and handed it to K’lai’a’la.
“Go upstairs and wait for me, I’ll be right up,” then she approached the bar where Dwinain was wiping the counter off.
“Did ye have a good time Blaze?” he asked jovially and glanced to Brimir who was following Sadie like a sad, lost puppy.
“It’s a long story but before I tell it I need you to know I’m moving out in the morning,” the rag froze in place.
“But where’ll ya go?” behind his beard he looked quite perplexed.
“I am going to live with Ser Calentavar. I work for him now. But not right now Dwinain I have an elf in a dress who wants out of it and I need to get a room for my friend here,” she rubbed a hand across her face while the other hand gestured in the vague direction of Brimir. Sadie had seen Dwinain’s face contort in a frown before but not quite to this degree. His eyebrows and moustache almost touched.
“Number seven then. But we are going to speak of this before you go,” he hopped off his platform and brought a key out to them. Wordlessly, Sadie gestured for Brimir to take it and then he was stumbling up the stairs toward his bed.
“I’ll give you the money for his-” but Dwinain clasped her hands in his before she could continue.
“The night is on me. I know ye can take care of yerself but that won’t stop me from saying be careful,” he pulled her in for a tight but brief hug and Sadie returned it, melting slightly into the embrace. But then it was over.
“Thanks Dwinain, I’ll explain before I go. Promise,” he nodded and wordlessly went back behind the bar.
K’lai’a’la was waiting awkwardly in the center of her room when she entered and was surprisingly quiet even as Sadie removed the pins from her hair. It wasn’t until she was back in her normal mossy clothing that she finally spoke.
“You should not have done that,” K’lai’a’la has never been truly angry around Sadie but the slight furrow between her brows showed she was nearing upset.
“Can you please just drop it? I feel like I did what was best and I want to go to sleep now,” her tired features really showed her age and the candles seemed to shine extra off the silver streaks in her hair.
“No. Do not leave tomorrow. Stay here.”
Sadie hopped off of the chair and pushed it back in its place then started to undress herself, keeping her back turned to her friend.
“I can’t. I already made the promise and I can’t break it. Why do you two even hate him so much anyway? He only tried to…” She trailed off as she pulled a few pins from her hair.
“He try to kill me. He try to kill storyman. He try to kill you,” she said with a little more heat than Sadie was expecting which made her turn to her friend and look up at her.
“Hey, tonight was just a couple mistakes and he’s really strict. He wasn’t going to kill you in the end so I will be fine. I can’t break my promise to him but I can make one to you that I won’t make any mistakes while I’m there, ok?” she smiled and held her hand up, palm facing outward. K’lai’a’la knelt down and sighed but put her palm against Sadie’s and their fingers interlocked, sealing the promise. Sadie gave an extra squeeze.
“You can stay here tonight if you want,” but that made K’lai’a’la shake her head.
“I go to tree but be back at sunrise.”
“How about… sometime after sunrise?” That made K’lai’a’la frown. “Ok fine I’ll leave the door unlocked.” The elf nodded and quietly left Sadie alone with her thoughts.
She haphazardly tossed some of her clothes and trinkets into her trunk but wasn’t fully finished before she fell into a fitful sleep.
***
When dawn broke with her rosy fingers, the click of the door opening pulled Sadie from her light sleep. K’lai’a’la looked quite awake but quietly watched and waited as Sadie began the process of getting out of bed. There were not many words to be had as she finished her packing. When she went downstairs there was a modest breakfast for her that she only poked at. Kireen was finishing her plate already and also didn’t have much to say.
“Can you all not act like I’m walking to the gallows? I’m literally getting a job as a servant, something a lot of people actually wish they could do,” the early morning made her extra bitter.
“You have a point,” Kireen actually sounded sincere “but when he treats you poorly and you complain about it to us, I get to say I told you.”
Sadie rolled her eyes and was going to respond when the door opened and Taerand’s majordomo entered with two other male servants in tow. He approached and gave her a polite nod.
“Good morning, Miss McRimmik. I have come to collect you. Where might my assistants find your things?”
“Room four. It’s unlocked,” something churned in her stomach as she set the key on the counter where Dwinain put his hand over hers for just a moment before taking the key. The two servants went upstairs and the majordomo procured two letters from his tunic and handed one to Kireen, the other to K’lai’a’la who did not take it. Kireen took it instead.
“Ser Calentavar would like to meet in two days' time, once Miss Sadie is settled in.”
“About time,” Kireen grumbled and just tucked the letters away without opening them. The majordomo nodded at Sadie and she hopped off her stool and made for her new home.
***
The manor had a different air about it than the night before. It was a lot more subdued and seemed less lived-in, almost. But soon Sadie was back in front of Taerand and his large desk that was starting to seem more like a judge’s bench than a desk. With a nod, the majordomo left, leaving only her and Taerand. He was sitting, shuffling through parchment on his desk while she stood there. Finally he looked up.
“Take this to the kitchen and give it to Jordo,” he handed her a folded piece of parchment. She slowly took it, looking more than a little baffled.
“Okay… who is Jordo?”
“I do not have time to introduce you to every one of my staff,” then he went back to looking at the papers on his desk. Sadie just stood there for long enough that he looked back up at her.
“If I was not clear before, you are to leave now to deliver that message to the kitchen. Go.”
Remembering her promise to K’lai’a’la, she silently left the room with the parchment in her hand. She hadn’t been told what to do with such authority since she was a child and Ethna was ordering her about. Even then it got on her nerves. Once she reminded herself that this was only temporary, she focused on finding someone to ask, ignoring the glaring question of just *how* temporary this would be.
An older woman was carrying a basket of laundry toward the main staircase and she approached, clearing her throat.
“Excuse me, I’m new here. Can you tell me where I can find Jordo? I have a message from Taerand.”
The woman pursed her lips “you have a message from Master Calentavar, child,” she corrected “the kitchens are down the far hall, last door on the right,” and she continued up the stairs with her basket.
“Thank you! I’m Sadie by the way and I’m not a child, I’m a halfling,” but the mistake didn’t actually bother her.
“Sigrun,” was all the woman responded with. Sadie followed her instructions and did indeed find the kitchen and could probably have found it on her own had she caught a whiff of the delicious smells which seemed to be dying down after breakfast. The kitchen was spacious with a large wooden counter in the center of the room. An oversized oven took up one corner which was next to a large cookfire. Shelves of more kinds of food than she could identify lined one wall. From the ceiling hung pots and pans of so many different sizes and shapes she couldn’t begin to fathom what one could need with such a variety. Even just the sight of the pans had her halfling stomach rumbling. Peeling her eyes away from the vast culinary expanse, she saw a fairly large man with his back to her. He was dressed in a well-worn but clean linen shirt with an apron tied around his waist. Sadie cleared her throat.
“Excuse me, are you Jordo?”
“I should think you wouldn’t have to ask if you’re in this kitchen,” he said coolly and when he turned around, his eyes were centered three feet above her head. It took him a moment before he looked down and realized she was there. “Well hello there, my apologies, I didn’t see you. I suppose we haven’t met, have we. You have the right man. I’d shake your hand but I’ve got raw lamb all over,” he gestured behind him to a beautiful rack of lamb he had been rubbing seasonings and butter all over, presumably to let it age. Her mouth started watering.
“I’m Sadie. I’m new here, just started this morning.”
“Well then it’s nice to meet you. Set the letter just there if you don’t mind,” he gestured next to him, between the lamb and a plate of biscuits. He turned back around to continue his work and when she set the letter where he asked, she eyed the biscuits long enough that Jordo chuckled and bumped one on top of the pile off with his elbow. “Oops, look out below,” the biscuit bounced off the counter and Sadie managed to catch it. “That one was burnt anyway, wouldn’t do to be served.” It was, in fact, very slightly darkened along one edge as though it were too close to the wall of the oven.
“Thank you,” she bit into it and even though it was a simple biscuit it was the best she’d ever had. Jordo chuckled at the noises of pleasure emanating from the small halfling.
“I’d finish that here if I were you. Nothing wrong with havin’ it just don’t want to get crumbs on the carpets.”
“Thank you for the advice and the biscuit. Do you like working here? Is Taerand nice to you?”
“Master Calentavar? He pays me well and I get to cook, can’t go wrong with that I don’t think,” his tone was genuine enough that she believed him but he wouldn’t be the last person she asked today. She was going to be cautious since Kireen and K’lai’a’la were so worried.
“Do you cook for the servants too? Is food included?” She asked after another bite of biscuit.
“I do and it is but there’s a budget for it. We don’t get lamb that’s for sure. Well, I get to taste it but I don’t get my own portion at least,” he didn’t seem too bothered by that.
She chewed and nodded, “so what do I do now? I did the job I was asked to do.” This time he turned to look over his shoulder, his thinning hair slipping into his eyes.
“If you were not given a second task you better get back and ask him what he wants next. He’s probably expecting you to return to him once you deliver my message.”
“Oh. Okay. What does the message say?” she asked, not picking up on his advice.
“Just a meal list for a private dinner in two nights,” he didn’t seem concerned that his advice wasn’t heeded. Sadie just did not want to leave the kitchen. To her it was one of the most magical places she’s experienced. But it finally sunk in that he had a point.
“I’ll go now, thanks for the biscuit Jordo. It was nice to meet you!” She stuffed the rest of her biscuit in her mouth and he just chuckled as she left.
She returned and entered Taerand’s study, finding his icy gaze upon her. Only when the door was shut behind her did he speak.
“I did not realize my kitchen had moved across Stawold,” he said flatly.
“Well you didn’t tell me where it was so I had to ask,” she did not like how upset he seemed, she knew she hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes and that wasn’t long at all.
“Five minutes is far too long for a message to be delivered within my own manor. Do you understand?” Sadie had no idea why he was so stern and why that message was so critical. Jordo didn’t make it sound critical.
“I’m… sorry?” Once again, she found herself baffled and it wasn’t even midmorning yet.
“Two more rules you have disobeyed that I shall correct just this once. You will always knock before you enter a room and you shall address me as Master Calentavar. I will ask again, do you understand?” The hint of threat in his tone gave her pause and Kireen’s voice was in her head I told you so.
“I understand, Master Calentavar. I apologize.” She also had a promise to K’lai’a’la to uphold.
His frigid demeanor warmed up slightly. “Good. Now deliver this to my page.”
***
The day was long and by the end of it, Sadie was tired and her feet sore but she barely noticed. He had her running around the manor all day and listening to him barking commands at her was starting to wear down the filter between her mind and her mouth. Luckily, she was dismissed to her room before it broke fully and it helped when she found out she was given a private room. Maybe he was just testing to see how she did under pressure. Maybe she could put up with this, but the weight of that maybe would get significantly heavier if the next day was anything like the last.
The more she thought about how many times the word ‘master’ came out of her mouth over the course of the day, the more disgusted she became until she was just throwing the clothes from her trunk into random drawers. She was Blaze, the hero of Stawold, the best performer in the whole town and she was calling someone else master? Her blood started to run hotter in her veins and she felt it burning her cheeks. What’s worse is she never kept her promise to tell Dwinain what happened and he hadn’t said anything to remind her. Not to mention, she missed her bed at the Stag, she missed the sound of drunken laughter floating through the walls; there was no laughter here. Only obedient silence. A knock at the door caught her before she started knocking candlesticks off of surfaces.
“Yes?” The door opened and a younger servant girl peered in. Sadie recognized her but if she had asked her name, she promptly forgot it.
“Master Calentavar would like you to sing while he has his supper.”
Her promise to K’lai’a’la was the only thing that had her snatching up her dulcimer and attempting to plaster something resembling a polite look on her face. She is the great performer of Stawold, after all.
What a relief the good vessel has a worthy bodyguard! Hats off to you, keep up the good work, sir!
“Thank you.”
“Yes I know.”
“Fuck you in particular.”
“And they will be fine. Hollow is experiencing another bout of mental issues. Usually I’d be able to enter their mind with less invasive methods, but it’s been a long while since I’ve had to use my nightmare abilities. Hollow has always been rather bit difficult to slip into, but that was when I had full control of my powers.” Grimm sighs.
“So much has changed ever since that little ghost fought with the gods.... Were I a more ignorant man, I’d wish to go back to those old infected days.”
Hey Shade? I get this feeling that someone's coming for you and that it's probably not going to end very well for either you or them
Shade takes this information of a threat to heart and begins to train so that they may better defend themselves when the time comes, but as their focus sharpens, they feel a light sort of blindness overcome their nail.
