Winter 48, 515 AV
For the first time, Jay had encountered serious difficulties searching for the Wolf’s Cave. He’d run into a cave with walls made of light sand that crumpled under his touch. There had been footprints in the soft ground, wherever he went, and after a few turns he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow following his own tracks. At the same time, he had felt as if someone was following him through the cave labyrinth. It didn’t seem to end and he’d only passed by two people on its meandering paths. Finally he had climbed a grassy hill and seen the Gaping Maw in the distance.
At that point, the feeling of being followed had faded to a slight tingling in the back of his mind. From the Gaping Maw, he’d somehow found his way back to the Wolf’s Cave. On the way, he went through an alley where it rained paper teaspoons and another that was littered with fragments of broken porcelain dolls. An arm here, half a painted face there. He arrived at his destination over a bell late.
When he stumbled into the Watering Hole, shaking the last grains of sand out of his pockets, Winona gave little more but a brief glance. “Good, you’re here.”
“I was stuck in a cave and lost my way. Sorry.” He fidgeted with the frayed hem of his tunic, sheepish grin plastered on his face.
Winona merely shook her head. “Don’t worry, the city does that to you sometimes. As long as you get here at all, that’s what matters. Since you’re a bell late, however, you’ll have to stay longer. Now, could you do the dishes for a bit? I’m running out of mugs.”
Jay nodded and slipped into the tiny kitchen behind the bar. The washing bowl was filled to the brim with used glasses and ale mugs. Carefully, he divided them up and set the glasses aside for the time being. Turning to the crackling fire, he took the pot filled with hot water and poured it into the washing bowl. Then he added soap, refilled the pot with cold water from the rain barrel outside and collected a large napkin from its hook on the wall. Humming a little shanty, he got to work. First he washed the mugs in warm water with soap, then he rinsed them off and dried them superficially with the napkin. Once he had washed five or so mugs, he returned to the bar to set them next to the ale barrels in a neat row. Order was something Winona had taught him, pointing out that there was space for more mugs if they were aligned like that.
After washing all the mugs, he got started on the glasses. Not everyone who ordered a drink also wanted food to go with it, so cleaning glasses was more important than plates. The tall ones that Winona used for her fruit cocktails took longer to clean. Jay had to take a rag and wedge it all the way into the glass until it hit the bottom if he wanted to clean it thoroughly. After rinsing it off, he polished it briefly with a dry napkin until it shone. Another thing Winona had taught him – polishing glasses so they were spotless and pretty again. People would complain even about simple things like water stains, so he had to put great effort into the polishing.
When Jay had finished with the glasses, Winona had already deposited a new pile of dishes next to the washing bowl. He figured they wouldn’t run out anytime soon though, so he simply returned the pot to the fire and emptied the bowl of soapy water into the backyard. After hanging the towel and napkin on their hooks to dry, he returned to the taproom. Since it was nearing midday, they had to work together to serve all patrons in reasonable time.
For the first time, Jay had encountered serious difficulties searching for the Wolf’s Cave. He’d run into a cave with walls made of light sand that crumpled under his touch. There had been footprints in the soft ground, wherever he went, and after a few turns he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow following his own tracks. At the same time, he had felt as if someone was following him through the cave labyrinth. It didn’t seem to end and he’d only passed by two people on its meandering paths. Finally he had climbed a grassy hill and seen the Gaping Maw in the distance.
At that point, the feeling of being followed had faded to a slight tingling in the back of his mind. From the Gaping Maw, he’d somehow found his way back to the Wolf’s Cave. On the way, he went through an alley where it rained paper teaspoons and another that was littered with fragments of broken porcelain dolls. An arm here, half a painted face there. He arrived at his destination over a bell late.
When he stumbled into the Watering Hole, shaking the last grains of sand out of his pockets, Winona gave little more but a brief glance. “Good, you’re here.”
“I was stuck in a cave and lost my way. Sorry.” He fidgeted with the frayed hem of his tunic, sheepish grin plastered on his face.
Winona merely shook her head. “Don’t worry, the city does that to you sometimes. As long as you get here at all, that’s what matters. Since you’re a bell late, however, you’ll have to stay longer. Now, could you do the dishes for a bit? I’m running out of mugs.”
Jay nodded and slipped into the tiny kitchen behind the bar. The washing bowl was filled to the brim with used glasses and ale mugs. Carefully, he divided them up and set the glasses aside for the time being. Turning to the crackling fire, he took the pot filled with hot water and poured it into the washing bowl. Then he added soap, refilled the pot with cold water from the rain barrel outside and collected a large napkin from its hook on the wall. Humming a little shanty, he got to work. First he washed the mugs in warm water with soap, then he rinsed them off and dried them superficially with the napkin. Once he had washed five or so mugs, he returned to the bar to set them next to the ale barrels in a neat row. Order was something Winona had taught him, pointing out that there was space for more mugs if they were aligned like that.
After washing all the mugs, he got started on the glasses. Not everyone who ordered a drink also wanted food to go with it, so cleaning glasses was more important than plates. The tall ones that Winona used for her fruit cocktails took longer to clean. Jay had to take a rag and wedge it all the way into the glass until it hit the bottom if he wanted to clean it thoroughly. After rinsing it off, he polished it briefly with a dry napkin until it shone. Another thing Winona had taught him – polishing glasses so they were spotless and pretty again. People would complain even about simple things like water stains, so he had to put great effort into the polishing.
When Jay had finished with the glasses, Winona had already deposited a new pile of dishes next to the washing bowl. He figured they wouldn’t run out anytime soon though, so he simply returned the pot to the fire and emptied the bowl of soapy water into the backyard. After hanging the towel and napkin on their hooks to dry, he returned to the taproom. Since it was nearing midday, they had to work together to serve all patrons in reasonable time.
