| Seaweed |
| Summary: | Dania and Mortimer talk again. |
| Date: | 01/Nov/2012 |
| Related Logs: | A Question of Snot |
| Players: |
  |
| Coastline, Terrick's Roost |
|---|
| The Cape of Eagles looms out over Ironman's Bay, a vast, blue ocean inlet, that spreads its watery depths out beyond the horizon. The path that leads down to this coast winds down behind the towers for several hundred meters before arriving at the rocky water's edge. Rather than sand, the coast is covered with innumerable smooth and rounded stones about palm-sized. They stretch up and down the coast in all directions with the battered remnants of driftwood scattered about. Above the beach, one every mile or two, are towers with a large bell and mallet atop them which are to be beaten to warn of an incoming invasion. A small dock is being constructed of thick northern timbers, with mooring space for two large ships, or perhaps a half dozen smaller craft. |
| Thu Nov 01, 289 |
It's afternoon at the Roost. Late enough that the merchants are closing up shop for the day, but not so late that the light is starting to fail. In the water can be seen several young boys who presumably match up to the scattered piles of clothing on the beach, although from the noise they're making you'd be forgiven for assuming there were more. A little way off, sat on the rocky shore with his back to a boulder and pretending to only have half an eye on them is Mortimer. It helps of course, that there's no one else around, no one who desperately needs to tell him every minor detail of a squabble with their neighbours, no one who wants his opinion on the latest bit of gossip. One might even say that he's almost looking relaxed, or at least would be were it not for the boys and their antics.
Coughing and moving towards the ocean with a basket tucked underneath her arm Dania moves towards the beach. When she reaches the beach she takes off her stockings and her shoes. She bundled up with a warm wool shawl. She sets them near the rocks and that is when she spots Mortimer. Clearing her throat, she manages to find her voice. "Good day, I have not seen you in awhile. How are you doing?" Her voice is horse.
"Mistress Dorsey," Mortimer replies as he pushes himself to his feet, the coughing having alerted him to her presence. A quick glance is given to the boys but they don't seem to be either drowning or actively killing themselves, for now at least. "Do you need a hand with that?" he offers, notioning to the basket, "you gave us all a bit of a scare you know." His tone is conversation though, not reproving and he then moves onto actually answering her question. "Same old, same old. You know how it is."
"A scare? How so?" She move closer and hands him the basket which is empty at the moment. "I was coming to get some seaweed for soup. Are those your lads?" She asks him. She clears her throat again. "Indeed I do. How is your wife?"
"Seems like half the town thought you'd brought plague with you," Mortimer answer with a slight shake of his head. It probably wasn't half the town, but it felt like it at the time. "Glad to see that it was just rumours and such anyway." Tucking the basket under his arm, almost exactly as Dania had held it he smiles a little then answers with a nod towards the boys, "only one of 'em." Rubbing his free hand down his face a moment he then adds "I reckon we go crazy if they were all ours. Two was bad enough." He stops almost abruptly there, the coversation faltering for a moment before he picks up on her final question. "She is well thank you. I'll let her know you were enquiring."
"Any news on your daughter? As for the plague, people will catch in the beginning stages of the sickness. I had been treating one of the farms. Whole family came down with it. I put the white X on the door in chalk to show that it was a form of consumption. I just could not travel anymore, so I kicked my brother out of his cottage. If I had the plague I would have stayed in tent in the middle of the forest and found my faith in the gods." She half explains. "Would your sons and their friends be willing to get some seaweed, I am still on the mend."
"None," Mortimer replies, not exactly flatly, but not particularly conversationally either, "and none expected." Hno nods along as she explains the cross and the reasons behind it. Thankfully, word had spread quickly enough that it wasn't plague that mass panic had been avoided. At the question he turns to the children once more he corrects gently, "son," singular. That done he places two finger between his lips and gives a sharp whistle that has one of them turning to the sound. After a quick beckoning gesture the lad is on his way to the shore and Mortimer turns to Dania and notions towards the approach, indicating that she should ask away.
"If you find good green seaweed can you toss it in our direction or put it in the basket." Dania indicates towards the basket that Mortimer is holding. She then starts to cough before she sits down on the sand. "I was going to be heading out but a friend pointed out how foolish it would be." She says this to Mortimer. "Now I am sorry but most understand the white X."
The lad, who appears to be around 6, listens politely then, after a brief look to his dad, gives Dania a nod and turns to swim back to the others. This probaly means the start of a great sea-weed war where they'll thow it at each other for a time, but some should make it to shore eventually. With his lad heading back out, Mortimer watches for a few moments then shrugs to Dania "Most aye, sadly just not the first few who saw it, or who they told." But such is the way with gossip, everyone jumps on it and no one checks the details. Setting the basket down he settles on a nearby rock, one thats handily close enough for an easy conversation. "I'm no hear Mistress, but I wouldn't want to be travelling anywhere with a cough like that still."
"I am stubborn and stupid and I need to send an apology to my friend. If he had not went through a closed door I would have hit him in the head with the clay jar." Dania says gently. "Not appropriate for me to do. " She coughs and then looks up at him as she sniffs. "How are your headaches, are they getting better or worse and no sign of the dropping sickness. You really should retire and take up farming." She tells him pointedly.
Mortimer laughs at that last suggestion then shakes his head once, "I'm too old for that," then a nod to the boy who is, true to form, now engaged in a seaweed war, "and he's too young." He doesn't ask about the clay-jar incident, nor whom said friend might be, just nods at the general need to pass on a message. As for her other query, that gets a faint shrug, "they're less common, still get them sometimes in the morning but mostly if I'd tired or if there's been something in partular." He won't name names, profesionalism and all that, but there are certain people who have seemed to bring them on. "Honestly, I'd say there less of them but when they come they're worse, no sign of the sickness though."
"Have you been taking the medication that I gave you?" Dania asks him. "Do you need more? If you would like I can see you in another day or two and give you a check-up." She tells him. "How bad are those headaches when they come on, do you feel like you are going to throw up and does light hurt you? Do you have tension in your neck?"
"I slacked off the feverfew," he admits, "since they stopped being every morning. Still use it now and again though, if I think there's one coming on. The tea as needed though." His supplies aren't to bad, the town's herbaist having a decent enough stock despite the troubles of the past year. As for the queries about the symptoms he goes through them in a list; how bad? "It varies a bit, I can generally carry on with things though." Nausea "once I think, although I didn't. That one was wierd though, just had that slight feeling of motion, like I was on a boat or something." A quick glance to the boys before he carries on with light, "not really," and finally neck, "It can get a bit stiff sometimes, not sure if that's just because I'm getting old though."
"You need to take the feverfew you need to take it as I directed. Just because you are feeling better means it is working and you need to continue taking it like I directed." She looks him in the eye as she says this. "You are not to deviate from the prescribed course. I worry if you do. No drinking while you are on it. Water and tea is fine, but no drink." She tells him pointedly before she starts to cough again. Her cough deep chested.
"Every afternoon?" Mortimer asks, although his tone is suggesting he's checking he has remembered right, not that he's questioning the need. He narrows his eyes slightly at the no drink remark, not that he's a great drinker anyway mind, but the odd ale or two a week to be sociable and so on. "Even small beer?" he queries, "only what witb the issues with water and all thats what we usually take when we need to visit the other villages." Clean wells not always being available and so on.
"Small beer, boil the water and have tea, you have a point about clean wells." She sighs. "Feverfew is to be taken in the afternoon." She tells him. "You remembered correctly. Just try and keep the drink down to when you have no choice or watered wine if you can." She pauses and she looks thoughtful. "I am going to send a message to my friend but when you see Ser Justin Terrick please tell him I am sorry." She says gently and from her tone she means it.
Mortimer nods to that, he doesn't look overly happy about it mind, but he does nod hi9s agreement and understanding. As for Justin, well thats fairly easy, "I should see him in the next day or so," he answers easily enough, "and I'll pass that on for you when I do." A quick head count on those in the water suggests they're all still happy and well so he turns back to Dania, in case she has anything else to add.
"I am sorry I do not have better news for you." Dania says to him. "I am sorry, about the drink. I know but it will help." She looks at him and nods. "Thank you for speaking to him for me and I will send a letter to him." She looks down at the sand and draws circles with her fingers. "I keep hoping that there will be children in my life, outside of those that I take care of. But I am not getting any younger." She looks over at the water where the children are playing.
Since Justin had brought it up in conversation only the day before, Mortimer remarks to Dania, "There are a load of kids looking for new families still, after the war." Looking out at the boys he knows a couple of them at least were in that position previously. Not that he thinks that's exactly what she meant, but he figures it's close enough to suggest, even if she decides against it. Beyond that he can't really think of much to suggest that she wouldn't already know.
"I will think about. I need something to offer the child outside of the road." She tells him. "Tell me about some of these children what are their ages and what were their families?"
Mortimer has to think about the for a moment before shrugging once, "I think you'd probably have to talk to the Lady Anais for details." He looks faintly apologetic about that then adds, "I could tell you about a few that I knew, before, but I keep too busy to have track of them all. It's the Lady that's co-ordianting things though, or so I recall. I'd guess the older ones have probably been found apprentiships and such but that's just a guess mind. The younger I can see being harder to place."
With a nod Dania looks thoughtful. "I will do that. I will send her a note. Thank you." She tells him and then looking worn out she rises. "I need to find my bed. Can you do me a favor by leaving the basket of seaweed by Keelin's cottage door?"
Mortimer glances to the basket and then back to Dania, "Aye,, your brother's is not too far out of the way home anyway. It was the green you wanted?" There might need to be a sort after all, to fix what the best efforts of six years old might accidentally get wrong. "I hope you feel better soon, and I'll see you in a few days?"
"Aye the green and thank you." She says with a hoarse voice as she moves to get her stockings and shoes back on. Next the moves to head out. She looks at him. "Thank you."
