James had been washing dishes for a few hours, he wasn’t finished til late in the afternoon. Once he was done dried his hands, which were shriveled from the large quantities of water they had been in for hours, and started putting away all the dishes. Once he was done he went to find the cook.
“What do you want?” the cook asked abruptly when he noticed James standing there. “Why aren't you working?”
“Sir, I’m done with the dishes, I thought I needed to come to you,” James said. The cook nodded.
He started assigning tasks to James. James knew that if he were to get all of them done, it would be very late by the time he got through. He started without a complaint though.
When he was done with the last task, it was late into the night, he went to find the cook to see if he could be let home.
“Sir,” James said when he finally found the man, sleeping in the wine cellar. The cook startled awake.
“What do you want?” the man snapped, irritated to be woken from his dreams.
“Sir, I have finished the tasks you assigned,” James said, his voice void of emotion. The cook frowned and looked at him.
“All of them?” he asked a trifle incredulously.
James nodded. “Is there anything else,” he asked dully.
The cook shook his head. “No, you may go, be prepared for tomorrow,” he said. “You are not through yet, Master Soren said for at least a few days you were to be punished,” he said.
James didn’t say anything, just stared at the hard packed dirt of the cellar.
“Alright, go,” the cook said. James hurried back up to the kitchen and grabbed his over coat and quickly left the castle. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his coat and walked with his head down. He was grateful for the cold air on his throbbing face, the blow from Conrad had swelled up a bit and hurt. His stomach growled for food, he hadn’t been allowed to pause to eat a meager supper, the cook had not let him stop for anything, skipping that meal meant a long night of hunger til the next morning. He pushed the pain and hunger aside and continued out of the city gates and towards his hut in the midst of the other serfs huts. He ducked inside and lay down on the thin blanket, totally exhausted. Sleep fell over him quickly and he was out to the world.
YOU ARE READING
Under One Banner
FantasyWar is in the air. Most don't know, the few that do must stop it. Aryanna and few friends must find a way to stop the oncoming force of perfect soldiers. They belong to two different peoples who can not band together, distrust runs to deep, set ther...
