Rough Times

[Innis Cabal]

"Jus' lookin round..."

[MrEdwardNigma]

The guard looked at X oddly.
"What, you lost? The servants' entrance is way down there" he said, pointing down the dirt path.
"You're not supposed to come across the gate unless the Duke has invited you. Hell, if he wouldn't be out right now the drawbridge wouldn't even be down"

[Innis Cabal]

"Not a servant...just walkin 'round. No'ere ta go."

[MrEdwardNigma]

"Well, not to the castle either, kid, not unless you're invited. You should know, the Duke does not like vagrants hanging around town. You had best either clear out or clean up. If you can't find a job there's always some chores around the castle, but I wouldn't take it if I were you. They work you to death and barely pay you enough to feed yourself"

[Innis Cabal]

"I's better'n nothin."

[MrEdwardNigma]

The guards looked at him doubtfully and sucked on the straw, thinking about what he was going to say.
"I'm not sure that is true, son, but if you think so head to the back entrance and ask around. They'll have stuff for you to do. But again, I don't recommend it"
The guard shook his head and walked back to the table, clearly deeming the boy lost.

[Innis Cabal]

"Were do I go?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

"I just showed you!" the guard yelled at X from the table, "Down the dirt path!"

The other guard laughed and started shuffling the deck of cards they were playing with.

[Innis Cabal]

X walks down the path indicated

[MrEdwardNigma]

X walked on until he was on the other side of the castle, the side that wasn't facing the village. Behind the castle seemed to be more woods, though they were much thinner than the rest of Dark Wood. Down the slope X could see a dog kennel with many a vicious hunting hound in it. There were metal bars around the kennel, which sort of reminded X of home.

On the other side of the path, the side he could actually reach from up here, was a small door sunken in the castle wall. You'd have to stoop to be able to pass through it. The door was closed, more than likely locked, and had a small hatch in it through which visitors could be inspected from the inside.

There wasn't much else on the path, besides some thorny bushes on the slopes, and further downward it seemed the path would curve right back into the village, having made a full circle.

[Innis Cabal]

X walked up to the door, knocking on it loudly and waited, trying to keep his distance from the dogs in the kennel

[MrEdwardNigma]

The hatch snapped open and two hazel eyes could be seen through it, set in a fairly fat face.
"Hello there, littlun, what do ya want?"

[Innis Cabal]

X takes a step back

"Work...if there's any?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

The hatch closed and the door opened. There was a small fattish woman in the doorway.
"You want work, littlun? All right, Mrs. Goodums will take you in. Come in, come in, don't stand there in the doorway, we don't have all day"
She grabbed X by the arm tightly and dragged him in, slamming the door shut behind her. She was surprisingly strong.

Mrs. Goodums pushed X into one of the many doorways, into a sea of hot vapour. The splishing and splashing and the occasional glimpse of what was going on when the vapours parted told X that this was the laundryroom. In the castle too, it was laundry day. She pushed X on into the next room, where X almost bumped into the doorway because of those damn vapours. Each and every door down here seemed to be too small for him.

The next room seemed to be a storage room of some kind. The woman shoved a mop into X's hand and took a bucket and a morcel of soap, which she cut from a large block of the stuff. She dragged him back into the laundry room, filled the bucket with hot water, threw in the soap and gave it to him as well.

Mrs. Goodums pushed X out into the hallway and took him to another door. These were the kitchens. The most delicious smell he'd ever experienced washed over X. The smell of pastries, vegetable stew, roast, soup and pie. The kitchen was hot as well, and bustling with activity. There were women everywhere, chopping up vegetables and kneading dough. There was also a rather fat man who was walking around with a bunch of ladles and tasting everything.
"This needs more pepper" he'd say, or "Didn't I tell you to make a broth out of that chicken?" or "Well done, Millifred!". He waggled over as soon as he saw Mrs. Goodums.
"Ah, you've found someone to sweep the chimney! Thank you, my dearest"
Mrs. Goodums gave him a nod and then walked off without saying anything. The large man showed X a chimney, caked with soot. Both the opening upwards and the one downwards were almost entirely blocked with soot.
"I need to be able to use this fireplace again" the man said.
"See that it's clean by tonight"

[Innis Cabal]

X looks at the fireplace and then at the man

"How?"

[MrEdwardNigma]

The fat man slapped X in the back of the head.
"You clean it! With your mop! What are you, stupid? Just see that it's clean by tonight, or there'll be hell to pay!"
The fat man shook his head and walked off to check on the cooking some more.