The air turned blue with cursing as Evan caught his thumb with the hammer, though it wasn't all bad, it was one of the final shingles upon the lean to stable that was being placed and likely exhaustion had made him a bit more sloppy. Stuffing the grubby thumb into his mouth, he silenced and soothed himself, after all, Jackilyn, her mother, and his mother were all present and he knew better than to use that sort of language around them, especially his mother. The trio of women sat atop of the stairs, sipping tea and watching the three Denton men and one Blackburrow at work.
If I might be asking, why goats?
Jackilyn kept her focus upon the roof being finished off yet answered the older womans question
I like them, always have
To which her mother added
We had them when she was small, though they kept escaping, getting into the crops. I caught her once freeing them so they could run around the fields, she must have been four, maybe five.
Ma Denton ventured her own opinion
Aggressive creatures they are! They'll eat anything too! Clothes, fences, anything that is laying around! Not to mention they'll be knocking you off your feet first chance they get!
Jackilyn grinned at that. The tea and the company was soothing, not to mention a much needed respite from what had been happening over the past few days. She had gone through many emotions, upset, anger, loss, emptiness but they had developed, turned into something more positive, hope. She had also found herself smiling, laughing, spending time with so many others that where her grief had once exhausted her, now her time with friends had. She yawned widely and rested her head upon the shoulder of her mother, who placed her arm around her.
Tired my dear? We did warn you we'd be back again today.
Aye, late night, some lad came up to talk to me, was a bit cocky but alright..
At this, all eyes turned to her and she quickly put them right
Nothing happened! Just lad talk! He asked me to go and talk to some older friend of his. Saw Lincoln too, you know, the lad Pa brought the blackberry beer over for? Anyway, I get to talking to this lad, Gregwald, and his friend who were proper polite and nice when all of a sudden this dwarf shows up, yelling about wanting to find Lincoln, and before I know it, he's hit me chair with an axe!!! I got out of there sharpish, ran into a bear of a lad too, but he didn't seem angry, just a bit concerned maybe. May I add this be the dwarf who were trying to fight Mister Eighty!
The two women looked baffled, the men moreso, who had stopped working to listen in on her words, which carried on flowing
I did spend a bit of time with Balnirar earlier in the day, he be the one with the bagpipes, and you'll be glad to know that I didn't stuff the bloody things in the fountain. He's nice, I couldn't do that though even if the things make me ears hurt.
Eventually her mother got a word in
Well! You've been keeping busy, no wonder your tired, perhaps you need a herbal tonic, something to keep you going.
What she bloody needs is to stop running around with strange lads!
The three women looked at Jackilyns father, none of them that impressed with his words, though Evan and Charlie had murmured their agreement, Quentin just kept quiet, focusing upon his work. Ma Denton piped up..
Don't be a miserable sod Archie! You were young once too! Chasing Lillyann here all over the place!
That's different!
How?!
This be my daughter, that's how! After that business with the healer lad? She needs a proper man, not some mealy mouthed little bugger!
Neither Lillyann, Ma Denton, or Jacki could really argue with that and the trio took a sip of tea in unison. Though Jacki clarified something
Pa, I be me own woman, with me own life. I be having fun, for the first time in days, why, I'm even getting goats! I'll be careful, alright?
The balding man gave a long, defeated sigh and went back to working on the stable though Jacki couldn't resist stirring the pot by saying
..and when I be traveling with them burly lads, I'll be certain to write every day!
A distracted Evan cursed again, the hammer striking his thumb once more.
