Chapter Three
Maeva paused to wipe flour off her hands as she finished cleaning up after preparing the evening meal. A vegetable stew bubbled in the pot over the hearth and a plate of savoury dumplings rested on a plate ready to be cooked later. It was a simple meal, but Branel was due to arrive back from market later that day with supplies to replenish the pantry. In exchange she had readied a large pot of honey, a box of eggs and a basket of candles. If the chickens had laid any extra eggs then she planned to make pancakes for pudding as a birthday treat for Vaek. He was always hungry after a day out gathering plants in the woods.
Gazing out of the window she saw the sun sinking behind the low whitewashed wall of the garden, it was time to check the chickens were locked up safe for the night. Even with the dog guarding them from foxes, it was better to be safe than sorry, besides, Rau was getting on a bit, he was only months younger than Vaek and she didn’t like to leave him outside on cold nights.
“Khavi! Come and help me please, love” she called up the ladder-like stairway into the roof-space. It was dark up there, the one small window on the southern wall didn’t let in much light at all, and the roof itself was thatch. Despite the gloom, Maeva would never risk taking a candle up there, even at night. When pressed on the matter she always said ‘I’d rather stub my toe, or knock my head than burn down my home.’ She tapped her fingers on the banister. “Khavi, what are you up to?”
“Coming now, mama” a young voice drifted down, “jus’ gettin’ my shoes on”.
Maeva climbed halfway up the steps “would you like any help with those pesky laces?” she asked. A small blonde head appeared in the gap in the ceiling, smiling and covered in various shades of chalk dust and charcoal.
“Look what I made for Vaek!” said Khavi, sitting on the top step and proudly holding out a flat stone that she had drawn on. Maeva studied the image, it looked like a gnome was riding a chicken while holding a fishing rod.
“That looks lovely, darling” said Maeva, bending to tighten the laces on Khavi’s shoes. “You've captured the likeness of Betty perfectly, though I don't think I've ever met her little friend there". Finishing the knot she stood up "You are a very thoughtful sister, I’ll put that safe in the cupboard so you can surprise Vaek with it as soon as he gets back. Now, let me wipe that face of yours, I can’t have you scaring Rau!”
At the mention of the dog’s name, Khavi grinned and skipped off down the steps, stopping briefly to place her gift on the table, then ran outside. Maeva paused in the kitchen to dampen a wash cloth in the basin of water, then she followed her daughter out into the late afternoon sunshine. She found her sitting on the floor besides the dog, who was busy doing a fairly decent job of licking her face clean.
“Mama, look! Rau is taking over from you!” Khavi laughed and wrapped her arms around the elderly dog. “Stop it Rau-Rau, you’re tickling”.
Obediently, Rau walked off and lay down in his favourite spot by the gate. He spent more time asleep these days than awake thought Maeva.
“Up you get, love. He missed a spot on your nose” Maeva helped her daughter to stand then wiped her face. “Oh, it seems he missed your hands too, and your knees” she continued to wipe away the charcoal smears as Khavi giggled. “There now, all clean. Shall we put your friends to bed?”
“Yes Mama, I’ll just get my hat”. The Hat was Vaek’s idea, last year’s birthday gift for his Sister, he claimed it would ‘show the chickens who’s boss’, and it appeared to work for the most part. For a month he’d worked alongside his mother to make extra candles to sell at the market, then used the money to buy the hat. Not that he had gone to town himself, that was too dangerous, but Branel had done an admirable job of choosing the gift. It was made from plain soft wool with a little rose detail sewn into the ribbon.
“Okay chooks, beddybies” said Khavi and she skipped towards the fence. She’d always had a fondness for the chickens, so much so that Maeva had been forced to trade some of her chickens with Branel when it was time for them to ‘pass on’ as she put it. Khavi just wouldn’t stand to eat one of her own ‘friends’. Branel was very understanding of this, even if he had seemed bemused at first. But Khavi was like a granddaughter to him, the apple of his eye as he often said. Coming from the owner of the best orchard around, Maeva knew how much that meant.
“Don’t run darling” chided Maeva “you’ll startle them, then they’ll never settle!”
Khavi slowed down, and started pulling at her hat, it was a habit of hers. She seemed to enjoy wearing it at the strangest of angles, today she had it pulled right over her left ear.
“C’mon Mama!” A few minutes of gentle chasing later and all the chickens were safe in their coop. Maeva checked the latch a second time, just to be sure, then picked up the egg basket. “Right then sweetheart, time for the hunt!” She was rewarded with a beaming smile.
