OOM: Taking Sameth to Gotland again

[ostro_goth]

Teja is in the forge, gathering a few things he is meaning to take to Gotland and show to Aligern -- for Adalgoth had told him that he would come to see them, soon.

It would, of course, be cheating history -- but then, Teja would gladly give his people any reasonable help he may.

No fire-arms, of course.

And then, of course, in the end, all his aid might result in could just as well be the development of the famous Ulberht swords that Teja has read about...

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[gotland_npc]

When he is done, little Hilde comes with a large clay goblet with mulled cider in.

"Now you get a drink!" she declares. "You're our guest. Sit down and drink, we do the rest. And I'll bring the king his cup again too!"

[makesthings]

"Thank you for having me,"

He sits down and takes the cider with another blush, its nice being treated nicely just because.

[gotland_npc]

There's another little girl sitting by the long bed slowly rocking the hanging cradle with the two sleeping babies in.

"I want to do that," she says. "You always get to be nice to the important people."

"Don't pout, Ursula," Liuta says.

[makesthings]

"I'm not that important and its good to share. I have an older sister who works to make sure everything's right. Sometimes its nice to not have everyone watching you."

[gotland_npc]

"Ursula can take the cup, then," Hilde allows.

Gotho and Liuta are getting the other kids to help set the table; as the babies are nicely asleep, even Ursula gets up to help as well, but makes sure she gets out the golden goblet so it'll be ready for her to serve to the king.

[makesthings]

Sam feels odd just sitting there because it seems like he should be doing something to help. He just doesn't know what.

[ostro_goth]

His doubts might be resolved when Count comes to sit on him, and the red cat follows, carefully climbing into his lap.

He can take care of the cats!

[makesthings]

Both the cats get pets and scritches, Isis carefully since she's pregnant.

[gotland_npc]

As the cats have left the fire, the dog gets up from where he was and wanders over to lie down there, where it is warm.

He's a big shaggy dog, a descendant of the alpine mountain dog that Gotho walked through all of Italy with.

"Hilde, you can fetch the men now," Gotho says. "And Ursula, you can fill the golden cup -- but carefully. Athalwin, put that wooden sword away, thank you!"

[makesthings]

This is so nice that Sam watches them all and can't help but think that the last time his family was together was down in the Reservoir.

[gotland_npc]

Hilde runs outside, and everybody else gets ready, the women and Rauthgundis putting food on the table. There is meat and bread and soup and some first fresh greens, there is cider and wine and herb tea with a little bit of apple syrup for sweetness.

"Have you known the king long?" Gotho asks him; she has no idea where an apprentice for Teja might come from, in his strange afterlife.

"Are you dead, also?"

[makesthings]

"I'm not Dead and I think its almost two years now. Time is strange in the place where I met him,"

He pets the cats as he tries to think of a good way to explain things.

[gotland_npc]

"How can time be strange?" Gotho asks. "Time is time. It passes."

[makesthings]

"Its hard to explain since it ends up acting in different ways depending on who's there."

[gotland_npc]

"Is that why it's been more years for us than for the king?" the little boy Alaric pipes up.

[makesthings]

"Yes, that's exactly why."

[gotland_npc]

The door opens again and little Hilde storms in, followed soon by Aligern, Wachis, Adalgoth and Teja.

Little Ursula ceremoniously walks over and offers the golden cup to Teja.

He thanks her, takes it, and drinks.

[makesthings]

Sam grins at Hilde's entrance and the others, she's so happy.

[gotland_npc]

Gotho shoos everybody towards the table; the kids jostle a little as everybody wants to sit near the king.

Isis, comfortable in Sameth's lap, won't get up, so he has to stay in the chair that he's already sitting in. Wachis ends up on one side of him, Aligern on the othe.

[makesthings]

He doesn't mind, he just turns a little so he's facing the table more.

[gotland_npc]

Liuta is slicing the bread, and Adalgoth is carving the meat while everybody passes around bowls and jugs, pours for the ones that are too little to hold a big jug steady, or cut up meat for the ones too young to have knives.

Teja, oddly enough, ends up buttering bread for several of the smaller children.

Then, Gotho says thanks to the deities of nature that feed mankind and all their children, Aligern says a toast before drinking the first sip of his wine, and then they all eat and drink.

[makesthings]

Its wonderful and the kind of meal that Sameth hasn't experienced a lot and helps a few of the children, maybe someday if things turn out, he and Kait might have this.

[gotland_npc]

"Have some more meat," Wachis says from the left, while on the right Aligern is arguing politics with Teja, speaking past Adalgoth.

"Forge-work is hungry work, and one must feed the apprentices, so they grow big and strong."

The cats are picking up crumbs; they like the bread and meat of the humans' table.

[makesthings]

"Thank you,"

He's a growing man so he's glad to take more and gives the cats a few pieces of things they don't have to reach for.

[gotland_npc]

"You are a kind young man," Wachis says, as he watches Sameth do that. "Would you like a kitten, when they are born and weaned? Isis is a great mouse-hunter, and all her sons and daughters have made good hunters so far. She even brings you the tails at times, so you may know she is hard at work and deserves her bowl of milk."