The lock to the common room door clicks, and Faey and Av?la return from ringing the bell. The light powdering of snow on their shoulders and tops of their heads has already begun to melt, but their cheeks and noses remain rosy. Faey quickly makes her way to sit in front of the fireplace, and Av?la heads to see Eue-Lysae in the kitchen.

  “G?ri’Seliani, why do we have to ring the bell? why don’t the watchmen; are they not much more cut out for it than us?” Asks Av?la.

  Eue-Lysae grunts as she places the last ten-liter wooden beer keg on the island counter. Breathing heavily, she leans on the counter. “I asked g?ri’Klerwye the same question when I was a priestess. She told me it was up to the Conclave and that she didn’t want to ask them to change it.” She slides open one of the drawers of the island. Sorting through it, she pulls out a wooden bung hammer and a brass spigot. New chore: organize the kitchen. An excellent idea from Luhnylla; she shall make Morziwayn do it to earn her bread for her say.

  “Can you ask?” Av?la walks behind the counter to get a better view of what Gyrshke is doing. Having been at the college her whole life and rarely stepping outside of its hallowed grounds, the menial secular tasks from the outside are of great fascination to her.

  Tying her long black hair up with a linen band, Eue-Lysae removes the Tri-Lunar Dial from around her neck, not wanting the heavy watch hitting her ribs. “Hold this.” She hands the watch to L?nyl.

  Av?la's eyes go wide as she moves the Tri-Lunar Dial between her hands, taken aback by the weight of the plate-sized silver watch.

  Lining up the spigot, Eue-Lysae takes the hammer in a reverse grip and gives it a hardy swing. With a thunk, the spigot sets itself in the barrel. You would make for a terrifying housewife—a woman lethal with the cast-iron pan. She takes an empty stein from the counter and places it under the tap, filling it with the cloudy, foamy, undesirable first pour. She sets the stein on the counter. Turning to L?nyl, she takes the Dial back and places it back around her neck. “We can write them as a petition for it. But I doubt they will do anything more than respond, telling us that our only duties are to ring a bell and dust the public library. Not one of them has seen the bell, let alone rung it.” Such a horrid, lazy group of women.

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  “I’ll get everyone’s signatures in the morning.” Av?la says and heads back to the common room.

  “Morziwayn!” Eue-Lysae yells, leaning over the counter. “I’ve got something for you.”

  Morziwayn quickly waddles into the kitchen, a swagger in her step. She smiles as she sees the kegs. “I wonder what it might be.” She says singingly.

  Eue-Lysae slides Morziwayn the stein. Watching as she snatches it excitedly and takes a big gulp, only for her face to twist in disgust and start raking her tongue against her palate. Eue-Lysae chuckles chidingly as Morziwayn makes her way to the balcony and dumps the atrocity into the lake below. She returns, setting the empty stein back on the counter, and shoots Eue-Lysae a disappointed look. Eue-Lysae can hear her mutter ‘ath’ under her breath as she makes her way back into the common room.

  Eue-Lysae begins taking steins on the counter under the cabinet—seventeen, one for each guest. There’s a knock at the door, and she quickly makes her way to answer it.

  She opens the door and is instantly filled with dread as she sees Ilsenila, who she did not know was in the Crown until earlier and has no believable reason to not allow in, as well as—but less so—Arn, who Faerthryne certainly intends to bring in with her. “I had hoped I had made it clear that I didn’t want Arn in here.” She does her best to hide the mounting anxiety behind a stern demeanor.

  “No, Gyrshke, as I told you, he’s my companion now, so he’s with me—I can get a lead from the stable so he doesn’t wander off if that is what you wish.” She stares down at Gyrshke, arms crossed.

  Eue-Lysae scrunches her face; she's not winning. “Fine.” She steps back and lets the four in. Dyder greets her; she smiles warmly but averts her eyes. Hopefully, he will avoid her, like they always have—since then. She doubts Ilsenila will wander far from him. Closing the door, she makes her way back to the kitchen, where she intends to stay for the rest of the night, and adds two more steins to the counter. Taking a stein from the counter, she pours her fourth of the night.