Demesne Patron EX SS 20 – To Be A Guide (Patreon)

"Ah, Karina! There you are. Are you busy?"

Karina looked up from the planter of tubers she was tending to as she heard Lord Rian's voice, a bucket filled with water next to her. He looked as he always did most days: slightly sweaty and winded from going around finding people and talking to them, sometimes a bit more if he'd been helping with what they'd been doing. "How can I help you, Lord Rian?" she said as she stood up respectfully. Everyone was always respectful to Lord Rian, even those who grumbled and complained about him. For most people, it was because he was nice, and so they were nice too.

"I need a favor," he said, looking a bit embarrassed as he asked. "If you don't want to do it, that's fine, but I'd really appreciate it if you could."

Karina glanced towards the planters, frowning. There was always a lot to do, especially when it came to making food for the demesne, but Lord Rian wouldn't ask unless it was for a good reason. "What is it?" she said, standing up straight like a big girl.

"We're going to have visitors coming from River's Fork this winter," he said, carefully sitting down on the rim of the stone planter box so he wouldn't nudge the tuber plants. Karina was grateful, since it meant she didn't have to keep looking up. "A few, really. However, one of them is an important guest. You know how River's Fork has a young girl as its Dungeon Binder, right?"

She nodded. Everyone had heard the story by now. She knew some children from there who'd told her about girl, who'd become a Dungeon Binder after her parents had died from the first dragon of the year. Hearing the story had made her feel uneasy, and the next time a dragon had come, she'd stayed next to her mother and held on tightly so she wouldn't be lost.

"She's a girl a bit younger than you," Lord Rian continued, "and I was wondering if you'll be willing to show her around? You know, show her where the baths and latrines are, and how she should put away her clothes after getting into the bath house, and how she should bring soap into the soaking pools and thing like that?"

Karina blinked. Was that all? "Is that all? I don't mind doing that."

"Ah, it's not just that," Lord Rian said. "I'll need you to stay with her the whole time she's here, so you can answer any questions she has about how we do things. You don't need to eat with her—she'll probably eat with Lori and me—but you'll need to be with her most of the time."

That made Karina frown. "But who will take care of the tubers?" she said. She'd taken it upon herself to check all the tuber every day to make sure they were growing well, watering them and adding muck as needed. More adults had been helping her since winter started, but they sometimes overwatered them…

"Well, if you're worried, why don't you invite our visitor to come with you when you take care of them?" Rian said. "Perhaps she'll be interested in seeing the tuber planters. I don't think they have those in River's Fork, after all. She probably wouldn't mind helping you either."

She doubted it, but as long as the girl didn't get in the way… "I'll help, then," Karina said.

Lord Rian sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you," he said. It was strange sometimes, being thank liked that. When adults thanked her, it was always quick and almost like they weren't paying attention. Lord Rian, however, sounded like he meant every word, and looked at her as he said it. "Thanks, Karina. This is a big help. She should be here for a few days, but she might come several times over the winter. Can you help guide her every time she visits?"

Karina frowned. "Does she really need a guide every time?" she said.

Lord Rian hesitated. "Probably not," he said eventually. "But she might appreciate the company. She'll probably be lonely being away from home, so having a familiar face around will probably help."

Ah. Karina could understand that.

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"Hello, I'm Karina," Karina introduced herself to the young girl sitting on the bench next to Binder Lori. "Lord Rian asked me to show you around, help you get to places, and answer any questions you might have. Are you Binder Shanalorre?"

The girl in question looked normal enough, with her long, pale hair. She wore trousers that had been folded up a lot of times, making it very thick at her ankles, under large jacket that she wore like a coat. Her face was strangely blank, as if she'd woken up in the middle of the night and was trying to go back to sleep but couldn't.

Still, she moved like we was very awake as she turned to face Karina, nodding towards her in greeting. "Yes, I am Binder Shanalorre. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for agreeing to act as my guide."

Karina tilted her head. Why was she talking like that? "You sound funny. Are you all right?"

The other girl just looked at her placidly. "I am well. Possibly I sound strange because I am sleepy."

"You don't sound sleepy…" She sounded like she was trying to talk like…

"I am sleepy. I was woken up last night and had to travel here on a sled."

…like Binder Lori. Was it some kind of… Dungeon Binder way of talking? "Well… I suppose… Where do you want me to show you around?"

At this, Binder Lori stood up. Unlike everyone else in the Dungeon, she was only wearing a light shirt more suited for summer, and rugged but not very warm trousers. Despite this, the cold never seemed to bother her in any way. "Well, I'll leave you with Karina, Binder Shanalorre. Be welcome in my demesne, and should anyone attack you, I'll drown them out in the snow. Riz, please make sure everyone knows this so nothing unfortunate happens."

"Yes, Great Binder," Mistress Riz said. She did sound sleepy, and that sounded nothing like Shanalorre did. "Drowned in the snow, got it."

Karina hadn't known you could drown in snow. Given how it was much, much colder than the river, that sounded very painful.

Binder Lori nodded. "If you'll excuse me, Binder Shanalorre, I have things to attend to. Rian, see me after you've had a chance to sleep."

"Yes, your Bindership!" Lord Rian said. He looked even more sleepy, and sounded nothing like Binder Shanalorre had. "Will sleep as ordered!"

On either side of him, Mistress Umu and Mistress Mikon both smiled the way inay did after she and itay had been whispering to each other for a while and told her to take her siblings to play in the Dungeon. Karina thought Lord Rian looked too tired for any of that and really needed to sleep, but maybe they'd wake him up?

None of her business. She focused on Binder Shanalorre, who had also turned her attention to Binder Lori when she'd begun speaking. Everyone always paid attention when Binder Lori spoke. One was never sure what she'd say, or if Lord Rian could convince her to not do it. Given Lord Rian hadn't tried to talk her about drowning anyone in snow…

"I apologize for the interruption," Shanalorre said. "To answer your question, I was wondering if you could show me the way to the baths…?"

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Karina very quickly learned why Binder Shanalorre was in their demesne, even though she hadn't really been wondering why.

Mistress Keyyara let out a cry as someone—Medic Daising, maybe?—told her to push. Karina didn't know what she could be pushing, since last she'd seen the woman she'd been lying down on her back on the bed before the hastily-made curtains made from blankets tied to poles had closed up, but it sounded extremely painful. She sat outside since they wouldn't let her in, saying it was no place for children. So why was Shanalorre there?

The cries… they reminded her of people getting attacked by beasts, before Wiz Elcee or Wiz Lori or Lord Rian or Master Ralii or someone managed to drive it away and get them to Wiz Ahnree, before something had happened to Wiz Ahnree. She'd never seen it herself, but she remembered the cries…

Mistress Keyyara cried out again, still being told to push, and Karina wanted to leave.

She didn't, however. She had to stay, since Lord Rian had asked her to stay near Binder Shanalorre and guide her around the demesne. Since they were in there behind the curtain of blankets, Karina had to wait outside while she finished.

There were other people sitting with her. Master Hans, who was Mistress Keyyara's husband and sat wringing his hands; a few of the women who were friends with Mistress Keyyara, such as Mistress Vivi, Mistress Koyan and Mistress Johzi.; and strangers who had come with Binder Shanalorre from River's Fork. Karina supposed it made sense. Binder Lori never traveled alone when she left to do things either. She always had Lord Rian and Mistress Riz and a few people with her when she went somewhere. One of them was looking at her, but there wasn't really much that was interesting to look at. She herself had also been looking at the strangers to pass the time. Had Lord Rian asked someone to guide them around as well?

There was one last cry that ended like a loud sigh of relief, and Karina heard a change in what she was hearing. Someone called for scissors. Eventually there was a slap—a familiar sound from time she or one of her brothers and sisters had been spanked, especially Jiivoy, who had often been rowdy—and she heard a babe crying out. The curtain parted for a moment, and someone gestured for Master Hans to come in.

As Karina watched idly, relieved that the crying out had stopped, Binder Shanalorre stepped out, drying her hands on a piece of toweling. She nodded at the man who'd been looking at Karina. "It's done for now," she said as she folded the toweling in her hands without looking at it. "Medic Daising has recommended I go get cleaned up in the baths. I will be taking her advice."

The man pursed his lips, but nodded. "Yes, Great Binder," he said. "Avigayr, go with the Great Binder so she's not alone."

"Yes, Lord," one of the strangers, a woman with dark green hair said.

"Thank you," Binder Shanalorre said. Huh. Dungeon Binders thanked people? Had Karina ever heard Binder Lori do that?

Karina pushed herself to her feet. "The baths are this way, Binder Shanalorre."

"Yes, Karina, I know. You showed me earlier. I can find my way back."

"Lord Rian said I should stay with you," she said.

For some reason, all the strangers who had come with Binder Shanalorre all looked at Karina, frowning for some reason.

"Why?" the man Binder Shanalorre had talked to asked.

"Lord Rian told me to," she said. "In case Binder Shanalorre has any questions, or to show her how we do things here."

"It's fine, Lord Yllian. We afforded Binder Lolilyuri the courtesy of an escort when she visited us. I am sure she is only returning the favor."

"A child?"

Binder Shanalorre shrugged. "Perhaps she has more confidence in the discipline of the people of her demesne. In any case, I do have questions, and perhaps Karina here will be able to answer them."

Karina nodded. "That's Lord Rian told me to do," she said.

"Shall we go, then?" Binder Shanalorre started walking, and Karina fell into step with her, while Mistress Avigayr followed behind them. "Tell me… how does Binder Lolilyuri treat the people in your demesne?"