That's a Deal

Writers: Ainsley, AL
Date Posted: 1st February 2009

Characters: Edele, Loki
Description: Loki stops by the galley for a snack and ends up making a promise to Edele.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 1, day 5 of Turn 5

Loki sniffed appreciatively as he neared the galley. Having finished scrubbing the deck, the boy decided to pop in to see if he could talk the cook into a taste or two. Maybe she'd have a bit of something sweet for him. As he slipped in, she didn't seem to even notice him as she bustled around seeing to various tasks. The pastries looked as if they had just come out of the oven and Loki decided maybe he would just help himself and be off.

"Ehn!" Edele smacked her spoon lightly upon the hand that was sneaking upon the sweetbread she had just made. She wagged that same spoon at the boy in question, trying to look severe. "Loki, you know better. Not until dinner."

Fluttering dark eyelashes, the orphan put on one of his most sorrowful looks. "Ah, please, Edele, jest one. I'm s' hungry I'm rumblin' in the middle. Jest finished the _whole_deck 'n I don' think I kin wait thet long."

"It's only an hour." Edele chided gently, then motioned to a pile of clean dishes. "But if you go ahead and start setting those and the utensils out, I might be convinced to let you get one ahead of time."

With a little shrug, Loki picked up the dishes, "Least ways ya don' have ta tell me ta wash. Been in wash water up ta m' elbows all afternoon," he said with an impudent grin as he moved to do the cooks bidding.

"Don't get smart with me or you might find yourself up to your elbows all evening too." Edele chitted good naturedly as she turned back to her stew. "What have you been doing all afternoon anyway?"

"Swab'n tha deck," he answered. "Was helpin' ta service the forestays at tha bowsprit this morn'n," he stated proudly, remembering the exhilarating feeling of climbing out on the long pole that extended forward from the sailing vessel's prow.

"Sounds frightening." Edele commented dryly as she stirred her concoction. "Not sure I could handle that."

"Jerroll weren't too sure I 'as ready fer it yet either. Called me in an' tole me I could larn by watchin' fer awhile longer. Ought not ta 'ave answered back. That's when he decided the decks needed scrubbed agin even tho I jest done it day afore last."

"I think that was probably a wise decision." Edele gazed over the pot at the young man so eager to be a part of things he might not necessarily _need_ to be a part of. "You could get hurt."

"Nah, I've got good balance. Can climb real good too," he bragged as he laid out the last of the utensils. "Bet I know more'n half those thet are proper apprentices and I ain't even old enough ta be one yet."

"Indeed you aren't. I think I'm going to have to agree with Jerroll on this one." Edele remarked as she swept over to the other side of the small galley and pulled out another pot.

Loki curbed a cheeky response recognizing he hadn't yet gotten his sweetbread. The orphan felt good about all he had learned since he came aboard and he wanted nothing more than to master every job there was on the Silver Sails. He wanted to make Jerroll proud. The cruel words that his uncle had spoken still thrummed in his head like a drummers beat. He wanted to prove that he was worth something. "Do ya think one day I could make somethin' of meself, Edele. Somthin' important I mean. Like Jerroll or tha Captn'?" He asked quietly in a rare moment of honesty and openness.

Edele paused in he cooking and turned to the young man. She placed her first upon her hip, spoon sticking out on the side as she held it and regarded him. "Land's sakes, child, what makes you ask a question like that?" Of course, she had an idea. Edele didn't know everything about Loki's past, but she had a feeling the child wasn't treated well before coming onto the boat. She honestly had never asked. Perhaps she would. "Of course you can make something of yourself if you just put your mind to it! Why do you think you can't?"

"Well, I'm 'n orphan," he said matter-of-factly with a shrug. "Uncle said I's born trouble an' never would be anythin' but trouble. Thet 'as before he took 'is family an' jest up an' left. Figure I already proved 'im wrong some cuz I do okay here on tha Silver Sails. But, they don' let orphans get ta be important people do they?"

"That depends on the orphan." Edele shook her head. It was a sharding shame that people had made a boy like Loki think he wasn't important. "Being an orphan in of itself doesn't mean you'll never amount to anything. It's whether or not you choose to amount to something. Make the choice, then do it."

Loki gave a solid nod, "If it _can_ be done, then I reckon I kin do it," he stated with confidence, once more the cocky little rascal with whom most were familiar. "Kin I have thet sweetbread now?"

"On one condition." Edele plucked one of the sweetbreads from the pan and held it up before Loki but didn't let him take it just yet.

"Wot's thet?" he asked eagerly.

"That you never think you can't be something you really want to be."

Loki reached for the sweetbread with a wide grin "Thet's a deal then!"

"Good." Edele passed the sweetbread over without any more hesitation, then swatted at Loki's bottom with her spoon, though she missed as she surely knew she would since the boy was so quick. "Now scat before I put you to more work."

Skipping out right quick so as to avoid more chores before dinner, Loki bit into the fresh sweetbread with relish but waited until he was well clear of Edele's eyesight before pulling a second purloined roll out of his pocket with a mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes. He may have decided to do something important in the future but for now he thoroughly embraced a pirate's life.

Last updated on the February 8th 2009

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That's a Deal