Saeri LaChasse left. Yrmellyn found the woman enigmatic, but every person is an enigma in their own way so she didn't think more about it. The eídisi would get the painting sent to her whey it was dry. Yet another painting job was done, and yet another promise to the immortal Vhalar had been kept. There were even more promises left to keep, and the aftermath of the visit to Water Street wasn't over, but she had at least dealt with some of it.
"It's time to tidy up" she told Rudi. "We need to clean the brushes. Put everything back in the right places. Clean up and ...wash your face and your hands."
"What the ... I'm not going to do a lot of household work and ..."
The boy's face took on a defiant expression. Yrmellyn felt it was important to immediately take lead and show him who was in charge here. "Rudi" she said sternly. "An apprentice must do as their mentor tells them to do, not just because the are the mentor and master, but because they are teaching the apprentice their craft. I'm not telling you that we must clean up just for the sake of it. There is a reason. If we don't clean the brushes the color will dry in them and they will be destroyed. I would need to buy new brushes. It's the same with the tray. If it's not cleaned it will become destroyed and I will need to buy a new tray. We need to put everything in the right places, because otherwise it can be hard to find what we need, and this can annoy people we paint so they change their minds and don't pay for the job. If you don't clean your face and hands you can get skin troubles and I will need to take you to a healer and pay for the treatment. If you happen to have turpentine on you, it's very volatile and can catch fire, just so you know. I hope you understand that its' important to follow my instructions. Let's start right now!"
The boy looked cowed. "Right, miss Cole" he said in a more obliging tone.
They worked silently. When they were done she told the boy he had done well. Yrmellen toasted bread for them over the fire, boiled water and made tea. It wasn't much of a meal, but Rudi ate it greedily. He ate most of it, gulping down the food in a manner she knew too well from her own hungry childhood, long ago.
"She is odd, that blue lady" said Rudi a bit later, when they watched the painting of Saeri. "Don't you think?"
"Perhaps. She is a soldier. I don't know much about soldiers."
"She is also blue. I mean, it's a really strange skin color. I she ill or something? "
"She is eídisi. They are blue. I don't know too much about eídisi either, Rudi."
But he was right, she thought as she watched the portrait. It was a strange color. A strange, strange color, blue...
"It's time to tidy up" she told Rudi. "We need to clean the brushes. Put everything back in the right places. Clean up and ...wash your face and your hands."
"What the ... I'm not going to do a lot of household work and ..."
The boy's face took on a defiant expression. Yrmellyn felt it was important to immediately take lead and show him who was in charge here. "Rudi" she said sternly. "An apprentice must do as their mentor tells them to do, not just because the are the mentor and master, but because they are teaching the apprentice their craft. I'm not telling you that we must clean up just for the sake of it. There is a reason. If we don't clean the brushes the color will dry in them and they will be destroyed. I would need to buy new brushes. It's the same with the tray. If it's not cleaned it will become destroyed and I will need to buy a new tray. We need to put everything in the right places, because otherwise it can be hard to find what we need, and this can annoy people we paint so they change their minds and don't pay for the job. If you don't clean your face and hands you can get skin troubles and I will need to take you to a healer and pay for the treatment. If you happen to have turpentine on you, it's very volatile and can catch fire, just so you know. I hope you understand that its' important to follow my instructions. Let's start right now!"
The boy looked cowed. "Right, miss Cole" he said in a more obliging tone.
They worked silently. When they were done she told the boy he had done well. Yrmellen toasted bread for them over the fire, boiled water and made tea. It wasn't much of a meal, but Rudi ate it greedily. He ate most of it, gulping down the food in a manner she knew too well from her own hungry childhood, long ago.
"She is odd, that blue lady" said Rudi a bit later, when they watched the painting of Saeri. "Don't you think?"
"Perhaps. She is a soldier. I don't know much about soldiers."
"She is also blue. I mean, it's a really strange skin color. I she ill or something? "
"She is eídisi. They are blue. I don't know too much about eídisi either, Rudi."
But he was right, she thought as she watched the portrait. It was a strange color. A strange, strange color, blue...
