Jenny: Division of Labour

Her Lord Ambrosius turned on his heel in the yard before the Long Barn. The sun was coming down through the red-flamed leaves in the trees behind them, scattering soft across the gravel. They stood before him, waiting his word; the Guttersnipe was aware of them all testing the wind as it blew, which made her think of the Fox, and Artos, who was in his chambers now writing up a dispatch for the ginger-haired young man.

"Caleb and I will tear down the thatch on the Long Barn," he began. "Gaius will take the boys and dig a trench on both sides of the pasture wall. Not deep, Gaius, but enough to stave off a fire should they light the turf. Jason, take the Guttersnipe out from underfoot and ride the hills. You will all rotate on long patrol."

"Yes, sir," came the chorus, and the dull smack of the salute which was, like the red tunics of the battle-ground, a thing which the Guttersnipe thought would never change. They they were dividing to their own tasks. Gaius went down to the village by the river while her Lord Ambrosius and Caleb checked their boots, rolled up their tunic-sleeves, and moved to dismantle the roof of the Long Barn. They had built it of stone, thankfully, and had banked it with earth on the north side to keep it warm so that one needed only a run and jump to reach the crest from that angle. By the time Jason had come back with the horses, her Lord Ambrosius was already framed against the sky, prying the old thatch off and letting it roll away to the ground.

"Up you get," Jason said, and hoisted her onto Pharaoh's back. A thrill of heady pleasure coursed through her to be sitting astride her horse again. Soon they were off, going out through the pasture gate with Fripp leading the way toward the upper woods and the next hill beyond.