Under pawn

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 30th April 2009

Characters: Keayd, Daigoro
Description: Daigoro runs into Key, and meddles a little in his love life
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 2, day 14 of Turn 5

Keayd had taken his three-legged canine out for a walk. While he
stopped to chat with a fellow journeyman, the canine kept going and
soon got separeted from her owner. She stopped to sniff the bushes and
leave her own marks. She spotted a man coming and gave a friendly
bark, wagging her back side (she didn't have tail either, just a
stump). She was rather odd looking creature with her deformity.

Daigoro watched the rather odd creature as it limped up to smell his
private parts and knew exactly who she belonged to. "And where is Key,
eh?" he asked as he steared her in another direction.

Upon hearing her master's name, Vena turned to look backwards.

"Beautiful day for a walk with your friend here," the Brewer waved.

Keayd spotted them and hurried over. "Hallsecond. Yes, it is," he
greeted. "There you are, Vena, not nice to sneak off like that," he
scolded the canine.

"I've never had a canine myself," Daigoro said, looking down at the
behind still furiously wagging back and forth, "but I don't think she's
taking you very seriously right now."

"She never does," Key said with mock sigh, "she knows she has me under
her pawn."

"Not quite sure who owns who, eh?" his friend smiled.

"Exactly," the young journeyman grinned and bent to scratch the canine's
ears.

"She seems happy with that arrangement," Daigoro chuckled, reaching out
to scratch her side with his own large paw.

"She better be," Keayd mockicly scowled at the canine.

"How long have you had Vena now, Key?"

"Since she was pup, that over six turns now," he was actually
surprised how long it had been.

That was a long time. "She's almost like your child now."

Keayd just nodded.

"Now we just have to find you a wife, eh?" the brewer said with a
knowing nudge.

Key let out an uneasy laughter and blushed. Problem was, that while he
knew nice women he might consider as potential wife, none of them gave
him a second look. No one looked him that way. Sometimes he envied
Daigoro and others with happy marriages. He made a heavy sigh.

"Oh, now, there has to be _someone_," Daigoro prodded.

"Who would like a someone like me? Crippled and lop-sided?" Keayd
asked, bitterness creeping into his voice.

"Lots of women!" the Hallsecond quickly protested. "With all the
undeserving bastards who have found wives, you think _you_ are
undesirable? A woman would be lucky to find you. Don't think so
negatively."

Keayd looked sceptical but decided not to comment on that.

Daigoro could sense his doubt. "I mean it, Key. You are a journeyman
vintner with good prospects to be a master vintner one day. Trust me, I
know from experience, father's will be tripping over themselves to have
you look twice at their daughter. And you're a good, gentle sort than
any woman would be happy to wed."

"I haven't met a single father trying to push their daughters to me
yet," Keayd said. **Most of the time they are hiding them, so they
won't have clubfooted grand-children.** his thoughts were very bitter.

"Well, you're surrounded by competition here, I'll grant you that," the
Hallsecond nodded. Here journeymen and masters were common place. "Do
you want a wife, Key? Or is that something you're thinking about in the
future?"

"Who doesn't want to share his life with some one special?" Key asked,
thinking of his brother and his happy marriage.

"Have you thought about looking outside the Hall? Perhaps to a more
remote area? I'm sure there would be a father happy to find a good man
for his daughter when her options are limited by location."

Keayd just shook his head. Shells, his family had originally been a
cot holder from remote area and to his experience, they were more
hidebound and prejusticed than others.

"I could right a few people. Put out my personal recommendation for
you," Daigoro offered, not wanting to give up as easily as the young man
seemed to.

"If you want to," Key said diplomatically, not wanting to offend the
master, but thinking it would be a waste of time. No one wanted a
crippled husband.

"All right, then, I shall. I'll mail some of my friends and see if they
can put in a good word for you," the Brewer said giving him a firm slap
on his back. "You'll see. You're not as undesireable as you think."

Last updated on the May 10th 2009

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