fyi, it's gay
Chapter 2: Bells Ringing in the Night
"This is the main floor," Soren said, gesturing vaguely. It was a large room. In the middle was a hearth made of fired brick. It was towards the end of the work day but the forge was still busy - shaping a horseshoe on an anvil was an orc, his naked dark green torso hairy and glistening with sweat. Working on a sword on the other anvil was a minotaur, smaller than Soren but still huge, his light brown fur long and shaggy. He had tied fur on his forehead back into his hair, tufts of it escaping. Over by one of the work tables was another orc, his skin somewhere between dark green and brown. His white shirt was plastered to his skin with sweat, but he seemed unconcerned, bent over the table in deep concentration with his work. Finally, currently sweeping the floor, was a large canine, almost resembling a mastiff, with smooth, chocolate brown fur, a stocky frame, and droopy jowls. He was the only one there shorter than Adrian, but despite that Adrian was by far the smallest.
"As a green apprentice you will start out by manning the bellows and sweep the floor. When I say you're ready will move onto the green work. We'll see what happens after that." Adrian looked up at Soren and nodded. Soren continued on into the forge, through a back door. They stepped into a narrow corridor, the heat still sweltering. "Through here", Soren said, opening a door opposite to the forge, "is the kitchen." Adrian glanced into the room - inside was a modest kitchen; a wood-fired stove, counters, and root cellar door against the opposite wall, stocked shelves against the others, and a large table in the middle. By the stove was a palomino stallion, an apron tied around his waist, busy peeling onions. "The greens share kitchen duty, meaning you, Walter and Rudy. You can work that out between yourselves. Breakfast is served at 6 am, lunch at 12 pm, dinner at 6 pm. That door," he pointed down the left corridor, "leads to my quarters. Enter those and I will beat you blue." The threat was said so calmly and matter-of-factly that Adrian barely had time to register it before Soren had moved on. Adrian hurried after him. They got to a series of doors. Soren opened one on the left side, marked with a cast-iron figure of a toilet.
"The facilities. Greens clean them once a week, again, work that out among yourselves." He continued down the corridor and opened the last door on the right. "The greens dorm room." Inside were four beds, two of them made up. In front of each were a chest. "Bed sheets, towels, all such, is in the linen closet," Soren said, opening the door opposite, showing shelves of linen. "You can spend today making yourself at home, tomorrow you will work." With that he left. Adrian watched his broad back disappear down the dark corridor. When the minotaur was gone, he retrieved bed sheets, a pillow, and a blanket from the linen closet and made the bed closest to the door. He opened the chest. Empty. He closed it again. All he had were his rings. Feeling suddenly just how exhausted he was, he laid down on top of the bed, and soon fell asleep.
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His mother was sitting on the side of his bed, gently shaking him.
"Let me sleep," he muttered, turning over on his other side.
"Dinner is ready," she said, shaking him again, but the voice wasn't right - it was deep, and definitely male. He turned over again and opened his eyes, staring up at the mastiff. The reality of his situation came crashing down - he was a slave, far from home, and his mother was dead. He swallowed, fighting back tears. "Come on, the others are waiting," the canine said, rising. Adrian sat up slowly, feeling dizzy. Sensing that, the canine held out his hand and helped Adrian up on his feet.
"Haven't eaten for days, I reckon?" he said. Adrian nodded. He patted him on his back. "Well, there's plenty of food for you, come, I'll show the way. I'm Walter by the way." Walter pulled Adrian with him to the kitchen, steadying Adrian as he stumbled on the doorframe. Sitting around the table were Soren and his apprentices - washed up and fully clothed. They looked up as he entered, and he coloured a deep red. Walter led him to a chair on one of the long sides and he gratefully sat down.
"This here is Adrian," Soren said. He sat on the short side furthest from Adrian. In his large hand was a piece of bread which he dipped in his bowl. Walter came over with a bowl to Adrian, in it was a stew - chuck, chili, onions and porter, served with rice. It smelled rich and delicious. "Introduce yourselves, please."
Sitting on Sorens right was the other minotaur, on his left was one of the orcs. The minotaur spoke first: "I'm Mikko, Sorens first. Been here eight years and am currently working on my graduating piece."
"I'm Atez," the green, and larger, orc said, "Sorens second. Been here seven years. You will be working under me." He seemed kind enough. His hair was tied back, much of it braided with bells attached to the braids. His tusks were large, not clipped as Mr Laurens had been, and he was easily as large as Soren, but a bit more slender. Adrian nodded.
"I'm Vanod and I'm doing a voluntary apprenticeship, focusing on fine work," the other orc said. He was sitting between Adrian and Mikko. Adrian saw now that he was a half-orc - his tusks smaller, more slender, his hair not as coarse as Atez, and braided into a thick braid. He had human eyes - blue, and conniving. He would be trouble. A voluntary apprenticeship meant that he was free, which meant that his word, as long as it didn't contradict Sorens, was law. "I've been here five years and have just started my graduating piece.
The equine, sitting on the other side of the table, next to Atez, spoke up next: "I'm Rudy, a green, and I've been here three years." He was handsome: his build resembling a draft horse, his coat a light gold, his head broad with a white blaze running down the middle, and his mane white and carefully rolled into tight braids.
Finally, only Walter was left. "We've already been introduced," Walter said. "But I'm Walter, I've been here barely one year." He smiled crookedly, "You will be taking over for me as the greenling."
