A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 15th November 2005

Characters: Cinale, Zeelan
Description: Cinale catches the impish hallbrat Zeelan stealing goodies right out from under her nose!
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 25 of Turn 3

Cinale

There was an advantage to being the small. Zeelan could slip in and out unnoticed, hiding in small spaces. He was quiet as a feline and cunning as a flit as he reached from under the table for one of the sweet rolls cooking. The boy put it in the bag with the other three that he had pinched and reached up for a fourth when he felt something pinch back.

"Ouch," he cried inadvertantly as a small green flit's sharp little teeth clamped onto his finger. **Shards...** Zeelan knew he was caught. Again.

"That's enough, Fey. Good lass, let go of him now." The fire-lizard obediently released the finger. "Zeelan, Zeelan, Zeelan..." Cinale clucked her tongue as she knelt down, looking at the young boy straight in the eye. "When are you going to learn, honny, hmm?"

The young apprentice fell back on his favorite escape tactic. His brown eyes grew large and began filling with tears and he held his finger as if it was in real pain. His lower lip quivered as he whispered, "Are you going to tell Master Fielton?"

Oh, she tried to keep a stern expression on her face. She really did. But how _could_ she? How could _anyone_? "Now why would I want to bother Hallmaster Grumpy with something like this, hmm? Come here, honny, and let's take a look at your finger."

He even added a slight sniff as he crawled out from under the table, leaving the bag where it was for safe keeping. "Master Fielton would get so angry at me if you tell him. Please promise you won't tell him. You won't tell him, will you? Will you?" His voice started to quiver again as he wiped his nose on his sleeve. It wasn't really running, but it added a nice little touch. He knew grown-ups loved that one.

She led him over to the counter, then lifted him gently up onto it so he was at eye level with her. "No, Zeelan, I'm not going to tell him. This is between you," she patted his arm, "and me, honny." It was what she always told him. "Now, let me see your finger." Cinale took his hand in hers and peered closely at the place where Fey had bitten him in warning.

"Is it bleeding?" the boy asked piteously.

"Nope. She just pinched you." The look in her warm eyes was a little stern though when she met his. "Fey's caught you more than once stealing goodies, hasn't she, Zeelan?" Of course, Cinale knew she had. But maybe it would do the boy some good to remember just how many times he _had_
been caught.

He nodded slowly, guiltily. "But the older boys want them."

"The older boys should wait for dinner." She eyed him with a slight frown even as she stroked his unruly hair back from his brow. "Are you sure _you're_ not the one who wants them, Zeelan?"

"It's the older boys, Cinale! I promise! I don't eat them. I _never_
yet them." After all, if he ate them, he couldn't sell them to the older boys. But he wasn't about to tell her _that_ little secret. "The older boys know I'm the only one who can get them. And if I don't get them..." His lip trembled again as his wide eyes glistened.

She knew bullying was enevitable in any place where young ones roamed, but that didn't mean that the ones bullying shouldn't be punished for their wrong actions. "You know, honny, when the older boys get nasty, you can always go to an adult."

He shook his head emphatically. "I'm no snitch." The little boy leaned forward and whispered consipiritorially, "Snitches get it worse, you know."

Well, she'd tried. "I know, Zeelan," she sighed, then gave him a small smile. It was part of growing up, after all. She wondered if Daigoro had ever been bullied when he was a youngling. "I don't want you stealing from me though. I _know_ we've been through this over and over again... But really, Zeelan, I would think you'd know the difference between right and wrong by now."

"I know it's wrong Cinale," the boy nodded, "but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

That brought a laugh out of her. She hadn't been expecting _that_
repsonse! What a character he was! Shells. "Well, in that case, little man, you're going to take some responsibility for your actions this time. That's what men do, you know."

Help? Stealing was so much easier! And funner! "But I'm just a boy..."

She shook her head, grinning. "No, honny. You told me you were a man, remember?" she teased with a wink. "You're going to come in here this restday and help me bake some fresh sweetrolls. And you're going to come in the morning. I don't know about you, but I want at least _some_ of my day to rest from my duties." Not that she _could_ rest...but she was giving up some of her time for this boy to learn his lesson. She wondered if he would... Ah well. "Okay?" Her tone, though warm, left little room for argument.

"All right," he agreed, knowing full well there was no way out of it this time. "But after I help you make sweetrolls can I have a couple? For me and my friends?"

"Well... We'll see, honny." Cinale wanted him to be on his best behavior, after all. She patted his leg. "Now, why don't you go run along now, hmm? I have work to do."

"Can I have a sweetroll to take with me? Please? Just one off of the tray?" Zeelan asked, his large brown eyes pleeding.

The little imp! And she was supposed to be _firm_ with him! Well, trying, anyhow. As she stared down into those huge eyes, she knew it was a lost cause. "All right, Zeelan. Just _one_." She lifted him off of the counter and then grabbed a still-warm sweetroll off the sheet, placing it safely in his hand. "Go on now, little man."

"All right," he smiled as he clutched the sweetroll to him. Zeelan ran for the door, stopping only to retrieve his bag from under the table. "Bye Cinale! See you on the restday!" he waved from the door. With a triumphant smile he ran for the safety of his room before the cook could notice that he had still gotten away with _four_ sweetrolls!

Last updated on the November 15th 2005

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A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do