JP - The Keep - Main Hall - The Day Yehudit's Plate is stopped from Falling!

The barking woke Pinja. She wished she was still asleep- she was so sore. A small whimper escaped her as she rolled over.

It also woke Millie. She was almost as tired as Pinja. But she heard the whimper and got up to check on her friend. “Do you need me to get Difyr?”

Pinja shook her head, hoping she could just manage to get back to sleep.

🔨**
Rook would already be awake working in the keeps forge.

“Stop with that damned hammer so early! Some of us were up late having sex last night!” Someone shouted at the forge.

"If you did a good job as you think you did you wouldn't be awake" Rook replied setting the breastplate aside before heading to get some breakfast.

🍳 🥓 ***
The Main Hall was coming to life. Food was being carried up from the kitchen and people were making their way inside to break their fasts.

Ila was carrying a tray of eggs to a table.

Bella was at the table, still a little damp because she had gone and taken a quick cold bath. At least she smelled good and kept clean.

Rook fixed himself a plate of meat and a mug of ale before finding a table to sit down.

Yehudit limped into the main hall with her walking stick. Like every morning, she was going to try to get and carry her own plate to her table. And like every morning she was going to drop it. But she was feeling confident this morning.

Ears perking up at the sight of Rook and Yehudit, she barked and her tail wagged as she hopped from her chair. Going over, she quickly started checking through poor Rook’s pockets for more meat, but constantly kept an eye on the dark haired woman with her walking stick.

Today would be the day she stopped the plate from falling!

Yehudit was clumsy before her ankle got injured. Now that she needed a stick to walk she was even clumsier, and dangerous because she had a habit of accidentally hitting anyone who got too close trying to help. She loaded up her plate and started to her table, walking stick aggressively stabbing the floor.

Rook gave Bella some of the jerky he kept in his pocket as he watched Yehudit.

Bella gladly took the jerky and watched Yehudit like a hawk.

Yehudit was picking up too much speed. Her plate, which she could only carry in one hand, was rocking back and forth dangerously.

Shoving the jerky back into Rook’s hand, Bella rushed toward Yehudit to save her and the plate.

The walking stick smacked Bella in the midsection as Yehudit struggled to keep her balance and plate.

Bella yelped, but grabbed the stick and bent so she could help hold the plate up.

Without her stick, Yehudit wound up faceplanting.

Which was when Lek led Miyuki into the main hall. “Oh no.” Lek winced as he saw his cousin fall.

Rook got up from his table and walked over to help the two girls "I could make a brace for that ankle of yours."

Bella whimpered and checked Yehudit for any sign of injury, wanting to help any way she could. Weirdly, the plate of food had survived and was somehow sitting on the nearest table.

Miyuki winced at the sight. "We should go make sure she's okay…" She said and made her way over, honestly concerned.

Yehdut’s nose was bleeding. “Difyr didn’t seem to think a brace would work for me.” She said nasally as she sat up, feeling just slightly self conscious for attracting a small crowd.

Lek walked over with Miyuki. “This is my cousin Yehudit.”

Miyuki dug out a clean cloth from her bag and handed it to Yehudit. “Nice to meet you, Yehudit. I’m Miyuki…” She said with a kind smile. “Perhaps you should let the dw-er-Rook make a brace for you. He seems rather skilled at his work, so maybe it could work now.”

Bella whined, ears falling back with guilt because she thought Yehudit’s fall was her fault.

"Maybe." Yehudit said nasally, hiding how she was gawking behind the cloth. She had heard about Miyuki the kitsune so at least her reaction was not as rude as it could be. "Nice to meet you."

Lek hung back out of the way. "Don't feel bad, Bella. It's Yehudit, she falls at least once a day. If she didn't fall now she would fall later, possibly somewhere worse."

Miyuki used a little of her fox magic to stop the bleeding for Yehudit, making it so tiny that she wouldn’t even notice. The kitsune was not ever comfortable using her magic often. She felt better doing things the old fashioned way. “Let's get you to the table so you can sit.” She said, offering to help her up.

Bella looked up and Lek for a moment and just leaned against his leg like a puppy, only her shoulder and head touching him. She liked Lek as a good friend. He was always nice to her and didn’t verbally complain about her nudity most of the time. Yes, she knew it bothered people, but clothes felt…wrong.

They always felt wrong and constricting, even oversized ones.

Sadly, she could never communicate this to anyone.

"Are you hurt Bella?" Rook asked.

Looking at Rook, Bella shook her head and reached out for the jerky from earlier, giving him a pleading look.

Rook handed her the jerky before helping her back to her feet.

Bella didn’t understand why he got her to her feet, but she wasn’t going to complain. Nibbling the jerky, she went to sit with Miyuki and Yehudit.

Rook looked over to Yehudit "swing by my shop later I'll have the brace finished and we can make adjustments.

Lek wished Bella would wear clothes. Saying anything never seemed to get anywhere though.

Yehudit let Miyuki lead her to the table and sat down. She looked at her plate, surprised to actually get to eat what she had chosen for herself for a change. She nodded to Rook, through being able to walk on that ankle seemed impossible after such a long time. “We can try.”