*A day in the life of a Feast Slave* - PLEASE READ, SO GREAT & SO DESCRIPTIVE

I would like to congratulate liat Reina, she attended one of the Gorean Training Academy classes on slave types and completed her homework which was to imagine being a certain type of slave of her chosing and to write an imagined diary for the day - here it is - so beautifully written, descriptive and its obvious she has taken much effort over it, a read so well worth going through ----

*A day in the life of a Feast slave *

The dew-moistened scent of dawn was in the air, though it had yet to stain the sky in pastel hues, when liat found herself being shaken awake. Her muscles were tense and knotted by the night's lingering chill combined with the unfamiliar kenneling. With a great yawn, she stretched slowly in an attempt to loosen each aching limb in turn. The sound of an impatient "tck" brought an abrupt end to her efforts and resignedly she crawled away from the warm fur into the chill of the kitchen.
Many bodies were pressed close as others were roused and with more then one stifled yawn began their work. Already the great fires were lit and hungry flames devoured the wood being fed steadily into the hearth in preparation for a long day of cooking, roasting, and baking. Those owned by the house were easy to spot for they alone seemed rested and were busily preparing the gruel for the rest. Those, like herself who had been rented for the day were making their way out to the well to wash before eating their breakfast or ignoring the first girl and trying to steal a few more ehns of sleep.
Already the feel of excitement and anticipation was palpable in the air and it wasn't long before liat had joined those washing the night away with a bounce in her step. Today there would be a grand feast for many of the most prominent members of the city and she was to be a feast slave for the night. The splash of icy water was enough to temper her excitement however, for there was a full day's work between this morning and the honor of serving in the evening.
Feeling refreshed and prepared to tackle the chores to come, liat again followed the line of girls gratefully back into the growing warmth of the kitchen. She quickly ate her portion of gruel with only a small grimace at it being too watery. All too soon the shrill voice of the first girl could be heard directing groups to their first tasks. All the creature comforts they would have time for were now done and those who’d indulged in extra sleep were trying to salvage the last scrapings of gruel while being chased on about their business.
She, along with four other girls she didn’t know, was directed to the baker’s shop and each of them carried a basket, which could hold a kajira herself. With the amount of cooking that must be done, there would be no time or room for them to make the breads themselves. So with more then one dire threat as to the consequences of dawdling, liat’s group was rushed out of the house and off to retrieve the order which had been submitted days ago.
Despite the remaining chill in the air, it was a beautiful morning and she felt grateful to be outside. Lar-torvis was now breaking over the horizon and bird song began to offer a sort of serenade to their walk. Two of the girls seemed to know one another and chatted in muted tones however the rest were either too tired or, as in liat’s case, more content simply to indulge in the freedom of the morning air.
As they wound through the city streets the signs and sounds of a new day were everywhere. City slaves were already out and about their duties, house slaves were building up the kitchen fires, guards were changing shifts upon the wall, liat found it all very comforting in its familiarity and structure. All too soon however, they had arrived at the baker’s shop and here it was evident that the day had begun ahns earlier.
The smell of fresh baked bread was everywhere and it made her stomach growl. Racks of steaming sa trana loaves covered every surface and there were also trays of rolls and sweets cooling upon shelves. The shop slave spotted them and ushered them round to the back where the great ovens were putting out enough heat to make them sweat. The baker herself had her hands buried in a lump of dough the size of liat’s head. She looked up impatiently as the crowd of slaves invaded her workspace, yet her manner softened a bit as they explained their errand. It didn’t take long for them to gather the ordered items for the baker was well organized and soon they were on their way back with heavy baskets.
There was no time to spare for unpacking the goods when they returned; the baskets were simply set near the hearth to stay warm. An already frazzled looking house slave directed them to their next tasks before rushing back to her own. If liat had hoped to be allowed to run another errand, she was disappointed. Instead she was sent out with one other girl to gather the eggs from the vulo along with a warning not to miss a single one. The two girls shared a smile and set out with a small basket to fulfill their instructions.
The vulo seemed to sense the frantic atmosphere and they were displeased by it. They pecked and scratched a bit more then usual as the girls tried to move their tawny feathered rumps away from the roosts. Together, however they managed it in the end by having one distract the birds while the other snatched up the eggs. At last, brushing straw from their knees and pulling a feather or two from their hair, the two of them returned with their basket to the kitchens.
To their dismay the first girl was back when they returned and spoke harshly to them for having taken what she deemed to be too long about their task. The other girl was sent to clean the eggs and help with the cooking while liat was sent off with a new group of girls to scrub and tables the floor of the banquet hall. She didn’t mind too much for the kitchen was hot and crowded now and it seemed to be growing very loud.
Making their way into the grand hall, those like herself who had never been into this room before, let out soft gasps. It was richly laid out with walls painted in vibrant colors and images depicting epic scenes. There were windows set high along the wall near the ceiling which where being cleaned inside and out by house slaves. The floor was of dark tem wood and polished so smooth that it felt like satin beneath her feet. Gilded tables had been pushed to one side of the room and all the rugs, furs and pillows were being bundled outside to be washed and beaten before the guests arrived to make use of them.
Any further observation was made impossible as liat’s group was lined up along the wall and each with a scrub brush, bucket of water and a rep cloth, were set to work. Even with their numbers and the ease of working only one section at a time, the progress was slow for the room was easily the size of two lesser homes. They scrubbed and polished as they inched back together, till the dark surface could reflect their faces back at them. Fresh buckets and rep cloths were brought from time to time and by mid day the task was done.
Those who’d taken away the carpets where now returning and there was not a moment to spare for stretching their aching limbs. Along with the others, liat scrambled to arrange the low tables back into their long U shape. With fresh buckets and cloths, they began the work of polishing the many tables until their gilding shown and the opulent contrast of the yellow ka-la-na wood against the black flooring was startlingly noticeable.
Finished at last, all the girls rushed to help bring in the cushions once more. They now held a fresh air scent which liat found relieving after the heady combination of cleaning supplies and cooking. With armloads of overstuffed silk pillows, the group made short work of replacing the seats and was once again divided up for more chores. Her luck continued as once again liat was directed not into the bustling kitchen but hurried outside, past the girls scrubbing the entrance hall, to a large cart waiting just outside the kitchen door.
A line of girls was already busily carrying things from the cart to the kitchen or the storage area below. Without missing a beat, liat and the rest of her group joined the chain and worked quickly, for the first girl was there raging at the cart driver for being ahns later then he should. None of the girls wanted to give her reason to turn on them should he prove an inadequate vent for her frustrations. Working smoothly together, the cart was soon empty and sent on its way while new directions were given to the girls.
This time liat found herself sent down into the cellar with three other girls and set to the task of skinning a kajira sized barrel of suls apiece. They made themselves seats from some of the crates and worked in silence for most of the time. While the view wasn’t as nice as most of her other chores, liat was pleased to be tucked up against the cool stones of the underground room listening to the trampling which took place in the house above. They had no light but that which came in from the door above that had been left open which was enough until they were reaching the last of their barrels. From time to time girls would come down and gather up what they’d finished and now as it grew steadily closer to evening they hurried to finish the task.
Together they at last bundled up the last of the freshly pealed tuberous roots and made their way up to the kitchens. The sheer amount of food arrayed upon the counters, shelves, crates, and even the floor in some places took liat’s breath away. Every stationary surface bore large platters and bowls. Some were steaming, others had long since cooled properly, and still more were receiving the final touches. A rosy-cheeked house girl directed them to unload their suls into a massive pot and then shooed them out of her way. From the smell of things, the desserts were just starting to be prepared.
The first girl arrived with a group of house slaves, all of whom looked as if they’d had time to tend to their appearance and were now ready to please the eye as the vitals would please other appetites. There was a sort of relief set up so that those who had been cooking could take some time to clean themselves and prepare for being seen in the hall as well. To her delight, liat was included in this group.
She hurried with the rest out to the well and once more used the frigid waters to scrub herself clean. When she’d finally managed to get the last of the sul skin from beneath her nails she worked some of the water through her hair. Not sparing a second, she hurried back inside to the furs she’d been allowed to sleep upon and pulled out the little bundle she’d been sent with. Retrieving her comb, she worked it again and again through her thick auburn mane till it at last shone like spun silk and lay straight down her back. Nibbling at her lower lip to deepen its color she slipped off her rough working camisk and slid on the fine silk livery she’d been gifted for the occasion. Finally she slipped on a few bits of bina she’d managed to tuck in so that her wrists and ankles jingled happily and shown in the firelight.
Scrambling to join the assembling kajirae, her storm gray eyes shone with excitement. Most of the girls were giggling and bouncing in anticipation of the work to come and they could already hear the Free assembling in the banquet hall. The first girl inspected them each in turn, sending some out to wash off what she felt was too much make up, ordering others to remove flowers from their hair and making a few rush off to change into the proper livery. When she had approved liat’s appearance, one of the girls shoved a bottle of ka-la-na wine into her hands and turned her toward the connecting doors.
As she took timid steps back into the massive hall, the first thing that struck her was how much smaller it looked now that there were so many people occupying it. In one corner there was a troop of musicians playing cheerful tunes to accompany the sound of a dozen or more conversations. Other slaves were already darting here and there offering drinks and helping to settle the guests. Yet it was the Free, which caught her eyes the most. They seemed to have stepped out of a dream or an illustration of some renowned artist. The dresses of the women were so regal that they stole her breath, in all the colors she could imagine. Their hair had been carefully crafted in curls and braids holding pins and flowers and gems. The men were no less impressive, in their finest coats and trousers. She could see gold thread and lace and satin as freely used in their apparel as that of the ladies. The entire scene was enough to leave her dazzled standing in the doorway clutching her bottle of ka-la-na.
One of the house slaves took pity on her and helped guide her into the room in what was almost a dance trying to move between the bustling serving girls and settling guests. She pointed liat to the section that would be her responsibility and wasting no more time on gawking, she set to work. Much of the rest of the evening was a blur of refilling glasses, parading out plate after plate of delicacies, and dancing about to avoid many a near collision with another girl.
By the time the desserts had been served, the guests were in fine moods thanks to generous drinks and the excellent food. Dancers were brought forth, a poet recited a few pieces of which liat only heard a few lines, and the host made a speech which must have been well spoken for it received much applause.
Some of the guests retired early from the table and by the time the last plates were being cleared, Masters in need of another kind of sustenance had taken off half the kajirae to the furs. Those free who would be spending the night were being shown to their rooms and others were being helped back into their cloaks to begin the trek home. Yet the work for the slaves was far from finished.
In the kitchens, the food, which had not been finished, was being carefully preserved and stored. An astonishing amount of dishes were just beginning to be seen to and liat joined in this task by taking a clean rep cloth and rinsing and drying as another girl scrubbed. They were a subdued lot as they progressed steadily, bleary eyes focused intently upon their work. What seemed like ahns later, the last of the cooking pots had been cleaned and put back away, all the dishes had been returned to their places and the food secured properly.
The first girl came to each of those who were left in turn and offered them some of the simpler fare that had not been put away and they ate gratefully. Finally, as the three moons were creeping ever closer to the horizon the girls were allowed to crawl back into their furs. As she curled up into a ball and closed her eyes tight, liat could again see the image of her first glimpse into the banquet hall, and she fell into colorful dreams with a soft smile upon her lips after a full day as a feast slave.