Feyra woke up first, before she noticed Ida next to her.
When did she come here? Oh wait... She crawled into my bed last night when I was half asleep. Should I wake her up? I'll let her sleep a bit further.
Feyra stood up and went into the bathroom, changing into her other linen clothes. She wanted to wash the other set, that she had worn, before she would continue.
Only after that did Feyra wake up Ida, who seemed to still be half asleep.
"I want to dream a little more... And Teddy also wants to sleep.", she said before she saw Feyra. "Miss Feyra! I'm sorry... I didn't ask and just snuck into your room."
"No need to worry. You must've felt lonely in that time so I won't get mad. Just remember... You can't do that with everyone."
"I know. Julia already told me multiple times. After my parents left, I often crawled to her too. She just got a little more annoyed...", Ida said, before standing up and walking back to her room to get ready too.
"Ida, Feyra! Food is ready!", Julia called out and Ida ran towards the stairs with her teddy in her arms.
"Good morning miss Julia."
"Good morning.", Feyra said, before sitting down next to Ida. "Does teddy also want something to eat?"
"Teddy isn't hungry now. He'll eat later.", Ida answered, taking some bread and opening a glass of marmalade. She tried to put it on her bread, nice and smooth, but all the marmelade was in one place.
"Should I help you?", Feyra asked, taking the bread. She spread the marmalade evenly before returning it to Ida.
"How do you do that?"
"Let me show you. Take the knife. Be careful with it. Then you take the flat side and go like this. This way you spread it across the bread and if you get good enough you can spread it evenly too.", Feyra explained, showing it to Ida.
After the first slice of bread had disappeared into Ida's stomach, she took another one and spread the marmalade herself this time. It didn't look as good as Feyra had done it, but it was better than before.
"Thank you Miss Feyra. I'll train now daily!", she said with a bright smile.
After the breakfast, they all headed out together, and Hendrik made an opening speech for the festivities.
"Now we are for once on time with the festivities thanks to our helper this year. We thank you dearly. Usually we need a day longer as the elderly need their time to get everything ready. But this year we can enjoy the festivities all together and celebrate the begin of summer and the hope for enough food in the winter! Everyone raise your glasses!", Hendrik said, raising his glass which had wine in it.
Feyra and Ida had opted for grape juice. Every child got grape juice, while adults could decide. Most would take wine, but Feyra preferred to drink grape juice.
I'm not a fan of alcohol. Given they have that much wine they must have a lot of grapes. They don't only have wine but also grape juice.
Hendrik walked over to Feyra. "Enjoy the festivities. As our helper you have our utmost thanks and shall be treated accordingly.", he said, holding his glass to Feyra who clinked hers against it.
"Cheers. Do you have a lot of grapes?", she asked in return, before looking at Ida, who also wanted to clink glasses. Feyra did so and Ida smiled, before drinking her grape juice.
"We have a lot of grapes on a hill nearby. It's a bit of a walk but as long as it yields enough grapes, our livelihoods are safe. We sell the wine and juice to the Capital. Besides the wine in that one cellar.", Hendrik explained, emptying his glass.
"Then I hope all goes well and no strange weather phenomena arrive.", Feyra said, before she put her glass down and took Ida to look around the various things others offered.
"Look over there!", Ida said, hinting at a table with an old lady who was cutting out pieces from a piece of paper.
She had folded it first and then cut out various shapes. Feyra was wondering how it worked and watched further. Ida was also looking at it, already sitting at the table.
The lady opened the paper and revealed a snowflake. "Are you also interested in making something?"
Upon that question, Ida nodded her head and took a piece of paper too, as well as some scissors. The lady showed her all the steps and Ida followed them. Feyra also came over and took a piece of paper too. She folded it before she cut out a few pieces.
Ida opened her piece of paper and revealed a beautiful, but also clumsy picture, of the night sky.
Feyra on the other hand had cut out a sun with some design in it. Both of their designs looked a little clumsy, but one could make out the roundabout shape. Even the old lady started to laugh, as she saw how Ida and Feyra laughed.
"You're truly interesting. With more practice you can make even better designs.", she said, taking a paper and cutting out pieces again. She had made a circle in which crops and fields could be seen.
"Wow.", both Feyra and Ida were stunned. "Can you teach me?", Ida asked, spending more time with the old lady, who taught her how she could achieve this level of detail.
After that, Ida and Feyra went further and saw some of the vases they had made the day before. "Look over there! The flowers from yesterday! They're quite big.", Ida said, walking over and standing next to a vase. The day before she hadn't noticed it as much, as she was concentrated on putting the flowers inside. Ida was looking small in comparison to the vases. Feyra looked around and found a piece of paper and a pencil.
"Stand there a little longer.", she said and started drawing on the paper. A while later she nodded and Ida came back to her. On the paper she had drawn Ida next to the vase. It looked more like a child had drawn it, but Ida was happy about it and asked for Feyra to put her name on it. Feyra did so and gave the picture to Ida, who was jumping up and down, overjoyed.
"Seems like you both have fun.", Julia said as she came over and saw Ida.
"I got a picture from Miss Feyra!", Ida showed it to Julia full of joy. She was jumping up and down the whole time with a big smile on her face. If she continued smiling, it may have went from one ear to the other.
"Oh that is very nice. You may not be a talented artist but it's the thought that counts.", Julia said, before leaving again and telling them to enjoy the festivities further.
Feyra and Ida went around, looking what other people were doing. Some were playing cards and drinking wine, while others also drank some beer.
"Full House! You're lucky. Seems I'm not that good at poker.", a man with a beard said, slamming his mug down on the table, laughing. He was drinking beer and some of got stuck on his beard.
"Haha! That means another beer for me! Waitress another mug please!", another man, who looked younger, called out. The tavern was full with a lot of people. The waitress was fast and brought the mug over, shaking with her head upon leaving once again.
"Gamblers...", she said. Not long after, she came out again, bringing some dishes the men had ordered.
"Next round!", a lot of people standing around them, were screaming.
"Next one is me!"
"No I'm gonna go next!"
"Just wait till he can't pay anymore first. Who knows when your turn is."
Feyra and Ida just looked a bit until they left. "This is the men's favourite place. They often gather here and play games while drinking.", Ida said, before they went to another place.
This time there were big barrels and music playing. Women were standing in those barrels and danced to the music.
"They crush grapes from the last harvest. It's a tradition. Someone in the village is able to preserve the grapes for a while. That way we can make even more wine and grape juice.", Ida explained, before she looked over to a smaller barrel. It was next to a bigger one, in which another woman danced to the music.
"Do you also want to try one time?", she asked, looking at Feyra and Ida.
Ida seemed overjoyed and took off her shoes, before shortly dipping her feet in water and jumping into the smaller barrel. "Come too! It's fun!", she said and Feyra nodded.
The woman instructed her on what to do and helped Feyra get her pants up, so they wouldn't be stained. Then she climbed in the barrel and also started dancing to the music.
"It's fun, isn't it?", Ida asked, jumping with one leg up and back down on the other. Juice was flowing out into another barrel, which was changed from time to time.
"Strangely, it is fun.", Feyra answered, dancing further and laughing. More people gathered around and clapped to the music, cheering the people in the barrels on. Occasionally some switched, and others got to dance too.
After Feyra and Ida were exhausted, they got a bit of soup and bread with some side dishes from the elderly lady, that had prepared it the day before.
"Get some strength again. The day isn't over yet.", she said, before giving more to others.
Feyra and Ida were full, but still walked around. After the exhaustion, they both had eaten a lot, giving them a feeling of being full and unable to walk.
"The other children watch the play now. It should have already started."
"Do you want to watch it?", Feyra asked. Ida's eyes sparkled and they went over to where the stage was built up.
"What is the story about?", Feyra asked, sitting down on a blanket that had been lain on the ground. Ida took place next to her and put her teddy between them.
"The play is about a hero who travels through the Alliance and saves a dragon. The dragon goes on to help this hero, who is looking for a magical sword that can bring light into the darkness!", she explained.
They watched the play, and Feyra was stunned seeing all the actors play their roles very well.
Only the dragon is a little different from how I know them. This one here isn't acting like a giant cat. In comparison to Aphel... This dragon is more mighty and more relying on his strength and greatness.
Feyra watched on, before they came to the section where the hero fought the villain, who wanted to take the sword, so it couldn't bring light into darkness again.
Hero, your guard is weak and your stance is so too. I know it's a hero story but still... If the villain knew about swordsmanship he would've already beaten the hero! Oh and the way the sword is held is also... Ah forget it... It's a play.
Feyra stopped criticizing the hero in her head and continued watching it.
After that, evening was already there and a big feast was prepared. Everyone in the village was sitting at a long table and enjoyed their meals.
"Great food! Well done once again.", Hendrik praised the tavern owner, who had prepared all those meals with the elderly women, who still knew how to cook.
Only after everyone had finished their meals, did the children go run around again. They all gathered at a big fire where some people had dough on sticks.
"What are they doing?", Feyra asked. She had never seen something like this before.
"They're making stick bread. We children also get to make some. Here!", Ida took a stick and gave it to Feyra. The dough was already wrapped around it, and not long after, eveyone held it over the fire. Once it was done, they ate it.
"Now now children. It's time for bed.", Julia came over, the children looking sad.
"I don't want to go to bed."
"I want another stick bread..."
"You know the adults are having their evening program now. It's going to be far too late for you.", Julia said, and everyone went back to their homes. Ida and Feyra did so too.
Although Feyra had planned checking out the evening program, she soon noticed how tired she was and gave up on her plans.