1 Work Hard and Smile

Noelia rose with the sun, like she did every morning, turning to face away from the wall to stretch.

She was met by the soft skin of her younger sister Kaili, who slept clutched to Noelia's side. Darcin, her baby brother was at the edge of the bed, his curly hair tickling Noelia's feet.

She sighed, then chuckled.

"You silly children," she said as she rose carefully, so as not to step on Darcin.

The two of them shared a bed, like her own, made of hay and stuffing with handwoven blankets. Yet, they had abandoned their bed to come sleep with her.

She could see Arsil and Andril, the twins sleeping well in their cot by the window, taking up most of the room; Collins barely had room for himself.

Her sisters Cel, Verdana, and Lis slept just as soundly, and Cel's loud snoring filled the tiny room.

Noelia was able to make breakfast—porridge, like every morning—and had completed her morning routine: a quick rinse of her face with water they'd gathered from the well, a quick run-through of her tangled hair with her fingers before pulling it up with shortened rope; a quick swish of bicarbonate on her teeth and putting on her daily wear and old boots.

By that time, everyone had begun to rise and after they ate as a family, the loud clangs of wooden spoons hitting wooden bowls and arguing and laughter, it was time to get to business.

As usual, Cel and Verdana were left to look after the house. Cel was only nine winters old, but was mature for her age. Verdana was nearly thirteen winters now, but had been left blind after she fell to the Rumin Sickness six winters ago, and so she could not venture far from home without aid.

She had managed to learn to cook, clean, and mend clothing without her eyes, which was what she and Cel would be doing, in addition to house chores—getting eggs from Berly, their only chicken, and caring for the only horse their family had, a death gift left to the family by Order of the Kingdom after their Father, who had served honorably in King Bah's army, had passed away by way of the Gory Death just five winters ago, just after first snowfall.

Darcin and Kaili would join Lis by the Town Centre, where they would do all sorts of dancing, singing, and gymnastics to garter attention and sell as many various knickknacks as they could.

Arsil and Andril would work by the docks, handling heavy objects, catching fish, cleaning decks for boats, importing goods...

As for Noelia, she would work washing clothes for the entirety of the day, down by the lake for the privileged of the towne. Nightfall would find her at the Inn, where she would serve drunken fools and attempt to keep away wandering hands whilst ignoring lecherous stares.

Even with the combination of all of their jobs, they could only afford to buy just a few pieces of cloth for new clothing each year and could really only afford porridge for breakfast, potatoes, stale grain or the occasional rosch beans for dinner and a small roast for special occasions after extra scrimping.

Still, they were alive.

They were healthy.

"Life will get better, as long as you work hard and smile," Mother had always said.

And so we shall work hard and smile, Noelia had thought firstly to herself after Cel had asked what they would do without a mother or a father.