Day 5: Sewing & Chatting

"What the hell were you doing!!?" Lorthax was panning me while checking my mouth. 

Unfortunately I couldn't give the obvious answer of "Trying to survive." because I had my mouth wide open to be checked. I just grunted. 

"Don't you even dare eat hard food for the next few days." I was ordered. "We don't want to risk infection... Make yourself soups and etc."

I grunted again. 

"Excellent. Well I'm going to check Ish, you should rest."

He was right. 

"Okay." I said and went to sleep. 

I fell asleep pretty fast. I guess I was tired. 

I woke up several hours later. I was hungry. Very hungry. And I couldn't eat hard food. Meat, be it raw or cooked, was not allowed. So were fruits. I needed soup or something like that. I needed somebody to cook that for me. Well, at least I found two egs in the warehouse. I broke them and had their tasty juices flow towards my stomach. It was nice. I also wanted to check how Ish was, but Knus, who apparently lived in the same hut as her (Huts in the village were usually shared by two or three men, the only reason I currently sleep alone is that my home was built for the goblins that would hatch in the next week or two. Of them I was the first.) He told me that Ish was relatively fine and she had her leg bandaged. I didn't want to disturb her. 

The hatching hut was nearby, so I decided to check if Thiz was willing to help me. I caught her breastfeeding the larvae and singing them a calming song. 

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important." I said to show my presence. 

"Ugh, Stralk?" 

"Yes. Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Ask and see what I can do." she replied.

"Well, I need somebody to cook me soups and etc. Could you do that?" I asked. 

"Ugh, I will. In exchange... " Thiz stopped a bit to think "make me two bags and a skirt, tight one."

"Very well. I have a lot of free time today anyways."

"I start work when fininished feedin' the littles."

Before leaving I decided to make sure that the I will make something good(-ish) I asked: "Do you have any other preferences?"

"Um... To go to my ankles... That long." She decided after a bit of pondering. 

"Bye then."

"Bye."

I got to the warehouse and started looking for materials. I could also make something for myself. I wondered how much simple clothes could help me. At the end I took several animal pelts, a few thin ropes and several pieces of wood and then went to my hut. 

God was I hungry... and in pain. Work would help me stop thinking about that. Hopefully.  

First I took three pieces of wood and my dagger. I started carving the wood into spoons. I'd obviously need that. Next was Thiz's skirt. That was rather easy. I used a long piece of leather, put a rope on the one side and started wrapping it around myself to get the right shape. All that I had left to do was tighten it a bit and take it off. Thusly I had the skirt ready. 

Next was clothes for me. First I made shorts (initially I planned to make just a vest, but then I decided that the combination of a loincloth and a vest would look stupid). To be honest, I don't know how people like Freyr and Lorthax could stand that type of clothing. My nether regions felt quite uncomfortable. I guess I'd need to get used to wearing pants. 

Just before I started work on my final project for the day Thiz came, left me a cauldron of soup, I could smell it, and took her skirt. 

"Do you like it?" I asked. 

"Yes!" she smiled while looking at it. 

"Hope you enjoy my cookin'. Bye!"

I ate a bit. Delicious. 

Finally I started work on the vest. It was much easier to make than the pants. I just wrapped an animal to see where the holes for the arms should be and cut them out. I was also making it so that I could open and close the vest by tying and untying short ropes. I felt fulfilled while making things. 

"You well?" I heard Ish from behind me. 

"Ah, Ish. Hello!" I said while not stopping to sew. Since I still had some leftover leather I had moved on smaller projects, like waterskins. 

"Hello. Wanted to check how you are." she explained "Heard you asked for me.... Thank you. How're your wounds?"

"Well, we both have taken some beating." I laughed "There's no need to worry, tough. You?"

"Same." Ish smiled. 

"By the way, what do you think about this?" I pointed at my clothes. "I've got quite a lot of free time."

"Seems fancy." she stated "Not easy, too. I'd ask if you enjoy making yourself suffer."

"I just like making stuff. It's fun." I tried defending my position. 

"Ha, I'm not even making my own tools!"

"Better try. At least let me help you with something, just to prove my point. It's not that difficult."

"Ugh... Ok!" 

"Excellent!"

Ish started looking around, probably thinking what she should try and then asked "Huh, what is that you're making?". 

"A waterskin."

"I'm finish that." she stared at the piece of skin that had a few strings attached to it "Just what to do?"

"Let me show. You just need to cut open a hole, put a string through it and then tie it to the opposite end. Like that. You need to get it tight."

She started working. Her hands were trembling and it took her at least four tries to tie a single rope. 

"That's too frustrating!" she mumbled. 

"Just continue and let's see." I said calmingly. 

Ish continued working and she increased her working speed; the waterskin was complete in ten minutes or so. 

"Let me complete the other one." Ish said. "Sewing might, just might be not terrible."

I smiled and did what she did. I could see the progress. 

"I think you've been right, Stralk." she said "I need to make some clothing. Thick ones. I'm not going to be impaled one more time."

"I knew it! Ugh... What do you mean with 'one more time'?" I asked. 

"How many times you think I've been wrecked?" she answered with a question "Well, whatever. I've made the second waterskin. May I take one?"

"But, of course. You made it."

I made a gesture, offering it. Ish stood up. 

"I'm going to take some materials."

I was glad that of the way Ish was acting. I couldn't say what she was thinking, but everything seemed nice. I hoped I was a helpful being. 

"We'll work together, right?" Ish showed that she had returned. 

I took the pelt she was carrying: two thick pelts from some mammals. 

"Of, course. I'm going to help. Do you have any idea what you want?"

"Well, I want everything covered."

"Then sleeves?"

"Yes."

"And since you're to wear this most of the time, they can't be loose?" I tried to make it clear. 

"You are right." she nodded. 

"Well, let's work."

The final result, two hours later, was a top clothing that covered most of her body and pants to the knees. 

"How does it feel?" I asked. 

"Ugh strange." she moved her hands in a rowing motion. "I also feel... less pretty."

"Are you joking? If clothes were to worsen someone's appearance, what about me? I say you're just the same." 

To be honest, I couldn't care about that. I think Ish felt what I was thinking. 

"Also I feel my front being pushed down. It's not great."

"I'm certain you'll get used to it. If not, we'll come up with something. Want to share dinner? The options are limited, tough." 

"I'm okay with that." she smiled politely. 

After we had eaten, just before she was to leave, she came to me and said: "I appreciate all help. Thank you, Stralk. You are quite a cute little guy."

She kissed me on the forehead. I went to sleep afterward.