It was the dark hours of the morning when Olwen rose from her slumber. It was a habit she had shared with her late father. The house was utterly silent. It was something that the young woman hadn't quite got used to yet. Her father, who wasn't all that great of a conversationalist, had always at least made small talk or discussed business with her in the mornings. Sometime a little bit later in the morning her younger sister would stumble out to join them. Elaria had filled the rest the morning before starting the work day with her chatter. Her family was gone now though. Elaria had been married for eight months now, and her father had died only a couple weeks after that. Olwen shook herself from her musings. Honestly, her sister would tease her senseless for being so sentimental. Anyway, the rest of the day awaited.
The young woman had hastily pulled on the closest pair of pants and shirt. Then her boots that she kept beside the bed. As always she braided her hair into two braids on either side of her head. There was no need to coil them on top of her head yet, as she probably wouldn't be working the forge until the afternoon today. Olwen exited her bedroom into her main living area. She dined on a third of a loaf on Lescatia's staple bone bread. It was hard not to notice the growing number of refugees in the city. With more bodies in the city the less food there was. While Olwen was in no danger of starving to death yet, but if she rationed she could survive longer. With breakfast out of the way she exited her living quarters and down into the shop proper.
She set to work straightening out some things that had got a little out of sorts the day before. Olwen was so immersed in her work that she didn't even notice when the door to her shop swung open a little. At least not until he spoke. The young woman startled a bit although she hoped it went un-noticed. She straightened up and turned around.
"Olwen. Elaria is married now. Thinks she wants to herd sheep,"Olwen replied, coolly.
If she was being honest with herself she didn't blame him for the mix up especially once she took in who it was. Olwen and her sister did look alike despite the ten years between them. He wouldn't have been able to tell with her back turned. Plus, Lord Konrad was a lord. He was probably too busy with more important matters to try and remember every face of his subjects. It was nice though that he could remember both their names though.
Olwen offered him a curt nod. Not much of an acknowledgement of his rank perhaps, but it was a lot nicer then she was with other people. Her family had served him for generations and that still meant something to her.
"You're my first customer of the day. What do you need?"she asked.
