Chores (Bujold "The Sharing Knife", Fawn/Dag G)
for cbpotts who gave me the prompts balance, boat and star.


Chores
"What are you doing out here?" Fawn stood over him, dusting the flour off her arms with her apron. "The men are all in the barn doing something and I'd think you'd be with them."

Dag shrugged awkwardly. "I wouldn't be much good at farm work no matter what, and right now I don't even have one hand to work with." He gestured towards his broken arm with his hook. "Don't have much in the way of balance, either."

She sat on the ground next to the tree he was leaning on. "I figured as much, but it's pretty lonely out here. Nothing much to do. I'd go resty-testy if I didn't have something to do. Might be a farmer thing."

He smiled. "I don't think so. Might be a maker thing, though. My ma's a maker, and she can't sit still without making her rope, and your aunt is a maker her own self, even if she's not a Lakewalker, You might have gotten it from her."

"I guess, though most womenfolk I know are like that. Comes of work never being done."

"Farmers." Dag looked at her - her ground sparking like a star, all bright and happy. "You won't need to do that when we're home. Least, not as much." Maybe. Maybe not.

"There'll be meals to get, and clothes to make and mend and wash. Can't just sit all day in a boat and watch the sky. But doing them for you and not my brothers - that'll be relief enough." She smiled at him, before wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him. "I'm going to make a home for you, Dag. You see if I don't, no matter where we are."

"You already have." He kissed her back.