Rocks & Rapiers: Chapters 3 & 4
Part of the serial story Rocks & Rapiers

Chapter Three
The upper two floor were just as neglected as the bottom two. I didn’t know why Baldric hadn’t made me stay in one of the cramped rooms on the fourth floor that were usually reserved for staff, but I was grateful nonetheless.
I found the cleaning supplies and started opening doors. None of them were locked, so the whole top floor needed to be cleaned. Thankfully, the manor was plumbed, so I wouldn’t have to carry heavy buckets of water up three flights of steps.
I started with the ceilings and walls in each room, knocking down dust and spiderwebs from the corners and wiping down the walls. By the time I was done, the grime had settled enough in the first room to start dusting the furniture.
But first I needed to beat the dust from the mattresses.
I could haul each of them out to the tiny, frozen balcony that led to the roof, or I could… not.
I closed the first bedroom’s door, then pressed a hand to the mattress and coaxed the dust out into a neat pile on the floor.
By the time I had cleaned all of the mattresses, the world was a little wobbly. It had been a long time since I’d used my ability so much, and I hadn’t exactly been sleeping well for the past few weeks thanks to the stress about the rent.
My energy reserves were low, but they would recover somewhat once the sun set.
I clutched the broom close as footsteps echoed up the stairwell. Had Baldric somehow sensed what I was doing? I should’ve waited until he was asleep.
…