Svetlana looks around as she is asked how they could help rebuild the place but truly seems at a loss for words. Coulette would remember that on her way in, she saw some broken down catapults up on the battlements but they'd likely take longer than a day or three to repair and be useful.
Svetlana does suddenly speak up after thinking about what was asked for a few minutes "I'm sorry to say I'm not sure what you'd be able to repair. I know that Oleg is patching up any holes in the buildings and the like but apart from that, time resources are what we really need...and for that we'd need to not have our resources stolen everytime we start to get ahead." she said sighing.
"The first time they attacked us there were a dozen of them. Though two of them did all the talking and controlling...well apart from some rather horrid comments I'll not repeat. One, was a woman. She did most of the talking but she was a right evil one. Chilled me to the bones with what she said they'd do to me iffin Oleg resisted. She nearly took off Oleg's hand as a warning with one of her axes." she said remembering the painful memory.
"But the last couple of times, there was only the one leader. Never really got a look at him, he keeps under a hood and carried a bow though. I'd imagine he's better at ambushing caravans than actually slaughtering and robbing. But they started bringing less men each time. I reckon seeing as how we're 'behaving' as they put it, they don't expect no resistance so you three might get a good chance at killing a few of em.'" she says thinking a bit, trying to be helpful.
She suddenly thinks of something else "There's not much that they've not picked over themselves but we did manage to store away a small bit of goods in hopes we would be able to sell something and get back on our feet." she said before she flattened the carrying tray against her chest and took them out to the stockroom.
Inside there is a set of leather armor, a heavy wooden shield, two hand axes, five javelins, a longbow, two dozen arrows, a scythe, two spears, three potions, two vials, and more typical trade goods such as rations and furs.
She brought them to the next door and opened it as well, inside was two barrels of drinking water, a half full barrel of lantern oil, three lamps, a dozen candles, a stack of firewood, a hooded lantern, seventy feet of hemp rope, a tent, and some cheese, hard bread and dried venison
"We've been told to put all the look for the bandits out in the pen out in the middle of the fort. Thankfully they hadn't wanted to dig too deeply the last time or we'd have likely gotten beaten for hiding away what we did." she said a bit worriedly.
"I won't say no to you three finding any uses for the goods, I'm sure my husband wouldn't say the same but I'll smooth things out with him easy enough. Though killing those bandits would help smooth things over more easily." she said as an afterthought.
"Luckily I have everything I need to take on these fools." Daniella said confidently as she finished with her weapons. Putting the sword away, she stood and looked around. "Do you believe they will come today? Or possibly wait till tomorrow morning?" She asked.
"Let them come, we will show them the error of their ways. Then we will set about taking these lands and making a proper kingdom of trade and laws."
Svetlana looked around a bit nervously as she was asked about the bandits. She seemed to think for a moment before speaking up "I can't say that they'd be so quick as to be able to swoop in this evening. But I can only imagine that if they have any eyes in the area, they'll be here within the day or two." she offered.
Jessepe looked around all the goods that were offered to their aid. He made a quick list of them on a bit of parchment with some charcoal so that his employers might be able to easily look over it all at their leisure without drawing any attention to it all.
Svetlana wiped her clammy hands on her apron and looked at the three of them. "Come, please. It must have been hard on the body to journey here. The least I can offer is a warm bath and a bed. I'll do my best if you have any ideas to get Oleg to help, but the man can be a bit sour at times so I can't guarantee any. I can make sure though, that he'll let you do as you please." she offered, trying her best to show that she valued her job and wouldn't let even the current situation deter her too much from being a good hostess.
"A bed would be welcomed." Daniella said with a nod. "If we can set up as we please to get ready for these bandits it would help greatly. They'll have a slight upper-hand, having knowledge of this place after all, but nothing we can't balance out if we can do as we please to get ready."
"A warm bath would be amazing, wash the dust and grime from the trip off. Past all that, our charter says pacify the bandits, so we will pacify the bandits. I am sure between her sword arm and my skill we can weather anything a few highwaymen can throw at this place." Colette attempts to reassure Svetlana. "As long as there is a spot I can stretch out on overlooking the gate, and a blanket or something I can put down first, I should be able to handle the distraction."
Svetlana nods. "Hmm, well I don't see any harm in letting you all have full range of the place. If you're gonna try and take the bandits on for us, that's the least we can do. As for a place to overlook the gate...well the catwalks are still useable though I don't think it'll be very comfortable to take a nap up there. Still, I can fetch a blanket from one of the unused beds if you like to let you spread out." she said before she began getting busy with the pots for heating up some bath water.
She calls out from the kitchen "I'm afraid we haven't had enough business yet to expand to install a permanent bathing area. But, I've got a spare horse trough in the stockroom that I keep clean for soaking and washing clothes." she said offering as best of hospitality as she could.
Once she got a few large pots on the stove to start heating up some bath water, she walks out wiping her hands on her apron. "Come on, I'll show you girls to where the beds are. We have plans to eventually build a proper set of rooms for privacy but we are having to make do with what this old fort has at the moment." she said, a small bit of wanderlust in her voice over the possibilities of the future. Despite the conditions and the hardships, she does her job well and happily and does her best to accommodate the two women's requests.
Once the twosome are shown where the beds are, Svetlana folds up a blanket real quick and walks outside, pointing over to a set of stairs "If you go up there, you'll be able tot get to a spot where you can lay down and not be seen. You can also ask and I'll have Oleg bring you a chair up there if you like to watch for them in." she offered.
If she was asked nothing else, she went about cleaning up the sleeping quarters and making the beds nice and tidy. Once the water was heated up enough, she'd call out to Colette and take her into the storage room where the hot water had already been poured in and two barrels are room temperature water stood by for Svetlana to pour into the bath to get it to the temperature Colette wanted.
Colette eases into the bath and smiles to herself. "Thank you Svetlana, I could not ask for greater luxury then I am treated to now."
She happily let's the warmth spread across her body and the water support her tired frame. "Is there anything I can do to thank you for all this hospitality?"
Daniella didn't ask for much, as she just put Celeritas into the stables. She got the saddle and gear off, then brushed her down and let the mare rest. Throwing the bags over her shoulder she made her way to her bunk for the night.
Once there Daniella set her belongings down and removed her armor. In her plain clothes now she set about cleaning her armor and looking for anything that needed to be repaired. Tomorrow would bring battle, and she didn't want anything going wrong.
Svetlana shook her head "Now Miss, you're blowing hot air my way. I can tell just by you showing up in that carriage that you've lived the fanciful life and a horse trough is hardly matching to what you might be used to...but I appreciate it all the same." she said smiling brightly.
"I'll consider this down payment on how much I'll owe you when you two manage to get rid of those bandits." she said chuckling a bit but then instantly her mood dampening some. "I'll leave you to enjoying bath Miss." she said before excusing herself and making her way to make sure Daniella didn't have anything she could help with.