The events of the 4th of Limestone, 1075"How long do you think we have?"
Akroma lifted his head, using the back of a wrist to wipe away the sweat streaming down his brow. It took him a minute to respond, stretching out his back, and attempting to dust off the plain cord pants.
"'Till winter, if I had to guess. No longer than next summer, that's for sure."
Digging a small hole with a broken-short sword, Dojango reached into his rucksack and pulled out a few fisher berry seeds. He carefully covered them up with loose soil, and patted it down with the flat end of the trowel. He eventually gave a slow nod.
"I was thinking that as well. You hear Crispin birthed another?"
"No! Yet another?"
"Aye, number nine, if you count the swadd'ler that burnt. Yet another girl."
There was a moment of silence between them as they toiled in the muck - the silence broken by both of them beginning to snicker. In seconds they were doubled over, howling, pounding their knees, tears streaming down their dirty cheeks.
"Good lord, their only Son - a planter!"
"They'd be better off having had a Son that aspired to soap making, at least he'd end the day clean!"
Akroma covered his face with his hands, gasping in deep breaths to keep from blacking out. In time, their laughter stopped, even if on occasion Dojango let out a loud hiccup. They sat in silence, resting against the walls.
Wiping at his nose, Dojango said matter-of-factly, "Lorban died."
"Mm. Starvation?"
"Yes. In the end, he wouldn't even take the slices of roast I brought him. He let it rot in his cell."
Akroma stared at the dirt between his legs. He slowly worried on his lower lip, chewing nervously upon it in thought. "When do we go?"
"We took the gold, didn't we? We stay 'till the jobs done or Bertand's sand has finally run it's course."
"There isn't much left, is there?"
"There sure isn't. The last of his legacy, dusting over green glass, working it's way through the scale-strippers to feed tyrants and petty thieves."
Akroma blinked. "Don't you think that's a little dramatic?"
Dojango gave a small shrug. "We're about to be entombed alive under thousands of thousands of tonnes of water, the only thing keeping it from us some green glass those not fit to work stone made in the forges. I just think it's a waste for something as marvelous as this dust."
"Eh. Just drop it, and get to work. The sooner it's gone, agree or not, we can begin packing our bags."