This did cheer her up a little, but she would fully believe it when she saw it. So she 'cast' the spell with her mother, and watched the clothes dry. One day she would be able to do this on her own. Magic, handling herself without needing assistance. She just wished that day was today.

One after another, Alina folded the clothing handed to her. She helped with the sorting as best she could. Then came time to collect the money. She counted when her ma asked how much. But scrunched her nose. She kept loosing count after around twenty.

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Magic by Lady!

Ronan set the empty basket aside and then moved Alina to the table, "Alright wee bit, I want ye to put 10 knuts here, 10 knuts here, 10 knuts here, and whatever is left over here." She gestured to four different spots on the table. The woman knew that sometimes math could be difficult, especially when dealing with large numbers, but she knew the lass could successfully count to ten. She waited.

"Now count the first pile....Good..." She moved to the second pile, "What comes after 10?..." She moved to the third pile, "and after 19?..." Good "And 30 comes after 29. So we have 30." She pointed to the extra bit, "Now how many are in this pile?" Ronan waited, "Ok now these three piles make up?...and this side pile makes up?...So you have?"

  

Alina followed by her mother's guidance. Soon it became more understandable. It was easier when all of the coins were laid out in front of her. Not in her hand all jumbled. Easier to keep track and keep going. She was getting it, though it did take time.

"Thirty-three." She said at last. Quite proud of herself. It helped her self esteem when she actually figured something out. Though that was true for most people.

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Magic by Lady!

"Good job wee bit! 33 is right. Now go ad that to our jar and then finish up ye fish and chips." It was at this point Ronan would begin doing piece mill work, which today happened to be helping Martha glue together wooden boxes with the aid of her wand, while the kids worked at making flowers. Work for the poor never ended if they were to stay afloat, even off days were spent trying to find a way to earn a bit of coin.

Martha and her began to gossip. "Did you hear what happened to Maggie down the way?" Martha began.

"No, what?" Ronan responded.

"Well she done ran off with another man last night, left Lester in the wind, but then he found out, course he did, and you know who it was, his brother?" Martha said.

"Well weren't they twins?" Ronan asked, all the while the two cast permanent fixing spells and the piles of boxes grew. For every 10 they made that were up to par they got 1 knut.

  

With the reassurance from her mother, she went off to do what she was told. It didn't take her long to finish the rest of her food. Then she went to help the other children, and even they had gossip to be shared. After all, that was what society ran on.

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Magic by Lady!

The light drained as twilight passed, and soon evening was with them. Candles replaced the sun, but women got to work putting children to bed. Ronan told Alina to get into her night shirt while she got the bed ready, and then tucked her in kissing her forehead, "Goodnight me wee bit, Martha goin to look after ye in the mornin."

As Martha and Ronan got back to work, now that all the wee bits were tucked soundly into the beds, and straw mattresses on floors in some instances, Ronan began to sing. It was an old gaelic lullaby, and though her voice wasn't beautiful, it was rather pleasant. The two women worked quietly til about one in the morning, Ronan herself incidentally falling asleep in her chair.