Audrey made sure that all the animals had made the journey and that the area for them was made to her liking. She was careful not to sound like she was giving orders, just suggestions. She liked the new freedom her position allowed her. Yet she was constantly reminded that her life still had limits. She was still in the bed that was like a cage. And if she tried to walk anywhere she hadn't explicitly been allowed to go, she had to have a reason for it. She didn't even fetch the fodder for the animals herself, as that was stored in the pantry with the rest of the food. Only the cook, Ælffled, and a few of her select helpers had access to the pantry.
Audrey did, however, get her own seax. That was almost a reward in itself. She had wanted one of these ever since she first spotted them. And as promised, Ædven taught her and some of the other new theows, how to behave in front of the visitors, and the correct way to talk to the Lady, or any of the members of the court. Audrey didn't have much trouble with that part, as she already knew the correct way to speak. She just had to be careful to mind her tongue around the visitors.
Life quickly went back to the same routine. The main difference was that Audrey no longer needed to wear the bit on visitor days and that she only worked with the animals. Not that there were many. Apart from the chickens and the pigs, there were a few goats she had to milk, and one horse. Ædven had mentioned that there would be more animals when they returned to the main base, wherever that was.
The days would start off the same way. Waking up in the bed cage. Audrey always tried to sleep until she heard the sound of the cage being unlocked but it didn't always work out that way. And she knew that she better be ready for a new day the moment they opened the cage fully. So, when she woke up before Ædven came to open the cages, she stayed awake and just sat on the bed, ignoring the cage around her. Most of the others did the same. By the time you made it in here, you knew that shouting and screaming didn't change anything, so they were all silently accepting their fate.
Then she would go outside, start feeding the animals, before being allowed to get some food herself. She made sure to wash her hands in the basin outside the crew dining hall. She didn't want to get sick here, she doubted they carried modern medicines. Hygiene was one of the few things they did in a more modern sense, though not with modern utilities. But the water they drank was clean, though cold, and they didn't drink from the same water that was used for cleaning or laundry. And there were several outhouses for people to use, no one except the person trapped in the jougs were urinating all over themselves. The theows learned quickly to use the outhouse before bed, as they knew they wouldn't have the chance until they were let out again. A few of the male theows kept a small bottle under their bed, but a theow that tried to use a chamberpot she had sneaked in under her clothes was punished for ruining a good pot and spent a day in the jougs for it. They all quickly learned to control their bladders.
Her days were mainly spent taking care of the various animals, though she was occasionally asked to do other things, especially if it looked like she was idle. Audrey soon learned how to appear to be busy, to avoid having to carry water or doing laundry. Then, at the end of the day, they would be locked back into their beds. Talking wasn't forbidden, but they rarely had anything new to say to each other. They talked during meals, if anything was to be said. And if the scop wasn't telling them new tales.
The first visitor day in the new area went without a hitch. The Lady had selected one person that would be ideal to keep, a man this time. He seemed to enjoy every aspect of the experience, from the atmosphere to the activities. When he lost the stretch-neck game he went all-in and practically grovelled to the Lady to be let go. Audrey imagined she must have looked much the same, when she had lost the same game. It would be interesting to see how he reacted when he was left behind tomorrow.
The scenario ended up being close to how she was taken, though this time it was clear that the Lady staged the scenario. At least it was clear from where she stood. The man laughed as he was led to the stretch-neck again, as did several of the others. Then the other guests were distracted by an excellent lunch and story time with the scop. Audrey was curious and allowed herself to peek through the wall when she went to fetch some water from the container. The man had obviously realized that something was wrong now. He struggled and tried to cry out, just like she had, but he was just as helpless as they all had been. He worked his head back and forth, probably trying to get the gag off. She hurried on before anyone saw her peeking. They all had strict orders to ignore whoever was in the stretch-neck unless the Lady was addressing them.