((OOC: There are no exact dates, though the duties of the dutiful house elf will be listed chronologically, possibly the same or different days. Some posts may refer to other threads so they could be close to that date))

Dingy was in the lowest cellar of Doherty Manor. Dingy's other masters and mistresses never came down to the cellars themselves, considering it a zone only for the servants. However Dingy kept it clean of dust and cobwebs.

Except for one spot.

Dingy was standing in front of a brick wall with the entirety of a half alive goat. Goat was not a meat Dingy would ever cook for the family but it was a rather cost effective means to keep It fed. The brick looked to be made of solid brick but to the perceptive eye there was once an archway before Dingy had bricked over the door.

Dingy's pot helmet was down extra tight. Dingy always dreaded this particular task.

With a pop Dingy was on the other side of the wall in the dank cellar. With the goat. The only light was dim radiance from one or two stubby windows that showed the height of the ground outside. There were cobwebs everywhere. Gigantic ones that covered every surface so the room looked as if the wine caskets had been covered with sheets.

The silence was broken by the sound. The rattling. The hissing.

Dingy backed up in fright. One mass of shadows sprang up on many legs and came towards the elf.

An acromantula. One stunted in size compared to others at the same maturity but still a gargantuan spider.[1]

Dingy wanted to disappear but Master Casey had said never to do so unless the elf's life depended on it.

The mandibles of the acromantula clicked together. It was close enough that Dingy could sense some of the many eyes of the beast in the low light. It hissed at the elf, scrutinizing the elf, until the goat bleated.

Awake and sensing what danger it was in, the goat trotted off as far as it could go in a trapped basement. The acromantula disregarded the elf as it crawled off after the goat, sensing fresh meat. It did not need to scurry. The cellar was finite and there were many traps.

Dingy shivered. Now he could return to the hallway outside.

There was a final bleat from the goat before the acromantula injected it with paralyzing venom. It feasted and wrapped the leftovers in silk.

1.	This is the acromantula from Eight Sides to Every Story - Oct 10

"Erm, Dingy?"

"Yes Mistress Darla," It had been some time since the elf had called her that. The last time Master Casey's mother had been a actual Mistress to take orders from had been years ago, although she never really gave orders. Dingy would pop by the cottage for cleaning and setting up her meals for the week and the woman rarely asked the elf to do anything more.

That must be a muggle thing.

Dingy walked into the kitchen from where he had been cleaning. Mistress Darla usually remained at the table most of the time. She had been sewing. Dingy was not that good of a sewer, as the O'Dohertys had clothing tailored. Dingy had once asked if he could help but was rebuffed as Darla said this was something she knew how to do.

"Tell me a bit more about this Yule Ball."

"The Yule Ball requires a lot of decorations and we elves to be quick with serving the dinner."

"Oh." There was a low chuckle to her voice. "I'm sure that's your highest priority. I meant more about what it's like for a guest at the ball."

Dingy was verging into terroritory difficult for an elf to comprehend. "The Yule Ball is a very big part of the TetraWizard tournament. A formal dance."

"Do you know if Casey has planned anything yet? What to wear?"

Dingy reflexively reached for his pot handle. "Ma-Mistress...Casey," Dingy had to remember to think of Master as 'Mistress' when in Mistress Darla's presence. "Has not been particular on what to wear."

Casey had many sets of dress robes and if he attended, big if, there was a set that could be considered festive enough to pull out of the closet.

"Well I want your opinion then. Do you think this would go with something Casey would wear?" Darla held up her product of labor, a small white cape sheer and gossamer. "I couldn't do much, not a full dress, but Casey could wear this around her shoulders. Unless the style is off, that's fine. It was going to be a Christmas present but if she could have it for the ball I'd be happy too."

At this point Dingy clenched his jaw, locking it tight. Master/Mistress Casey did not like very female clothing, not since the time when all of the child dresses had been burned in one of Casey's outbreaks of magic. Dingy couldn't think independantly, an order was needed. Something clear cut to make sense.

"Do you need Dingy too...?"

"You can bring it up when Casey decides on a dress. Only if you think it would fit."