Although you may be required to prepare an entire meal, a serve of beverage alone is
much more common. The basic framework of a SOUTHERN STYLE serve has nine (9) steps:
1. Approaching the Master; kneeling position/posture
2. Acknowledging the request of the Master
3. Going to the serving area
4. Selecting the eating/drinking vessel
5. Inspection and cleaning of the eating/drinking vessel
6. Selecting and/or preparation of the food or drink
7. Returning to the Master
8. Approaching the Master; kneeling position/posture
9. Offering of the food or drink
You will follow this pattern for most of your service. However, with that being said, a NORTHERN STYLE serve is vastly different. Up North, slaves have a lot to do outside of serving food and drink. Northern slaves tend to chores, and are constantly busy from dawn to dusk. Every slave of the North is expected to do his or her share of the work, and it takes a lot of work to ensure that things are all set and ready for the long winters. There are gardens to be dug, planted, weeded, tended, harvested, and so forth. There are verr to be milked, fed, shepherded, shaved of wool and made ready for winter. There is food to be cooked, storage to be checked and sorted, and even more to be done. There is no shortage of chores to do for slaves here. By the time evening rolls around, slaves are often exhausted and sent to kennel after their nightly bath.
Thus, service is to be kept minimal. This is not to say that you should not attend beautifully, respectfully and with the honor of your Home. However, your service to expected to be short and sweet.
Your initial service will include bringing forth a tankard or horn and horn stand. You will fill these in the kitchen and bring them forth to the person you're serving. If that person is a Free Man, you are to lean over His left shoulder to set the item to the table where He sits. You can make this as sexy and sensual as you please. If that person is a Free Woman, you will be demure in your service to Her, but you will place the item to the table where She sits. If you are not then kept at their service, you are to be watchful of emptying tankards and horns.
Should someone need a refill, you do not ask. You simply fetch a pitcher of whatever they're drinking and unobtrusively refill their vessel. Move on once you do this and either return the pitcher to the kitchen or make sure that everyone has a refill if they need one.
With food, you will fetch whatever is asked for and bring it to the table in the same manner as serving drink. When their plate is empty, simply remove it from the table and return it to the kitchen.
The default type of service here is SOUTHERN STYLE. However, should a Jarl enter and desire service, you may use the NORTHERN STYLE - or simply ask which style they prefer, as you are trained (or are training) for both!