Carrier ashen, did you say? (4)
I believe the answer is:
pail
'carrier' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'ashen did you say?' is the wordplay.
'ashen' becomes 'pale' (synonyms).
'did you say?' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'pale' sounds like 'PAIL'.
(Other definitions for pail that I've seen before include "Vessel for carrying liquids" , "Milkmaid's bucket?" , "Water carrier" , "Container; sounds like dim" , "Cylindrical vessel" .)