Kitchen Chores (open to all Novices)

[shanara74]

The Head Cook called Shanara over from where she was chopping tomatoes.

 

"You do be the roast girl, yes?" asked the Cook, a scowl firmly implanted on her ruddy face.

 

At Shanara's slightly confused nod of assent, the Head Cook went on.

 

"We will be serving roast chicken to the esteemed guests of the Amyrlin and the Hall, so be on about it, girl! Spice them and spit them and get another Novice or two to help you turn them all; I din't understand why yeh're the only Novice capable of doin' roastin' prop'rly! Run 'long now," said the woman, thrusting a large, squashy bundle wrapped in butcher paper into Shanara's arms.

 

Shanara, who was definitely averse to raw meat, gagged, but took the bundle anyway and set off to the area she'd dubbed "the Roast Room," a large depression in the centre of the kitchen where the fires to, well, roast the roasts on were built. She knelt, laying out a large piece of clean butcher paper and an assortment of spices on the nearby preparation table. She busily plucked and gutted and tied and rinsed; roughly three hours later she cleared away the innards and washed her hands at the pump in the corner. She then slid the chickens onto the spits, spiced them, set the ends of the spits in the iron rings on either side of the roasting pit, and lit the kindling she had gathered earlier. A cool breeze wafted in through the opening above the roast pit as the smoke began to circle through it.

 

She waved a couple of nearby Novices over who didn't appear to be doing anything.

 

"Hey! Would you mind terribly helping me to turn these?"

 

At their grudging assent, she handed them fire mitts and set about turning her own spit just slowly enough, not too fast. The Head Cook, who had popped over for a minute with a mixing bowl full of dough, smiled in approval.

 

"Good girls, keep up the good work and we'll make cooking Aes Sedai out of ye yet!" the Cook said, a large smile gracing her features.

 

OOC: It's up to you who the esteemed guests are...

[KellySedai]

Kelleen had walked into the kitchen to return her dishes for the late meal when she was waved over to the roasting spits by a fellow Novice. She thought her name was Shanara and she had seemed friendly from what little she knew of her. Shanara was kneeling by a short table and had a large array of spices and raw chickens roasting in front of her.

 

 

"Hey! Would you mind terribly helping me to turn these?", Shanara asked with sweat dripping from her face. Kelleen was not in the least looking for more chores to do, but she was free until bedtime for a change and she was trying to make some new friends. Maybe she could get to know this girl while she helped her. "Sure, I'd be happy to help.", she smiled and replied while kneeling down and taking hold of one of the spit handles. Turning away, she began talking to Shanara about idle things.

[shanara74]

"So... where are you from?" asked Shanara, trying to make small talk.

 

When Kelleen responded, she replied, "I'm a Mayener by birth, but I've traveled all over," smiling.

[KellySedai]

Sweating heavily now, Kelleen continued to turn the spit and answered, "I'm from Arafel, and yourself?"

 

"I'm a Mayener by birth, but I've traveled all over," Shanara said. "I've never been to Mayene, what's it like there? Where else have you lived?", asked Kelleen.

[shanara74]

"It's got a very small-town mentality- the whole country is basically the city and some outlying villages, because nobody can live in the Drowned Lands, which are just one big nasty swamp... my father is one of the Royal Blacksmiths, who are commissioned by the First, and I was apprenticed to him for a while... I've been to a lot of places but never really settled down. What's Arafel like?" Shanara gasped out, leaning over the pit to salt some of the birds closest to the flames.

[KellySedai]

"Its a wonderful place, better then any I've ever seen yet but it is my home. We are a warrior breed in the Borderlands, even the women are usually good with a sword to some degree. Its cold most of the time, but not as much to me as to you Southerners." She wiped more sweat off her brow at that remark. "The only problem we ever have really is the Shadowspawn from the Blight. They are a constant threat. That's why I wanted to be Aes Sedai, to fight them and protect my home. To avenge my family. They were almost all destroyed by Shadowspawn in one way or another." Kelleen could feel the tears welling in her eyes and fought them down. Now is not the time for that. She continued to turn the spit and began ladeling juices onto some of the birds. "So tell me, why are you here?"