The Daft Idiot

XV - Rivers and Salmons, Day 9

Elinea woke up at dawn and found herself alone in her room. She looked around disoriented, but then later realized where she was. She got up to take a bath.

The dining area was still dark when she came down, the only light came
from the fireplace.

She opened the main door and saw Edilbert and Michael removing the covers from the first smokehouse.

Michael turned to her and waved.
"Hey. I brought you back to your room earlier" he said when she was near,
"there's food on the pots by the table and the jugs are filled"

"Need help?" She asks

"Later when Edilbert sorts out the fishes"

"Ok" she goes to the table to eat. "These are my favorite kind of mushroom," she remarks, sipping soup.

Michael turns, "ahh .. Noah calls them shitake. He grows them in logs in Wallace"

"Very tasty"

Edilbert sat in front of her, carrying several slices of salmon.
He placed them on a small wooden plank then started slicing one by one.

"These are good to eat now," he remarks, chewing on a slice, "here Elin," he sliced several pieces and slid the plank closer to her plate,

She takes a slice and eats, "these are very good!"

Edilbert nods, and turns around,
"Michael, when you finish with that, get us some wooden crates from the barn, 10 should do, we'll bring these to the palace when we go back"

"Ok"

"He's a good kid," Edilbert tells her, "he helps out all of us
"I don't think there's a time when he refuses to help, even when Solon drags him away when he's studying"

"Solon seems the most.. excitable" she muses

"Yes. The fire makes him very passionate about many things, sometimes all at once"

"Not him though" she nods towards Michael.

"No, our elements, the wind and water temper it a great deal. Jasper also taught him how to meditate to relax himself when he was very young"

 " I knew he covered his wounds with long sleeves and just lets me drag him around the palace
" but I never realized fully what he was going through when we were younger," she looks at Edilbert's greenish grey eyes,
" I remember several times when I walk into his room to make a mess of the books he organized around the table, because he hasn't joined me yet for tutorials"

"I remember those," Michael joins them, carrying a bowl of soup,
"Hey want some more?"

She nods and hands him her bowl. He gave her his bowl and turned to fill the other one.

"Did you ever get mad at me before, Michael?"

He sat down to her left, putting his bowl down,
"No, I don't think so. You're the one always mad" he chuckles.

"Ohhh.. I know why!" Solon sat down with a bowl to Edilbert's left, getting a fish from his plank

"Wanna know why Elinea?" He snickers

She smiles, "ok, why?"

"Jasper and Noah there," nodding to the approaching 2, "always tells him--- remember son," he tries to mimic Noah in a funny voice, "you must never get mad or angry, because you might hurt Elinea" he snickers,

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Jasper chides him.
"Fair enough," Solon admits

"You were strong already, before you started the trials?"