Chronicles of the Selphia Plains [Rune Factory 4]

Sugar and Spice

Story Summary: A short story I wrote for a friend—a gift of cookies, brought to her by some of her favorite characters.

Attribution: The photo for the story image is by Lori Strunk https://www.flickr.com/photos/lorichristine/5328859907/ and is available through the Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/. I have modified it from the original.

**************

"Mmmm, what smells so good?" Leon asked as he strolled into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his wife.

Avani grinned at him. "Don't they smell delicious? It's a recipe I got from Forte, who got it from someone at her bridal shower," she said as she pulled a pan of fresh, hot cookies from the oven.

"They do," Leon said, trying to sneak one from the pan, only to get his hand smacked with the spatula. "I don't think I've ever smelled anything like them. They smell buttery and eggy and cinnamony. What kind of cookies are they?"

"Snickerdoodles," she replied, sliding the hot cookies carefully onto a rack to cool.

"Snicker-what-les?" he asked, blinking in surprise at the peculiar name.

"Snickerdoodles," she repeated. She set the hot pan down and picked up a cookie from an earlier batch—warm, rather than painfully hot—and popped it into his mouth as he opened it to say something.

"Mmm, hey, they taste as good as they smell!" he exclaimed as soon as he'd finished it.

"I know," she replied with a mischievous grin. "After all, it was my duty to try a few—you know, to be sure they were good first."

Leon laughed and reached for another. Avani sighed, then laughed, too, as she said, "Okay, but no more—they're not for us."

"They aren't?" he asked, his ears drooping in disappointment. "Then who...?"

"I'm making them for Scarlett," she answered his half-spoken question.

"The rune skills dealer?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, she and Inigo just got engaged, isn't that wonderful? And I understand that he intends to sell his house by the lake to move in with her over on Melody Street."

"Oh, yes?" he asked, one ear swiveling slightly; he knew Avani well enough by now to realize that there was more to the story.

"Mmm-hmmm," she said as she rolled balls of dough in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and set them on the baking sheet.

After a few moments, he prompted her. "And...?"

"Well... you know, it's not often that you find a house that is so close to town but not actually in town, and right on the shore of a lake.... A lake with excellent fishing, I might add," she continued as she placed the baking sheet into the hot oven, closing the door quickly.

"Uh-huh...?" he said with a grin at her. He waited until she turned her back to put the bowl of cookie dough back into the refrigerator, then snuck a cookie and quickly popped it into his mouth, looking at her innocently when she turned and gave him a sharp look.

"No more, Leo—they're a gift! I'll make you some another day, so leave them alone, please!" she scolded, trying to look stern and failing.

"But they taste even more delicious when they're stolen," he said, grinning at her as he darted out of the kitchen, just a step ahead of the dish towel she threw at him with an annoyed exclamation.

**************

By the time she'd finished her baking, Avani had three dozen cookies on a tray. She carefully wrapped a cloth around them and pulled on her jacket and boots. She waved a silent goodbye to Clorica, who was watching the sleeping twins while she stepped out.

Scarlett let her in, beaming as always. "Oh, Avani!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad to see you! And what is that smell? It's divine!"

Laughing, Avani passed her the bundle. She unwrapped it and exclaimed in delight. "I'll just put the kettle on—you'll stay for tea and some of these marvelous cookies, won't you?"

"Well, just one cup—I don't want to leave Clorica at the twins' mercy for too long," she said, smiling.

As they sipped their tea and sampled the cookies, Scarlett enthused about her wedding plans to Avani. They were planning to get married right away, she said, since neither of them had much family to bother with anyway. And it was nicer in the spring, anyway—summer was just too hot. Though her wedding had been perfectly lovely, she hastened to add, blushing a little as she recalled too late Avani's own summer wedding. But Avani just smiled understandingly and asked about their honeymoon plans.

"Oh, well, I was thinking we might try going south," Scarlett said, then blushed a little as she hurriedly continued. "Actually, we've heard so much about your home village, from you and all the others that have been there, that we thought we might go there. In fact, I wanted to ask if you knew of any place we could stay while we were there? Is there an inn, or a guest house, or anything like that?"

Avani thought for a moment. "I know of one or two who might be willing to take in a pair of lodgers for a few days or weeks even. I can make some inquiries. And if nothing else, you could stay in the prince's house—they have guest rooms there. It wouldn't be very private, though—even less so than if you boarded with one of the families. Let me ask around, and I'll get back to you as soon as I hear anything."

"Oh, thank you!" Scarlett exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.

"Of course," Avani said. "Now, I have a question for you, too—or rather, for your fiancé. About his house down by Dragon Lake...."

**************

Clorica stirred from her nearly-perpetual light doze when the front door opened and Avani stepped in, a satisfied look on her face. She stood and stretched, yawning as she said, "Well, don't you look like the cat that got the cream?"

"Yes, I imagine I do," Avani replied, grinning even more broadly as she slipped out of her boots and jacket. Clorica noticed that she had a sealed envelope in her hand and although she didn't say a word, her face gave away her curiosity. However, she simply reported that the twins had slept soundly the whole time she was gone, then she departed through the side door to return to her regular duties.

Avani watched her go, lightly slapping the envelope against her thigh as she stood, pondering. Leon found her like that when he stepped in the back door a few minutes later, and looked at her inquisitively. "What's that you're holding?" he asked.

She smiled at him and waved the envelope before his face. "The deed to a lakeside cabin, which I intend to give as a gift. A gift for not one but two dear friends. And I'm hoping to have a cause to give such a gift to them before much longer," she said, enigmatically. Then she headed towards the kitchen, grinning over her shoulder at him. "Now—who wants some fresh-baked snickerdoodles?"