Song of Wind

Chapter 5

    The smell of roasting duck, hit her nose as she entered the kitchen. It was roasting over a spit on the open oven fire, it's glaze made of sweet honey pleased her nostrils her stomach gave a low grumble in response to the smell. She spotted Gertrude at the counter bending over a half chopped onion knife in hand.

     She was an old woman; wrinkles set into her face and hands. A blue apron wrapped around her waist to protect her from the stains of food. The kitchen itself was fairly small only adorned with two counters a few cabinets for storing food, a ice box for meat, and the oven.

"My dear girl, do you mind chopping the last bit of onion while I tend to the duck?" Gertrude asked, setting down the knife on the cutting board. She moved to the counter taking up what Gertrude had abandoned. She broke into a sweat from the heat of the fire. In such a small kitchen it was hard not to get overheated when the oven was in use.

    Using the knife she began to chop slim precise slices. She stole glances at Gertrude who bent over the duck and dripped juice on it from a baster. It sizzled and spat every time the juice hit the cooking meant, and dripped off it and into the open fire. On the counter countless herbs for taste were stacked in neat bottles. Gertrude began to hum a sweet little tune, one that told the tales of how the old king over through the overlord from across the sea. The song was as familiar to her as her own beating heart beneath her skin.

Oh, sinister lord from across the sea

Oh, king of victory ride the steed into the fray

Raise your sword against the evil dwells

One mighty swing the evil fell

Praise the king of Uswea the lord fell

    Something about that tune alway's filled her with a kind of longing of the days when she was smaller, and the world was more at peace. Before her sister started training her in combat, and weaponry. The union fully chopped she scooped up the slices in her hands before dumping them into the mixing bowl.

"Do duck and unions really go together?" She inquired thinking of the honey glazed duck and the bitter taste of the unions. They didn't seem like a likely pair to be put together, but then again she really didn't have a particular taste for unions.

"Most certainly they do; this was my favorite meal as a child." Gertrude replied thoughtfully, Her greyed hair was up into a bun. Ember thought it was a rather sad sight, of an old woman forced into cooking meals for them. She didn't know anything about her life before coming to serve them. She could have had a family, grandchildren even.

    Ember watched as Gertrude slid the duck from the spit to a black platter, shiny from recently being washed. The flames danced on the surface until disappearing as the duck was placed on it's surface. As she moved the shackles that bound her ankles clinked together incessantly. Ember found herself looking at them but quickly forced herself to look away.

    She set the platter down on the counter beside the bowl of onions. Gertrude began placing the unions around the duck, decorating it. Ember joined in, helping her. By the time they were done the duck looked mouth-watering. As promised the smell of both the onions and duck was quite heavenly.

"Here, you've helped plenty go sit down at the table." She gave Gertrude a gentle smile, and left leaving the small cramped kitchen. She walked down the hall which was quite a bare sight, no paint decorated the wood here. Stepping out of the hall and into the small living space, she saw the table already set up. Falon sat at the head of that table, with Holister beside her. He was dressed in a simple black uniform with a hippogriff crest embroidered on his shoulder.

     Falon on the other hand was dressed elaborately in a emerald green dress, she had washed her hair. The only evidence of their practice, was her bloody lip. A fire crackled in the fire place by the front door. Outside the sun had set, and night had fallen, she took her seat at the end of the table. Ember didn't say anything, though her sister watched her every move while Holister sat there unawares as to what had happened between the two sisters.