Lost in Transit

15

^^ Village Fortifications ^^

Once the food was finished, we invited the Workers, (who numbered only about thirty,) up to the plateau to share it with us while the golem's I'd sent down finished the heavy lifting. Their plan, using an ingenious crane they had brought with them and put together, was impressive, but would have taken them well into next week to build the walls that the golems were capable of building within hours.

The foreman of the crew seemed the bravest amongst them, as he approached Rhea, Sam, and me, with the Statue of the Three Women behind us and the two cauldrons of Food in front of us. We painted an odd mirror of the statue, in a weird way, and it was clearly unsettling to them.

"Uh... hello, I am Geman, the leader of the Forward Party... you are Rhea, yes? Chieftain of the Children of the Half Mountain?" He asked me, glancing at the statue in awe.

"No, that would be Her, the Clan Mother. I am Theodora, a Brave... and currently a Cook." I shrugged and pointed at Rhea.

She smiled when he turned to her in surprise. "Hello, Geman. Have some food, rest a bit; welcome to our little pocket of the world." She handed him a bowl and pointed at the two cauldrons.

"I-Uhm-Yes, thank you?" He stuttered, awestruck by her for some reason.

"I know she's pretty, but... I guess he's not used to the Matronly Kindness, Huh?" Sam hummed.

"Seems like it." I nodded. "Big cauldron has meat in it, smaller one does not; both are full of good ingredients to keep you healthy and build muscle." I explained when he'd stepped back in front of me.

He raised an eyebrow at the smaller pot, and hummed. "I like vegetables, yes... but why no meat?"

"Some of our Clan do not partake of Meat. Most do." Sam shrugged.

He nodded. "Ahh, yes. We will eat this one, then. Thank you very much." He bowed and accepted the bowl of wyvern meat stew, and the wooden spoon that Johann had whittled a good fifty of (bowls, too,) in preparation.

"Enjoy. Next?" I waved another person forward, and he looked confused, but slowly approached.

"Uhm... are you sure?" He asked quietly, looking around as if he was worried.

"Is there some reason he shouldn't eat?" I asked the Foreman, leaning around him.

He looked at the bowl in his hands, which he was in the beginning of the process of sharing with a few other men, then back up at me. "We wouldn't want to impose-"

"This was cooked for you, as a gift. It is no imposition, and we have enough for everyone to eat their own." I chuckled, and handed the boy a bowl. "Which would you like? Meat or no?" He slowly pointed at the no-meat cauldron, and I nodded, filling the bowl and handing it back. "Good! Find a seat, eat! You'll need your strength for building your camp tomorrow, yes?"

He grinned, showing a missing canine. "Yes! Thank you!"

"What is that... stuff? Small bread crumbs?" One of them asked the foreman quietly.

"I think it's a grain? It feels like one, and it's the tastiest damned thing I've ever eaten, but... nah, I have no idea." He answered, confused.

"It's Rice, boys, and it's good for your muscles and stomach. Don't be shy, come get some!" I sighed, and just began filling bowls of both stews, holding them out until one of them galled-up and took it with a bow.

Soon they were all served, though most of them refused to actually eat until Rhea and Nick had some, which I appreciated, and so I served the rest of our people as well, and looked at the still half-full cauldron of meat-Stew, then the almost-empty cauldron of Veggie Stew, which several of them had asked for.