Dragon Bride

Chapter 16 Pickled Eel

Eric and Bjorn lifted the live well from the river. It was basically a large wood framed box covered by a fine mesh rope netting that they had made. They put the live well on the dock and allowed it to drain. The entire family began pulling eels from the well and laying the on a large tarp.

"If you encounter a dead one just toss it over here," Eric said, "the pigs will eat them.

Once they had a layer of eels on the tarp Eric covered them with a thin layer of salt and more eels were stacked on top. A couple of hours later the eels were dead and the tarp was lifted and brought closer to the house. A fire had been lit but had not burned down to a bed of coals yet. The women began the laborious process of gutting and scraping then skinning the eels while the men lowered the heavy live well back into the river then joined the women in gutting and cleaning. The heads and awful was set aside for the pigs. Once the eels were cleaned and scraped they were sliced and put in the big pot to boil in water, salt and vinegar. Gretchen was meticulous in getting the recipe right while Unni and Karliene watched and assisted. Then the mixture was removed from the fire and allowed to cool and gelatin previous made from boiled pigs feet was added. They had numerous fired clay jars ready and the eels were put up for storage.

"Are we having eels for dinner?" Oonagh asked.

"Indeed we are," Gretchen replied.

"I don't like the smell of fish!" Unni complained, "now I stink of it."

"We all don't want to smell like fish," Karliene responded. "Bear would you be so nice and walk us to our pond?"

"And no peeking!" Unni added shaking her finger at him. Bjorn bowed to the request. "Oonagh do you want to come too?" Unni asked. In the end Karl also wanted to go so they all left for the pond. They packed clean shifts and dresses for the trip deciding to bathe wearing a shift so Bjorn could join them. The boys stripped down to their braies and were the first to enter the water simply running and jumping in. The ladies entered more cautiously taking care to hold their hems down.

Karl and Oonagh demanded then Bjorn carry them around on his shoulders. Then Karliene also requested the same and shortly later was standing on his shoulders to dive and jump into the pond. Unni also joined her sister.

"Why do you think Aunt Gretchen and Uncle Eric declined to come?" Karliene whispered in Bjorn's ear as he carried her clinging to his back and dragging Karl and Oonagh through the water.

"They probably wanted a little adult alone time," Bjorn replied.

"They left us alone!" Karliene whispered in his ear and nipping it.

"Yes, with three demanding chaperone's."

"I want to jump off your shoulders again," Karliene said. Bjorn assisted her to climb on his shoulder. Then Karliene holding her nose jumped off. When she hit the water she was surprised that her shift rose up bunching under her arm pits. She struggled to pull the wet garment down and blushed. She waded quickly to Bjorn and climbed on his back. "Tell me you didn't see that."

"I didn't see that," Bjorn said grinning.

"Are you telling a lie?"

"Yes."

"You're incorrigible, did you know that?"

"And you have a cute little bottom," Bjorn whispered.

"You shouldn't be looking at my bottom." Karliene tried to sound indignant but she was smiling with mischief.

"Can't help myself," Bjorn said grinning at her. Karliene responded by laughing then bitting his ear.

"We need to head home," Karliene said.