Chapter 506: A Coven Forms
The following day, pale sunlight filtered into the Vale of Mists through a thick fog that clung to the river valley, shrouding everything in a gray haze that made it difficult to see more than a few dozen feet ahead. The towering cedars of the Vale poked out of the fog as if they were stretching for a glimpse of the sun above the fog.
Sitting comfortably on her terrace overlooking the Vale, Ashlynn turned away from the sight of the Vale’s natural beauty to focus on the small circle of people who had gathered to join her for a late lunch. Her face momentarily flushed as she recalled the way Nyrielle had kept her up late into the night when Ashlynn answered her lover’s proposal with hot kisses and torn clothing.
Originally, the Mother of Trees had planned to host this gathering as a late breakfast, but even she couldn’t pretend that it was still morning by the time Heila roused her with a hearty meal. Thankfully, the bite marks Nyrielle had left on her thigh weren’t visible to her other guests, or her face would have turned red enough to match the wine in her goblet as she looked at her closest friends.
"I’m sorry for turning this into something that feels formal," Ashlynn told the group as she gestured to the artful arrangements of sweet and savory pastries, delicate sandwiches, and sliced cheeses that Georg had sent for their gathering. "I feel like we should have started in the kitchens today, cooking together the way a coven should, but since I slept so late..."
"It’s fine, it’s fine," Talauia said, fluttering her wings lightly in the misty air and reveling in the feeling of a cool mist against her delicate wings. The Briar was cloaked in its own fog but the fog of the Briar was thick, cloying and always left her feeling slightly sticky and sweaty. Here, the fog was both familiar and comforting after the harsh, frigid air of the High Pass, and at the same time, it was delightful and novel for someone who had spent most of her adult life in the oppressively humid swamp.
"Even Mother refused to cook whenever we visited other places," Talauia said, displaying her wickedly sharp teeth as she devoured a pastry stuffed with wilted spinach and soft cheese. "And you only just got home. Take some time, some time to settle in, before you start building your traditions."
"Besides," Heila added as she popped a dainty fruit tart into her mouth. "I missed the things that Georg can make with his whole kitchen. So this is a treat for us."
"I don’t know," Virve said as she eyed the pile of sandwiches suspiciously and debated about how many of them she could take without feeling like she was depriving the others at the table. "I miss the stews and roasts he made in Orava village. Maybe I should just abstain for now and I can bother him later for something more substantial," she said, ultimately deciding to take only a handful of the small sandwiches and a few savory pastries.
"Just come to the kitchens with me afterward," Ollie said as he selected a handful of pastries for himself. The delicate, flaky layers that the bearish chef accomplished with practiced ease continued to amaze the former kitchen boy who already saw delicate pie crusts as an exacting skill. Perhaps one day he’d match Georg’s delicate touch with food that resembled works of art, but that day was still far in the future.