Chapter 627: Investing in the Coven (Part Two)
"So, a short work table and rolling pins," Ollie said, hoping to lighten the conversation back up rather than dwelling on the topic of Hauke’s exile. "A long knife for cutting fish, and what else do we need. Virve?"
"I don’t know how to cook much of anything," the veteran soldier admitted. "I can manage to roast meat over a campfire, and I can mix flour and water for travel bread, but don’t expect much from me."
"I wonder if I can find someone selling books then," Ollie said as he rubbed his chin in thought. "You’ve traveled more places than most of us. If someone is selling recipes for things you’ve eaten elsewhere that you like, I can help you learn how to make them. That way we can both learn things together," he offered.
"I’d like that," Virve said, reaching out with a heavy paw to clap the young knight on the back. Lately, it had seemed like the two of them were on opposite sides of everything and they clashed frequently, but Virve had a hard time disliking the flame-haired human. He was trying to do his best, each and every day and even when they disagreed, he’d never once tried to distance himself from her.
"But Ollie," she warned with a teasing grin on her face. "I might want to make spicy things. Are you sure you’re up to learning the recipes together with me?"
"Oh, that’s fine," Ollie said with an answering grin of his own, finally seeing a way of getting back at the witch with the iron stomach. "I’ll learn to eat spicy things, but you have to taste your failures to learn from them," he added, thinking of a few of the horrible failures concocted by the head cook in Lothian Manor.
Growing up, Ollie had been too poor to see any food go to waste, even if it was extraordinarily sour, salty or otherwise off. Knowing Virve, she would likely eat anything that was properly cooked, but what about the things that weren’t? Would her iron stomach hold up even then?
"All right you two, that’s enough," Ashlynn said, clapping her hands lightly before they fell into another round of teasing, though this one seemed friendlier than a few of their recent arguments had. "Virve, Ollie is planning to shop for our kitchens, what are you going to shop for?"
"Well," the veteran soldier said, pausing for a moment in thought. "You said that one of the hats we need is a Hedge Hat for foraging in the wilderness and I’ve seen Big Sister Heila’s hat," Virve mentioned. "But the Briar is a different kind of wilderness than the Vale of Mists. We’ll want good cloaks to keep the water off and even better socks and boots to keep your feet dry in the woods," she mused.
"Let me help make sure everyone is well outfitted for the days and nights we need to spend in the wild," she said, thumping her chest as she realized just how many things they would need to spend several nights in the wilderness if they needed to trek to where different trees or herbs could be found. "And Sir Ollie can help me pick out the tools we need to cook together in the wilderness," she added with a wide smile.
"Oh, I can help, I can help too," Talauia said, fluttering up and looking out over the market. "Bottles and jars for potions and cauldrons for concocting. Oils for infusing and sharp, sharp, sharp scissors for trimming delicate plants and all the things, all the things you need for witchcraft. I helped set up Auntie Ashlynn and Cousin Heila’s huts in the Briar with all the things they needed, so I can help here too," she promised.