Chapter 31: Enjoying the Feast
After grueling practice sessions with the formations, we headed back to the village for breakfast.
In the kitchen area, Nara, the head cook, was already bustling. Beside her, Seraph, her apprentice—Karely’s daughter and also Nara’s own daughter, Orin—were quickly chopping vegetables. The other kids, Kai (also Nara’s son), Ren, Koda, and Kiari, who didn’t have set jobs, helped with kitchen duties and cleaning, as tradition dictated. Children learned trades from a young age; the village didn’t tolerate useless kids or those completely dependent on their parents. All children had to be strong for the good of the village. Kids under six weren’t sent to the blacksmith’s yet (that started at eight), and formal warrior training began at twelve.
The four older children began setting out plates and cups while Nara finished pulling pots off the fire to start serving. The women started to gather, because following Manaia’s instructions, I’d asked everyone to eat together at ten in the morning, right after the first warrior training.
The women who did the village laundry arrived, followed by those who’d gone out to gather what little was left of the harvest, and finally, those who worked curing hides and making clothes.
They all took their seats at the tables.
Nara, the cook, had her wavy hair tied back to keep it out of the food.
Her body was quite slender, with beautiful, heart-shaped butt cheeks that, though somewhat small, looked firm and lively, suiting her graceful figure perfectly.
Her smile was warm and cheerful, infecting everyone with her good humor.
Seraph, her apprentice, was a young woman no older than sixteen, with strong arms from carrying firewood and hips just beginning to round.
Her eyes were bright and full of vibrant curiosity, a flower about to bloom.