170 Festivities I (2/2)
Or perhaps it was just that bad.
Li called out to Sylvie. ”It's fine not to leave the place spotless. I'll handle the rest. Why don't you clean up and get a bowl? Let's have ourselves a proper meal.”
A right sound idea, lad,” said Old Thane.
”Yeah, you've been workin' too hard, Sylv,” said Azhar as he went to the kitchen to lead Sylvie out of it because she would surely protest.
”It is the least I could do for you all,” said Sylvie as she went to a bucket seated atop the kitchen counter filled with cleansing rune purified water. As she washed her hands, she continued, ”As an adventurer, I travel much, and I do love the travel, but worries of home, of Riviera, do haunt me often. With Li and Old Thane's efforts, I can feel that much better about our old home.”
”Ain't really my home, but any home of yours is a home of mine,” said Azhar.
”And it's the least I could do for the lands that welcomed me from the beginning,” said Li.
Everyone gathered around the fireplace, bowls full of the stew at their laps. Li could not say it was bad. It was more bland, tasting strongly of salt and herbs he had put in to mask the stench of the monstrous fish and neutralize their toxins if there were any.
In a way, though, there was a certain charm to the stew. It was representative of Old Thane's harsh homeland where taste would be highly secondary to securing a square and edible meal every day.
”Ah! Now that hits the spot,” said Old Thane as he drank in some soup from the bowl. ”But I must say, the fire of this stew hits perhaps too strongly. It is meant to be drunk in the icy cold of the north, after all. Perhaps we should enjoy it outside, with all the revelry and the night's breeze by our backs?”
”I have no opposition to that,” said Li as he stood up, bowl in hand. He wanted to see how the festival was going as well. Tia stood up from a curled up position by the fire, sensing Li's intent to leave.
”And Jeanne will not be so lonely,” said Sylvie as Azhar nodded in agreement. Azhar took an extra bowl and filled it up with the stew for Jeanne.
”Then onwards we shall go!” said Old Thane.