Chapter 20
JESSAMINE
“Are you Shearah?” I asked, standing inside the communal cave next to the entrance flap.
There were only two people moving about.
One was an older female kneading dough on a table set against the wall.
I hadn’t noticed last night, but there was storage there for baskets of wheat, barley, and beans.
I recognized the saddle bags folded alongside the sack of grain we had carried from Hellamir.
The other female was very pretty, with long, black hair tucked behind her tall, pointed ears. She was chopping some sort of vegetable on another wooden table set high for cooking preparation, and turned to face me when I spoke.
“Yes, I am Shearah. You must be Jessamine.”
“I am. I don’t want to impose, but I learned quite a bit of cooking when I worked at a tavern in the Borderlands.”
Her hazel-orange eyes widened. “You worked in the Borderlands?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “I told my story to the council back in Vanglosa.”
“I don’t usually attend the kella’mir gatherings. To be honest,” she ducked her head, continuing to chop the purple root vegetable known as delly root, “I don’t listen to much of anything going on. I keep to myself.”
She was a no-nonsense kind of female. I liked her already. I especially liked that she didn’t listen to gossip.
“Well, I’ve heard of you. Leifkyn bragged about your stew when we were on the trail here to the camp.”
She looked up with those wide eyes again, a blush coloring her perfect heart-shaped cheeks. “Leifkyn did?”
“Yes. He seems to admire you a good deal.” I wasn’t sure if I was overstepping, but I was certain that Leifkyn liked her. It couldn’t hurt to help them along.
She smiled down at her vegetables as she chopped faster.
“Again, I hope I’m not intruding, but I would like to help in the kitchen, if I can.”
“Of course, you can. It’s usually just me and Gweeda.” She gestured to the older female who looked up. “Gweeda, this is Jessamine. The light fae staying with us through the winter.”
I wasn’t about to correct her that it may be a bit longer. Quite a bit longer. That was for Redvyr to address with his clan.
Lifting my hand in a friendly wave to Gweeda, I said, “I absolutely love the bread you bake. It’s all I’ve eaten since I’ve been with the group, it seems.” I smiled amiably.
Gweeda stared at me a moment, grunted, then nodded and went back to her kneading.
Shearah giggled. “I think she likes you.”
“How can you possibly tell?” I joined her at the high table where she worked.
“She looked up from her kneading for a whole minute. She’s not very friendly but she’s extremely helpful in the kitchen.
She works fast and efficiently. Every now and then, one of the other women help me out, but mostly they can’t abide Gweeda’s rough demeanor.
” She shrugged, scraping the purple sliced vegetable into a bowl.
“I prefer it. It’s almost like working alone. ”
Already there was a stack of loaves in a basket next to Gweeda. Over the giant open fire in the middle of the cave, there was a tripod spit holding a cauldron, and a second one dangling a square shaped oven for the bread.
“All you’ve eaten is bread since you’ve been with the clan? It is a shame the males didn’t feed you better on the trail.”
“It wasn’t their fault, really. I, um, I don’t eat meat. And there wasn’t much else besides the bread and goat cheese.”
I glanced over to the left side of the cave where a wooden fence enclosed a dozen goats. “I was going to offer to make a vegetable stew that I learned to make back at the tavern. I can take out some for myself then add meat for the clan.”
“Oh, not at all. We actually have quite a few who enjoy a good vegetable stew. Mostly women.” She smiled at me. “We can make two today—one with meat and one without. How would that be?”
“That would be lovely.” I cleared my throat. “Thank you for being so welcoming.”
She frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be? It is our way to be kind and courteous to those in need.”
“Yes, I know. I was told of the oath of the beast fae.”
“I am happy to have your assistance. I get so very little, other than Gweeda.”
Gweeda made some sort of grunt but didn’t look up from where she shaped her dough into loaves.
“I appreciate that. But not everyone is glad I’m here, I fear.”
And I worried that there would be many more protests when Redvyr decided to announce that we were mates. My thighs clenched, my heart speeding at the memory of last night.
“Are you alright?” Shearah asked as she plucked an onion from the basket to chop. “You seem flushed and your pulse is racing.
Those damn beast fae senses! They knew everything.
“I’m fine. Excited to cook my stew. Are those jars the stores for cooking?”
The shelves seemed old and well-used, but the jars did not. They’d likely carried them from Vanglosa. They’d made this space perfect for food storage and cooking the meals for the clan, having added plenty of seating for all to join in the chamber.
“Yes, you will find everything you need there. There’s another cauldron as well, and the water is in the jugs on the ground.”
“Perfect. Where do you get the fresh water? I didn’t see a stream or water source as we came in yesterday.”
“There’s a ground spring in a small cave set on a cliff on the other Sister.”
“The other Sister?”
“That is what these two mountains are called on either side of Ghasta Vale. The Sisters protect us from the harsher winter winds. And they provide.” She gestured around us.
“The water well, as we call it, is set in a much smaller cave, too small to be used for shelter really. Plus you can sense magick there, and we beast fae don’t much like magick. ”
She gasped and stopped chopping, looking up at me. “I apologize. I didn’t mean you, of course.”
“No need for an apology. I understand what you mean.”
There could be some magickal creatures living there—cave sprites or naiads.
I walked over to the shelves and peeked into one of the jars, surprised at the aromatic scent that wafted out.
“This is dill weed, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She smiled at my obviously shocked look. “We dry all of the herbs during summer, enough to last the winter. One thing you’ll learn is that beast fae love food.”
“Oh, my,” I exclaimed excitedly, opening jar after jar. “Fennel seed, pepper leaves and sea salt rocks. You have so many amazing herbs and seasonings. You even have Esher Wood mushrooms?”
It was Gweeda who piped up this time. “We may be beast fae but we aren’t barbarians.”
“Indeed, you are not,” I added. “These mushrooms are a delicacy in the Borderlands. I could only rarely get them.”
“Gweeda has a special relationship with a wraith fae at the market in Belladum.” Shearah added her purple vegetable and diced onions to the cauldron hanging over the fire.
“This makes me so happy. Now I can make a delicious stew. With Gweeda’s wonderful bread, it will be the perfect meal.”
Gweeda grunted and kept pounding at her dough. Shearah and I shared a smile before I got to work, feeling grateful to finally be of some use.