The stars were coming out and the torches along the coast were lit by the time the wagons returned from their errands. Hadama had continued to tirelessly work at the mortar while the townsfolk sang and peeled the sugarcane, and by now they had several barrel's worth of the sweet, sticky juice simmering down in clean cauldrons over the fire. In the nearby canal a few boats had begun to arrive, along with several Mer, bearing food both cooked and raw to the tune of meats, fruits, and vegetables, as well as rice and bread that they spread out along the edge of the water.
Aleko happily chattered away to Thalassa as they loaded their precious cargo and drove it back to the main group. Their arrival was met with a cheer and several willing hands switched tasks to help them unload. Thalassa would find herself patted on the back and shoulders by folk who were happy to see her and the cargo she brought as she was urged to rejoin the circle around the fire.
Haukea was as silent as Aleko was chatty, but she seemed to appreciate that Maea felt no need to fill the silence. Although it wasn't exactly companionable it wasn't awkward, either, as the two women fetched the barrel of yeast that had been prepared for the day. As a token of her appreciation for the assistance, Maea would find a small bottle of spirits pressed into her hand with a firm nod before she dismounted from the wagon to help carry the yeast over to the fire.
Upon seeing the wagons arrive, Hadama ground the last of the sugarcane into paste and helped to strain the juice into the last barrel. "We are almost finished," he assured the group as they grew increasingly restive. Some were already sneaking away towards the food, but the King made no move to stop them. The final step only required a few people to hold the barrels and measure the final ingredients in. "One team to add water to the cane juice and sugar," he instructed. "and one to add the yeast. And one to manage the heat of the fire for each step." The water, cane molasses, and fresh cane sugar would need to be added to water that was hot but not boiling until the mixture was smooth and clear. But then the fire's temperature would need to be decreased until the mixture was at a steady, warm-but-not-too hot temperature before the yeast could be added.
Last big push and last full round!
One team needs a leader to add the correct amount of purified water from the barrels Hadama filled earlier, and mix it with the barrels of cane sugar and molasses
One team needs a leader to control the heat of the fire very carefully so that it doesn't boil, keeping it hot enough to dissolve the sugar before lowering it so it won't kill the yeast
One teams needs a leader to slowly mix in just the right amount of yeast to each barrel once the temperature has been brought down far enough.
Aleko happily chattered away to Thalassa as they loaded their precious cargo and drove it back to the main group. Their arrival was met with a cheer and several willing hands switched tasks to help them unload. Thalassa would find herself patted on the back and shoulders by folk who were happy to see her and the cargo she brought as she was urged to rejoin the circle around the fire.
Haukea was as silent as Aleko was chatty, but she seemed to appreciate that Maea felt no need to fill the silence. Although it wasn't exactly companionable it wasn't awkward, either, as the two women fetched the barrel of yeast that had been prepared for the day. As a token of her appreciation for the assistance, Maea would find a small bottle of spirits pressed into her hand with a firm nod before she dismounted from the wagon to help carry the yeast over to the fire.
Upon seeing the wagons arrive, Hadama ground the last of the sugarcane into paste and helped to strain the juice into the last barrel. "We are almost finished," he assured the group as they grew increasingly restive. Some were already sneaking away towards the food, but the King made no move to stop them. The final step only required a few people to hold the barrels and measure the final ingredients in. "One team to add water to the cane juice and sugar," he instructed. "and one to add the yeast. And one to manage the heat of the fire for each step." The water, cane molasses, and fresh cane sugar would need to be added to water that was hot but not boiling until the mixture was smooth and clear. But then the fire's temperature would need to be decreased until the mixture was at a steady, warm-but-not-too hot temperature before the yeast could be added.
Last big push and last full round!
One team needs a leader to add the correct amount of purified water from the barrels Hadama filled earlier, and mix it with the barrels of cane sugar and molasses
One team needs a leader to control the heat of the fire very carefully so that it doesn't boil, keeping it hot enough to dissolve the sugar before lowering it so it won't kill the yeast
One teams needs a leader to slowly mix in just the right amount of yeast to each barrel once the temperature has been brought down far enough.
