If Hadama was disappointed that Melita didn't have more insight into the world of herbs and spice, he didn't show it. The mermanta merely dipped his head in acknowledgment and rested his elbows on the sand. "Indeed," he agreed with her declaration of enjoying the taste of her concoctions regardless of intimate understanding of the science behind the flavors.
He was certainly capable of doing the same. It was only recently - and largely thanks to Melita's guidance in the world of human gourmet dining - that his curiosity had started to stretch for the 'whys' and 'hows' as much as the 'yums.'
"You are more skilled than I am," he pointed out with quiet amusement. "It is enough." And he nodded at the turning spit (Fangorn was doing an excellent job staying on task). "How long does it stay over the fire?"
Her eyes went to the ramphire meat still turning – smiling at Fangorn as he readily applied himself. [say]“Oh, a couple more minutes. I like to make sure the meat is cooked all the way through.”[/say] Less chance of disease and sickness that way. While either of her companions could eat the haunch raw with little issue whatsoever, she’d seen enough sailors and other fools fall to illness based on impatience with food.
And though she could probably be counted amongst them for some similar personality traits, she did learn.
Her head tilted, figuring Hadama wanted probably more than what she was able to give, but her instructions usually laid out more with weapons than anything else. [say]“I’ll check it in a moment and let you see?” [/say]
Hadama nodded equably at her expertise, unhurried and content to wait on the shore in the company of a friend. The scents coming from the fire were enjoyable enough on their own, while the antics of her companions provided a pleasant diversion.
"Thank you," he rumbled in response to her offer, watching in particular for the timing and amount of her application of spices and carrots to the meal.
He didn't ask her any more questions about the process, respecting her lack of enthusiasm for teaching, but focused on learning what he could through observation. Though one thought did finally find release as he considered the fire and the meat being turned over it. "Do drylanders ever eat uncooked meat?" Rhampire sashimi, anyone?
Letting Fangorn take a breather and a rest for a moment (little vines shaken out as if he were stretching), the youth started applying some of the spices to the meat, permitting them to simmer along the spit. It wasn’t the same as being immersed in them within a pan, but she figured anything cooked outside tasted better anyway, and it wouldn’t be a waste, regardless. [say]“Yeah. Some eat raw fish and stuff.”[/say] She paused, shrugging her shoulders, putting in more of the seasoning as she thought. [say]“And some like their meat rare,”[/say] like…blood still pumping rare. [say]"I bet some Attuned just eat it like animals would too."[/say]
Thereafter, she snagged at her hunting knife, cutting a neat slice at the top, inspecting for coloration. There were still some slight pinkish hues. [say]“Okay, maybe a couple more minutes, just to be sure.”[/say] It’d give time for the flavorings to settle in. Probably.
Hadama relaxed back down to lean his elbows on the sand again as Fangorn took a break and it appeared that the meal wasn't done yet. He watched Melita applying the spices curiously, taking note of how much spice and how much pressure was used to work it into the meat - if any. He listened to her answers to his questions and tucked them away, absorbing these quirks of human tastes and preferences.
'Rare' he had heard of recently and considered what he could see of the slice from the distance he was at. Cooking the food so thoroughly would surely impart a different flavor and texture than he was used to, and his sense of anticipation for the food increased accordingly.
"Will you cook the carrots as well?" Was there any limit to what could be seared over a fire?
At the question, she eyed the carrots, and then the spit. [say]“I can, I suppose,”[/say] her nose wrinkling a little simply due to the materials she was working with. [say]“It’s easier with a pan or a pot though.”[/say] Which she clearly didn’t have - vegetables hadn't been in the plan earlier.
But not to worry, Melita was a resourceful youth. Taking hold of the metal rod for a moment, on the end so she didn’t burn herself, she stabbed the carrots through one at a time, until they too joined the meat down the center.
Did it look foolish and stupid? Absolutely. Did the Honeybee care? Not really.
It had been a question asked in curiosity rather than a suggestion or request, but the mermanta wasn't going to turn down a new culinary adventure if Mel was willing. He made note of how she applied the carrots to the rod for future experiments and settled in to wait until she declared the meal well-cooked and ready to taste.
And for all her insistence that she wasn't an expert, Hadama found the food to be delicious. Both the flavors and the textures were different from his usual fare in ways that intrigued and inspired, and human, mer, and companions alike enjoyed the tasty treats.
He took his slab wrapped in a banana tree leaf and tucked it into the waterproof bag with the rest of the day's finds. Transporting it to the festival would be an adventure yet to come, but for now he enjoyed the afternoon with good food and good friends in spite of the chilly weather on the Torchline coast.
~Fin~
