Arek sat before a campfire along with the rest of the Happy Sunflowers, warming his hands as the chill of winter started to set in all around them. Gentle snow drifted down from the cloudy sky and blanketed the ground around them.
“Is it ready yet?” Ming asked, popping out from a snowdrift. “I’m hungry and you’ve been cooking since yesterday. Food should be done faster than that.”
“I put the beans in water to soak yesterday,” Arek corrected. “They haven’t been cooking. They’ve been softening.”
He’d bought the aforementioned beans in the markets of the Floating Cities several days ago, the day the party had left. After a stressful few weeks and a fateful cook-off, they’d finally had a chance to relax. The four had made the best of it.
When they finally ran out of time on the islands, Arek had made sure to stock up on as many ingredients as possible. The others had all bought a few things from the various merchants around the city as well.
Malissa purchased some cooking utensils, Belmont got his hands on a new magic book to study, and Ming spent all of her allowance on food.
“I’ll eat them hard. Chewing is for cowards.” Ming threw a snowball at him. Belmont whistled and a translucent pink shield plate formed between Arek and the projectile, blocking it before it could strike the orc.
“If you bother Arek, he’ll only work slower,” Belmont reprimanded. “Just settle down for –”
A snowball caught him on the back of the head, cutting him off midsentence. Belmont spun to glare at Malissa, who crossed her arms behind her back and stared off into the distance, pretending to whistle.
“This isn’t even dinner,” Arek reminded them. “Malissa is going to be doing that. She’s been practicing something every day since we left the Floating Islands, you know.”
Another snowball sailed through the air and their campsite quickly dissolved into a warzone. Arek chuckled and unhooked a large clay jug from the side of his bag. He undid the rope at the top, taking off the cover to reveal tanned, circular beans floating in water.
He poured the water out into the snow, keeping the beans from falling out with his hand. Once it was mostly empty, Arek tossed the little tan spheres into his wok. They didn’t look particularly appetizing, but the merchant had assured him that the recipe tasted delicious.
Arek drew several vials of spices from his bandolier – many of them new – and shook them into a bowl. He mixed it with his finger and took a whiff, then quickly regretted it when the hot powder assaulted his sensitive nose.
He sneezed, rubbing his nose off on the back of a sleeve and adding in some garlic powder to the mix. Arek poured some oil into the wok and set it over the fire. A snowball sailed over his shoulder, narrowly missing him.
Ming and Malissa were locked in a dangerous dance of snow. They gave no regard for their surroundings as the projectiles flew around the campsite. Belmont had resorted to magic, blocking himself in with his bubble shield to avoid getting pelted.
It didn’t take long for the beans to start crackling as the heat fried them. Ming’s nose twitched and she paused mid-throw, catching a snowball to the face as a reward.
“Wait!” Ming yelled, diving to dodge Malissa’s next throw. “Truce. I smell food.”
“It’s not done yet,” Arek said. “You can continue trying to turn each other into snowmen.”
“Please don’t,” Belmont grumbled, allowing his shield to fade as he made his way back up to the campfire. “Although I suppose it’s good to get it out of our system soon. We’ll be in monster territory starting tomorrow.”
“How far is the city again?” Ming asked. “Camping is fun, but beds are nicer.”
“Betsy put us a week away from Seaside,” Malissa said. “We’ve been travelling for four days now, so there should just be three left. There’s a C rank dungeon right between us and the city, though. Given what’s been happening with the other dungeons, we’ll have to be careful when we pass it.”
“The Howlers have to put that little green orb of theirs in the dungeon for it to create a monster horde,” Belmont said. “It’s unlikely that they’ve got enough presence to arrange that this far north. They’ve still got to establish themselves in Riverfall, and I’m sure the Starpiercers have been causing them trouble after they lost the cookoff to stay in the Floating Cities. Still, caution would be wise.”
The beans crackled in the wok. He kept them moving constantly to ensure an even coating. Ming inched closer to the fire.
“Forget the Howlers,” Ming said, a subtle note of bitterness in her voice. “At least for a little. They aren’t here. As long as we aren’t at the city, I can still pretend like we’re on vacation.”
“Understandable,” Malissa said, brushing some snow from her shoulders and sitting down beside them. “What are these things anyways, Arek?”
“They’re called baby bird peas,” Arek replied. “They’re dried to transport them, so you have to soak them in water for a long time before they’re eaten. I’ve just coated them in some hot spices and garlic powder. They can be baked, but since I don’t have an oven, we’re frying them.”
Arek upended the bowl over the wok, pouring the spices in. He tossed it, getting an even coating as the beans started to dry, turning a golden brown. Warm, comforting scents rose up from the campfire.
“Well, they smell good,” Malissa said.
“They should be just about done,” Arek said, picking one up and popping it into his mouth. The spices flooded across his tastebuds, a mixture of smokey and spice with just a dash of pungent kick from the garlic. It was light and airy, with just enough crunch to be satisfying. “Yep. They’re good.”
Arek pulled the wok off the heat and distributed the snack amongst the party. Once they’d all gotten some, he raised his water skin in a toast. “To our continued success.”
“And to nice and boring travels,” Belmont added as everyone raised their own water skins.
They huddled closer to the fire, munching on the snack as the snow fell around them and the wood crackled merrily.
Ingredients:
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2-3 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch of salt
1 cup of dry Chickpeas (or 1 15 oz can of the pre-soaked ones)
5-6 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 teaspoon lime zest (optional)
Instructions:
1. If you are working with dry Chickpeas, fill a pot about ¾ of the way with water and put Chickpeas in. Cover and let soak overnight. Skip to step 2 if you are working with presoaked peas.
2. The following morning, drain and dry the peas as much as possible.
3. Combine all spices in a bowl and set it aside.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the olive oil.
5. Put Chickpeas into the pan in small batches, frying and moving them around frequently until they are golden brown and crispy. This will take about 20 minutes.
6. Remove peas from the pan
7. Add spices to hot Chickpeas and toss to coat thoroughly, adding more spice if needed. Garnish with lime zest and enjoy warm.
Once the food was all gone, Arek rose and stretched his arms out with a groan. “Do you need any help to prepare dinner, Malissa?”
“I should be good,” Malissa replied. “I might need to borrow your wok, though. And some spices.”
“You’re welcome to use them as you will,” Arek said, picking the wok up and cleaning it out with some snow. How long do you need to make it?”
“Probably about an hour, just to account for any mistakes,” Malissa said.
“Don’t worry about mistakes,” Arek said. “Focusing on the ways you can make a mistake will only hold you back. Focus on doing it correctly instead.”
“Isn’t avoiding mistakes the same thing as doing it right?”
“It’s a difference in attitude,” Arek said, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m going to go get some exercise in. We slacked off in the Floating Cities, so there’s a lot of work to make up.”
“I’ll join you,” Belmont said, rising to his feet. “Keep an eye out, everyone. Who knows what sort of monsters could be lurking around us. I can’t set up adequate defenses for a campsite, so we have to be more careful than normal.”
“I don’t know if it’s possible to get more careful than normal for you,” Ming said. “I don’t want to run though, so I’ll sit here and keep an eye on any evil thingies that try to kill us.”
Belmont gave an approving nod and followed Arek as the orc broke into a light jog.
“Do you think Seaside will really be free of the Howlers?” Belmont asked, keeping pace with Arek.
“That’s a dangerous question,” Arek replied. “If I say yes, then you know Seaside will be filled to the brim with ‘em. If I say no, then we have to worry about dealing with them.”
“A dilemma,” Belmont agreed. “And one that doesn’t answer the question.”
“I think we’ll deal with what comes when it comes,” Arek said. “And we’ll do it on our terms this time.”
“What’s the difference?” Belmont asked. “We’re fighting them either way, aren’t we?”
“It’s the attitude,” Arek replied with a chuckle. He increased his pace, forcing Belmont to break into a sprint to keep up.
They ran for nearly an hour, occasionally slowing down to catch their breath. Once they made a large loop around the camp, they headed back toward it covered in sweat and exhausted. The snow had made the exercise significantly more difficult. Belmont scooped some snow from the ground and threw it into his face to cool off.
“You probably wouldn’t sweat as much if you took your armor off,” Arek pointed out.
“Not all of us can magically summon our armor in a second,” Belmont replied. “I need to be ready to fight at all times.”
“Your magic could easily lend itself to making armor,” Arek said. “It doesn’t even seem like it would be that different from what you can already do.”
“Then I wouldn’t be able to use it on someone else,” Belmont said. “Besides, my armor looks good.”
“Fair enough,” Arek said with a laugh. Belmont grabbed some more snow and threw it over himself. They reached the camp, their jog slowing to a walk.
“Did you lose a fight with a snowman?” Ming asked.
“You know, I could use my bubble to incase you in a ball of snow,” Belmont said. “I’d never use magic for something so frivolous, but I shall point it out nonetheless.”
“That’s no fair,” Ming complained. “All I can do is blow stuff up. Magus won’t teach me anything fun.”
“We’ll try to contact him once we get to Seaside,” Malissa said, standing beside the crackling campfire and pouring a stream of oil into Arek’s wok. “I’m sure he’ll be able to get you some more tutelage then.”
“He gave you a book, didn’t he?” Arek asked.
“Yeah, but reading is really boring,” Ming muttered. “And most of the spells in it also involve exploding things one way or another.”
“Just don’t blow us up on accident,” Belmont muttered, flopping down in the snow.
Arek approached Malissa and peered into the wok. An inch of oil bubbled at the bottom.
“How are your dinner preparations going?” Arek asked.
“I’m not sure,” Malissa admitted. “I’ve never made anything like this. It’s not really anything that fancy. I bought some of the tortillas that Uri used from the Floating Cities and filled them with chicken that I’ve been marinating in my bag of colding. Then I added in a bit of cheese and folded them up.”
She stepped to the side, revealing a blanket on the snow with a dozen stuffed triangles. A bit of the stuffing poked out of a few holes, but they looked good for the most part.
“How did you get them to stick together?” Arek asked, impressed. “The tortillas don’t look precooked.”
“Oh, a merchant taught me a trick,” Malissa said. “You can mix water and flour together to make a paste. It will apparently hold them together while they cook.”
“Fascinating,” Arek said. “I’m excited to try them, Malissa.”
Malissa distributed the food amongst the party and watched them expectantly. Arek raised one of the triangles to his mouth and ate half of it. The chicken had a warm kick of spice and a hint of smoke that meshed very well with the crunchy dough and cheese.
“This is very good,” Arek said, giving Malissa an appreciative nod. “Did you come up with this on your own?”
“Not really,” Malissa admitted. “I saw a street vendor doing something similar and basically just ripped her off. I didn’t get an ingredient list, though. I made that myself. Do you think that the balance of spices is okay in the chicken? That’s what I’m most worried about.”
“It’s perfect,” Arek said. “You can always change things in the future, but this is a brilliant first attempt. I’d gladly serve these at my restaurant, and I’d love to learn the recipe whenever you get a chance to share it.”
Malissa flushed. “That’s high praise, Arek. Thank you.”
“They really are quite fantastic,” Belmont said with an approving nod. “I’m no food connoisseur, but I enjoy these a lot.”
Ming didn’t say anything. She’d stuffed three of the little triangles into her mouth at once and her cheeks were bulging out like those of a chipmunk. The small mage realized everyone was staring at her and gave them a thumbs up.
“Don’t speak,” Belmont said, stopping Ming before she could spray food everywhere across the camp. “I’d normally say not to fill your mouth with food, but since you’ve already failed at that, just try not to choke on it.”
Ming scrunched her nose and made a face. She eyed the remaining sandwiches, but the other members of the party all grabbed some for themselves before Ming could eat everything left.
They finished eating a few minutes later. Ming sent a despondent glance at the remains of Malissa’s meal before they all set up for the night, taking cover from the snow in their tents.
When the next morning dawned, the group packed their belongings up and snuffed out the smoldering embers that remained from the fire. It was still snowing, but it had let up since yesterday.
After a quick breakfast of jerky, they set back off along the road.
“If you’re starting to cook for the party, Ming might have to split her fees between us,” Arek said, a grin tugging at his lips. “It looks like you’re out for my job.”
“Oh please,” Malissa said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t think I’ll be replacing you anytime soon. There’s no way to beat experience.”
“Sure there is,” Arek said. “It’s called training.”
“Training is good,” Ming said with a sage nod. “You should do a lot of it. Maybe have some competitions with Arek. I’ll be the judge.”
“I could be one as well.” Belmont grinned.
“You can’t be the judge,” Ming said. “We need an announcer. You could be like Betsy. We could get you a dress and everything.”
“You’re just trying to hog the food for yourself,” Belmont accused.
Ming didn’t even try to deny it. She just shrugged and stuck her tongue out at Belmont. He shook his head in mock annoyance, but Arek could tell that the man was secretly amused.
The rest of the day passed with little excitement. Malissa caught several rabbits and Arek turned them to jerky similar to the one he’d made back in Red Mount. He considered cooking something more, but he didn’t want to use up too many ingredients before they got to town.