Meeting Essdara
The Weyr's kitchens are never entirely quiet. There is always someone here, tending the many hearths or preparing ingredients for the next meal. A central work station is composed of an immense table, larger even than the table found in the Council Chamber. This is always covered with cooking utensils, fresh ingredients, scraps of hide holding old recipes and various other assorted odds and ends. The heat here can become intense due to the number of hearths lining the walls but the staff seem accustomed to the temperatures.
Living Cavern> Medina makes her way into the Weyr's kitchens.
It is late morning, as far as the kitchens are concerned, and they are winding down. Most of the cooks are busy setting their stations to right, preparing for the upcoming push to start in on late morning food and lunches. One of the busier cooks is Essdara; the youngest of the cooks, and apparently the busiest today. She is currently furiously chopping peeled tubers into small cubes, knife working quickly through the firm food. She is also talking animatedly to one of the aides that helps the cooks. "See, and then once you are done the chopping, you coat them in oil and the seasoning mix we made, and toss them in the oven for about ten, twenty minutes. When they are golden brown, they are done and should be lovely." The aide, a young boy of about 13, is nodding along with enthusiasm as he takes in the lesson.
Medina treads into the kitchen. She has walked from the infirmary, through the nearly empty Living Cavern, now tensely quiet, waiting expectantly. She pauses just inside the doorway, watching the work. Her face is set with quiet, lines crease the corner of her eyes, which are half lidded. Her shoulders droop as if carrying the weight of Atlas. Her hands are spotless, except for a vibrant red around the fingernail beds. Her clothes are very presentable, but if one were to look hard enough, creases could be seen, and perhaps small dark spots in places, that could be just water. Medina listens to the lesson given one of the young aides, by a cook who seems not much older than him.
Essdara, after a moment more of chopping, leaves the aide to take over while she takes a step back and wipes her forehead with a rag she carries for that. She glances over at the watching healer, and offers a tired smile. "Morning, ma'am. Anything I can help you with this morning? Is something empty out on the tables again? We've been having some trouble keeping up this morning, sorry about that."
Medina brought her hands to her eyes and rubbed them with the tips of her fingers. She smiled at the young cook who'd noticed her. "If it's not too much trouble, I would be grateful for a mug of Klah. The pot on the table has grown cold." She looked back into the Living Cavern. "I seem to have missed breakfast." She shrugged her shoulders as if to shift the weight of the world to a more comfortable position. "And my first class, I've little doubt."
Essdara tilts her head, and moves to the hot pot that's always brewing in the kitchens to pour a fresh mug for Medina. "Class? You are with the Caucus then?" Mug is handed to the healer unceremoniously as the cook, barely making sure she has a grip on it, keeps moving to assemble a small plate of meatrolls and pastries. "You'll need a good meal, then, before the teachers get to you. Table in the corner if you'd like to sit while you eat. I promise we don't bite." Plate is offered. "Don't think I've seen you around before?"
Medina watches in stunned amazement at the cooks industry. She takes first the mug, then the plate dazedly, looks over to the table, before she registers the questions. she turns back to the cook. "Yes, new." she shakes her head as if to clear it, starts again. "I'm Medina, I've been here barely a fortnight, I was sent up for Caucus from the Healer Hall." She smiles ruefully at the plate of food. "And I think you are right, about the teachers. I don't think they'll give me credit for my infirmary shifts." Medina glances back at the table, then turns and sits down. She adjusts her chair slowly, so she can watch the activity of the entire scene while she eats. She takes an appreciative sip of the hot brew, then focuses back to her helper. "I'm afraid I'm still learning many of the names around the weyr..." She raises her eyebrows questioningly. Or maybe that's just to prop her eyes open.
Essdara briefly checks on the boy she left working on the tubers, but he seems to be doing ok as she only gives a minor correction and a lot of praise. Then she wanders back to Medina with a wince. "Healer shifts and classes? That's a rough lot. Doesn't Neiran do the same? I am sure, though, if you were needed that they would take it into account?" At the request for her name she smiles more. "Essdara, ma'am. Born and raised here, and ony cursed with covering a sick friend's workload, and no having to deal with the games that your teachers will play."
Pausing thoughtfully, Medina takes another sip of klah. "I hope they do, although in truth, it was my own initiative to stay all night, but the girl needed me." Medina grimaces, lost in thought for a moment, eyes resting on the young boy cutting roots. With visible effort, she wrests her mind back to the present
Essdara chuckles softly, making a face. "I know that peril all too well. Hence the extra work I am doing today." She also glances at the boy, with an almost fond smile. "He reminds me of me at that age, only I think he's even more driven. Will be nice if he works out. What did your patient need help with, if I can ask, that took all night?"
"He seems to like the work. That is important." Medina pauses, her brow furrows a little. Her gaze becomes distant, and she seems to look through the boy. Suddenly it clears, and she focuses again on the cook Essdara. "I was attending a difficutl birth. It's an area of healing I find interesting." she takes another sip of klah, picks up a meatroll, all the while her eyes on Essdara's face.
Essdara is quiet a moment at that. "I hope they both came through ok?" She asks, ion a soft voice. She shakes her head a little. "We need births now. It's been a rough turn and change around here. And yeah, love of the work is important... That's what I see in him, and that I have. He picks up the knife, and it's part of him, and the food is just a tool to the end product..."
Medina hangs her head a moment too long to be just tiredness, but when she returns her face to the young cook, it is neutral. "It is wonderful to have such a talent, a natural ability." She smiles over to the young lad. "I wish him many happy hours here. And if these are your meatrolls, I hope he becomes as talented as yourself." Medina picks up the last pastry, then looks down at the plate surprised. She grins back up to Essdara, and already the lines around her eyes are losing some of their depth, her shoulders, their stoop.
Essdara givs a wan smile; she's not blind enough to miss the hanging head, or mistake it's meaning. Nor to push a sore topic. "The meatrolls are, alas, not mine today. The pastry you just tried, though, is. The Weyrwoman asked for sweet things with her breakfast, for G'thon. So, I try things, trying to keep a good variety for them. It's given me a chance to hone my baking skills a bit, an art that I've always found hard to master. Him, he'll do fine, if he doesn't find something else to steal his passions away before he blossoms. His age, Search is a decided risk, and it'll make me sad to lose him."
Medina says, "The pastry, also, is magic. Make sure you teach that to the boy, as well. If you love a craft, the gift of it is never truly tiring." She stands, stretching in place, then brushing invisible crumbs from her tunic. "But I really must bathe and change before I am presentable for class. Thank you for the food, and Klah, and conversation."
Essdara smiles gently at her, with appreciation evident. "It was my pleasure, ma'am, and I hope your day improves. If you ever need a meal, a snack, or an ear... Feel free to drop by. My best friend works in there with you, it's given me a lot more appreciation for the hard work the Healers put in for us all."
Medina smiles at the praise, tries to duck it, then finally turns away from the bustle of the kitchens. She walks slowly out as she walked slowly in, but now her head is higher, and her back is straight. She's ready for the rest of the day, then rest in bed at the end of it.
You retreat from the kitchen, escaping to the living cavern.
Living Cavern
Living Cavern> Medina makes her way into the Weyr's kitchens.
It is late morning, as far as the kitchens are concerned, and they are winding down. Most of the cooks are busy setting their stations to right, preparing for the upcoming push to start in on late morning food and lunches. One of the busier cooks is Essdara; the youngest of the cooks, and apparently the busiest today. She is currently furiously chopping peeled tubers into small cubes, knife working quickly through the firm food. She is also talking animatedly to one of the aides that helps the cooks. "See, and then once you are done the chopping, you coat them in oil and the seasoning mix we made, and toss them in the oven for about ten, twenty minutes. When they are golden brown, they are done and should be lovely." The aide, a young boy of about 13, is nodding along with enthusiasm as he takes in the lesson.
Medina treads into the kitchen. She has walked from the infirmary, through the nearly empty Living Cavern, now tensely quiet, waiting expectantly. She pauses just inside the doorway, watching the work. Her face is set with quiet, lines crease the corner of her eyes, which are half lidded. Her shoulders droop as if carrying the weight of Atlas. Her hands are spotless, except for a vibrant red around the fingernail beds. Her clothes are very presentable, but if one were to look hard enough, creases could be seen, and perhaps small dark spots in places, that could be just water. Medina listens to the lesson given one of the young aides, by a cook who seems not much older than him.
Essdara, after a moment more of chopping, leaves the aide to take over while she takes a step back and wipes her forehead with a rag she carries for that. She glances over at the watching healer, and offers a tired smile. "Morning, ma'am. Anything I can help you with this morning? Is something empty out on the tables again? We've been having some trouble keeping up this morning, sorry about that."
Medina brought her hands to her eyes and rubbed them with the tips of her fingers. She smiled at the young cook who'd noticed her. "If it's not too much trouble, I would be grateful for a mug of Klah. The pot on the table has grown cold." She looked back into the Living Cavern. "I seem to have missed breakfast." She shrugged her shoulders as if to shift the weight of the world to a more comfortable position. "And my first class, I've little doubt."
Essdara tilts her head, and moves to the hot pot that's always brewing in the kitchens to pour a fresh mug for Medina. "Class? You are with the Caucus then?" Mug is handed to the healer unceremoniously as the cook, barely making sure she has a grip on it, keeps moving to assemble a small plate of meatrolls and pastries. "You'll need a good meal, then, before the teachers get to you. Table in the corner if you'd like to sit while you eat. I promise we don't bite." Plate is offered. "Don't think I've seen you around before?"
Medina watches in stunned amazement at the cooks industry. She takes first the mug, then the plate dazedly, looks over to the table, before she registers the questions. she turns back to the cook. "Yes, new." she shakes her head as if to clear it, starts again. "I'm Medina, I've been here barely a fortnight, I was sent up for Caucus from the Healer Hall." She smiles ruefully at the plate of food. "And I think you are right, about the teachers. I don't think they'll give me credit for my infirmary shifts." Medina glances back at the table, then turns and sits down. She adjusts her chair slowly, so she can watch the activity of the entire scene while she eats. She takes an appreciative sip of the hot brew, then focuses back to her helper. "I'm afraid I'm still learning many of the names around the weyr..." She raises her eyebrows questioningly. Or maybe that's just to prop her eyes open.
Essdara briefly checks on the boy she left working on the tubers, but he seems to be doing ok as she only gives a minor correction and a lot of praise. Then she wanders back to Medina with a wince. "Healer shifts and classes? That's a rough lot. Doesn't Neiran do the same? I am sure, though, if you were needed that they would take it into account?" At the request for her name she smiles more. "Essdara, ma'am. Born and raised here, and ony cursed with covering a sick friend's workload, and no having to deal with the games that your teachers will play."
Pausing thoughtfully, Medina takes another sip of klah. "I hope they do, although in truth, it was my own initiative to stay all night, but the girl needed me." Medina grimaces, lost in thought for a moment, eyes resting on the young boy cutting roots. With visible effort, she wrests her mind back to the present
Essdara chuckles softly, making a face. "I know that peril all too well. Hence the extra work I am doing today." She also glances at the boy, with an almost fond smile. "He reminds me of me at that age, only I think he's even more driven. Will be nice if he works out. What did your patient need help with, if I can ask, that took all night?"
"He seems to like the work. That is important." Medina pauses, her brow furrows a little. Her gaze becomes distant, and she seems to look through the boy. Suddenly it clears, and she focuses again on the cook Essdara. "I was attending a difficutl birth. It's an area of healing I find interesting." she takes another sip of klah, picks up a meatroll, all the while her eyes on Essdara's face.
Essdara is quiet a moment at that. "I hope they both came through ok?" She asks, ion a soft voice. She shakes her head a little. "We need births now. It's been a rough turn and change around here. And yeah, love of the work is important... That's what I see in him, and that I have. He picks up the knife, and it's part of him, and the food is just a tool to the end product..."
Medina hangs her head a moment too long to be just tiredness, but when she returns her face to the young cook, it is neutral. "It is wonderful to have such a talent, a natural ability." She smiles over to the young lad. "I wish him many happy hours here. And if these are your meatrolls, I hope he becomes as talented as yourself." Medina picks up the last pastry, then looks down at the plate surprised. She grins back up to Essdara, and already the lines around her eyes are losing some of their depth, her shoulders, their stoop.
Essdara givs a wan smile; she's not blind enough to miss the hanging head, or mistake it's meaning. Nor to push a sore topic. "The meatrolls are, alas, not mine today. The pastry you just tried, though, is. The Weyrwoman asked for sweet things with her breakfast, for G'thon. So, I try things, trying to keep a good variety for them. It's given me a chance to hone my baking skills a bit, an art that I've always found hard to master. Him, he'll do fine, if he doesn't find something else to steal his passions away before he blossoms. His age, Search is a decided risk, and it'll make me sad to lose him."
Medina says, "The pastry, also, is magic. Make sure you teach that to the boy, as well. If you love a craft, the gift of it is never truly tiring." She stands, stretching in place, then brushing invisible crumbs from her tunic. "But I really must bathe and change before I am presentable for class. Thank you for the food, and Klah, and conversation."
Essdara smiles gently at her, with appreciation evident. "It was my pleasure, ma'am, and I hope your day improves. If you ever need a meal, a snack, or an ear... Feel free to drop by. My best friend works in there with you, it's given me a lot more appreciation for the hard work the Healers put in for us all."
Medina smiles at the praise, tries to duck it, then finally turns away from the bustle of the kitchens. She walks slowly out as she walked slowly in, but now her head is higher, and her back is straight. She's ready for the rest of the day, then rest in bed at the end of it.
You retreat from the kitchen, escaping to the living cavern.
Living Cavern