teach me your ways

The yearling looked thought, if not a bit hesitant, and he waited patiently for her decision. Tea making was a fine art that required a gentle hand and knowledge of what each type of tea leaf needed in order to bring its full taste out. It was usually common knowledge in Iga on how to make basic types of tea, but as a diplomat, he’d been trained in the finer arts of it to ensure proper reception of foreign envoys. She agreed and he gave an approving nod. "There are different types of tea, but the one I’m going to be serving is called Sencha. It’s a type of green tea, light to the taste with hints of fruits, nuts and florals, and it’s good on warm days because it’s light. Tea can be made from many different types of plants and also from dried fruits or vegetables, but there are specific tea trees that are used. Most of the time, the leaves are dried and chopped, but sometimes they can be rolled and infused. Different types of teas also need to be steeped in different temperatures. For instance, green tea needs to be steeped in simmered water or else you run the risk of ‘burning’ it, meaning it will just be more bitter. Meanwhile, black tea needs water that’s been heated to a rolling boil,” the man instructed as he himself began to lay out his ingredients.

His golden gaze watched her from his peripherals as she pulled a sled out, laden with a, dare he say, beautiful assortment of spices and salmon. He licked his lips instinctually, mouth watering at the thought of the food. His stomach gurgled excitedly. When Fable asked him to light the fire, he was more than happy to obligue. He took the flint and kindling from her sled and dug a small hole in the ground, placed the kindling inside and then struck the flint. It took a few tries, but eventually a spark took. He gently blew on it until it caught further, added a bit more kindling, then, when it was steady, he set up a spit on either side of strong sticks. Raijin pulled out a small, metal kettle from his pouch, poured in some water from his leather canteen, then set it over the fire to begin to boil.

He made sure to stay out of Fable’s way as she worked her magic, the air cooling as the night began to set in. “Have you been cooking for very long?” he asked curiously.