A little bit of this, a little dash of that

Ember was especially pleased that her mother agreed with her choice for their dinner that evening, her tiny tail wagging a mile a minute as she watched Briar fetch the large slab of fresh meat. Briar instructed her to gather up some vegetables to accompany their meal and the little girl wasted no time doing as she was told, prancing over to the wicker baskets and picking up one she could manage. Swift paws began to gather up a head of lettuce and a bunch of long, bright orange carrots. When she was pleased with the amount of vegetables she had selected, Ember hefted up the basket in her jaws and followed after her mother, keeping close behind her every step of the way back upstairs to the kitchen. She was so excited for the actual cooking part!

Back in the kitchen, Ember stayed close to her mother's side, watching closely at everything Briar did to prepare their meal. She set the basket of vegetables down on the counter beside the venison and tipped it over to send the produce scattering out across the work surface. The girl followed her mother over to the giant stone oven at the other end of the kitchen, observing as her mother tossed a few logs in and where she positioned them. Listening closely to each instruction, Ember would nod her head to show she was understanding. Keep the oven hotter on one side for searing and the other cooler for slow roasting. That made sense in Ember's mind. Burning such a lovely piece of meat would be a borderline crime. She was overjoyed when Briar gave her the chance to push some of the logs in herself! Even though she was still quite small, the little girl took every opportunity she could to feel more grown up like her bigger siblings. With both tiny paws, Ember pushed the logs into the pile on one side of the oven, inspecting her work with a proud nod.

"Okay, I think I'm getting it, Mama!" said Ember, her tail wagging excitedly behind her. She was going to be the best chef in the Hallows at this rate! Well, maybe second only to her mother. Nothing could beat mom's cooking! Ember watched as close as she safely could while Briar lit the logs on fire, stoking the flames inside the oven until they were crackling and roaring and an intense heat came washing out of the opening. Next step: prepping the ingredients. "Okay!" Ember exclaimed with zeal, bouncing her way with her mother back over to the counters. The question Briar posed made Ember pause to consider their food and options. "Uh... maybe chop them first? That way we don't have to try to cut them when they're all covered in oils and herbs?" She looked up to Briar for confirmation of her logic, blue-turquoise eyes wide as she drank in everything she was being taught by her super smart mom.

"Ember"