silver beneath the surface

Once she had the fish cleaned out and her prayer done, Atreyu smiled to Ellara as she sat beside her. The spotted pink woman wasn't used to compliments like what Ellara had given, but she waved her tail anyway. "Thank you, my mother was the religious one out of my parents. My father believed, of course, but my mother was the one who taught us how to pray." There was a warmth in her far-away gaze, those holographic eyes seeming to be lost in a memory for a moment. Shaking her head lightly, Atreyu made her way back to the present. Once they had enough garlic, thyme and wood, Atreyu began to season the fish.

Setting herself and the fish down by the fire Ellara started, Atreyu gave a happy hum. She began by breaking down the garlic into cloves, then she crushed the cloves with the flat of her knife against a rock. Taking her knife, she chopped up the crushed garlic and then spread it all over the inside of the fish. The thyme she split between herself and Ellara, "Thyme is good for a lot of things, you'd be surprised." She said with a smile, "Do you mind helping me strip the little leaves off the stems? We will sprinkle them over the garlic on the fish." Throwing the stems she finished on the fire, Atreyu breathed in the relaxing aroma. She had left the fish's skin intact, only opening the fish enough to season the meat inside. Once they finished seasoning, Atreyu pulled out some string from her satchel.

Placing a long sturdy stick of cedar along the spine of the fish, the spotted dire wolf tied the fish around it and placed the whole fish over the fire. "And now we wait." Atreyu said with a smile, giving a languid stretch before she reclined on her haunches. She would have to flip the fish in a few minutes, but they had a little time before breakfast would be ready.