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With Eclipse defeated the four heroes of light returned to Rimedhal triumphantly, satisfied that soon Snow Elk would begin repopulating and that the citizens would still be able to make their much needed snow coats, especially since it was expected to grow much colder again with the Fire Crystal gone. And after such a fight the four were starving and ready for a good meal, but then the owner of the inn mentioned all they had was still alpine swine and Elvis’s appetite and face dropped.
“Do you really have nothing else to eat?” He asked.
“Oh just drop it and eat it like the rest of us,” Adelle said, crossing her arms. “Let’s not trouble her any further.”
“Aye, fine,” Elvis said, defeated.
And that was how they ended up as they were, Seth, Gloria, and Adelle enjoying their meal of alpine swine and Elvis barely picking at it.
Now, Adelle had traveled with Elvis for quite some time, and she was well aware the man was by no means a picky eater. Sure, he had his preferences but he was adventurous enough to be willing to try new delicacies and local specialties wherever they went, at least once! But to see him act like a toddler over some chewy pork? At first Adelle was angry, but as she watched Elvis struggle to swallow his meal that anger soon turned to slight concern, which then turned into even more concern as Elvis pushed his plate away once the sides and vegetables had all been eaten.
“You’re not going to finish?” Adelle asked.
“Ah no, my stomach’s not feeling too great I think I’m going to turn in early, night all,” Elvis then quickly left the table leaving his other three companions confused.
“I guess he wasn’t joking when he said he really didn’t like alpine swine,” Seth said, cutting the rest of Elvis's uneaten meal into three equal parts so it wouldn’t go to waste.
“True, but I’m a bit worried about him going to bed hungry. We did quite a lot today and there’s more work to do around Rimedhal tomorrow,” Gloria commented with a frown.
“Yeah…” Adelle said, poking her food with her fork as she thought. “You know what, I’ll make him something so he doesn’t go to bed hungry!” Adelle said, rising from her seat with a grin.
“You should really finish your food first, Adelle,” Gloria quickly interjected.
“After my meal!” Adelle then added as she quickly sat down, ate what was left on her plate, rose up again, and left for the kitchen.
~~~
“Alpine swine is really the only protein you have?” Adelle said, looking over the ingredients the inn owner was willing to give her to work with.
“Unfortunately. Things have been a bit tight, but I’ll get some fish tomorrow,” she said, trying to be helpful.
“I need to make this tonight,” Adelle said with a sigh. “It’s fine, I’ll work with the swine. Thank you for letting you use your ingredients and kitchen!”
“No problem, it’s the least I could do with what all you’ve lot done for Rimedhal.” The woman returned Adelle’s smile before leaving her to get to work.
“Alright,” Adelle said, getting her knife ready. “Let’s get chopping!”
Adelle was near as impressive of a fighter as she was a chopper. Traveling by herself had made it so Adelle was quite the competent cook, and then traveling with Elvis and then eventually Seth and Gloria too had it so she adjusted to cooking for a human palette. Fairies and humans didn’t have that much difference in food taste, besides the fact that fairies liked to dine on flowers.
She nodded in satisfaction as she looked over the finely diced onions and then the chopped cabbage and mushrooms, next was sautéing them in the pan and then getting the pork cooked too. The dish would be a simple one, similar to what they had for dinner besides the added honey caps, but Adelle hoped that the honeycap mushrooms would incentivize Elvis to finish his dinner or at least eat more.
‘I’m sure if I asked nicely he’d finish it,’ Adelle thought with a small giggle and a light blush. She’d noticed him staring at her a bit more recently, and had eventually called him out on it once they had gained the fire crystal.
“I’m just still shocked I never noticed you were a fairy! After everything we’ve been through, I feel like a complete dunderhead!” Those had been his words, and truth be told Adelle felt bad for keeping her secret as long as she had. She was considering telling Elvis, truly she was, but then they had met Seth and Gloria and got wrapped up in their adventures, which happened to align with Adelle and Elvis’s goals. Things just had gotten a little crazy, but before the guilt could eat her up Elvis forgave Adelle.
“Ach it’s no sweat off my back Adelle! Every lass is bound to have a few secrets, eh?” He was a good guy like that, never sweating the details. Although perhaps she wished he’d sweat just a few details occasionally…
A sweet and savory scent began to waft from the meal, Adelle took a tasting spoon to try the dish. It definitely had more flavor to it than before, the honeycap mushrooms elevating the alpine swine, and the textures of the mushrooms giving the pork a better mouthfeel. Adelle nodded her head, satisfied. With the meal cooked she plated it, grabbing a fork, knife, and napkin and then heading towards Elvis’s and Seth’s room.
“Hey Elvis,” Adelle called as she knocked on his door. “I got you something.”
“Aye come in lassie!” Elvis replied, Adelle entering the room. It was only Elvis in the room, on his bed with the light one a book in hand. “Whatcha got there?”
“Alpine swine,” Adelle said, presenting the dish as Elvis groaned, “but!” Adelle quickly added in. “With honeycap mushrooms!”
“Honeycap mushrooms?” Elvis repeated raising a brow. “Where did you get those out here?”
“I’ve actually had them since Wiswald,” Adelle admitted. “I was saving them for something special, and well saving Rimedhal seems pretty special if you ask me.”
“And you wasted them on alpine swine?” Elvis asked with a groan.
“Hey I tasted it and the mushrooms really make the dish, just give it a try!” Adelle pushed the dish forward to Elvis, the man reluctantly taking it. “Just one try, if you don’t like it I’ll get rid of it.”
“Och well I wouldn’t wanna waste something like honeycap mushrooms, or something you made.” Taking in a breath, Elvis took a careful bite of the dish, chewing slowly before his eyes lit up. “It… it actually tastes good!” Elvis said, taking a much larger bite this time with a grin. “Adelle lass you did it, you actually made alpine swine taste good!”
“Heh well I have been known to be a mean cook,” Adelle said with a proud smile. “Honestly I didn’t think the alpine swine tasted too bad anyways, I’m surprised you dislike it so much.”
“Ah that might be due to the memories attached to the dish honestly,” Elvis admitted through bites. “You see, my ma would force me to eat the stuff constantly when I was kid. Said something like ‘if you don’t finish your alpine swine you’ll never grow big and strong,’” Elvis said with a chuckle. “Would keep me at the table until wee hours of the night until I finished, even if the meal had gone cold. Aye, my mom’s a stubborn lass she is.”
“I see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Adelle said with a small laugh.
“Hah! You can say that again. But really Adelle you outdid yourself here!”
“Ok now you’re over exaggerating,” Adelle said.
“I’m serious Adelle, you could give Mitch and Truff a run for their money. Have you had a proper bite?” Elvis then picked up a large piece of the meal, holding it for Adelle to try with the very same fork he had been using. The ones that had touched his lips…
Quickly Adelle took a bite, savoring the flavor and wondering just why this time sharing food with Elvis was making her feel hotter all of a sudden. They’d shared plenty of food before, but never like this, almost as if they were sharing an indirect ki-
“It's good, right lass?” Elvis asked.
“Very,” Adelle replied with a light blush. Again, she wished Elvis would start to notice some details between the two, but for now she’d let him enjoy his meal and not go to bed hungry.
“We’ll have to get more of these once we return to Wiswald,” Elvis said, polishing off his plate and even attempting to lick it clean before Adelle stopped him. “You know, having you make me this made me grow to appreciate alpine swine just a bit more. Maybe with some more good memories it could become my one of my favorites,” Elvis said with a hearty chuckle. He placed the now empty plate on the side table, dabbing his face with the napkins before placing it down alone with the utensils. “But seriously Adelle, thank you for the meal.” Elvis reached over to hug Adelle, the woman returning it in kind.
“No problem, can’t have our dunderhead going to bed hungry.”
The moment lasted a while, neither wanting to separate from the other, but eventually they did, staying close as Adelle’s eyes gazed over to Elvis’s lips. Maybe, just maybe…
“Hey you two want to play so- oh oops,” Seth said, having entered unannounced and completely ruining the moment. “Did I ugh, am I interrupting?”
“Ach no laddie!” Elvis said, sitting up straight as if nothing had happened, though Adelle did not a slight blush even on Elvis's face. “Was just thanking Adelle for cooking me something more for dinner.”
“Right… well I’ll be in the common room with Gloria if you need me,” Seth swiftly made his exit not wanting to linger any longer.
“We better join the two before they get worried,” Elvis said, rising off of the bed and offering Adelle his hand.
Adelle took it with a nod, “we best,” she said, a smidge of disappointment lacing her voice.
There were things to tell Elvis indeed, and one day Adelle was sure she would. But right now she’d enjoy the moment with him, and soon Seth and Gloria as they always had. And hopefully, always would.