Flashback Cooking lessons, Life Lessons

[Talorin Ki]

While waiting for the inn's employee to respond to him, Talorin gets a smell of honey cookies baking in the background and immediately remembers ther first time he started cooking.



Winter 502

It was much harsher this winter than the past. The snow came for days laying a layer of white powder over the land and castle as far as the eye can see. Trees, used to milder winters, stood barren, dark, and lifeless. The castle itself looked like it was chilled to the foundations. The river had froze over and the fields were a frozen wasteland. Every where citizens were trying desperately to stock pile fire wood, tinder, and what game they could shoot or catch in fear of an elongated frozen winter.

Five year old Talorin and his brother Torin on the other hand, along with the other children of his village, were tearing up the snow banks, making fortresses, castles, and snowballs for an all out war. After all the the preperations were built, hundreds of snowballs rolled, snowmen decorated with bits of wood to look like sylrian knights, and the boys ready to go to war they picked team leaders and chose sides. Like usual Talorin was last to be chosen. He sulked while kids younger than him were chosen before him. Even at the age of 5 Talorin was still the size of a 2 year old. Finally when the last boy was picked ahead of Talorin the captain of the team called that the choosing was over. Neither wanted to pick Talorin for their team.

"Your too small"

"You'll only get hurt"

"Go build snowmen with the girls"

Hiding his tears Talorin told all of them they were mean and ran home slamming the door of the modest cottage shut as he entered. He collapsed in the middle of the floor and finally released the emotions he refused to show the bigger boys. Hearing the commotion in the main room Talorin's mother, Myra, came out of the kitchen area to see what the problem was.

"What is the matter with you?" She asked already knowing the problem.

"The boys won't let me play war with them. I wasn't even picked for the teams" Talorin blubbered while wiping his nose with his sleeve. The Ki family may have been poor, but because of Myra's sewing skill they were always dressed well.

"Well come bake cookies with me."

Talorin reluctantly got up and went to see what she was doing. Walking into the kitchen area he saw a bag of flour and some sugar, and even a some honey. Picking her small son up and putting him on the counter she talked him through the recipe and watched with a close eye while he measured out the ingredients. This was a bold move on her part and Talorin knew it because of the cost of ingredients they could not afford for him to make a mistake. She was putting a lot of trust in her youngest son.

While Talorin began spooning out the cookie dough onto a small pan in preperation to go into the fire his mother started to tell him a story.

"You know you were born on a day quite like this. It was cold and I was working in the kitchen. Your father had taken your brother out to visit friends in the village. I was not due for another couple of days, when there was a knock at the door. When I opened it there was an old woman standing there leaning on a walking stick.

'What can I do for you Respected Elder' I asked, and you kicked inside me.

'I just need a moment if you don't mind to warm my tired feet by the fire' the old lady responded.

For a moment I thought of sending the old woman away, because I had never seen her before and was wary of visitors while your father was not home. A draft of cold air came through and you kicked me again very hard this time, and I felt a slight contraction. I passed it off.

'Please come in and warm yourself by our fire.'

The old lady hobbled in and sat right there in your father's chair closest to the fire. I came over here and got some milk and warmed it and served my guest. While I was handing her the cup she reached out and touched my stomach.

'Because you showed generosity and compassion to a person in need your son will be born healthy.'

At that point my water broke and I went into labor. I don't know what happened then, but moments after I was able to lay down on the mat, my birthing lady came in.

'Myra are you ok?' she asked.

I looked up and the old lady was gone, and you were coming. To make this story shorter you were born a month early. You were smaller than usual, but healthy. And do you want to see something?"

Talorin nodded his head. Myra lifted her shirt to show him her stomach. There just over her belly button was a birthmark in the shape of a scythe.

"After you were born this was here. The exact spot that old woman laid her hands moments before your birth. So remember no matter what life throws at you, no matter how little you have, and no matter how mean and unforgiving people are make sure you show compassion and love to all."

"Now that the cookies are done what do you want to do with them?"

Talorin thought about it for a second, "Can I take them outside to the other boys?"

Myra nodded and Talorin grabbed the small basked by the stove and ran outside to share his cookies with the other boys. Myra watched her boy run outside, then looked into the sky;

"Thank you for your mercy" and clutched her stomach.