[Flashback] A Pinch of This, A Sprig of That [Nustril]

[Cypress]

Timestamp: 14th of Fall, 509 A.V.

Dried leaves crunched beneath even the gentlest of footfalls, making Cypress the only source of sound or movement to be heard in the dense forest. Each of her steps broke through the silence while not a branch was ruffled, nor a blade of grass bent by any breeze. She stopped every so often to bask in the solitude, listening carefully for any life around her.

In her hand she carried a variety of wild plants she'd gathered along her walk, each with a pungent, unique smell that she was anxious to try in this evenings meal. She pinched a leaf between her thumb and forefinger, mashing it until the fragrance wafted up to her nose. "This will be good." As the words passed her lips, it was clear she was having trouble believing them, even going so far as to accompany them with a slight grimace. But optimism, in her eyes, was 80% of the battle, dumb luck and bravado making up the rest. She tried not to picture the look on Nustril's face when he tried her last meal. "This.Will.Be.Good."

She spun on her boot heel and began the trek back to camp. Perhaps by now, Nustril would have returned from his scouting and she could share her findings with him. In her head, she began constructing the nights experiment in eating, absently threading her fingers through the multi-colored leaves as she passed. At least they had a portion of meat for her to work with, the tiger was always more forgiving of her culinary mistakes when there was something more substantial involved and at least he felt full, if not satisfied.

She stepped into a small clearing and instantly her lungs filled with the most savory smell. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes scanning the area . The air was so saturated with the smell that it was almost impossible to find the source, but she found herself on the ground a few moments later, crawling on all fours and sniffing the air like an animal. It took time, but she found it, a tall spiky plant, crowned with a dripping cluster of pale purple flowers. She stared past the plant, letting her eyes blur into the hazy edges of a different kind of focus. Using her nose first, she began to draw the aura into her senses, letting it thread its way into her consciousness until her eyes took over, searching for the familiar glow until it snapped into her view. A satisfied smile curled her lips and she stared, committing the unique signature to her memory. As her experience grew and the range of her gift expanded, she hoped that this gem would never escape her senses. Leaning on her elbows, she absorbed the aura of the plant, combined with the intoxicating smell, the memory was hers forever. She lingered for a moment, enjoying the delicate glow that drew her attention, then, with a blink of her eyes, everything snapped into focus and the plant was just a plant. It was time to collect her prize.

With the blade of her cooking knife she dug into the soil, exposing the bulbous root of the plant, she took it all. A bright smile split her face at this newest find and she ran nearly all the way back to camp, bursting through the silence like a small tornado of black hair and leather. She vaulted a fallen log that marked the perimeter of their set up, her eyes scanning over bedrolls and packs searching for her mate. "Are you here?"

[Nustril]

Nustril the man was seated on the back of his cart, doing his best to ignore the oxen. When he had been putting the camp in order one of them had bitten his bottom. Not only had that left an annoying tear in his toga, it had been surprisingly painful. His first reaction had been to punch the animal right in the head, but he had resisted. Now he was distancing himself from the stupid beasts in order to avoid any further temptation to harm them.

As he sometimes did the big fellow was turning a small statuette over in his hands. It portrayed a beautiful flutterby in full flight. Though it appeared fragile in his hands, its substance was such that the statue was very difficult to break. Nustril was still careful not to drop the object. It was all that remained of his old family. Quite literally, it was the solidified remains of the creature he considered his adoptive father.

Once scouting was over there was little to do in their camp. Especially when Cypress was off on one of her adventures in search of edible things she could make inedible. It was during these quiet periods that the kelvic spent time alone in introspection. A smile curled his lips as he remembered how soft the clay had felt as a kitten, and how disfigured the little pycon had been the first time Nustril used him for hunting practice.

When Cypress vaulted a nearby log in search of him he slipped the statue back into his pack, which rested in the bed of the cart. "It is I, Nustril, guardian of the camp. What's the password?"

[Cypress]

At the sound of his question she stopped, turned her eyes to the sky and began chewing on her lower lip. "Is it..Flutterby?" Her mouth curled into a sly smile and her blue eyes flicked to the pack, then back to his face. She watched him for a moment until she appeared to have been jolted by lightning. Her feet left the ground as she jumped and she let out a happy little eep, launching toward him with her new finds leading the way in her extended hand.

"Dinner is going to be delicious! Can you smell it?" She waggled the spidery plants as she neared. "I really think this time will prove to be my finest attempt." She stopped by the wagon, draping her arm over his leg and lifting the plants closer for his examination. "Don't they smell wonderful?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, a healthy flush on her face from her sprint through the trees. "I had a good time walking today. I practiced a little, this one, is pale purple." She referred to the aura of the plant, as always, sharing anything she learned with her partner, who shone the brightest gold. "How was your scout?"

[Nustril]

"Ho hum! I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about." He tossed his head in a very feline way and snorted, once again assuming that cat-like pose of superiority. When she came rushing at him, flailing her most recent poison in his direction, he gave her an encouraging smile and a hug. "I'm sure it will be delicious. Oooh, purple. I like purple."

He was interested in hearing about her most recently discovered auras. Something about the way that she could see things just impressed him. During the night he could see things far better than her human eyes, but there was very little that she could not detect with her second sight. He had been meaning to put that to the test. Perhaps they could do that later in the evening.

[Cypress]

As if drawn forth when he spoke, she climbed into the wagon and sat cross-legged right next to him, one motion seemed to encompass her progression, like a long, deep breath. She was animated in her speech as she told him about her practice.

"It was beautiful. Just like the color of these flowers." She gently lifted one flower, holding it so he might take a clear look. "It looked just like the color of the flowers melted into the rest of the plant.." She paused, grinning.. "And then.. just like you do.. it shook! And the color flew off like drops of water, but instead of leaving entirely.. it hung there in the air, like a little cloud of... of life!" She fell back into the box of the wagon. "It's so beautiful, I wish you could see it too." Pulling in a deep breath of the plant spiced air, she smiled happily. "You would love it..." Her voice had a dreamy quality, clearly affected by the possibilities of her growing gift.

[Nustril]

He shuddered slightly. Though he loved his Cypress, he had a healthy amount of distrust for magic in general. "I'll stick with my regular eyes, thanks. I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself though. Hopefully they taste as good as droplets of purple." He gave her a grin and tickled her side.

Nustril cuddled her to his side for a moment before hopping up out of the cart and tugging her with him. It was clear that he was hungry enough she would be forced to cook immediately. After guiding her to the fire he went to collect the cooking utensils. He placed them next to her. "Pleeeeeaaaaase?" The man gave her his best kitten look, golden eyes wide and fangs poking slightly out from under his pouting bottom lip.

[Cypress]

"Oh no...done in by the kitten man." She winked, mocking a slight swoon to cover for the flip that never failed to occur in her stomach when he did that. She knelt by the fire, producing the deer meat she had set aside for tonight's dinner. She took a large flat stone that she'd plucked from a brook on one of their games of hide and seek and rested it in the fire, balancing it on the crackling pieces of wood. As that was heating, she sliced the deer meat into long flat strips, not thick, but wide so the cooking would be quick. With her fingers, she tore the flowering plants into workable pieces, and pressed them into the meat, almost grinding them into a pulp as she did, infusing their flavor into the slabs of venison. When she had finished that, she laid them over the heated stone, smiling when they sizzled in reply.

A quick glance shot to Nustril showed him her giddy reaction. While waiting for the meat to cook, she grasped a block of hard, pungent cheese and shaved off some paper thin pieces, setting them aside. As she began to smell the meat, she stabbed it with her knife and flipped each piece, grinning again when she heard that sizzle. I am so easy...she thought to herself, making her grin even wider. "Smells good.. yes? " She took the papery cheese and laid it over the meat, watching as it quickly melted. As soon as the cheese grew cloudy and began to bubble, she pulled the meat from the fire and offered the 'tiger's' share to Nustril, along with some torn pieces of bread. She waited with bright anticipatory eyes for him to take the first bite.

[Nustril]

Nustril crouched next to the fire so that he could watch her work. His expression was dubious when she began working her plant into the meat (and rightly so!), but when the smell of it cooking hit his nostrils he let out a happy groan and leaned in closer. Unconsciously he began to wiggle his but along with the swaying of the savory smoke, as he waited for her to finish her cooking. "Smells good!"

She flipped the meat and put some cheese on it. Everything was better with cheese. It was hard to keep the pair in a good supply of the stuff. If their travels ever took them so far from civilization that he could not find cheese, then he would likely eat twice as much meat to make up for the loss. She offered him the meat which he took eagerly, leaning close so he could sniff it.

He burned his fingers trying to grasp it took quickly. Sitting back on his butt he balanced the food on top of his bread and waited for it to cool so that he could eat it. His bright smile, goofy with his overlarge canines, showed his approval for the meal. Of course he hadn't tasted it yet. The tongue was often the deal breaker when it came to approval of Cypress' cooking.

[Cypress]

Though she did her best to wait patiently for him to try her masterpiece first, the smells wafting through the air toward her nostrils were in danger of dragging her stomach from her gut to get the food itself if she did not eat soon. As he began to eat, so did she, cutting off a piece of meat and touching it to her tongue. Too hot! She blew on it, then tried again. As the flavor of the meats juices hit her taste buds she froze, staring wide-eyed at Nustril. It actually tasted good.

[Nustril]

Nustril would continue to maintain, in his own mind at least, that it was difficult to screw up venison. It was still hard to deny that the meat tasted pretty good. Whatever she had plucked from the ground went very well with the rest of the meal. For once the kelvic took great care to enjoy his meal as he ate it. You never knew when it would be your last, or at least the last good meal Cypress cooked.