Chapter 12- Flight of the Seasons
A week later in early September, Lewa sits near the waterfall where he remembers being cornered by Venimbus for the first time. He didn't realize how close it was to the region where she lives, and now found the place even more calming, full of interesting flowers and other kinds of flora.
As he grazes his hand over a few bright yellow flowers hanging from a vine, he reflects on Venimbus some more, thinking about picking her a nice bouquet and going to visit again, his mind deep in dreaming and his senses only half picking up on a rustling sound behind him, suddenly taken by surprise when Venimbus sneaks up and playfully pushes him into the water.
Lewa yelps and flails, splashing his arms up and wiping his face, snorting and puffing, muttering and half smirking with slight irritation as he gets back on land and looks Venimbus in the eyes as he shakes the water off.
Venimbus laughs and waves hello, wiggling her fingers. “What's the matter? A bath now and then is good for you. It's a nice day for a swim.”
Lewa cringes a little, “Eh, I.....just don't like getting drench-wet; it's much nicer in high-tree.”
Venimbus squints, “Are you afraid of water? Do you know how to swim?”
Lewa clears his throat and rubs the side of his neck, “Yes, I know how to dive-swim....and no, I'm not fright-scared of water, I just don't like getting in it...”
Venimbus snorts, “Air types, I thought the whole not liking water thing was a myth, guess I was mistaken. But you know it doesn't make much sense....you don't like water yet it rains all the time in the jungle, and without rain, there would be no high-tree to climb.” she shrugs. “Water is something that feels great when you're caked in mud and the sun has warmed the pool.” she smiles.
Lewa blinks, charmed by her logic and feeling half stupid to her words as he smirks and nods slowly, realizing he may be in for more cases of getting wet when she's around.
Venimbus goes to the water edge and splashes some water at his feet, causing him to flinch and step back, shaking his legs. “Ugh.....” he grumbles, biting his lip as Venimbus laughs some more. “Come on you big green ape, it's not that bad, besides, Junti have very good senses of smell, and you.....well, you stink.” she nods, being playfully blunt.
Lewa scoffs slightly and shakes his head, “I....well what's that mean?”
Venimbus rolls her her eyes, “It means if you don't bathe, you'll never be able to hide from me or any other Junti for that matter.”
Lewa squints, “Oh...fine, I might take a bath sometime if I need to hide...but-”
Venimbus cuts in, “ Might, no, you must take a swim every once in awhile” she states with stubborn determination to get him to see how gross it is not to bathe.
Lewa's face droops and he sighs. “Okay....I get what you mean. But not right now, you already dunked me once, I'm great-good for now, right?” he says with a hoping tone.
Venimbus smiles, chuckling and nodding yes. “So why are you sitting near the waterfall anyway? I came here to collect some flower pollen.”
Lewa pauses, “Oh...uh...I just came here to deep-think and reflect on things. Sort of just wanted to look at the flowers. The yellow ones on the vine I like a lot, especially their scent-smell.” he shrugs, nodding at the ones he liked.
Venimbus nods, smiling more, “Those are called cupbucum in Junti. We use them for fragrant oils. You'll notice they have an inner white stripe pattern, and the pollen is orange. It's one of many flowers we use for perfume, bath oil, and health.”
Lewa grins, “Oh....so you know a lot about the flowers here?”
Venimbus nods, seeing he's interested to learn more and she walks over to a large pink and blue flower. “This is called an orchlily, it grows near water sources and is a semi swamp land blossom. It has little smell, but its nectar is very tangy, used in Junti teas to clear a cough. As for those spiky pink ones over there” she points, “Those have a pollen strand you don't want to touch or inhale. We call them halustring, they're the flower I get my string pollen from, the kind that causes hallucinations.”
Lewa gulps, making a mental note to stay away from those flowers. “So, how do you gather-collect the pollen strands without facing the effect?”
Veimbus smirks, “I wear a filter mask while I pick them and put them in their own bag. That and Junti aren't as badly affected by the pollen, we just get a bit dizzy from it usually.”
Lewa nods, starting to understand Junti have a lot of toleration to a lot of strange things.
Venimbus pauses, collecting a few leaves and flowers, putting them into a small bag and splashing Lewa's feet one more time just for laughs.
“Hey!” Lewa puffs, dragging a hand down his face and sighing.
Venimbus snickers and decides it's time to share some of her culture with him, a partially mischievous glint in her eyes. “Let's have lunch, I know a nice place not too far from here; it's a Junti lunch cart, they serve local dishes.” she grins, twitching her eyebrows.
Lewa pauses, his eyes going bright when he sees she's taking him on another date and he squints at her playful stare, half curious, half suspicious, wondering what she's up to. He nods and starts following her, feeling carefree as ever.
Venimbus leads Lewa to a lunch cart in a smaller local market geared more towards the oddities Junti enjoy. She sits down on a stool to the fold out counter of her favorite food cart and Lewa sits next to her, a bit jittery with excitement and trying not to fidget when he sees she's allowing him to sit beside her.
She speaks in her tongue to the cart cook and grins at Lewa who sits there awkwardly, not understanding some of the words but accepting the drink she hands him. It's an odd yellow fruit juice that tastes like banana and some kind of citrus with a pineapple back flavor. As he sips it his lips curl and he has a face that expresses confusion yet interest, Venimbus's laughter at his reaction causing him to snicker with her.
“It's...pretty nice-good, what is it?” Lewa questions, holding up the drink.
Venimbus runs her fingers in circles on the counter, “It's called pebana, a mixture of two Junti fruits, one sweet and soft, the other crunchy and on the tangy side. We like to drink it with savory foods.”
Lewa nods, enjoying the lesson, his attention caught on the food set down for them, Venimbus chuckling and scooping some onto a second plate, grabbing some meat with her fingers and holding it to his mouth to try.
Lewa glances at it, at first unable to tell what it is, and takes a small bite. “Mm, it's....actually kind of good, but a bit crunchy. What is it?”
Venimbus grins, her eyes implying she got him to eat something unexpected. “It's called tree pill hotpot, a type of tree locus fried in cow fat then smothered with gravy flavored with local spices and sea salt, and served on rice.”
Lewa makes a hard gulp, now noticing the legs of the insects sticking out of the gravy and rice, and he turns a bit greener. “Oh....”
Venimbus chuckles, “Bugs aren't bad, just think of them as meat. They eat our trees, we eat them.”
Lewa takes a big drink of his juice. “It does taste good...but Mata Nui, why did I have to peek-notice the legs...Or even ask what I just ate.” he mutters.
Venimbus shakes her head, smiling as she breaks up the meat so you can't tell as much what it is, then holds another spoonful to him. “Eat, it's good for you.”
Lewa sighs and takes a moment, closing his eyes and preparing himself for another mouthful, eventually getting use to it after a few spoonfuls and relaxing at the fact he's eating bugs in gravy.
After the two finish eating and talking about the food, Venimbus turns to Lewa, her eyes getting brighter as she grins. “I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes and put out your hand.”
Lewa gets a bit hesitant, wondering if she's trying to prank him, but he does as she asks, expecting her to put something gross on his palm, suddenly to feel a small plunk of a metallic object, cold and hard.
“You can open your eyes now” Venimbus beams, eager to see his reaction.
When Lewa opens his eyes and looks at his palm, he sees a charm made of bone, painted with metallic blue glaze and hung from a braided cord. His eyes get big and a grin spreads across his face as he holds it up to the light. “What's this?” he asks in joyful curiosity.
Venimbus takes it from him and slips it around his neck. “A good luck charm. The symbol in Junti stands for the wind and rain, friends of the forest.”
Lewa looks at it and feels it, still grinning. “Oh....this is wonderful-great. A good luck charm from a fine-fair lady is a most great treasure.”
Venimbus blushes slightly, feeling charmed by his reaction. “Good, I had a feeling you'd like it.”
Lewa nods, his face and mannerisms staying goofy and carefree as he looks at her, flinching when their moment is cut short by the sound of a Junti camp warrior shouting her name off in the distance.
Venimbus gets a bit panicked and springs to her feet. “I'm sorry, I have to go now. See you later, air spirit.” she states hastily, dashing off into the forest before the guard gets any closer, Lewa still sitting there looking surprised and puzzled, but then he sighs in his feeling of bliss and goes off for the day, light on his feet and half dazed with Venimbus on his mind.
One more week passes. Lewa had been helping around Nu Le Koro, Venimbus's charm keeping him driven and dreamy eyed. Every once in awhile he'd put his hand to it and hold it to the light, enjoying its glint.
As Lewa climbs through the trees on a beautiful weekend, he notices Tahu down below, and wonders what brings him back to Le Koro. He climbs over a few branches and swoops down by a vine, landing nearby to Tahu. “Morning brother, what brings you to my home realm of tree-plants again?”
Tahu pauses and looks over. “Lewa...Things have been slow in Nu Ta Koro, so I figured I'd drop by and make sure you haven't been getting into any serious trouble around these parts. I hear giant lizards roam the low lands.”
Lewa chuckles, “Ha, yes...I've chanced to spot-see some of them too. They are most interesting, but most temperamental....Much like certain fire types.” he playfully hints.
Tahu squints, his lip curling into slight irritation before he changes subject. “Ta Koro has been having some interesting arena matches. Recently that fire dancer known as Fiera has been in town. I watched one of her shows....”
Lewa smirks, “Uh oh...is the spirit of fire having heart-felt interest? You wouldn't want to shatter-break Gali's heart would you?” he teases.
Tahu grumbles, “Shut up, Lewa. I have no interest, I simply admire the fighting style she has. Gali is part of the team, I would never forget our sister”.
Lewa strides over, smiling, his eyes bright when he sees a widget on the platform near Tahu's foot and he bends down to pick it up. As he does, Venimbus's charm dangles from his neck, the shine of it noticed by Tahu who lifts a brow and looks at it as Lewa stands back up.
Lewa flips the widget in his hand, not noticing the charm is peeking till Tahu folds his arms and says, “I see you've taken up charm wearing...You're not still hanging out with that Junti woman are you?”
Lewa looks down at the charm and quickly hides it under his chest plate. “Shh...as a matter a fact, she took me on a date and friend-handed this to me. I have no heart-shame in spending time with a beauty more pleasant than any flower I've seen.”
Tahu face palms. “Ugh Lewa.....I always knew you were crazy.”
Lewa rolls his eyes. “Crazy about a specific person. I'll be waiting for the day you go crazy for Gali. My wind-flying and Junti dating are no crazier than your lava surfing and water wooing. Both are equally joy-fun”. He laughingly states.
Tahu flinches and gets a bit surprised by Lewa's remark. “Water wooing?” he says with a lifted brow.
Lewa twitches his brows and nudges him, “Uh huh...” he teasingly hints.
Tahu shakes his head, “Get your head out of the clouds, Lewa. Your brain is more steam filled than Gali's”.
Lewa laughs, “Whatever, fire spitter....all the better to float-fly with.”
The two chuckle and finally stop teasing each other, Tahu starting to walk off. “Just stay out of trouble, air head.”
Lewa sticks his tongue out and swings off.
Mastering the Headdress
For the next two weeks Lewa is unable to visit Venimbus, her warnings of Junti traditions and events happening at Camp Cobrales and preventing her from wandering off safely without a guard following her and discovering their secret.
During his wait, Lewa had been traveling around the jungle, picking flowers, eating fruits and seeds, doing his normal routines at the Le Koro gukko force, and flying with the birds on race days.
At the end of the second week, during the weekend, Lewa decides to check on Venimbus once more and swings by her tree house to see if she's home, bringing a few shed gukko feathers with him as gifts.
When he knocks, Venimbus doesn't answer, that's when he notices the note in her window that says, “Gone below in search of hat grass.” Lewa lifts a brow, “Hat grass? What in Mata Nui is hat grass?” he mutters to himself in puzzlement.
Meanwhile below in the surrounding trees, Venimbus wanders in search of particular plants, glancing up briefly at her home to notice Lewa standing on the porch. She smiles, shouting, “Lewa, down here!” and waves her arms in the air.
Lewa flinches and peeks over the porch edge, a grin on his face when he spots her and swoops down with a jolly laugh. “Venimbus...I just came to see you. What does your note great-mean? What in Mata Nui's name is hat grass?”
Venimbus chuckles, “I'll show you. We'll have another lesson on Junti culture today on the headdress.”
Lewa's eyes bright, “Headdress?” Oh, wait...I brought you something.” he smiles, pulling out the gukko feathers and handing them to her.
Venimbus looks them over, “You silly Toa, just so happens these are perfect for today's project.”
Lewa grins and Venimbus nods her head, “Follow me.” she says while walking off for a small village market, Lewa tagging along happily.
Venimbus brings Lewa to a headdress supply stand. “Hat grass is the basic material we use for headdresses. We weave them and for special occasions paint them, then add beading and feathers. You can see how we do it by watching the craftsman.” she points, showing the stand owner who works on a basic form with the grass blades.
Lewa nods, “Oh, now it makes sense. So you're going to put the gukko feathers in one for yourself?”
Venimbus smiles and looks at him with that mischievous glint in her eyes again.
Lewa lifts a brow, glancing around awkwardly as Venimbus drags him to the side and shows him how to weave the basic form for a headdress.
Lewa follows her instructions and enjoys the process, laughing when Venimbus decorates the crown with some vines, adds a gukko feather, and places it on his head. “Now you look more like us.” she chuckles.
Lewa feels the headdress and blushes slightly, chuckling with her as he poses playfully and she laughs some more.
The two spend a few more hours talking and Venimbus teaches Lewa the different Junti headdress styles and how to make them from almost anything before they must go their separate ways when evening nears.
Leaves of Fire
Half a month into October Tahu returns to Nu-Le Koro. He pauses and squints as he heads for the bridge to Lewa's tree home, noticing multiple villagers walking around and wearing crazy looking hats.
Lewa hadn't had the chance to see Venimbus since his last date on making the headdress, but had shared the knowledge with fellow villagers, a new joke craze carrying through the region, Le Matoran making their own headdresses for laughs and wearing them on a daily basis, the women of Le adding flowers and feathers to theirs for color.
Tahu shakes his head and brushes off what he's seeing, knowing Le Koro will always have something odd going on, and figures if anything, Lewa likely started it.
Just as he nears the bridge that leads to Lewa's tree house, Lewa flies by overhead and swings down by a vine, a bundle of fruit on his back and a headdress snuggled around his mask. “Morning brother, what fast-brings you to the region again?”
Tahu lifts a brow and folds his arms, looking at him in skeptical question. “Just wanted to make sure each Toa of the team is still alive, and thought I'd mention about some interesting sights you might like to explore since they're very tree filled regions.”
Lewa smiles, “New places to sight-see? Last I past-remembered you weren't a fan of sight seeing. Must be a most interesting place if you're encouraging others to peek-look.”
Tahu puffs, “And last I checked you weren't known for wearing.....Hats.” he states skeptically.
Lewa chuckles, “Headdress. Fast-learned from Venimbus how to make them.”
Tahu blinks and lifts a brow, “You're still dating? Let me guess, you're the reason almost every villager here is wearing something on their head.”
Lewa stands up tall and tilts his head up in a proud, goofy manner. “No heart-shame in sharing cultural tastes quick-learned. Besides, headdresses are a most joy-fun project to make and wear, and bring no bad-harm to anyone.”
Tahu shakes his head and rolls his eyes, believing it to be a waste of time. “Anyway, while I was near the northern mountains searching for Kopaka I saw the trees on the jungle border off in the distance. The colors of them were like fire, a clash of vibrancy so bright you can spot it from kios away.”
Lewa's eyes light up at the thought. “Trees of fire? That does sound interesting. Maybe I'll peek-check it later...” he says in half thought, seeing this opportunity as a moment to possibly bring Venimbus with him for an adventurous date.
Tahu squints slightly. “Yeah, perhaps you can try to find Kopaka while you're at it. He was said to be in that region, but I wasn't able to find him.”
Lewa sighs, “Ah yes, the ever-quiet Toa of slush hiding from the world, a most anti social ice block.”
Tahu smirks, “If I have to I'll smoke him out.”
Lewa shakes his head and grins, “Always on edge and ready for a game-fight. He'll probably peek-show at some point in his own free will.”
Tahu nods, then pauses and gets a blank look when Lewa sets a headdress on him and laughs, swinging off before Tahu has time to say anything or react.
Later that day near lat afternoon, Lewa goes off to find Venimbus, spotting her near her favorite waterfall. The two run off secretly from the region and go for a vine swing all the way to the northern jungle border, Venimbus excited at the thought of leaves that look like fire.
The two play a fun game of tree tag, and as they go, the wind starts to feel less warm and becomes chilly, Venimbus's eyes glowing bright when they suddenly swing past a whole patch of trees with vibrant red, orange, and yellow leaves. “Lewa....look!” she points.
Lewa swings up to a branch and leans in, “Wow.....” he states with a grin.
Venimbus swings through the trees and brushes her fingers along the leaves, watching loose ones fall, laughing when Lewa swings down and suddenly falls into the leaf pile below, sinking into the mound of them.
Venimbus comes down and jumps in after him, finding this fun. As she searches around for Lewa in the pile, his head pops up and he gets a playful idea, grabbing leaves and plants around him and weaving, diving into the pile for more supplies till he comes out of the leaves with a fiery looking headdress, puffing his chest out and posing comically for Venimbus.
She laughs more and tosses leaves at him, the two playing around like children in the underbrush for a few hours, chilled by the wind, but warm in their hearts.
After their play in the fire colored leaves of the region, far from any watcher, Venimbus must return to Camp Cobrales and says good bye to Lewa, a few of the bright leaves in her bag as things for memory.
When she's out of view and swinging off, Lewa looks towards the north and the mountains off in the distance past the vibrant tree line and swears he hears singing echoing from far off, squinting in wonder and keeping his thoughts as curious notes to revisit this region some other time alone to explore the cold mountains.
Sharing Recipes
A few weeks pass from the time of Lewa's day in the fire colored leaves, the winds of November slightly cooler in some regions of the jungle.
During this time Lewa had been helping his villagers with the regional harvests, keeping away giant lizards and other large creatures of prey that neared the hard working Le Matoran.
At the end of the second week in November, Lewa wonders where Venimbus had been, once more longing to see her smile and hear her laugh. On the occasion his villagers had caught him daydreaming, wondering why his mind was in high-cloud more so than usual. He of course reveals nothing for the sake of secrecy, and heads home for the weekend.
By late afternoon Lewa is pacing about in his tree house, debating on what he'll have for an evening meal and thinking more about going to see Venimbus, even if it's dangerously close to Camp Cobrales' border.
He sighs and looks at the charm again, staring at it for a long moment and thinking on his other adventure he had a few weeks before, smiling as a few ideas come to mind for what his next possible date could be like if Venimbus is able to meet him. Just then his dreaming is broken by the sound of a knock on his door.
His head jolts up and his eyebrows lift, “What in Mata Nui...?” he mutters in bewilderment, heading for the door, not expecting anyone to even know where his tree house is.
There on the porch stands Venimbus dressed in her yellow skirt flap and wearing a feather tuft in her helmet, her arms wrapped around a cloth covered basket and her face spread with a content smile. “Hello wind spirit.”
Lewa gapes and his eyes glow bright. “Venimbus?!” he says in a shocked, half joyous chuckle. “How did you way-find my tree home?” he wonders in utter confusion, opening the door wide for her to come in.
Venimbus steps inside with observing eyes, one eye squinting as she sees the clutter and mess of the place. “Well, you're not the only one who can track another. I wanted to see you and found the time to finally get away from my region for a bit, and saw you as I neared your village, then continued to follow you here.”
Lewa pauses, “Oh...Well it's good to see you. What's in the basket?” he says with a curious cock of the head.
Venimbus smiles and sets it on his table, lifting the cloth to reveal some odd foods. “Well, I wanted to share some things with you. These are ingredients you should be able to handle from my region's festival dishes. I haven't been able to meet with you because this is the month of the fruit moon.”
Lewa clumsily pushes clutter into a corner, “Fruit moon?” He questions with interest, not noticing Venimbus's disapproving, yet somewhat playful gaze at his attempt to clean the place.
“Yes, the fruit moon. This is the month of harvest, a time of abundance in our grain and fruit crops, our cattle and wild meats well fed and ripe for hunting. We celebrate this time with a large meal share at the end of each week, sharing recipes with loved ones and rejoicing in our abundance of food, a way to thank everyone for their efforts and generosity that's put into growing, gathering, and preparing the richness of our land. We celebrate and share a different meal at the end of each week, till the very end of the month when all of the region gathers for a festival of games, traditional crafts, and dining. We have the festival at the end of the month on the day of the full moon we call the fruit moon for this month. It opens the possibility of getting to know others, and is a big thing in the Junti regions.”
Lewa comes back over and looks at the foods, his interest completely captivated. “That sounds most interesting....Le Koro has no such holiday, but it sounds like joy-fun.”
Venimbus nods and starts pulling out the ingredients. “Some regions beyond ours have something similar, basically like the fruit moon, just relabeled. But it's predominantly a Junti thing.
Lewa nods, watching her handle the food in interest, noticing a few different kinds of odd looking fruit, meat wrapped in leaves, bottles of spices, and a bag of Junti wheat.
Venimbus sets out the ingredients and looks at him. “Now, I'm here to share this week's recipe with you, and I'm going to teach you how to make it. If you enjoy it I will come back every Friday and teach you another Junti recipe to try. But know that on the day of the fruit moon, I won't be able to come.”
Lewa nods, “I understand...and I gladly welcome you here to teach me anything you crave-wish. Maybe I can nice-share a few Le Koro recipes with you in return.” he grins.
Venimbus nods with an approving look, a glint of happiness in her eyes. “Very well. This weeks Junti dish consists of seasoned Junti beef slowly cooked in sugar sap leaves, served with a freshly roasted wheat loaf and caramelized fruit slices.”
Lewa's mouth starts to water at the description alone and comes over when Venimbus wiggles her finger to signal him to the table.
Venimbus sets the beef down and unwraps it. “You'll need to heat the coals of your oven to a medium temperature. While it warms, we take our beef and season it with salt, black peppercorns, crushed zest pods, and a quick sprinkle of menol fruit rind.”
Lewa watches from the side while awkwardly starting a fire in his oven coals and opening some windows. “So what's with the leaves?” he wonders.
“I'm getting to that.” Venimbus continues. “We call these large leaves sugar sap leaves because the plant they come from has a very sweet sap that oozes from stem onto the leaves and coats them in a nice sugary layer of it. We wrap the beef in these leaves and secure them with twine, place it into a covered iron pot with some water, and let it stew. What happens is a slow roasting process that warms the sap, the sugars from it caramelizing the outside of our beef and adding a nice flavor while keeping the meat very tender. We use this method for all kinds of meat, not just beef. It's especially good on wild boar.” Venimbus moves around Lewa's small kitchen like she would at home and sets the potted beef roast into the coals, grabbing the raw wheat.
Lewa takes in a deep breath and tilts his head back, “Ah Venimbus, this food smells wonderful-great already.”
Venimbus smirks and finds another pan, breaking up her wheat ends into it and starting to roast them. “These are for adding into some already ground wheat flour I have in the basket. I'm making a bread loaf.”
Lewa rubs his hands together and gets out what's needed, eager to help.
When Venimbus has her wheat roasted she adds all basic ingredients into a bowl and pours in water. “Our roasted wheat adds more flavor and a bit of crunch to the bread. You can mix it, just fold it in till we get a smooth ball.”
Lewa looks at the goo in the bowl and hesitates before sticking his hands in and squishing it around, grimacing slightly as his fingers get caked in the mass of flour. He pulls his hand out and wiggles around an oozing bread strand, Venimbus folding her arms. “Lewa, don't play with your food.”
Lewa half grins and sticks his hand back in the bowl, chuckling, his approach to making bread like a child playing in mud, making Venimbus laugh and shake her head. “We may need to add a bit more flour.”
Lewa nods and grabs the bag, his first pour a puffed cloud that flies up and sticks to his mask lenses. He blinks slowly and coughs, puffing and getting a blank, goofy look, Venimbus snickering and wiping his mask off with a rag .
“You'll have to work at it.” she shrugs, helping him finish the bread and setting it in another lid covered pan to cook in the oven.
“What now?” Lewa asks, hoping it won't be as messy.
Venimbus sets a flat pan on his stone stove top and slices the fruit, frying it and setting it on a leaf. “Frying fruit is the last step while the bread and meat cook. We fry the fruit to bring out more of the flavors and candy the outsides of the slices. These fruits in particular are kinds you should be able to tolerate, unlike some Junti fruits which can be toxic to those not use to them.”
Lewa nods and makes a mental note, knowing there's a lot he can't handle, and appreciating Venimbus's caution and concern for his well being.
Venimbus sits down at the table and sets the basket to the side after pulling out a bottle of juice. “Now we let the bread and meat cook. The bread should be done before the meat.”
Lewa nods, smiling and thinking quickly, glancing around his kitchen and grabbing some fruit from a hanging net, reaching into his cupboard for a jar of nuts and dried berries, some kind of cinnamon, and a jar of honey. “Now it's my turn to quick-show a small dessert we make here in Le Koro.” he grins, setting the supplies on the table so Venimbus can observe.
Venimbus leans in with interest, seeing the recipe is simple, and enjoying the discoveries of the air people.
Lewa cuts the tops off the large fruits, then pits them of seeds and sets them on a leaf, saving the cut tops. “First step is to just take your fruit and prep it for stuffing. Now we take mixed nuts and dried berries, add them to a hot pan, sprinkle them with this sweet ground bark, and add in honey.” He stirs it around and lets it warm, Venimbus writing her observations on a leaf pad from her bag and sniffing the fruit as Lewa comes over and spoons in the warmed filling to the pitted fruit, then covers the fruits with their tops again. “And that's it. You can serve it cold or steam the fruit to make it warm.”
Venimbus smiles, liking what she just learned. “Smells good, looks good, probably tastes good.” she chuckles, getting up to check the food in the oven.
“Hm...” Venimbus squints, poking the bread and taking the pan from the coals. “The bread is just about done. We'll let it cook the rest of the way out of the coals while the pot is hot. As for the meat roast, we'll give it another 35 minutes.”
Lewa leans against the counter in thought, looking at Venimbus's pretty clothes and smiling, “Venimbus....I was wondering, if you ever have the time for a possible evening event, I found a place most sparkle-enchanting in the north.”
“Sparkle-enchanting?” she questions in confused wonder.
Lewa nods, “Have you ever heard of the Ice Opera house?”
Venimbus squints slightly, “I think I've heard the name once or twice, but I've never known what it was.”
Lewa grins, “Well, remember last month while we were in the leaves? After you left, I sharp-heard a beautiful sound wave-ringing from the mountains. Later to the north to find where it was coming from, and found the Ice Opera house, a place of enchanting wonder filled with music. If I save up enough widgets, would you like to go there for an evening to hear the songs of the singer named Frona?”
Venimbus thinks about it, liking the idea of a new place to see. “If you can manage and I have the room to travel next month away from Camp Cobrales, I'll gladly come to hear the music of the mountains.”
Lewa's eyes light up and inside he's brimming with joy. “Then next month we can make a date and venture there together. I'm told they like it if you look your great-best, so we can try to blend in a bit better. It is chill-cold in those parts, so you may want to wear a cloak-cloth.”
Venimbus nods, “I'll see what I can do, but for now let's worry about this month.”
When the meat is cooked Venimbus serves the food on stone plates covered with a leaf, the two happily eating and talking about their days, past adventures, and ideas.
As Venimbus said she would, she returns every week with a new food dish to share, knowing Lewa liked the food, she herself secretly loving his company. Every moment spent is enjoyed and cherished by the two, Lewa sharing his knowledge with his people who begin their own form of the fruit moon celebration, wondering where Lewa gets his cultural insight, but knowing his secret was going to remain strong.
By the end of the month, as Venimbus said, she's unable to come to Lewa's tree home on the weekend. Nonetheless Lewa had something just as joyous to keep him distracted, a day of celebration in Le for the successful harvests of the land, with hope for a fruitful year.LoL Chapter 11- When Cultures Collide <<previous chapter/next chapter>> LoL Chapter 13- Night of Ice Opera
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