Redwall Abbey's Winter's End Tournament - Day 1 The Cook Off
Redwall Abbey's Winter's End Tournament - Day 1
Characters involved - Aethelstan, Jo, Maythus, Dulce, Zen, Mayeul, Odilo, and Flicktail
Speical thanks to Craven for the most delicious and big fish and Barkus for the most delicious and best strawberry cordial!!
RW Abbey: Pond - Cook Off
Aethelstan is looking very bussy! He's running circles around the place, snagging chairs and tables, blankets and cloths! Oh boy! Did he make a mistake in trying to start a tournament with only one day to spare! Either way, he was proud and ready to work!! He then looked at all the old weeds and twigs that were gathered up from the nice working abbey dwellers whom took good care of the grounds! Ah yes, it would make a fine bonfire! Everything was almost ready!! And the fish! OH yes, the wounderous fish that Craven was kind to help catch and eve give! It was a VERY large fish! Enough to easily feed every beast's mouth! He runs around more and more, then blushes! He must make a speach! Oh well, he'll think of something when the time comes!
Jo comes into the area and waves at those present while trying to untangle his paw from his uncles knecklace. "uh...erg..."he-hey everyone!...grr...um....heh" he says looking totally embarrasses.
Maythus sighs then pulles jo's paw out of his now tangled knecklace of bones and teeth. "oh goodness how on earth..." he says while having a fit in trying to straighten out his wardrobe.
Jo sighs with relief once maythus gets his paw out of the knecklace, of sharp pointy things O_o. "ahhhh....finally, out of that little trap of a knecklace."
Dulce is here to help, as best she can. Though it's been a long time since she might have done any digging, a lifetime prior, full of digging has left Dulce reasonably strong. And, with mole logic, Dulce is able to work rather efficiently. She's helping to drag the tables and such.
Aethelstan notices at Dulce helps move tables into place, heaving a happy sigh of relief. "Oi... OI thank ye so much! Ugh... tis' hard work, movn' tables an' such!" He spread the blankets out on the ground, close but safely far enough away from the soon to be bonfire.
Maythus wonders where his nephew is with his staff! "huh wonder where jo wen', eh oh well guess ill help move stuff too." he says with a shrug and starts to help.
Maythus galnces at zen. "hey little one wheres that silly otter and my staff?" he asks the small mouse.
"Hurr. 'T iz iffen 'e be start'n' t' be adoin' et all 'e zelf, zurr... 'T ain't zenz'ble wh'n 'e be 'avin' 'n gurt abbe'full a beasterz t' be 'elpin' owt, hurr?" She nods and tugs her snout to Maythus, between moving chairs. "Thurr, zee. More 'elp, zurr... Be more if'n' 'e be arskin' too, aye."
Aethelstan grins at Maythus' help too! "Oi think's this ma' go smoothr' than Oi thoughts with all the help from such noice beasts! Hehe, thoink ye all! Hehe, Oi hopes"
Zen doesn't say much, he glances around and smiles. "ooh.. what's happen' here? Oh yea! The.. the bonfire!! Hehe, whohoo! Hehe, I can help!" He tries to keep his left arm hidden, but he starts to help by flattning out the blankets.
Maythus nods at aethelstan. "glad to help sir..." Maythus stops then scratches his head. "er yung'in."
A crinkled smile is offered to Zen as he starts to help, while Dulce deposits another chair in a sensible place. "Hurr... Blezz 'e liddle'un. You'm be 'e gurt azzet..." She nods. And moves to reposition a table. "Hurr. Gonna be needin' zumm liddle 'elp wi' 'iz 'un, hurrem?" She asks of the others.
Maythus pushes another table into position. "hmmm....." he thinks. "hurr hurr! that he be'm needin righter nows."
Zen giggles and blushes softly as he helps. "Aww... thehe... thanky!" He continues to flatten out the blankets on the ground, putting every last bit of effort into it!
Aethelstan smiles at Zen and chuckles, "Hey! Can ye' keep tha' up while Oi go an' help the noice mole?" He then pats Zen on the head and scampers over to help Dulce with the table, panting softly. This is hard work!!!
Maythus grumbles to himself. "where is that silly nephew of mine?"
Hard work, but worth it, hopefully. Dulce doesn't seem to be overexerting herself, despite what's getting done and the effort she's putting in. She crinkles her smile, appreciatively, as Aethelstan comes to help and they start to move the table. "Hurr, thank'ee, zurr. Zo'm, wharra be 'e plan o' 'e eve', hurr? We'm a ready turr be tak'n' orderz f' wha' be needin' doin', aye..."
Zen giggles and gives a nod of his head to Aethelstan, keeping all the blankets nice and flat! Ha! They said I was all work and no play! Look at me now!!! He grins at the though and goes to straighten out another blanket, keeping things look all neat!
Aethelstan pants a little, moving the table. Wow, it was pretty heavy! He then glances up at Dulce, taking a moment to decipher the words. "Uh... Oh! Uh... Oi's tryin' to start a tournyment... hehe, fishn' and cookin', jus' things to say 'ELLO SPRING!" He chuckles a little, glancing over at Zen and chuckling at Maythus. Just like his old man!
Maythus stops with the tables and straightens up and pops his back. "ohhh....goodness i must 'ave that darned staff!"
Dulce shake her head, but remains in good, smiley, humour. "Hurr... Oi be know'n' 'at, zurr... Oi be meanin' wot elze be we need t' be doin'? T' zet oop 'nd make 'iz thing wurk, hrrm? Be 'e ennymore t' be movin'? Hurr."
Aethelstan blushes a little, nodding at Dulce. He glances around, "Oh, Oi's sorry.. uh... OI... thoink tha' is all.. Got the blankets, got the tables, got the bonfiah, the fish, the proice... OH! We... we noids to start the fiah!'" He grins and looks around. "Uh... coul' someon' fetch me a foiah?"
Maythus sits down in a chair. "hrm....wonder whats keepin' him from fetchin me staff!"
Zen smiles and finishes with the blankets, then his ears perk. "Tehehe, okies! I-I can gets fire!!! I can gets it!!!" He gets to his feet, grabbing a stick from the bonfire pile, and then darting off towards the great hall! He stops though, shouting back at Maythus. "I tells him to hurries!"
Maythus looks up at jo coming into the area. "finally...." he exclaims.
Aethelstan glances up, spotting Jo. "Heheh, whoiy, there he is!" He grins a little and chuckles.
Jo blushes a little at aethelstan and then hands his uncles his staff. "er, sorry i got caught up in um something."
Jo takes a seat across from his uncle. "hi zen!"
Can... someone fetch him a fire..? What? And then... the dibbun goes off to do so... That seems, somehow, a little unwise... Dulce takes her glasses to rub a speck from one of the lenses away on her apron. "Hurr... Zo. We be all zet oop, b't f'r 'at, 'en... Think Oi'll be zitt'n' f'r a bit..." And she does sit in one of the chairs they just moved.
Zen darts in and smiles, holding a flame on a stick. Of course, he's holding the stick, not the flame. "Hehe, I gots it! I gots it!!" He grins and pads over to the large pile of twigs. "Can I lights it!?! Can I?!?!"
Aethelstan smiles a little at Dulce, nodding. He then chuckels at Zen so eagarly wants to light the fire. "Hehe, sur'! Jus' stay back an' 'ways from it... Need any help at all?"
Jo sighs a little then rubs his face tiredly. "sheesh im tired today..."
Dulce tugs her snout to the beasts arriving, and is... a little relieved to see Zen emerge without razing the abbey... "Hurr. You'm be doin' wot 'e be zayin' liddle'un. An' be 'old'n' 'at stickler at 'e arm'z lengther, hurrem?"
Zen smiles at Dulce, the smile on his face growing more and more! He nods his head, making sure to hold the fire out a little further away from him. He then glances at Flicktail. "Oh, hey! Brofers? can you helps me a littles?" He smiles and squeeks happily!
Flicktail toddles forward o hlp Zen
Aethelstan smiles, seeing Flicktail had taken care of Zen. Oh yes, things were starting to go just fine! He smiles and falls back into a chair beside Dulce, chucklnig a little. "Hehe, Oi thanks all of ye for ye help!"
Maythus nods at aethelstan. "my pleasure."
Jo suddenly realizes that he still holds maythus's staff. "oh um maythus heres your staff." he says then he hands the shaman his staff.
Maythus grins at jo and excepts the staff. " thank you jo..." he then leans upon his staff for support.
Zen smiles, dropping the flaming stick into the others and... whoosh! The fire has been light! Slowly, the fire grows and soon, there is a massive bonfire! Zen smiles happily at the fire, regardless even if he got burned just yesterday! "I dids it! I dids it!!" He turns and givs Flicky a nice big hug! "Oh, thanky brofer!"
Flicktail takes the little one in his arms, hugging Zen, his muzzle wet with happy tears
Aethelstan smiles at Zen and Flicktail. "Aww.. hehe, thank ye very much, Flicky and lil' one!" He smiles and then stretches. He takes a moment to catch his breath and look around.
Maythus suddenly bursts out. "ONIONS!" he says loudly, then realizes its another one of his episode. "er sorry um everyone.
Flicktail smiles at all the beasts
Mayeul just stands out of the way of everything, seeing what this tournament thingy is all about. >.>
Zen smiles, looking around. It was quite a good job he thinks! There are blankets on the ground all saftly away from a large bonfire that's to last the whole night! There are also tables and chairs set up all over the place, one with a realy big fish on it! Oh boy!
Dulce starts a little at the shout of onions, but counters with a sleepy mumble of "Hurr... 'm tea cozy be'm inna gate'ouze..." as her head droops forward, ready to nap.
Odilo follows closely behind Mayeul, but not too closely, and not directly behind... he walks in a wide arc around, seemingly coming to the pond from a different direction. He keeps an eye on Mayeul while he too observes the goings on.
Aethelstan grins and catches eye of Mayeul, smiling. "Oh, 'ello! Hehe noice of ye ta' join us! We's 'bout ready to start!" He doesn't catch eye of Odilo though. He then chuckles a bit at Dulce, grabbing a spare blanket and tossing it around her. "Heh, sleep well, frien'."
Maythus eyes every beast who is present and thinks that it was a good idea to visit his novice nephew, instead of mixing potions and having to search out belongings on his seeing stone.
Maythus room-pages, "heck yeah magic! not.....magic is for wizards, elements are for mages and i guess shamans? sheesh i dont wanna talk to the dead!".
Dulce mumbles something about spiders and makes an appreciative sleep grunt for the blanket. And then, she's dreaming.
Mayeul sits down at the table with the fish, leaning over and taking in the smells. He turns around when Aethelstan addresses him, "Oh, hello there... well, if you say - I'm ready, er, to do what?"
Zen's ears perk, a smile growing across his face. "Uncle Mayeul!!" He gives Flicky once last, BIG hug, then runs over to Mayeul to do the same, interupting or not!
Flicktail Kisses Zen onna cheek before letting him run off
Knife-juggling, hopefully? Odilo walks towards the gathering, putting his paw out to Aethelstan to shake, "I'm enterin' myself for the tournament, my name's Odilo - what's first? I hope it's pike-throwin' or wall-climbin'... I'm good at either!" He limbers up, stretching his legs one after another.
Aethelstan grins and stands up. "Wer' gonna have a nice competitoin! Hehe, see tha' there fish?" He poitns at it, the fish is massive! Big enough to feed the whole abbey! "We ar..." He turns to Odilo, smiling widly! "Why... okie!!! Noice to meet ya! I's Aethelstan! Uh... Come ovr' to the fish!
We'll get ye ready to cook for the competiton!" Odilo wasn't expecting that, was he?!?
Jo raises an eyebrow at odilo then stands up and walks over to odilo.
Flicktail blinks blinks "Now AT's a FISHY
Aethelstan nods his head at Flicktail. "Oh yes... Craven cought it this morn'! We mus' pay speical thanks to em'. Quite a catch, eh?!?"
Mayeul's eyebrows perk, "Cooking, eh? I've done a fair amount of that on the go, but nothing gourmet... excuse me if I'm not any good." He leans down to Zen, "Why hello there! How are you, lad?" He almost falls over at the huge hug! He holds Zen in an arm, "So who is cooking against whom?"
Odilo scratches his head, "Cook? I'm no cook, always had the army cook to do all the roastin' and marinadin'."
Zen grins and chuckles, hugging tightly, but then backing off, his arm hurting. "Ouch.. er... I's ok... but I hurts me arm." He shrugs it off a little, then grins. "I's gonna cooks against him!" He glances at Aethelstan. "If... someones helps me, can I?"
Aethelstan nods at Mayeul. "Oh, anyone! Hehe, anyone can cooks if they wanna." He then grins at Odilo. "Oi think' ye'll do fine.. give it a try, eh?" He grins and gives a soft nudge. "Ye already volenteerd!"
Mayeul smiles at Zen, "I suppose I'll be on your team, if it's okay? I'll make sure you don't... ooh, look at that - how did that happen?" He frowns as he gets a first look at the arm, holding it up delicately, "My goodness, Zen, that doesn't look well at all..."
Flicktail Drools a bit saying "Fishy Fishy Fishy
Odilo makes a face at the dibbun's scarred, furless arm, before clapping Flicktail on the back, "You know how to cook, mate? Perhaps we could face off against the dibbun an' old whiskers over there... can we do teams? This fellow here can be my, er... what's it called? Sooo chef?"
Flicktail says, "Oi elpa ya to Brudder"
Jo scratches his head thoughtfully. "erm will anyone cook with me?"
Flicktail says, "oi can't compete agin Zen e be me brudder..oi only knows ow to cooks fishy one ways"
Aethelstan nods his head at Mayeul and Zen, but then goes a bit silent. He then looks at Odilo and Flicktail. He waits to see how things work out.
Mayeul hrmms, then nods, "Well, I'm all set to start cooking. What ingredients do we have available? Zen, you can put all the ingredients in once we filet the fish... do you have hats for us? We have to have chef hats!"
Odilo looks between the fox and the little mouse, "Brother, eh? Strange families here at Redwall, I'll say... I guess maybe his arm could be related to ya, ha ha ha... er, sorry, meant nothing by it." Then he gets an idea, "Oh, say... Mayeul over there, looks like he's hoggin' your little mate there... they look like a right sweet couple, eh? An' both of them are mice. Guess you're stuck with me." He gently elbows the fox...
Flicktail says, "less Zen wats to se oo's best" Flicktail pats Odilo "nay nay..it be a good oideas..just wonts ta er wot Zen thinks. Flicktail says, "les does it Odilo"
Zen squeeks softly, his arm all bandaged up. "Uh... coughts fire.. but... it's okie... WE can cooks though! He nodded his heads yes!" He then smiles grins at Mayeul. He then turns to Flicktail and Odilo, tilting his head slightly. "Ughn... well... I guesses... ye can teams up.." He then smirks and laughs! "Causes squirrly's gonna needs all the helps he can gets!" He grins, boasting with pride!
Odilo scowls at Zen, out of sight of Flicktail. He'll show that little scab!!
Flicktail says, "sommon Odilo, we needs Budder an lemons"
Jo ponders a little at the problem of cooking by himself. "erm i guess ill um...i dont know what ill do...
Flicktail says, "somons Jo..nottin says only 2 to a teams..."
Aethelstan looks between the beasts, the flat out laughs! "Hehehaha! Ok then, go for it!!" He finds a seat at the table where the fish was at to watch, then he smiles at Jo. "Oh why... ye can taste the food! We noids a judge, righ'?"
Jo brightens suddenly at what flicktail says. "harr harr yesh ill be cookin alright!"
Mayeul laughs and pats Zen on the head, "Indeed he probably will... let's see if he learned anything from the army cook - doubtful. I was the only one asking him all the questions, looks like it turned out to be a good idea." He gets some butter and garlic, and some fresh herbs to make herb butter.
Maythus suddenly hops up and shuffles over to jo. "heh and dont think you can leave your ol' uncle in the dust!" he then claims a spot behind one of the competing tables.
Jo blinks at what maythus says then follows him. "er...ok, two otters are better than one!"
Odilo looks all around him, "So what? We got the three teams, then? Me an' this fox here... er, didn't get your name, fellow? Mayeul and Zen, and those two otters?" He sighs, and hopes Flicktail knows what he's doing. Odilo is thinking 'blackened' fish sounds about right.
Flicktail says, "Oi be Fliktail..Flicky to me friends"
Aethelstan grins and chuckles softly to himself! It seems there were teams forming! Zen and Mayeul, Odilo and Flicktail, Jo and Maythus! This was going great!! "Ok! Goes! Ye have.. uh... jus' go crazy and make somethn'! Edibl' hopefuly!" He chuckles and grins.
Maythus thinks hard. "hey jo remember and i know you dont like going to that part of your past but you remember your mums fish soup and such?"
Zen grins right back:nods at Mayeul and grins, bouncing around. "Hehe, what does I do?! What does I do?!?" He looks around and smiles a little..
Jo nods at maythus. "yeah er yes i do, it was great on a rainy day or even in the middle o' summer..."
Mayeul runs around to get the ingredients he needs... he's quick to get some salt and pepper before it's all taken, and has the butter, herbs, and garlic... he figures some seasoning will do too, and finally has everything needed on the table, ready to go to the fish once it's fileted.
Maythus scrunches up his eyes tightly then opens them wide. "ahh i have the ingredients in my bag....some of them..."
Jo nods at maythus. "ok um what should i get?"
Flicktail seems to know Odilo
Zen glances at Mayeul, then knows what to do! He runs to get fish!! He tries to reach up there, but he's to small. Seeing Aethelstan sitting there, he squeeks!
Odilo turns to Flicktail, "Well hello, then, Flicktail... Um... What goes on fish? Any idea?" He looks over at Mayeul and decides to get everything he's getting - "Flicky, get some garlic, while I go an' get the, er, butter! Quick!" He goes over to Aethelstan with his paws completely full and asks for some of the fish, "Just a tail portion, maybe? Cut a little off the end?"
Flicktail says, "um we needs Dill..and lemons, and meadow cream....wi some moise oils..."Flicktail gets the ingrediance and some Galick "otter loikes Hotroots too
Aethelstan blinks a little at the squeek, looking down and spotting Zen. He chuckles and grins, "Oh! Ye' needs fish? Ok, mate!" With that, he grabs a plate and takes a good slice of fish and hands it to him. He then tends to Odilo, chuckling softly. He does just what Odilo asks, setting it on a plate and handing it to him.
Mayeul helps Zen once he's done, going over and thanking Aethelstan for the plate, letting Zen carry it, "Got it, there? That's a sizable portion, we're lucky to get there first!" He looks over as Odilo is asking for a tail, and shakes his head. "Alright, let's go and get this piece ready to cook!"
Zen squeeks and laughs! He has the fish he wants! He then darts back over with Mayeul and the fish. Holding the plate out, he pants softly. "Heh, alright!!" He looks around for something to do!
Flicktail watches Odilo and says to him "Thank ye mate...It' snic eto get picked fer a team
Maythus starts naming of things for the soup and such, winkwink. " we will need a great big pot, like a cauldron, erm ill tell ya what else te' get when you get that pot..."
Odilo nods "Alright, alright, so you've got your ingredients then? Do any need to go on before we... er, what do we do with this thing? You know how to get the bones out of it?" He just sort of stands back and stares at the piece of fish, dumbstruck. "Do we need to get the bones out?"
Flicktail continues to spean his fish, adding te ingrediants to teh water so it steams thru the fishy flesh
Jo rushes over gathers a pot, fills it from the pond, rips a chunck of fish from the huge fish upon the table, chucks it in......
Aethelstan chcukles at Jo, grinning a bit. He looked at the fish, blinking. Wow! There still is plenty of fish!
Mayeul mixes the garlic and butter and herbs together in a pan to make a nice reduction... has the fish going with some herbs and salt and pepper in the other... keeping a close eye on both, "Hmm, why don't you put some more garlic in this pan, Zen? He holds Zen up so he can reach it!
Jo room-pages, "gets 10 leeks and chops them up, throws in some parsley, hotroot pepper, salt........, rips a even bigger of the fish cuts it up expertly then chucks it into the pot.".
Flicktail squeezes Lemon overthe fish and sprinkles dill weed on it....it's all he knows how to cook
Zen squeeks and grins, adding the garlic to the pan slowly, hopeing not to add to much. Turning to Mayeul, he grins. "There!" He then glances over at Flicktail, smiling a bit. He chuckles softly!
Jo minces some garlic and throws half in and saves for later...., he then flours another part of his work surface and adds more flour to it and pours water over it and kneads it.
Flicktail waggles his ingers at Zen with a smile
Odilo is watching Flicktail, "Er, can I help at all? I think maybe we could use a sauce, like he's makin' over there? Any ideas? No sauce? Okay..." He trails off, standing and watching, and feeling like a fool. If it were a pike-throwing contest, he might win. Even a pike-fishing contest? But a fish cooking contest has him completely confused. XP
Flicktail nods to Odilo "yes take e other ingrediants and rubb into e fishy..lokes givin a massage
Jo he then tosses the kneaded dough into the air and catches it on his rudder and swings it around till its a perfect oval with a hole through the middle, then slams it back down onto the work surface and kneads it again and adds the minced garlic into the dough...
Odilo stares at Flicktail, dumbfounded, "You want me ta... massage it? I don't see the otters massagin' theirs! Massage?" He goes to it with less than perfect vigor, then he sees Mayeul rubbing in some of the ingredients of his and feels a little better.
Flicktail says, "aye Matey...at be it///giv er a good ub"
Jo starts juggling the dough with one paw and walks over to the fish rips off another chunk and walks back, sets down the dough and chops up the3 fish then ads it to the dough then kneads it yet again.
Mayeul chuckles when he sees Odilo giving the fish a backrub, as he's done putting the ingredients on his, some olive oil being brushed lightly on the top... he places the fish face down now, to get a good sear going on the top. "Zen, hows that herb butter coming along?"
Jo finishes kneading the dough then spreads it out then wads it up again, then starts forming it into a long loaf.
Flicktail says, "Ween were done we as ta put e top on so e water stemes e fishy...en e meats falls offa bones"
Zen waves his paw back at Flicktail! Oh, then he gets back to work! He grins and smiles at Mayeul. "Hehea, almos' ready!!" Looking over at Odilo, he blinks! What?!?! He gives backrubs!?!? No fair! I wa-.. oh, cooking, right..
Jo stops abruptly, bones? O_O, he then starts digging in the pot for the fish... "grrr....stupid bones!" Jo manages to get the fish backout of the pot and removes the bones then throws the meat back in. "ok nothing too serious." he says with a smile and then looks over at everyone else then to zen. "i could give yer' a good back rubbin when were done cookin' "
Mayeul turns the fish back over and quickly brushes some of the herb butter on the top, turning it back over. Alright, now we need a sauce to go on top when this is done... he takes some butter, flour, onions, and cream, and some of the seasoning, and some wine, and mixes it all together in the right proportion. Hurry! "Zen, can you stir this while it's on the fire?" He flips the fish back over, the top is seared just right!
Jo eyes the pot of soup once done with the bread. "oi...."
Jo thinks about how his uncle went right to bed in the middle of this!
Zen chuckles a little at Jo, then smiles. "Hehe, okie.. uh.... EEK! Oh, uh... sure!" He quickly moves over and starts to stir! Stir! Stir! He chuckles a little and thinks a little. Maybe he should give up thievery to be a cook! Wait, haha, nope! He chuckles and stirs more and more.
Jo squints a little in thought. "anythin....mayb....hmmm.....soup..."
Odilo is finished rubbing the fish. "How's that mate, feel all loosened up now? I think he's properly relaxed, now.." He gets out of the way for Flicktail to finish the dish. "All yours, Flicky." He looks at his paws, all fishy. "Euughhh..."
Flicktail chucklkes "it be goo...pushes e spices inta e fish..now lets put a top on and put it next to e fire so it kin steams
Jo stomps on the ground while thinking about the right ingredi.... "shrimp!!! heh of course!!"
Mayeul takes the fish out just in time, although it's a little done, and plates it! He takes the other pan from Zen, "Thanks, lad, good job of stirring that!" He pours the creamy sauce on the fish, decorating the top with some parsley. "There! I think we're done, Zen! High five!"
Zen blinks and yays! He bounces up and down with joy and gives Mayeul a good high paw! "Heha, we dids it!! We dids it!!!" He then sniffles softly at the air... "Yummy.."
Jo quickly dives into the pond with a net in his hand, then comes back up hauling a full net. "ok add....about all of it!" he grunts while dumpingALL the shrimp into the pot then lifts it up gently and hauls it to the fire to boil.
Mayeul nods, "We certainly did, although I think the competition is a taste-testing one and not a race. But still, I think we have a shot!" He looks over at the otter with the shrimp, and over at Aethelstan, "Is he? Can?" Unfair advantage! Webbed paws!
Jo he then lifts up the newly formed loaf of bread and places it in a loaf pan... "harr harr! git in there you beast!."
Aethelstan chuckles a little and grins. He watches and finds Mayeul and Zen have finished! He waits though. "Hehe, Oi' can' waits to eats! Smells... so... so good!"
Jo realizes he is doing all this with just one paw and his rudder because he forgot about the pot of soup in his other paw.
Zen nods at Mayeul, grinning. "We did.. did the bestest a mousie cook an.. an.. uh.. dibbun cook could cook!" He then glances at the others, grinning a bit at Jo.
Odilo sees Mayeul done and hurries Flicky, "C'mon, mate, c'mon... fast, now, the team over there is finished! Is the fish done in there?" He bounces up and down, not really sure why he cares, except to feed his sweet victory to Mayeul!
Jo he stops with the bread and then walks over to the fire and sets the pot in nicely.J o he turns back to his bread and thinks about how its going to backe.... "hrm...."
Flicktail chuckles 'it will be ready Mate, ye wontsto serve steamed ishy fresh from e fire, so when ay be ready ta judge..webrinsg ot over
Mayeul nods and pats Zen, and serves the plate to Aethelstan, "Will you be judging? There's plenty more where that came from!"
Flicktail says, "this be, steamed Fishy wi lemon dill and Garlic sauce...an a side of meadow cream"
Odilo gives a thumbs up to Flicktail, "Good thinkin', mate. I like your style, can't wait to show off some o' my skills in the next contest. Just everybody wait!" He accompanies Flicktail as he serves their Odilo-rubbed, steamed fish. XP
Jo 'somehow' finds some sortof think bent wire stuff and bends it into a small stand for the bread, with that done he places the rack into the fire trying not to get burned, and gently places the pan of bread into it fto bake.
Aethelstan smiles at Mayeul, not touching the plate yet. "Hehe, Oi has a few beasts tha' will judge the food..." He grins, a wide smile on his face. "Oh, an' Oi's glad there is plenny'!"
Jo room-pages, "sheesh".
Flicktail says, "o at be a PERFECT name Odilo rubbed Fish" taking some to Aethel"
Mayeul chuckles at the name of Flicky's piece. Perfect, indeed!
Jo walks over to the pond and washes his hands quickly, then trots over to the pot of soup, but not before 'grabbing a potholder..' to lift the lid off to check it.
Zen smiles at Mayeul, "Hehe, wha.. what's are dish calleds? Hehe, does ours has a name?" He bounces up and down, excited he was!
Jo lifts the lid off allowing the steam to escape from the already boiling soup. "hmmm....not quite done." he says according to his observation. XD
Mayeul almost forgot! "Hrmm... well, I suppose it's the 'Zen and Mayeul Incredible Herb Butter Seafood Masterpiece'!" He takes a bow.
Flicktail says, "at be a mouthful Mayegul"
Mayeul nods, "Aye, my friend Flicky, and a mouthful it will soon be!"
Aethelstan smiles at Flicky and chuckles. "Heh, thoit is is! Oi' can' waits to taste it! Hehe, noice names too!" He now has two plates infront of him. Odilo rubbed fish and Zen and Mayeul Incredible Herb Butter Seafood Masterpiece! He next waits for the soup, pondering what name it will have.
Flicktail asks, "Ye think we will win Odilo Mate?"
Jo looks over at the bread. "a few more minutes for the bread...."
Zen Watches Jo, sitting on the ground and chuckling a little.
Odilo shrugs, "I know you did a good job, mate... I'm not so sure our judge likes his fish Odilo-rubbed, though. We'll see - but I'm confident, especially with that silly name they've got on theirs."
Flicktail says, "E fish oil make yer paws soft, Vixens loikes at"
Zen sticks his tongue out at Odilo! "Well.. uh.. Zen and Mayeuls Inc-incre... dibler... uh..." Ok, so he couldn't even say it, but he sticks his toungue out anyways!
Odilo frowns and looks down at his paws... he isn't in the market for any vixens.. but surely that applies to lovely squirrelmaids too? He waves at one in the gathering and she turns her nose up at him!
Flicktail says, "Ye don want er Mate, ye be too goods for er"
Aethelstan glances about, looking over at Jo. His mouth waters at the plates before him...
Mayeul bows and picks Zen up, putting him on his shoulders with an elderly grunt, "Well, we're happy to present it, sir... he waits for the other team, er, contestant, to be done. "Excuse me, sir, but may I help him finish, over there?"
Jo lifts the bread off the fire declaring it done and setting it down upon his work surface then without further ado he puts on ovenmits and ligs the soup off the fire unsure where to put it. "erm..."
Flicktail wrings his paws waiting to see what Aethl pronounces from each
Aethelstan smiles at Mayeul. "Hehe, why.. Oi' don' mind. Jus' make sure it is ok with Jo an'.. uh... where... wha' happn' ta Maythus?" he chuckles, figuring he might have fallen asleep! He then sees Jo is finished!!! He smiles at the soup, grabbing a bowl and filling it with it. "Hehe, does it havva' name?" He asks Jo.
Mayeul goes over to Jo, "Hello there, SIR, I feel bad that you are working alone - may I assist you with the finishing of your entry?" He tries to be as polite as possible, without seeming too pitying.
Mayeul looks around, "What do you need to do with the soup?" He looks at the bread, "Mmmm, smells nice, with the shrimp."
Zen smiles and sits ontop of Mayeul, smiling at Jo. "Hehe, I thinks ya did fines, except... yer' uncle fells asleep.. tehehahah..." He grins a bit, then smiles.
Aethelstan waits a moment as Jo and Mayuel finish the soup. He grins, waiting to hear the name.
Mayeul helps Jo finish up his soup and bread dish, and helps him get it ready to serve! "What are you calling it? Oh, I don't think I ever got your name, sir?"
Jo bows slightly towards mayuel. "im jo the novice as of last week."
Mayeul smiles, "Congratulations, then, Jo... your uncle, as I hear, must be very proud!" He pokes Zen to make sure he's still alive up there! :P
Zen eeks and squeeks! He was listening! He chuckles a little and grins at Mayeul, giving a soft poke back. "Tehehe, silly.."
Jo nods. "too bad he went to bed..."
Mayeul goes to help, "Ohh.. uh, let's pour that out into something, I think..." He doesn't know what to do either because it isn't his dish! He hopes the otter will give him some instructions, but he grabs a soup bowl just in case. "Uh, oh, here's this?" He smiles up at Zen.
Jo blinks yet again, oh the table. "erm...the table thats where it, heh heh, thats where it should be." he says laughing out loud.
Odilo waits by Flicktail as their dish is sitting out with Mayeul's. Hmm... Jo's will probably win by virtue of it being the only entry still hot...
Mayeul helps Jo take the soup over, "Alright, presenting the third and final fish, er, dish... it's called...." He steps aside so Jo can name it!
Jo thinks a bit. "fish soup?" he says a little nervously. "heh maythus never told me the name...."
Aethelstan smiles as the dish is brought to him. He glances at it and tilts his head. "Hhe, then Fish soup it is!!" He grins, finaly! He takes a wiff of the air, mmmm... "Now... Oi'd loik fer one beast from each group to steps forwards..." Uh oh, what is this?!?
Mayeul repeats loudly, "Fish.... soup!" And claps, with the others. All the dishes are ready! He does a jumping dance, with Zen still on top, but stops when his bones start to make sounds they're not supposed to! He waits eagerly for the tasting and judging to begin! He holds Zen's paw in anticipation!
Jo blinks yet again. the bread! "erm the bread!"Jo he walks quickly and retrives the bread and sets it in front of aethelstan.
Odilo nudges Flicktail with an elbow, commenting from earlier, "Yeah, mate, that other squirrelmaid standin' next to her is prettier anyways, I think..." He waves and winks at her, but gets the same reaction out of the new maid. He huffs and folds his paws, unfolding them quickly when he realizes there's still fish on them!
Aethelstan chuckles and nods his head, seeing the bread. Then he grins. "Ok then... which beasts'l step forward?"
Zen blinks at Mayeul and tilts his head a bit. He holds Mayeul's paw tight. "Uh... who.... goes? Me's or yous?"
Mayeul steps forward with Zen (he doesn't really have a choice), "Both of us! We'll tell 'em you're just my head!"
Odilo offers to step forward for Flicktail. "You did all the work, mate, I'll take care of it." He steps forward.
Aethelstan shakes his head at Mayeul and chuckles. "Hehe, only one..." He smiles and then hrmmms... "'Ello Odilo!" He smiles and nods his head.
Zen hrmms at Mayeul and scratches his head. "Okie.. uh... You gose.." He nods his head and grins.
Mayeul nods and sets Zen down 'gently', and walks forward, chuckling at Odilo out of the corner of his eye... what a sad cook! "I am representing the Zen and Mayeul Incredible Herb Butter Seafood Masterpiece!"
Aethelstan grins and nods his head, then he turns to Jo. "Hehe, unless ye' uncle wakes... ye mus' step fowards."
Jo steps foward?
Aethelstan grins and smiles. "Now Oi mus' say, congradulations! These are the FOINEST meals Oi's evah' seen! Oi's no' the judge though.. YE ARE!" He grins. "It's simple. Ye' each eat jus' a lil' of the othahs dish and vote for one or the othah! Hehe, ye can't tastes ye own so ye can't vote on it eitha!" He smiles and grins!
Zen smiles at Mayeul, chuckling a little. He's kind of glad he didn't volenteer himself! He feels he is bad at making hard choices!
Odilo tastes Jo's and Mayeul's dish and whispers his vote into Aethelstan's ear. "Jo's Fish soup." What a surprise! The contest is rigged! He shuffles back to let the others taste, and winks at Mayeul. He's so glad it was him that went up! He walks back to Flicky, "Alright, now I wouldn't say either was as good as ours, but we'll see..."
Aethelstan's ear perks a little and he nods his head, chuckling soflty. He then goes quiet, waiting for the other votes.
Jo finishes off his serving of the odilo rubbed fish. hrmph...mmm..." maybe he should swallow....O_O* "wow this is....ermph..." see? "this is delicious!" he says throgh yet still a mouthfull of food!
Mayeul goes up and tastes Jo's and Odilo's dish... and he has to admit, although he can taste Odilo's paws, he likes Flicky's idea of the seasonsings and goes up to Aethelstan and votes for the Odilo-rubbed fish. Minus the Odilo-rubbing, of course. He goes back to Zen, "Well, I think we're out of this one... no way Odilo would vote for either you or me." He says with a shrug.
Jo then takes a serving of zens and ayues.
Zen nods a little at Mayeul, then looks to Jo. He starts to think, then he keeps dead quiet... DEAD QUIET....
Aethelstan nods his head and smiles, waiting for the last vote to decied the winner!
Jo gobbles it down quickly. "hmmmm...." he thinks around and around in his head "which one......"
Zen Watches Jo and fidgets with his paws!
Mayeul is silent as he waits for the final verdict... he starts to think too about the process, and is bothered by it, but remains quiet as well. He decides Odilo is a major problem in the system, as he always is with everything.
Jo smacks his lips then speaks. "sorry odilo and flicky but its zens and mayuels dish." XD i cant think straightright now!
Odilo folds his paws, after wiping them off, and shrugs, "Well I didn't vote for 'im, and he can't vote for himself... so I guess it's either you or a tie... Who's the winner, Aethelstan, mate?" He waits for the final say, and taps his foot. He'll kick the teeth out of the next contest, he promises himself.
Aethelstan grins and smiles. "So tha' is one fer Odilo rubbed fish, one fer Zen and Mayeul Incredible Herb Butter Seafood Masterpiece, an one fer Fish soup.." He grins and smiles. "Oi guesses that means we has a tie! Hehaha! No proizes, ye gots a meal an' thoits good enough, roit?" He grins and laughs, "Hehe, Oi's kidden!" He goes under the table, pulling out three... OH MY!!! Three large bottles of the best strawberry cordial in the abbey!! "Heheha! Courtesy of Barkus!!!" He sighs, thinking of how he nearly had his head ripped off just to get them. He's never going to Barkus again to ask for cordial!
Zen's eyes widen... Stroawberry cordial?!?!? That's his FAVORITE!! He bounces up and down, squeeking happily!
Jo chuckles a little at zen. "heh heh..."
Mayeul picks Zen up again and bounces him up and down in victory!! "Whoo hooo!!! Now /that's/ a prize! We did a good job, didn't we Zen?! We'll split it 50/50, how about that?!"
Zen laughs and squees happily! "Tehehaha! I loves strawberries cordial!!! OKIE! I drinks my halfs now!!" He grins a little and smiles, hugging Mayeul tight!!
Odilo looks back at Flicktail, "Well, how about that, mate? I thought we were losers for sure, since, well... we won too! It was the rub, I knew they couldn't resist the rub down I gave that fish!" He gives Flicktail a high five and goes to claim their prize, which he'll end up drinking most of, if Flicktail isn't careful!
Jo walks up and picks up the flask and backs back fro.....the soup! he walks over grabs a bowl and fills it with the fish soup! and rips a chunk of bread from the loaf. and starts chowin down....
Aethelstan laughs and grins heartily, then he looks around too. "Hehe, so.. ye says ye had plenty?!?!" He grins! "Oh, an rembers, thank Craven for the fish and Barkus for the Cordial. Hehe, the bonfires going on all noit incase one of ye wants to stay out here!"
Jo nods at aethelstan. "ok........."
Mayeul nods and toasts Barkus, Craven, and Aethelstan, "Long life to you all!" As he drinks the first of the cordial and pours some for Zen! Then he joins the others and mingles with everybody, some his already knows, and some he introduces himself to for the first time!
Jo takes off his straw hat then puts the flask of cordial in there along side his flask of spiced wine.
Odilo goes off to find more squirrelmaids... surely he hasn't exhausted his charm on all of them yet? He peels off into the crowd.
Jo then puts his hat back on.
Aethelstan blushes a little when he's cheered too, then he smiles. "Aww.. thank ye. Long life to ye all as well! Ye are great cooks!"
Jo suddenly looks puzzeled. "anyone try the bread?....."
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