milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Teja is outside, putting finishing touches on the fire pit he has been building all day. It is sitting in a little dell a bit further down the lake shore than the forge is, and any may guess, if they wish, why he might be doing it.

Because he thinks that fires may be welcome to the cats, come autumn? Because he intends to roast the fish that are lying on a rock beside the pit in which he is now building a fire, as well as the bread dough twisted around some sticks with olive oil and herbs?

Because he might, eventually, wish to work on larger projects there?

If one were interested, Teja might explain.--

[[OOC: Post is brought by you by that random fire pit turning up on the Squidoo newsletter that arrives in my email inbox every day.]]

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"You should make kippers." Carlotta says, coming up behind him.

"Greetings, Carlotta," Teja says, turning around to look at her. "What are those?"

"Smoked fish." Carlotta says. "You've never eaten them? Shocking!"

"I have eaten smoked fish, but not called it kipper," Teja says.

"Wait here, I'll bring some." Carlotta says, going inside. She's still using the cane, but less than before; it's almost decorative now.

She comes back out with kippers, and sits next to him at the fire pit.

Teja tries some of it.

"It's very smokey, and quite soft," Teja says. "These will just be roasted over the fire, not smoked slowly in cold smoke."

"We cook them in the circus. Sausages too, though I can't stomach them at the moment."

"I hope you will like one of the trout I caught," Teja says. "I have heard that pregnant women will crave some foods, and abhor others."

Carlotta glances around to see if they're in earshot.

"Thank you sir." she says. "Did you catch it in the lake?"

"In one of the small streams leading into the lake," Teja says. "But yes -- where else would it come from?"

"From the place you visit with your people?" Carlotta ponders.

"It would not be very wise, to catch fish and bring it all the way, if fresh fish is to be caught here," Teja says.

"I suppose that depends where your door is." Carlotta says. "We sometimes stop to fish on the move, though I haven't done lately. Usually we buy food from farms and grow a few things in window boxes."

"My door is on the side of my barrow-hill," Teja says, "a bit of a walk from the farm, and even further from the trout stream."

"It doesn't move around, then?"

"No," Teja says. "Why should it? Even when I only dreamed of them, it was ever that place where they would be with me."

"I just wondered, because mine does, I suppose." Carlotta says.

"But so do you," Teja says. "I only ever wish to go to that one place, when I visit Gotland."

"I didn't think that we had any control over our portals. How would they know if we move?"

"They wish to have us here, and go by their magic to wherever we are," Teja says. "But I know of others that have stable portals. It all lies within the magic powers of the bar to decide."

Carlotta nods.

"The fish smells good." she says, poking at the cooking food with a long stick. "There's nothing like food on a hot fire."

"And the bread will go well with it," Teja says. "At least it always did when we were on the road."

"How are the children at home?" Carlotta asks. "Did they like the toys?"

That brings a true smile to Teja's grim face.

"I am told little Hilde will go nowhere without her little wooden cat," he says, "and sleep with it clutched in her hand every night."

"Oh!" Carlotta grins; the image is adorable.

"It's a shame that soft toys aren't invented in her time."