A Tale of Two Cooks

The noise from the crowd rose and fell, following the action on the field. The season was coming to an end, and teams were vying for a spot in the quarter finals. Maeb was working the counter, wearing a large felt red and yellow snail on her head.

"Got to show the home team some love" she said when she caught his look that morning as they opened and began prep. "Punters love it. I'd have worn my team scarf too, but it gets in the fryer."

"That'll be 7 and 6 love." She took money and made change from her apron. "Here you go. Roll Snails!" She laughed as she handed a family, all similarly bedecked in team shirts, scarves and/or hats, their order of teas and snacks. "Roll Snails!" they all shouted happily and moved on.

She was good with the punters, and Clwngher was glad he had talked her into joining him after they had finished their enlistments. The side of her face still bore the scars from a shell that had burst near their field kitchen, but that didn't stop him from staring at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. He walked with a distinct limp, a souvenir from the same battle, as he moved around the small cook area preparing fried worm sarnies, fried grubs on a stick, urns of tea, and sugared moths.

Using his demob bonus and back pay to set up this Concession Stand at the Sports Field was a good investment. When the Mhudd-Ball season ended there was Cr'kyt and Beetle Jousting. Cr'kyt matches and the Beetle Jousts went on all day, so lots of hungry folks.

Maeb's nephew, Nodlyn, was working with him. He was busy stirring more batter for the grubs. "Hiya Noddy!" came a sing-song voice from the service counter. "Oh hi, Bronny" Nodlyn replied with a note of embarrassment, focusing on his batter. There was a pretty young dyna wearing a yellow and red scarf with her parents buying some sandwiches and tea. "Working today?" she said for the sake of having something to say. "Uh... yeah..." came Nodlyn's reply.

Maeb was smiling to herself watching the interaction. Clwngher watched as the young dyna lingered, trailing behind her parents. Nodlyn watched her go, his snout blushing a deep red.

Clwngher pulled a packet of sugared moths off the rack and handed them to Nodlyn. "I think they bought some of these too, didn't they Maeb?" Maeb nodded. "Oh yes, silly me! Forgot to give it to them!" He looked at the young buck. "Here, you'd better run after and give these to her." Nod stood there stunned. "We've got enough prep done. You can knock off for the day. Go on lad! Go after her!"

Nod quickly got out of his apron and dashed out the door, clutching the sugared moths in his hand. Maeb watched him go. "A' tha'  was nice. Didn't know you was such a soft daftie."

Clwngher stood beside her watching the youth catch up to Bronwyn's family. He looked her in the eyes, his throat full of emotion. "I know what it's like to be a buck in love."

Maeb blushed.

***********************************************

Culinary Yawdryl P'tryc was ensconced in his sanctum sanctorum. That is, his immense girth was behind the prep counter in the company kitchens where he reigned with an iron ladle and well aimed wooden spoon. All of the Company Cooks in the Princess P'trysha of Collysh's Lifeguards were under his direction and training. He had made dinners for the King, and his Cream Teas were legendary. The Princess always asked that he do her teas with the officers.

But today he had a problem. 

The kind of problem that he liked.

A culinary problem. 

"Never trust a skinny cook!"

His friend, the Quarter-Master Yawdryl, had bounced in yesterday, holding a box and obviously pleased with himself. 

Notice crossed spoon and fork in his bicorne

"Guess what's in the box!"

P'tryc rubbed his snout. "Well, it's not wine or you'd have drunk it all, you old crook!"

The QMY laughed and slid the box across the counter. "Go on! What do you think, eh?"

P'tryc opened the box suspiciously. "Look, mate, I don't need any of your old dyna magazines."

But he opened the box anyway. Inside were about two dozen purple snails trying to climb out.

Spiny purple snails were a delicacy, hard to get, and expensive. He promptly got out his best brandy and poured a generous glass for his friend. 

So today, he sipped at his own glass and pondered the fat, juicy mollusk in front of him, eating salad leaves. The Duke was having the King to dine next week. These snails would be perfect. 

As long as he had the right sauce. He started melting butter in a pan and searched the wine rack for a strong, sweet red. The Dwyfnt 1765 should be just the thing. He needed to get it perfect. 

*************************

A couple of characters for the Quar. It's an odd assortment in the line up so production is slow. But the PPCLI have a Cook in the HQ Squad now. The spiny snails mounted on 15mm mdf bases will be the three rations tokens that can be expended.

The moth cake chef is a Tribe membership bonus figure based on a cartoon from one of the rule books featuring a Crusader Kryndl armoured car stopping to buy moth cakes from a bakery. The Snack Shack was given to me by Rob Hanks at Hotlead.