Submission (#3789) Approved

     The orange glow of the fire illuminated red bricks that surrounded the firepit, blending into the brownish red dirt that had been cleared of any flammable debris. Early that morning, Louku and Malis had made sure to clear the area of any stray golden leaves so that there would not be a chance of the fire getting loose. "Do you have all the ingredients that you need?" Malis called over her shoulder as she lifted the heavy cauldron over the warm embers of the fire. "And have you checked the book to make sure you didn't forget something?"

     "I think this is the last of it," answered Louku, the blue kittom lugging the last crates of apples onto a neatly formed stack. She had spent a few days picking golden apples from the local orchard with her brother and was excited to learn how to make her mother's famous Apple Tea which was a secret recipe handed down through generations of Vitterfolk. One of the secret ingredients was the apples themselves. These golden apples were only found in the orchards of Bellmoril; something about the acidity of the loam gave the apples a sharper taste which paired well with the spices and herbs added in the tea. The was one of the first things Louku had learned from her mother, the second being...

     "Ya remembered to bring t' wooden spoons right? They were in the top draw next to the larger cutlery." The larger elnin tied back her dreads to keep them out of the way and rolled up her sleeves. She grinned toothily before lifting the first crate of apples and tipping them into the rolling water. "That is the secret to t' smooth taste at the end."

     Louku brandished the long wooden spoon with a flourish. "Yup! I made sure I grabbed both of the birch spoons because you said they matched the flavor of the apples!" The green-haired kittom bounced up and down before climbing onto the stool and handing one of the spoons to her mother.

     With a nod Malis took the spoon and swirled the softly boiling water a few times to make sure the heat was distributed evenly though the cauldron. "Now ya can either cut up t' next batch of apples or start working on the spices. Which do ya prefer?" The larger elnin gestured toward the open recipe book.

     "I'll grab the spices!" Louku hopped back off the stool and wandered over towards the small chest they had previously placed under the shade of the birch trees nearby. After reading the list and comparing it to the next passage, she carefully picked out three jars and carried them back to Malis and the large cauldron. "I have the Nutmeg, the Cardamom, and the Allspice. It says to put in half now and half later on." She shook one of the jars before placing the other two down so she could tackle the lid with both hands. After a small struggle she opened the jar and shook out half of it's contents. She then did the same with the other two. As she did so, Malis moved to the table they had set up outside and cut up another crate of apples, scraping them in every so often when she needed more space. Louku came and joined in to help out with the cutting shortly after replacing the jars in the chest.

     A few minutes of busy labor passed by, songbirds singing in the golden trees that surrounded them as the apple-filled water bubbled over the bright embers. The pair quickly went through the second crate and halfway into the third before they realized it was time for the next step. Malis spoke up first, "Louku, can ya grab t' honey? It should be the wax-sealed jars within the chest.

     Louku skipped back toward the chest and peered inside. "There are four in here, is that correct?" She pulled them all out and carefully tucked two under her arms while holding the other two in her paws. At Malis' nod of affirmation she brought all four up to the cauldron. "I remember this part, we need to stir as we put these in. Do you want me to pour them in one at a time while you stir?" She placed three of them in a small triangle before holding up the fourth and breaking the seal. At her mother's nod she flipped open the lid and poured in the golden contents. Louku watched as the gold swirl combined into the emerald liquid, the soft bubbles breaking the surface and releasing a sharp sweet, smell. The second jar added to the colour and sweet odors that enveloped them causing Louku's stomach to growl with hunger and she quickly added the third.

     "Hold off a moment, we need t' add in the tea!" The red-haired elnin held over the spoon to Louku so she could keep the brew going around before moving to the storage chest and digging around for the large net holding the previously prepared tea leaves. With another quick search she found the birch bark which would take this tea from a normal apple tea to one that could be useful for minor aches and pains. After slipping the bag of tealeaves and bark into the rolling boil she nodded in approval as the liquid went from a weak golden shade to a deeper copper brown. While the resulting liquid would lighten back up after the temperature settled, it showed that the tealeaves were seeping into the apple juice as they should.

     Arms starting to get weak, Louku rolled her shoulders as she continued to stir the fragrant mixture of apples, spices, and tea leaves. She was pretty sure they would be stopping shortly as the tea had stopped changing colours but was trying to hold out for Malis' signal. She could feel the warmth traveling up her arms and was about to ask how much longer when the larger elnin tapped the side of the cauldron with her spoon. "That should be about right Louku." She heard with grateful ears. Louku gave a sigh of relief, dropping the spoon to her side and giving her shoulders a much needed stretch.

     Malis grinned toothily and tapped her protégé softly on the head with the bowl of her spoon. "Ya did good. We'll let this simmer down and then strain it into jugs. I am sure there will be a few people who are lookin' forward to drinkin' this during the festivals to come." She tapped the side of the cauldron with her spoon once more and then sat down on the grass after kicking enough sand over the remaining fire to put it out. leaning her back against one of the tall birch trees that surrounded them, Malis tapped the grass beside her with an unspoken offer.

     Sitting down, Louku noticed the last two apples in Malis' hands and took one happily. There was nothing better than a sweet treat after a hard morning's work!