Submission (#4980) Approved

     They had just spent a busy morning filling the barrels that surrounded the small cottage with crisp, fragrant apples.  Unlike most apples from Faerindell or Bellmoril, these Silveil apples had a slight purple tint to the ruby skin which grew deeper when looking at the juicy flesh.  Alais lifted the final barrel with a grunt before giving a questioning look towards the open woven archway which led into a warm, welcoming kitchen.  "Do you need all of these moved in or just this one?"  He felt the bulk shift as he took his first step and adjusted his grip.

     "Yes, just the one for now, the others can freeze over the next few nights and I will be making scrumble out of them later."  Greta tapped the lids on the remaining barrels after checking there were no fallen leaves or animals within the wooden confines.  Her small orchard was surrounded by larger growths of oak and yew which were usually covered in fungus and bioluminescent mushrooms.  These would attract a whole bevy of other critters, the likes of which she did not want to end up within her apple crop.  Following the crimson kittom through the archway, she shut the door behind her, closing out the deep expanse of the night sky.  "For these though, we shall be making apple pie. That is what you requested of me yes?"

     Alaistair nodded and carefully put down the barrel of apples near the work table.  "Please, I am hoping to bring it home to my sister as a gift.  She is sick and I'm hoping this will help her feel better."  He wasn't quite sure what had happened yet but the note he received had let on that it might be serious.  As he was journeying through Silveil on his way towards the Faerindell Hospital he decided to spend his time wisely before moving onto the last leg of the journey.  That and he was hoping the magical nature of Silveil would help heal her somehow.  A land of giant glowing mushrooms and forever-night had to hold something magical within its soil.

      Greta nodded, partially to herself as she poked around the barrel of apples.  "Well, I don't do anything for free so helping me make it will suffice.  I have no need for coin or other payment."  Picking out a few choice specimens, she lined them up near a cutting board.  "I presume you know your way around a knife?"

    Giving a wry smile as Alais remembered the last time he helped dice up ingredients he nodded, "I am a quick learner."  The kittom took up his place by the table and started carefully slicing the apples, exposing the purplish skin.  Remembering what a past chef told him, he kept his fingers clear and focused on the task at hand as Greta moved around the kitchen, gathering the rest of the ingredients for the crust. It didn't take long for the apples to be diced to her liking and he nimbly scraped them into a wooden bowl.

      Already mixing her own ingredients in a larger bowl, Greta started calling out instructions.  "I put the sugar near by, make sure you measure out the right amount as these are already sweet so if you add the amount that is normal for say a green-apple pie, you are going to be way too sweet. Trust me on this, less is more here."  She gestured her dough-covered spoon towards the other jars and a large leather-bound book that rested on the table. "I don't need it, but its got the measurements on the page, just follow each step so you get it right." She proceeded to clean off the spoon with her fingers and then started kneading the dough with her hands, flour sifting up into the air as she did so.

     Alais sidled up to the book and took a look at the page.  The decorations on the edges reminded him of the unusual constellations that drifted in the Silveilan sky and he even recognized some of the bioluminescent mushrooms that were pictured near the bottom of the page.  Briefly he wondered if mushroom pie was something they made here and was curiously about to turn a few pages to take a look before a sharp whistle startled him.  Quickly looking up he saw Greta rush to the kettle where she had put on some water to boil for the sauce.  This helped him to pull his focus back in, and the kittom turned back to the proper page to read up on what he was supposed to be doing.

     A few minutes later had him stirring vigorously, combining the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, and other spices.  Greta walked over to peer inside and gave him a nod.  "Looks like you are ready for the next step.  Pop that down and I'll show you how to roll out the pastry."  She picked up her rolling pin and dusted it with some flour before working at the ball of dough, spreading it out into an ever-growing circle.  Using the pin to nudge him towards a second rolling pin and ball of dough she showed him how to modify the pressure to get an even thickness, letting him take care of the crust as she layered her finished layer into the bottom of a shallow pan.  Nimbly cutting the edge, Greta balled up the fallen dough and added some dry rice to the pan before putting it into the warm brick oven.  "Give that a few minutes and then we call fill and cover it.  As we wait, how about cut your dough into some strips and we can make a lattice top."

     It took a few tries but by the time the base was ready to come out, Alais had a decent looking lattice.  He carefully laced the last strip over and under the rest, tongue slightly sticking out of his mouth in concentration.  "What do you think?"  The crimson kittom tilted his head as he regarded the handiwork.

     "Looks pretty good for a first time."  Greta nodded, bringing over the pie that was now filled with the apple mixture.  Picking up the sheet he had built the lattice on, she flipped it over to cover the pie before trimming the sides.  "Would you like to add on some decorations?"  She showed him the leftover dough that had now been cut into leaf and apple shapes.

     Alais realized she must have made them while he was busy with the lattice cover and picked out a few apples, using the leaves to decorate the edge.  "Thank you, it looks like it will be very delicious."  He watched as Greta carefully put it back into the oven to properly bake and then put the kettle back on.  "Would you like me to help you clean up now?"

     With a merry chuckle Greta started gathering up all the dirty bowls and utensils, "Good job figuring out the next step.  After we have cleaned up it'll be time for tea and then the pie should be ready to go."  She glanced out of the window towards the ever-present night sky and raised an eyebrow, "If you wish to stay the night you can leave bright and early in the morning.  You should be within Faerindell by the afternoon if you catch a caravan."

     “Thank you, that is very generous of you.”  Alais gathered up the rest of the utensils and filled up the sink with the water pump.  He would spend the evening cleaning up the mess and helping out with a few other chores and then move on to see his sister the next day.  One more day of travel through the night-swaddled forest dotted with glowing plantlife didn't seem so bad.  He thought about the pie and hoped his sister would like it and hopefully feel better.  Only time would tell he supposed.