in which silver learns that food
just food
"I'm going to fetch some firewood." Shadow called from the lower level, pulling an axe from under the workbench with an audible scrape and donning his hood with a swishing flap. "I'll be out for a bit."
"Okay." Silver mumbled.
"The house better be in one piece when I get back, Silver."
"Okay."
Silver could only twitch his ear as a gust of wind blew through the house. Whenever the adult took off at high speeds or even rapidly moved from one place to another, some level of air disruption rattled the objects in the house. Wooden bowls and silverware would clatter. Hanging cloths and dishrags would flap. Even the rugs would shift slightly, if the ranger had gone from standstill to sonic speeds. It was annoying at first. Silver would squeak and cover his ears at the sudden poof of wind. One time a large bowl had fallen off of one of the high shelves and nearly landed on the ivory hedgehog. But the more the speed-type hedgehog did his fast paced running, the more Silver got used to the side effects - fading from worrying about falling objects to complete disinterest in the rattling gusts.
Laying flat on his back, Silver groaned. There was only so much entertainment one could get from staring at the cracked ceiling above. Curling slightly, the hoglet rubbed at his shins. For the last week or so, a mild pain had started in his legs, irritating the child slightly. At first he assumed it was due to his sparring, but after a few days of balance and strength exercises without practicing kicking or punching, Silver realized it was something else.
Having crossed out slamming his shins into Shadow's much sturdier bones as the cause a good few days ago, the hedgehog grumbled. No matter how he rubbed or how he massaged his angry limbs, the dull but persistent pain would not go away. Even worse, his shoes had gotten quite tight - making training and even walking in them quite uncomfy. Frowning more, Silver stretched himself out. Having failed once again to relieve the uncomfy sensations, he contented himself to making angels on his well worn rug.
Or he would have, if a small rumbling didn't interrupt his boredom induced activity. Sitting up, Silver groaned again. Hunger licked at his belly as he poked his trembling stomach, screaming to be filled once again. However this time, the cravings were far more complex.
Silver didn't want any old mushroom skewer or blueleaf salad. He wanted something fancy. Something delicious.
Standing up, Silver ignored his socks and shoes and clambered down the wooden ladder. With spices and salts on his mind, he padded over to Shadow's abandoned workbench - staring up at the bottles of herbs and bowls that lay scattered nearby. Nose twitching with the various scents and smells, the hoglet dug into his memory. Shadow had taught him how to prepare basic meals. Small blueleaf dishes and meadowsprout roasts were very difficult to mess up. Simple cutting with a knife, or a very dim fire was enough to make a nice nutritious meal. But Silver didn't want some simple vegetable. Oh no. He wanted one of the savory roasted mice that Shadow occasionally made.
But where were the meats?
Silver sniffed around. He knew full well the adult had a barrel of salt somewhere on the property. But where was it kept? Twitching his nose, the hoglet snuffled his way through the containers, feeling his fingers along the ground with ravenous intent.
Amongst the various palm sized boxes that were stacked neatly on the concrete floor, was a child sized barrel. Pressing his shiny nose against the wooden planks, Silver could smell the briny scent of North Sea salt. Feeling along the splintery surface, the hedgehog felt his belly rumble once more. Oh how he wanted to taste the sweet flesh of a well cooked rat. Mouth salivating, he wedged his fingers under the lid - pulling and grunting in an attempt to loosen the tightly sealed disk. When it did not budge, the child frowned cartoonishly.
Aura exploding from his fingers, Silver seized the lid in his mental grasp and pulled; loosing the wood without so much as an exhale. Smirking, the hedgehog set the lid on the ground, spotting the barrel packed tightly with cloth,salts, and spices of all kinds. Lips smacking, he pushed his paws through the materials. There had to be a small slab of mouse meat in here somewhere…
A tiny wrapping of blueleaf caught the golden eyes, driving shivers down the hoglet's fur. Brushing off a dusting of salt, the child seized the package. Saliva lapped at Silver's hungry lips as he unwrapped the dried leaves, unveiling a perfectly preserved fillet of rat's thigh. Excited, Silver slapped the lid back on the barrel, holding the meat between his teeth as he fetched Shadow's tinderbox from the workbench shelf.
With an excited hum, Silver jogged out into the field. Visions of food danced in his head as he dreamt of food and meals he could make. Rapidly, the well known circle of stones greeted his feet - reminding the child of the act he would have to commit to get such a thing. Swatting away a tinge of fear, he spat his treat onto a plate - kneeling by the firepit with a lump in his throat. Make a fire…make a fire… Remembering that fuel was needed, the hedgehog noted the logs were still good from that morning's breakfast. A forgetful squint crossed the hoglet's eyes as he attempted to remember the elder's instructions. How to start a fire… How to start a fire…Oh - right.
Take the small knife from the kit and shave some curlings into the pit. Pursing his lips, the hedgehog pulled the well scraped branch from the box, taking the tiny blade and swiping the kindling into the unlit logs. The knife was wonderfully sharp and glid across the fibrous surface like a dream. Smiling with the butter-like ease, the ivory child flicked his ears contentedly.
Once you have some kindling, take this flint and strike it across the dull edge of the blade. Silver frowned. The first few times he had tried to create a spark, it hadn't gone very well. The flint was very picky and it had taken plenty of tries to even get it to make a flash. Fetching the tiny stone from the kit, Silver gulped away another lump. Nervously, he held his hands over the pit. How about a count of three… Fliss usually did that whenever she encountered something nerve wracking. It couldn't be too hard to count…right? One…two…three!
Clink.
No go. Silver sighed. Better try again. One…two…three!
Clink.
A spark!
It didn't do much, but it was something. Third time's the charm after all… One…two…Three!
Clink.
Crackle.
Like a star falling through the sky, a spark flung from between the flint and steel. Streaking through the air, it landed on one of the small kindlings and lit it ablaze. Excitement overturned the feeling of anxiety as Silver realized his success. He had made fire!
Take the fire poker and put it in a place where it can light easily. Unsticking the metal beam from its designated hole in the ground, Silver teased the flaming speck beneath the logs - chasing the others after it in an attempt to keep the tiny blaze going. It was hard not to feel silly. The pronged metal stick was as large as he was - and weighed about the same too. In order to carefully move the chips about, the hoglet needed to use both arms to hold the rod steady.
Once the logs have caught fire, fan the flames to make it burn hotter. Here was where Shadow usually took his gloves off and waved them back and forth. However, being only six, Silver wasn't old enough for the gloves. He needed to either earn them through work or reach the age of adulthood. There was no way he was ready for the maturity that came with gloves… Reaching for the wooden plate, Silver placed the fillet between his teeth - waving the disk back and forth until the fire created a familiar woosh.
Satisfied with the successful starting of fire, the excited hedgehog slapped the rat onto its plate and ran back into the lower floor - spices and herbs ready on his mind. Shadow usually spiced the meat before he cooked it - leaving only the most flavorful ones for after he had thoroughly roasted it. But which ones to choose… Silver had only learned the most basic of spices. In fact, Shadow had taught him how to hunt the local herbs. Identifying the leaves and smell shouldn't be too hard…
Clambering onto the workbench stool, the bare-footed hoglet reached for the shelf above - spying the bottles where crushed herbs and spices were placed. There were plants hanging from various lines around the lower room, but Shadow had told him not to touch them until they had fully dried out. Even though the leaves had wrinkled, and they crunched and scraped together in the wind with dry sounding crackles, Shadow insisted they needed a few more days to air.
Clinking from clumsy paws, the bottles clanked against each other - rattling as the child stood on his toes to pull them from their secure location. Uncorking a lid, Silver inhaled the sweet scent… Basil. Shadow used that often. Leaning down to set it on the wooden countertop, not bothering to move a half-carved cup, the child selected the herb. Shadow had said it was a miracle the plant could even grow in local conditions. Something about "invasive species" he had muttered. Silver didn't really care. All he could think about was how delicious the rat would taste. Inhaling the scent of parsley and oregano, the taste and smell of the dish began to come together.
About ready to hop off the counter, Silver saw the glint of glass catch his eye once more. Turning his head upwards, he spotted a shelf above the spices - glinting with materials the hoglet hadn't noticed before. Unable to reach them, Silver squinted. Several clear liquids marked with letters and numbers…probably water. A white powder with a funny sparkle…probably salt. And a strange yellow powder…
Silver scratched his head. Was that…honey? Silver had seen honey before, but he didn't know it could be turned into powder. Head racing with the memory of honeyed rabbit, the hoglet stood on his toes. He had to try and reach the delicious powder…he had to. Limbs falling hilariously short, Silver tried a different method.
Cyan lighting the distant jar, the hungry hedgehog pulled it to his paws. A large "S" had been marked on the glass with well worn ink but Silver didn't care. He needed that sweet sweet honeyed meat.
Running back to the firepit, stopping only to grab a skewer from one of the barrels on his way, Silver speared the rat fillet and placed the rod on the two halves of the spit. Mouth drooling with dreams of deliciousness, he dumped careful measurements of spices onto the plate - using one of the carved forks to grind the dried leaves into powder. Unsure of where Shadow kept his mortar and pestle, Silver made do with what he knew. Sprinkling the leaves onto the rat, Silver began to smell the sweet scent of roasting meat. With each herb he added, the more fragrant the air grew and the hungrier he got. Mouth drooling, Silver turned the spit. Oh how he couldn't wait until the juices were bubbling and the exterior browning… it would be absolutely flavorful… Seizing the powdered honey, Silver continued to turn the spit.
A blaze of orange streaked across the horizon. The ivory hedgehog could only blink as he watched it bounce through the gravity ring - jumping off of stones and spinning through the dangerous flotations of rocks. Smile crossing his lips, Silver turned his stick once more. Shadow was going to be so proud…
Wind slammed into the hoglet, almost putting the fire out in its gust. Shaking his messy quills back into submission, Silver let out a happy chirp.
"Playing with fire…I see." Shadow commented blankly, dumping an armful of de-barked wood under a small fabric awning. "I'm surprised you're not scared."
"I'm terrified." Silver smiled, telling the complete truth. "But I'm hungrier than I am scared."
Raising the powdered honey to eyeline, Silver began to undo the cork,
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Shadow shouted, racing over to the hoglet in a split second with genuine alarm in his voice. "WHERE did you get that?!"
Silver jumped, ears folding and fur puffing in a burst of fear. Before he could fully form his thoughts and feelings, the adult had snatched the jar of powder from his paws - holding it well out of reach with a fire in his red eyes,
"I...well…it was…i…it..." Silver stammered, unsure if he would start crying through the sudden bout of trembling.
"Do you know what this is?" Shadow snarled, raising the bottle for emphasis and rapidly tapping his foot on the stone ground.
"I-it's honey…right?" Silver sniffled.
"NO." Shadow emphasized, pointing his finger and flattening his dark ears.
Silver could only stare back at the tense red eyes.
"This…" Shadow growled, uncorking the lid. "Is sulfur."
Silver gagged as a rotten smell floated through the air, emanating from the jar of what was formerly perceived as honey.
"In low amounts, it's fairly nontoxic, but you were about to eat a measurement of it." Shadow grumbled, recorking the lid and pulling down his hood. "That would have made you fairly sick."
Silver looked at the ground, hiding his hands behind his back and shuffling nervously. Closing his eyes, Shadow took a deep breath.
"Please… do not go digging around on my chemistry shelf." Shadow sighed, suppressing a growl with an awkward gulp. "I keep it out of reach of children for a reason, Silver."
"...Sorry…" The hedgehog in question mumbled, reaching up and turning the spit.
"You could have gotten your hands on sulfuric acid…or-or lye…or toluene…." Shadow listed…pacing back and forth with frustration in his gait. "Do you have any idea how toxic those are?"
"No…?" Silver whispered, spinning the stick once more.
"Way more toxic than this!" Shadow snapped, shaking the bottle of sulfur for emphasis. "What else did you put on that?"
"Just basil…and parsley…" Silver answered, fearfully scratching his left leg with his right foot. "I was gonna add the oregano afterwards…"
Shadow only sighed, extra air leaving his body in an impressive huff. With an indistinguishable mumble the adult walked back into the lower room, sweeping off his cloak and hanging it on its designated peg.
"Please stay off of this shelf until I teach you how to use these materials…" Shadow grumbled, stepping on the stool and placing the jar back in its designated spot. "I do not want you dying on my watch."
"I won't do it again…" Silver mumbled.
Silence pierced the air as the ebony hedgehog dismounted the wooden stool, rubbing his brow and shaking his head in disbelief.
"Now…what do we have here?" Shadow asked, approaching the hoglet once more.
"I found a slice of rat in the meat barrel…" Silver confessed, turning the pole as the meat slowly began to bubble. "I wanted some meat…"
"I see you spiced it." Shadow noted, crouching in front of the fire and inspecting the meal with a critical eye. "How long has it been here?"
"I-I dunno." Silver confessed. "I'm just waiting until it's brown and bubbly."
"That might not be long enough." Shadow commented. "But you can make a cut and check to see if the inside is still red."
Drawing one of his blades, the dark hedgehog reached over the fire and made a nick in the sizzling flesh - peering in the crack to see a dull pink staring back.
"Looks to be about a medium." Shadow announced. "How much of a blood taste do you want?"
"Just a little." Silver shrugged, remembering the times he'd eaten rats raw.
"Then I'd take it off now." Shadow spoke, gesturing with his hand. "Get your plate ready."
Aligning the wooden disk where he wanted it, Silver seized the wooden pole and lifted it off the spit - sticking his tongue out with concentration and focus. With a small grunt, he set the rat down with a plat, watching hungrily as the steam wafted off of the umami meal.
"Take your fork and hold it steady."
Silver did as he was told, sliding the skewer from the meat in a careful pull.
"Did you bring the oregano?"
Silver nodded.
"Apply about a half-spoon."
Silver slowly poured a small amount onto his bare palm, nose quivering as the smells reached his nostrils. With a smile on his lips, he sprinkled it over the meal. Oh how wonderful it smelled…With a soft brown exterior, a nice herbaceous scent, heck even the steam itself was as enticing as ever.
"Very good." Shadow nodded, leaning back onto his heels. "Let's see how it tastes."
With trembling hands, Silver picked up his fork. Sawing with the side, the hoglet carefully separated a chunk from the rest. Excitedly, his fur began to shake - time slowing to a crawl as he lifted his fork to his lips.
Sweet savory goodness! He had done it. The glorious taste of herb and meat danced about in his mouth like a Soleannan ballet. Pure joy crossed his face as he soaked on the perfectly cooked rat and the sweet sweet juices that melted down his throat in a river of nutrition and life. Eyes shaking from excitement, he hastily made another forkful.
With a note to the young hedgehog's joy, Shadow brought forwards a fork. Silver, watched with jealous eyes as the adult lowered it to the plate. Where did he even get that?
Before he could think things through, a growl emerged from the child's chest - filling the air with it's animalistic rumble. Utensil paused, the adult's red eyes shifted upward. Silver did not back down from the slowly forming frown.
As the wooden fork re-ignited its journey towards the fillet, Silver growled once more. Not wanting to lose his precious prize, he shot his cyan marked paws towards the plate. No one was going to take this food from him. As quick as lightning, Shadow placed the prongs on the dish's wooden surface.
"Let go Shadow!" Silver whined, pulling on the plate only for it to remain where it was.
"I will not stand for such behavior." Shadow scolded, looking back down at the cooked rat. "Growling is very rude, and I will not be treated with disrespect."
"But it's mine." Silver pouted, sitting back and crossing his arms.
"I only want a taste." Shadow frowned, lifting his fork and sawing off a small slice. "The rest is yours to enjoy."
Scowling, Silver snatched the plate as the ranger lifted the slice. With a smaller growl he held it close to his chest.
"It tastes very Soleannan." Shadow commented, setting the fork down in a careful motion. "The oregano brings out the regional flavor."
" T's mine." Silver grumbled, shoveling a large portion into his mouth.
"You have to stop acting like I'm starving you." Shadow grumbled, annoyance heavy on his facial expressions. "You are making a fool of yourself."
"Branch took my food all the time." Silver growled. "I have to be protective."
"But Branch is not here." Shadow sighed, frowning. "It just makes you very rude and a bit of a brat."
Silver felt the words cut through his heart.
"You can trust people with your food, Silver." Shadow continued. "Sharing is not a horrible skill to have."
Setting the empty plate down, Silver pondered the comment. Did Shadow think….think he was a brat?
"Where are your shoes?"
The question shook the hoglet from his thoughts.
"Oh…upstairs…"
"Why aren't you wearing them?"
"They're uncomfy…"
Shadow shook his head.
"Are they too small?"
Silver nodded.
Shadow stood from his place on the ground, swiping up the fork on his way up. Without a word, the hedgehog separated the flaming logs. Silver could only watch as the adult slowly put out the flames. It was so weird to see someone fearlessly pat out the tongues with only gloves to protect them. Shadow could be very fearless at times. Kicking up the fire poker, the ranger placed it back in its designated hole.
"I suppose we will have to make a trek out to Springwater Village again."
"Why?" Silver asked, tilting his head quizzically.
"To get you new shoes."
Silver felt his gold eyes dilate.