Marleigh swept into the gathering room and looked around. “Anyone feeling particularly strong today?” Her eyes and her mouth held the same mirthful, albeit mischievous, smile.
Aoife looked up. “It depends. Are you meaning strong of body, strong of mind, or strong of presence?”
Marleigh gave an odd expression that could have been considered absolute cluelessness, masked by quick wit or mischievousness, masked by a sincere desire for assistance. Either way, Aoife’s expression was definitely one of confusion. “All three?” Marleigh stated more than asked. “I have a very large animal that needs to go on a spit over a fire, and I do not think Riordan, Donovan, and I are strong enough, even with our powers combined.”
Aoife gave a chuckle and stood to her feet. “I will assist where I can, Proprietor Marleigh,” she began.
Marleigh cut in before Aoife could say another word. “Please, it is just Marleigh,” she said and shot a pleading look to Eldwin for him to help correct the over-formality.
Aoife nodded, “Alright, then. Marleigh,” she stated with a smile. “I will help. Caellum can make himself useful, too. Right, Caellum?” Aoife shot a glance over her shoulder at Caellum who truly looked like a squirrel who had just realized he had left the fire burning in the kitchen while trying to cross the stream.
“Uh,” was all Caellum managed to get out before Aoife grabbed his arm and started walking. He had not actually gotten to his feet when she began to do so.
“Hey!” he cried out.
Aoife smiled to Marleigh, ignoring Caellum.
Marleigh grinned widely and clapped her hands together once in delight. Caellum eventually found his feet and walked with Aoife the rest of the short distance to the kitchen. Jarlath and Lachlan looked at each other, gave a head bob each, then rose and followed Aoife and Caellum to the kitchen. As they passed Marleigh, each gave a slight bow before disappearing into the kitchen. “That should be enough,” Marleigh announced. “I hope,” she added softly. Her smile lit up the room as she turned on her heels and went back into the kitchen.
The scene in the kitchen was one that reminded Aoife and Caellum of a savage ritual. Blood bedecked the stone slab and filled the gutters, emptying into the waiting bowls. The creature lay stripped of skin and hide, a cast-iron spit run through it. Donovan and Riordan were covered in blood, and one stood at each end of the spit. Aoife and Caellum took up the end that Donovan held, and Jarlath and Lachlan took up the side with Riordan.
“Alright, everyone,” Marleigh began. “On the count of three, lift the spit to your shoulders and then carry it to that fire,” she pointed to the large fire pit immediately to the left of the stone slab. “Ready?”
The team of six gave varying groans and grunts in positive response.
“Alright,” Marleigh started nervously. “One, two, three!” With a collective heave, the six moved the beast from slab to shoulders and fell into a sort of marching step to move it to the fire. Marleigh gave another count of three, and the six heaved the spit into its place.
Aoife stared at the beast, a small smile on her face. “This is such a magnificent creature, Marleigh! Do you need help tending to it?”
Marleigh’s face brightened. “Yes!” she stated with enthusiasm. “I will need help basting and rotating it on the spit! Would you like to help with that?”
“I would love to!” Aoife exclaimed.
“You go ahead, Aoife,” Caellum said. “I think I am going to go back out and sit down.” He looked around at the gore that was not too far from the roasting pit and made a grimace of disgust, accompanied by a small noise.
Aoife was unimpressed. “Fine. Go,” she said. “I guess I will just have to be satisfied with Riordan and Donovan in your absence.” Her eyes and mouth flashed a wicked grin.
“Ouch,” Caellum said. “I am hurt, Aoife.”
“Not yet, you are not,” she purred ferally.
Caellum blinked, then blushed to his ears. “Right, well…” he stumbled as he backed away from her, feeling everyone’s eyes on him. “Uh, you have fun with that.” After a moment of fumbling behind him for the door, he finally found it and retreated back to the group gathered in the tavern room.