The Woodsman parts the ferns and steps back into the hollow, rabbits slung over one shoulder. He drops the brace onto the dry earth near the fire ring, and the smell of fresh meat cuts through the green dusk.
Embers looks up at him with a shy smile, but her gaze keeps darting to the rabbits as if they might vanish. Her hands hover, hungry and impatient, already reaching.
The Woodsman
Easy there. You are not gone hungry long enough to forget yourself, I hope.
He lets out a low chuckle, not unkind, and shifts the catch closer to the firelight. The Royal Courier watches from the edge of camp, one hand still near her sword hilt, though her shoulders ease at the familiar little exchange.
The Royal Courier
He keeps finding food before I do. I am beginning to think the woods favor him.
The Woodsman glances toward Embers, then toward the fire pit, already thinking of the next practical thing. The rabbits are safe, the hollow is warm, and for a moment the whole camp simply breathes.
The Woodsman
If you want them cooked, I will skin them. If not, I will still skin them. Then you can glare at me while you wait.
+ Scene Quest Added
Get the rabbits cooked
“Embers in a moment of indignant affront looks at The Woodsman and states with all the hardiness of a young child I know how to cook. You just stick the meat on the Fire and when it's black it's done”
SUCCESS (Superb Willpower, rolled +2)
Embers Firestarter
I know how to cook. You just stick the meat on the fire and when it's black it's done.
The Woodsman
That is a terrible way to treat good meat, but the confidence is excellent.
The Royal Courier
She says it so plainly, like the forest itself taught her.
The Woodsman huffs a laugh and sets a rabbit on a flat stone by the coals. He works his knife with practiced hands, while Embers watches every motion with fierce attention.
The Woodsman
Come here then. If you mean to boast, you may earn it.
He turns the first piece, and a thin ribbon of fat hisses into the fire. The smell changes at once, richer and warmer, and the Royal Courier's expression softens with obvious relief.
The Royal Courier
A child who knows the difference between raw and ruined meat is a blessing in this wood. I will take that over court manners any day.
Soon the rabbit is browned through, with the outer flesh crisp and ready. The Woodsman lifts the cooked portion on a knife tip toward Embers, then pauses with a sideways glance.
The Woodsman
Well? Do you still claim that this is all there is to cooking, or will you tell me what else the forest has taught you?
Quest Complete
Get the rabbits cooked