Lady Peregrine

Chapter Six Lady Peregrine I awoke before the sun came up and got ready for the days tasks, emerald has flown to far off lands and brought back some of the dukes and knights and viscounts for the meeting later that day. Baron Jamal was considered a great Baron, for he had a dragon to travel on. I went to the kitchen to oversee how the morning feast was coming. Many eggs, breads, cheeses, and pork were being cooked for the morning meal. As Emerald returned from each of his flights, he stopped to get a snack. I came out to the field to bring him lots of fresh vegetables and water. He loves it when the Baron gives him tasks. The Baron and Baroness are always very kind to Emerald and I. I like being here. I have been learning so many lessons; the Baroness has asked me to brew a tea to make stomach feel better. I gathered the herbs and started brewing it. As soon as it was ready I brought it to her. She liked the taste and in a few moments she was feeling better. My mother would be proud to know I healed a Baroness.  My mother and father, how I wondered if they are good, do they miss me? I need to speak with the Baron about leaving for a bit and seeing them. I need to let them know I am all right and being taken care of. Heading back to the kitchen from the fields, I see Lady Peregrine training her great falcon. I stop to watch her. The skill she has with the falcon. The grace the falcon has in flight. She stopped and looked at me and smiled. I went to her and she told me all about the falcon and how he can capture other birds in flight. I was fascinated with her and her falcon.  We talked about other things like how I came to be with the Baron and Baroness. She told me that the Baron and Baroness were gifts from the Goddess. "I truly believe the Goddess has sent them to us. We have a good barony with good people in it" she said.  After your chores come to my home and we can visit. I told her I would ask the Baron if that was all right to do. She nodded and smiled. I went back to the kitchen; I didn't see emerald for most of the day. He was flying back and forth getting nobles for the Baron. The morning meal was ready to serve and all that was there sat and ate heartily. Trays of fresh fruit and sweet jams, eggs, pork, beef, sausages. The baron made his own special sausages only when nobles were feasting. They all raved about how wonderful they were. The flavors and juices that flowed from them. When I returned to the kitchen I sat and tried one. They were the most delicious food I had ever tasted.  They were made from pork, beef, and goat. The spices were fennel seed, a bit of dill and the Baron finely chopped up garlic a bit of a pungent root, but it added so many flavors. He used onions and herbs of parsley, basil and a light touch of coriander. Then he ground up all meat and spices in a large mortar and pestle. He then stuffed it into goat gut and filled it to about 6" and then would twist it. He had a long chain of tubes of the meat mixture.  They were roasted over the fire pit in the kitchen till the swelled with their juice and roasted to a deep sienna colour. After clearing the great hall from the morning meal, we set our tasks to the afternoons tea and supper. The afternoon's tea was for the Baronesses to gather and chat about works of art and illuminations they were working on. We served them sweet cakes, cookies, tarts, scones and different teas from the entire world. That was one of the tasks the baron gave to Emerald, to find and barter a good trade and come back with many different teas from the ports of the world. Emerald did a good job with that task, for he returned with a lot of different flavors. After everything was done, I asked my Master "Can I visit with Lady Peregrine? She asked if I could come to her home for tea." My Master stood there rubbing his great beard, "YES! He said with a big smile, you deserve to have a friend and have some time to get to know her. She is a good woman with many talents" So off I went to find emerald and fly to Lady Peregrine home. She lives somewhere off in a distance from the manor. She has a great plot of land, with many trees on it. Her home is big, with statues and lots of art. She has a special garden just for her Goddess; she says the Goddess has many faces and many names. I told her of my mother and how I have been learning the craft, healing and feeling and most of the gift of sight. Lady Peregrine smiled and said we are all a part of the Goddess in many ways. I spent most of the afternoon there with her, we talked and laughed and I found out she was of my age. She did not have to marry. Her family had passed many years ago when she was just a little girl, so the Baron took her in and raised her. When it was time for her to marry, she said, NO! I won't marry anyone! The Baron was not a man you yelled at or said no to. But Lady Peregrine got her way and the Baron and Baroness gave her this plot of land to raise her falcons on and live how she pleased. I was nearly 20 yrs now, so is she.  I am 5 full moons older than she is. I like her she is my new friend. I told her I needed to return to the manor, I didn't want my Master to be upset with me.  So I hugged her and thanked her for the tea and laughter. I asked if I could come back, she said yes, of course. So I jumped on emeralds back and off we went back to the manor. Upon my return to the manor, I check n at the kitchen and then to my Master, that is when he asked a heart wrenching question. He asked me if I wanted to travel with another Baron and Baroness. To live with them for a time and learn more about cooking in another land. I was shocked by the question, "Have I displeased you Master?" "Oh heavens no, I have been asked by another Baron if he could have you for a while to learn his talents" May I ask who this Baron is? Yes, of course, it is Baron David. He is from Calafia in the Kingdom of Caid, where I was knighted. It is a great distance from here, but we have emerald to travel on. You mean emerald is staying here and not traveling with me. No, Emerald is going with you and staying with you, I would never do that to you. However, he must return to me every waxing moon to get me so I can travel to you and visit with Baron David to see how you are doing. I asked if I could think about this, it was a big decision to make. First I left my home in Cornwall to live in the Barony of Tyre, and now to travel to Calafia in Caid. Will I ever get to see my parents again?  Well at least I get to have my dragon with me. I went back to my duties in the manor and kept thinking of the offer made to me.  Something did not settle well for me, I was unsure of myself and why I would be asked to do this task. Was the Baron tired of me at the manor? Maybe I really did do something to upset him or the Baroness. I was starting to feel lost instead of happy about this. I needed to go home and see my mother and father. I needed to be in my home and sleep in my bed for a while.