Citizen 565 Maia

Maia heaved a deep breath, as she exhaled she could see it due to the cold autumn air that sent a small shiver up her spine. The weather was changing fast, though these were some of her favorite times of the year. As much as she enjoyed the heat, sometimes it was too blistering and it turned anything she had to do into an unforgiving chore. But when it was much cooler, it was easier to walk, to prep her garden for next year before the snow fell, and her favorite- to cook new seasonal dishes. 

For Maia, as soon as summer passed it was time for rich and hearty soups and stews. She loved to cook, and when she did she made enough to feed herself and her neighbors. She would often leave her doors open, letting the delicious smells from her kitchen draw in that evening’s dinner guests. Cooking for others made her happy, and the satisfied looks on all of their faces made it even more worth it in the end. Cooking in this fashion quickly seemed to place her in a motherly role, regardless of how young she was.

Thinking back on it, she tried to remember where her love of cooking even came from. Perhaps it was on one of the days in a deep dark winter a few years back. The snow was particularly unforgiving that year, and she had been quite worried as she remembered it. But to sooth her, her parents had decided to dig a bit heavier into their food stores and cook a nice meal together, asking for Maia’s help to get her mind off the storm. She smiled at herself then, yes.. This had to be the spark. She let herself daydream a bit more, taking a moment to relax.

Her father had caught a boar the prior day, and it didn’t take long to butcher it. Her mother taught her how to boil the bones of the animal and make a rich, flavorful broth. With the bones cooked, leek and spices were then added. She inhaled the cold air, breaking away from her memory for just a moment as she thought she was on the verge of being able to smell the hearty aroma, but it just escaped her. In addition to the boar meat that was also added to the soup, her mother would add lentils to make it more filling, and just near the end a bit of cabbage so that it didn’t get cooked down too much.

The end result was a hearty and thick pork stew, sure to keep you full for hours and packed with so much flavor it was hard to stop eating it. Maia’s mouth began to water a tad as she clung to the memory, perhaps she would surprise her parent’s with some this evening and join them for dinner if they were available. She browsed her pantry, curious of what she had and what she may need to go to town for. She had cabbages and leek that she had grown, she had dried lentils as well that she had stored. The staples were rather covered, but she had no boar. This is something that she would have to travel into the city for. She tapped her chin lightly in thought, also double checking her spices and herbs that she had bundled, left hanging to dry from her ceiling. 

She had chive, pepper, basil, some rosemary.. Mustard seed, sage and thyme. She was fully stocked on everything she needed except for the boar bones and stew meat. She chuckled, rolling her eyes to herself. Maybe she could persuade her father to take her on a hunt on a day he wasn’t busy, it would be a good topic to bring up during the meal. With a goal set in mind, the large orange swathed female began to get a bag ready for her travels into the city. She lived a slight distance away, depending on how quick her pace was she could reach Atlas within an hour if she tried. But on a nice day such as this, with sights to see and the leaves changing from green into a beautiful mix of oranges and reds, she would take her time. It was early morning and she had already planned out how many hours she would need to prepare in order to make the hearty broth which is what took the longest. Slinging a large and well crafted leather bag over her shoulder, she set out on her quick trip into the city to visit the local butcher.

Author: Atrocias