Pyress Embercrown

How it was that she’d managed to get talked into doing this she would never know. Pyress would arrive to find Aeviara nearly frantic. The table was set perfectly with soft candlelight and beautiful china, the scene was idyllic, or would have been had it not been for the screeching of an alarm and the fact that black smoke was billowing out of the kitchen door.

A young woman burst through the opening with huge potholders on her hands and made her way to the front door. Aeviara looked a little bit frantic and there were soot smudges on her fair cheeks. The pan she’d chucked out the door was still smoking and the contents of the muffin tin were charred with one flame still burning on one of them. Coughing and sputtering she ran past again and dove into the kitchen as she tried to save the roasted duck.

Well, one might have called it a roasted duck in some alternate lifetime. It looked rather like a piece of roadkill by now. Lumpy black and charred roadkill at that. Why, that wasn’t even to mention the potatoes which were half raw or the beans on the stovetop that had lost their moisture about half an hour ago. You could up end the pan and not one bean would come out. 

“OH NO!” she cried out as the other tray in the oven burst into flames. “Grab the fire extinguisher fast, or some baking soda. It is baking soda isn’t it? There’s a fire!” She was running for the door with that blackened monstrosity of a duck in hand and looking so embarrassed.

Whatever were they going to do?

Suddenly his knife like ears seemed to perk up as the sounds of pure chaos rang in his ears. It had sounded as if a hurricane had been let loose inside the humble house, or possibly a large wild fire. The aroma of burnt food rocketed into his nostrils as the man attempted to keep calm.

The door seemed to fling open as he bore witness to the frantic girl, and burnt goose. He attempted to smile as he set the lillies down on the floor.

“Here, let me help you. ”

It was probably quite a sight. For despite the lovely gown and beautiful backdrop, she was ever the Lady. The blackened corpse of what might have been an exquisite dinner before she’d gotten her hands on it bounced approximately three times before it fell over and just smouldered. It was so bad in fact that the household puppies didn’t even bound after it. Well, ‘Rat Bastard’ started to as he thought it was a game of fetch but upon catching the odor of it, the poor fat pup tucked his tail between his legs and shot past them into the manor. 

Turning to look at him now, she looked rather helpless. “Oh no! The potatoes and BEANS!” A soot-stained hand rose to her face and unbeknownst to her left the tip of her pretty little nose smudged black as well. “Hurry! To the kitchen!” She had no idea why she was dragging him with her into further embarrassment but then he might be the only way she did not burn down the whole of the estate. “I shouldn’t have picked cook’s night off. She’s going to kill me when she sees the kitchen. I thought this time I might be able to manage it.” Jabbering. She was jabbering.

His mannerisms were most kind and Aeviara was thankful though in all of this she hadn’t realized just how much of a mess she looked by now. And then all of a sudden the sound of heavy footsteps was heard and a rather loud voice. “AEVIARA? WHY IS THERE THE REMAINS OF A VERY BURNT SOMETHING IN THE FRONT YARD?” Aeviara ducked down behind the counter and squeezed her eyes shut. Cook had come home early! Cook had come home early and the kitchen was still a disaster. 

Footsteps sounded louder and then there wa a tapping foot. “Closing your eyes doesn’t mean I’m not here missy. Just like me being out of the house for the evening doesn’t mean you’re allowed to burn my kitchen down.’ 

Her cheeks were bright red and she looked up to Pyress quite helplessly. “I was only trying to cook a little something. It was going well until about an hour ago I think. I’m sorry Miss Maggie. I’ll clean it up.” She was contrite about it and genuinely felt bad. Looking to him now, her bottom lip quivered a little. “I’m terribly sorry to you as wel. It must have been a frightful thing to have nearly been bowled over by black flaming duck that bounced three yards before deciding to hiss and flutter like it was taking its last breath for the second time. I’ve made a most dreadful impression and you have my apologies.”