As soon as they arrived, they spotted the barrels the goblins had brought and their inspection began immediately. They took some of the fish in hand, smelled them, and started asking the goblins about the best ways to prepare and eat them. Moments later, Alna started issuing orders and the Wives’ Club started unloading bricks and wood from their cart. It wasn’t long before they’d built a simple kitchen range with three simple cooktops.
Alna brought the fire starter wand to me and asked me to light the kitchen fires, which I did. Pots were placed on those, and the Wives’ Club was off to the races.
“We’ve got guests and we’ve got fish,” said Alna. “The goblins deserve a warm welcome, and we’re going to do it right here. I don’t have much experience with fish, but I asked Moll about it before we came and I think I’ve got things covered.”
While Alna spoke, the Wives’ Club was taking fish out of barrels and separating them into jars based on their types, then washing the salt off them. Once the fish were washed clean, one of each was cooked so Alna could taste them. With the basic flavor profiles down, Alna was quick to issue even more orders, explaining to the Wives’ Club how each different fish was to be prepared. The Wives’ Club didn’t need to be told twice—they got right into it.
Some of the fish were skewered and cooked over an open flame, some were cut into pieces and used in soup, some were fried in pans with vegetables and herbs, and some were placed in pots of oil to be deep-fried. When the deep-fried fish was ready, it was neatly lined up on plates, where Alna flavored it with a sauce made from wine, vinegar, and sugar. The scent filled the air, and people were licking their lips, as excited as they were hungry.
Ellie quickly wrapped up her conversation with Iberis and started barking orders to her own dogkin team. Carpets were laid out and temporary tables were made with wooden boxes. The Wives’ Club placed the deep-fried fish on these tables before politely approaching the goblins.
“Please, have a seat,” one said. “It’s all rather simple fare, but we do hope you enjoy it.”
The goblins all grinned and took a seat on the carpet. “Thanks be to the great seas for this blessing of food!” they cried. It must have been something they said before they ate.
Anyway, they dug in with gusto, and the Wives’ Club started bringing out the other fish. There was fried fish topped with thin strips of melon and seasoned with a sweet and spicy sauce, there was a soup with mushrooms and a whole lot of butter, there were fish and potatoes cooked with cheese and sprinkled with bright red spices...and that was just the start of it.
I’d never seen any of these dishes before, and so I joined the goblins in tasting some of it. It was an amazing explosion of flavor, and I found myself supremely impressed once again by Alna’s cooking. I couldn’t believe she’d whipped up all of these fantastic dishes just by asking Moll about them.
“Whoa,” uttered Iberis. “We cook fish back home, but we’ve never cooked up so many different flavors. I knew that Lady Alna was an amazing cook, but I never imagined that she’d outdo herself like this. We eat these fish almost every day, but I feel like I’m experiencing them for the first time!”
And just like that, it was like we had a little feast on our hands. Or maybe you’d call it a seafood taste-testing party. Either way, there were smiles all around and tempting scents drifting through the air. When every belly present was full, the Wives’ Club circled around tidying up and getting ready to leave.
“It’s about time the Wives’ Club and I returned to Iluk,” Alna said to me. “Grandma Maya and her friends never believed they’d ever get to try fresh fish in their lifetime, and they’re very excited. When I told them of the goblins’ arrival, they jumped to their feet and started preparing cutlery and dishes. I want to get back and give them what they deserve.”
“Yeah, I know how they feel,” I said. “Until now I’ve only ever eaten poorly salted ocean fish, and it was disgusting. I can imagine their excitement. When things wrap up here we’ll head back to Iluk with Iberis and his family. Please see that yurts are prepared for them.”
Alna nodded and started on the road home.
“Lady Alna!” cried Iberis. “Wait just a second! We appreciate the hospitality, but there’s no need to prepare a place for all of us! I mean, first you cook us up a feast and then you fix us the warmest welcome we’ve ever seen? You’ve hit us right in the hearts with your kindness! We feel indebted to respond in kind, which means we’re sending some of the crew back right this instant to get you more seafood!”
Iberis turned to Ellie and went on.
“Miss Ellie! Please get us some more salt and barrels as soon as you’re able! And don’t worry about a thing! It’s the sea—it’s chock-full of bounties! We could easily fill a thousand of these barrels, maybe even ten thousand! And with enough ice we could bring you things like shellfish and prawns too! They’re a real treat when you fry them up!”
“Hmm? Wait just a second,” uttered Ellie, processing the new information. “Just how many goblins does it take to fill a barrel of this size? And how long does it take?”
Ellie knew that there were a lot of fish in the sea, but she didn’t have any concrete information when it came to catching them. Something about what Iberis had said had caught her attention.
“Huh? Well, with four goblins you wouldn’t need much time at all. Give them a full day to fish and they’ll fill ten barrels for you. You’d have to prepare nets, and the haul differs a bit by the day, but that’s a rough estimate for you...”
Ellie froze at that. Aymer, who’d been eating with the twins, put a hand to her mouth and gasped. Hubert, who was helping to clean up empty plates, was so stunned he suddenly looked unsteady, like he was ready to collapse. Fortunately, the nearby dogkin helped him stay on his feet, but all the while Iberis looked confused. He couldn’t tell why everybody was so surprised.
“If your entire tribe were to fish together, how much could you catch in ten days?” asked Alna. “How many barrels do you think you could fill?”
“Hmm... Well, including catching them, dressing them, putting them in the barrels, and gear maintenance...and assuming we have all the salt and barrels to do it... Look, it’s just not realistic, but if we’re talking about hypotheticals, then three or four hundred? Maybe five? With that many fish you’d have to look at circling a whole lot of different fishing spots, which means it might not be quite that number, but it’d be pretty close.”
Alna let out a sigh of pure awe. Despite the dogkin’s efforts, Hubert crumpled.
“But that’s even more than the kingdom’s entire southern port can fish!” he uttered, holding himself up with his hands as his head slumped. “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that you’d be capable of such numbers. Please, may I ask you some more questions?”
So Hubert asked his questions, and Iberis answered them.
Hubert: How do the goblin tribes fish, exactly?
Iberis: When we fish solo we use spears; when we fish in groups we use nets to catch schools in larger numbers.
Hubert: How do you acquire your nets?
Iberis: We use nets that humans have discarded in the sea, or otherwise whatever the waves bring us.
Hubert: Are your fishing expeditions consistent in terms of amount?