Chapter 29: Beef Soup and the Golden Deer
IT was snowing again. Winter was in full swing in Marlais.
Olivia and Lara got in the habit of closing the barn door just before the sun went down every day. The high windows they left open in summer were closed now and wouldn’t open again until spring.
They’d gathered all the sticks in the area and piled them up around the barn until they reached the roof. Those, along with the snow that piled on top, would prevent any of the chilly wind from getting in the barn.
The people of Marlais had been busy for months with preparation for winter. Olivia, too, had prepared, with deep holes she’d dug in the back garden to store vegetables in.
“Lara, how are your studies for the apothecary exam going?” asked Olivia one day.
“Good! I’m just marching on each day. I actually had something I wanted to ask you, Olivia.”
“What is it?”
“Could I maybe live here for another year? Regardless of whether I pass or not?”
“I’d love to have you stay, but what about Colin? Perhaps it would be a good idea to ask what he thinks, since the two of you are together.”
“About that…” said Lara, looking a bit embarrassed. “Colin said he doesn’t mind. Neither of us are really where we want to be yet. We decided we should both focus on our own goals before we actually settle down together. We’re just going to work hard and keep things as they are. Besides, I want to learn how to cook more from you.”
“I can teach you as much about cooking as you like. Oh, I’m so happy you’re going to be here longer!” Olivia rejoiced.
“Thank you for letting me stay!”
“So, I take it you and Colin are going to live together someday?”
“Yep!”
Even though Lara had been forced to work herself to the bone after her parents died, she wasn’t afraid of people. Maybe it was because she’d been raised with such love before that. Olivia had been afraid of people until she met Jenkins and Marguerite, the people who raised her. Whenever she thought back to the little girl she was, who could only feel comfortable around plants and animals because they never lied, she wanted to comfort her and tell her she did a good job for trying so hard.
Then that little girl met Olivia’s grandparents, people who told no lies, and then eventually Arthur. After that, she met Lara.
“They’re blessings,” said Olivia.
“Huh?” said Lara. “What are?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just talking to myself.”
The soup of the day that day was beef with winter vegetables. Olivia marinated the beef in an abundance of fragrant herbs, then seared it in a pan with butter, along with the vegetables. This was then simmered with a bundle of bay leaves, thyme, and parsley stalks, with dumplings added at the very end.
It was a fragrant soup, especially with the dollop of butter added on top right before it was served to the customer. People loved a rich soup to protect themselves from the harsh cold of winter.
“Mm, smells amazing,” said Lara.
“You can grow a bay tree when you have your own home,” said Olivia. “If you grow it in a pot, you can bring it inside during winter. It’s so sturdy, it’s fine growing inside, too. And parsley is hardy, too. You can grow plenty of that, then dry it out and use it all year round.”
“Right. Bay tree and parsley. I’ll remember that.” Lara was smiling until that point, but then her expression turned serious, and she lowered her head. “Olivia, you’re the sister of my heart. You helped me even though I didn’t ask for it. You’ve been so kind to me. I never thought there was anyone in the world like you.”
“But I’m the one who should thank you, Lara.”
“I just want to be of some use to you, Olivia.”
“You already do plenty. It’s thanks to you I can leave the house without worrying about the restaurant or the animals.”
“I want to do more, though.”
“Well, I appreciate it.”
Lara was an honest person; her heart always matched her words. There weren’t many people like that. To Olivia, meeting Lara was as much of a blessing as it would be to find a clear spring of water when you were dying of thirst.
At lunchtime, customers came in, their cheeks and noses red from the cold, and ate their soup while dipping their bread in it.
“Mm, that’s good. Really warms the body,” said one.
“Still haven’t broken into the dried veggies, though, I see, Olivia,” said another.
“I like dried veg,” said the first.
“I remember whenever the restaurant started getting into the dried veg stock, Jenkins would keep saying, ‘Wish spring’d come soon.’”
“Then Marguerite would chide him for complaining about the veggies.”
“I remember that. Those were the times.”
Olivia couldn’t help smiling at the memories as she listened to the customers chatting while she served the soup. Jenkins, her grandfather, wasn’t fond of dried vegetables, and her grandmother would scold him whenever he complained.
Olivia always liked the texture and sweetness of them, though, so her grandmother would always cut off any argument about it with, “Well, Olivia always eats her soup without complaining.”
The customers went back to eating their soup and bread, chuckling as they talked about the past.
Olivia exercised the horses with Lara during her break after the customers left. They brought out the horses and walked them around, trying to get them to crunch down as much of the snow as they could. The snow on the streets always melted first where it’d been stepped on.
Her grandfather used to always say, “Spring springs from where your feet touch the snow.” Her grandmother would reply with, “You just like that saying, don’t you?” They really did get along very well.
Later that night, Olivia found herself suddenly awake sensing emotions she hadn’t felt in a long time. She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Arthur, but his eyes opened immediately, likely because of his long years as a mercenary.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Someone’s here. I think it’s him, the deer.”
“What? He came back? I want to see him, too.”
“You can come with me.”
They both took off their pajamas and threw on several layers of clothes despite how hurried they felt, then went downstairs. They left out the back door since they thought Lara might worry if she heard the bell above the front door in the middle of the night.
The crescent moon shone crisply through the freezing air. They shivered in spite of all their layers.
With nothing in her head except how much she wanted to see the golden deer, Olivia crunched across the hardened snow to the forest. Arthur watched her go for a moment, then followed quickly behind.
They entered the forest and walked for a while to find the golden deer standing amongst the trees. He really did look carved from gold as he stood there, bathed in moonlight.
Olivia’s body moved on its own. She rushed across the snow, crunch, crunch, crunch, but then remembered the golden deer didn’t like the smell of humans and stopped her outstretched arms.
“You came back,” she said.
Humans saw me. Many hunters came.
“Oh, someone saw you again?”
I live in this forest again.
“I’m so happy I get to see you.”
The deer looked at Arthur. Mate.
“Yes. We’re living happily together,” said Olivia.
The deer nuzzled his neck against her.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “You’ll smell like human.”
Sure.
Olivia slowly brought her hand to the deer’s neck, feeling his strong heat. She ran her hand down his neck and back, then touched his antlers. When they’d separated, they had been encased in soft, blood-rich skin. They were warm when she touched them then, but now they were as hard and cold as bone.
“You’re going to live in this forest again?” she asked.
Forest peaceful. Live here.
“I hope it stays peaceful forever.”
The golden deer didn’t reply. He walked over to Arthur, who was a little way off, surprising him. He didn’t move though, instead facing him head-on.