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Berry Me Not On the Lone Prarie


Date:  January 24, 1998
Place:  The Bakercraft Tent
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  Ofira's always run magnificent cooking lessons; this
one, which took place at the Berry Festival, wasn't any exception to
that rule. :)  Here, Festival-goers are taught to make berry preserves
and Kassi gets into a debate about song lyrics.  Short but sweet--with
no pun intended. ;)

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The Log:

You duck into the Bakercraft Tent.

Ofira smiles, seeing her fellow traveler, "Hey, Kassima." She smiles at
J'lan, "It's /all/ good, of course!"

Kassima pokes her red scarf-turned-bandanna-clad head into the tent, and
peers about warily. "Ofira? Is this where the class thing's going t'be?
Duties to the 'Reaches and her queens," she adds belatedly to J'lan.

Ofira nods to Kassima, "Yes, it is." She grins. "This is what I made you
and Lysseth drag us all here for!"

Public announcement: Bryena announces "Good evening everyone! I'm pleased
to announce that the Bakercraft's own Master Ofira is about to grace the
High Reaches Weyr Berry Festival with a special class in making berry
preserves! If you'd like to participate, or even just watch, @tel to #420
and go to the Bakercraft tent."

J'lan says "REaches duties to Telgar and her queens as well."

Kassima grins ruefully at Ofira, pulling Kaylira into the tent. "C'mon,
imp. Don't even try pretending you don't want t'play with food; I know you
better than that." She drags the slightly hesitant toddler to an
appropriate place to sit, settling into it with a heavy sigh and some care
for Kharisma in her sling. "Faranth have mercy. Next time we do this,
Ofira, will y'just shoot me with a crossbow if'n I suggest bringing
spawnlings along?"

Ofira smiles delightedly when she sees Bryena and she goes over to hug her.

Ofira laughs, turning to Kassima, "I already sent Girad off with a nanny.
YOu're a brave woman bringing Kaylira with you!"

Bryena returns Ofira's hug and smiles. "Enjoying the festival?"

Ofira smiles, "Oh ,it's lovely Bryena. But I've been tired you know..." she
pats her slightly rounded abdomen, "And relaxing much of the afternoon."
She smiles, seeing Lady Omali, and greets her warmly.

"Masochistic," Kassi corrects drolly. "Positiely masochistic. But, well,
'tis her first Gather outside of Benden... it didn't seem right, nay t'let
her enjoy a bit of the festivities. This is the last, though. After this,
methinks 'twill be time for her t'go back with Simaeva... oh, g'deve,
Craftmaster. Duties t'the Bakercraft and her Masters." Kassi manages a
respectful nod to Bryena despite the red scarf tied so flamboyantly around
her head.

Ofira smiles as the Ista rider arrives and nods, getting some aprons to
hand around, "Well, let's get started...just put these on...we dont' want
anyone ruining gather finery!"

J'lan says "Good luck with your class Ofira."

J'lan waves to all

Bryena chuckles at the woman with the Telgar rider's knot. "My duty to
Telgar, greenrider. And please, call me Bryena, or Bry if you'd prefer.
'Craftmaster' makes me feel ridiculously staid."

Ofira smiles, "Nice to have met you J'lan."

Omali returns Ofira's greeting, and extends regards to the others in the
tent as well.

J'lan says "Likewise."

Ofira grins at Bryena, "Kassima knows how I like the title, I believe
that's why she's extending the courtesy to /you/!" She waves to Richenda
and hands her an apron.

Espying the Lady Nabol in turn, Kassi nods to her as well and murmurs the
appropriate duties. "I hope you'll nay be wanting t'start back tonight,
Ofira. Lysseth's dragged out from dragon-tag earlier; if'n we did, 'tis
likely 'twould nay be long a'fore we'd have t'cease for the evening."
Peering down at her riding togs with an expression that clearly asks,
'Gather finery?' she nonetheless stands and takes one of the aprons. "All
right, Cra--ahem, Bryena. If'n you agree t'call me Kassima or Kassi,
whichever... duties to Ista and her queens, Wingsecond, and--Riche! Good
t'see you, Headwoman-type!"

M'hryn looks around the tent, especially at Ofira since she's apparently
starting something that seems oddly like a lesson. "Ista's Duties to the
Bakercraft," he says hesitantly, then looks at Omali. He bows low,
respectfully, "And Ista's Duties to Nabol Hold, Lady."

With a glimmer of some embarrassment over what she perceives as tardiness
Richenda slips into the tent and smiles bashfully at Ofira. "We were
delayed," she explains with a wink, taking the apron. "Thank you,
Masterbaker."

Richenda then winks at Kassima, though she insists delicately, "Please,
everytime I'm called headwoman I look about for Siani. Chendie or Richenda
is fine, though if anyone but Rennick called me Pookie I'd be confused.
I'll be quiet now."

Ofira smiles at Richenda and then says gravely to M'hryn, "And the
Bakercrafts' to Ista Weyr and her queens." Finished distributing aprons,
she goes to the head table and gestures to the others to take seats at the
little tables set up through the tent. "Everyone take a place and we can
begin the class, please."

"Believe me," Kassi hastens to assure Richenda, "I shall never call you
pookie. Now. Kay, remember what I said... just sit and be good, or I'll
send you back t'Telgar t'stay with Proddy Uncle V'dan for a few days.
Kapish?" Kapish. The little girl looks downright horrified, and wriggles
her way into a chair not far from the station her mother has chosen.
Thankfully, Khari needs no such threats since she's still sleeping... for
now. "What're we making tonight, Ofira?"

Omali smiles at M'hryn. "How fares Ista? And how are D'rlen and Marina?"

Richenda settles near M'hryn, who looks shy and in need of bolstering, as
she gives Omali and Breyena both rather respectful nods of her head.

Ofira smiles, gesturing to the overflowing bowls of berries of all
varieties, fresh, ripe and tempting. "Tonight, thanks to the kindness of
High Reaches Weyr, we're going to be making berry preserves, so that we can
enjoy some of this wonderful sweetness, even in the worst winter weather."

Jayna grins and looks around quietly.

M'hryn awkwardly puts the apron on, not because he really wants to, but
because he's too afraid to embarrass himself or insult the Bakercraft by
leaving now. He finds himself a spot as far out of the way as he cans and
watches the Baker (and the people from Telgar). He starts as Omali
addresses him. "Oh, uh, they're, uh, fine, m'lady," he says, stammering. He
falls silent when Ofira starts.

Bryena bites back a grin at the expression on the young bronzerider's face,
and continues to work the crowd, helpfully distributing aprons and
welcoming words to late arrivals.

"What sort of berries?" Richenda inquires, a trifle eager (being a berry
fan of some stature).

Ofira waves to Jayna and instructs an apprentice to bring her an apron.
"Making preserves is actually much easier than many people believe," she
continues. She smiles at Richenda and nods to the bowls again, "WEll,
tonight we have raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries,
and you'll have your choice of using any of them or creating a mixture."

Jayna nods to the Master and surreptitiously settles into a seat near the
back. She doesn't want to disturb the demonstration.

Kassima and Kaylira both brighten at the idea of berry preserves, though
Kassi's dims a bit as she realizes there'll probably be nothing to cut up
in this class. "Ooooh. Blueberries... wait. You can mix blueberries and
strawberries? In preserves?" She sounds more dubious about that idea than
intrigued.

Omali doesn't leave or find an apron, but rather stands just to side of a
Nabolese girl.

M'hryn looks at Richenda, who has for some reason settled near him, then
back at Ofira to hear her response. "We used to go pick blackberries a lot
back at Bitra. Grow like weeds," he says quietly to Richenda, then blushes.
Why should the Telgar headwoman care what he did as a child?

Ofira continues, "So...first things first. Use the basins there at your
workstations to wash your hands. And then choose some berries. About....oh,
seven cups worth. There's a measure there you can use."

Kassima brushes back the ends of her flamboyantly tied scarlet
scarf-headpiece, whistling to herself as she dunks her hands in the basin.
"Heya, Jayna," she calls over to her prior teammate upon noticing the girl.

Richenda winks at M'hryn and notes confidentially, "I did too. Most of the
ones we picked never made it back to the weyr." Then she begins scrubbing
her fingers and hands with the efficiency of a healer.

Jayna waves to Kassima, still trying to figure out what's going on.

Omali and the girl both wash their hands, discussing what berries to use.
They decide on a mix of blueberries and blackberries.

M'hryn tentatively washes his hands in the basin, cleaning them as if he'd
been handling firestone all day. Once satisfied his hands are clean enough
to handle food, he picks up the measuring cup and asks Ofira, "Uhm, seven
cups of, uh, which berries, Master?" Waiting for a response, he smiles
nervously at Richenda. "Yeah, my mother was always upset because we'd eat
three for every one we got back home."

Ofira smiles over at Bryena as the group washes, "Anything you'd like to
add at any point? Please feel free to interupt me!" She washes her own
hands, "We're making berry preserves Jayne , " she calls.. "Any berries you
prefer, " she tells the Istan rider.

M'hryn nods at Ofira. "Right. And we can mix them?" he asks as he starts
measuring out some of the blackberries.

Bryena chuckles as she measures out three cups of raspberries and four of
strawberries. "Oh, never fear, Ofira. If I think something needs added,
I'll speak right up." Her tone is light and teasing with her old friend.

Kassima considers the strawberries for a moment, but--as could have been
predicted by those knowing her--eventually settles upon her favorite, the
ubiquitous blueberry. A few are munched surreptitiously in the process of
filling the cups, and one or two are even passed onto the curious Kaylira.
"I'm glad V'dan's nay here," she quips to no one in particular. "He'd be
singing that old yarn about the hundred cups of blueberries up on the wall
by now."

M'hryn looks over at Kassima. "I thought that was supposed to a hundred
cups of Telgar ale up on the wall?"

Ofira laughs, knowing Bryena will indeed. "Yes, certainly you can mix them
if you like . Just be sure it's a combination you think you'll enjoy. Once
you've measured them out, dump them in the pot that each of you should
have, and then we'll be adding the sugar."

Richenda hesitates not at all as she plucks the raspberries and
blackberries to mix together, measuring them and dumping them into the pot.
Oh. Oh darn, there go a few spilled near her. Munch munch munch.

Ofira is privately quite pleased that V'dan is not there, and washes more
berries to refill the bowls in case more students come in, as the group
measures theirs out.

Jayna grins broadly. This is wonderful.

Omali watches as the girl measures the berries into the pot, taking pains
to measure the berries very exactly, and transferring them very carefully,
without bruising them.

M'hryn dumps his seven cups of straight blackberries into the pot and looks
up at Ofira, waiting for the next step.

"I prefer a hundred cups of Benden wine on the wall, m'self," Kassima
comments to the bronzerider thoughtfully, "or even the version about
one-hundred blueriders out on the ledge--y'know, kick one down, slap 'em
around, ninety-nine blueriders out on the ledge. But V'dan's... V'dan. I
never thought I'd say it, but thank *Faranth* he's proddy right now." Since
she can't eat and ramble at the same time, a few more blueberries actually
make it into the bucket.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima now has One-Hundred Blueriders Out On the Ledge stuck
in her head.

Telgar Weyr> Jayna roflmao!!!!! Kick one donw, slap em around??

Ofira looks around and seeing everone all caught up, continues, "Now, we
add the sugar. Quite a lot really, About six cups to the seven cups of
berries. Just pour it in on top," she demonstrates.

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "Well, what would you *expect* Kassi to sing? ;)"

M'hryn laughs at Kassima's joke. "I should tell some of the blueriders I
know that one," he grins. Then he looks around and sees people dumping
sugar onto their berries and leans over next to Richenda. "How much did she
say, ma'am?" he whispers.

"Seven or eight," answers Richenda confidently. Yes, she heard Ofira
correctly. "Trust me."

Kaylira applauds her berry-juiced hands at this attempt at musicality from
Kassi, giving her mother a purple-stained beam. She recognizes that song,
oh yes. Flashing the toddler a grin, Kassi dumps the rest of the berries
into the bowl and reaches for the sugar. "Faranth help us," she grins to
the bronzerider. "They'll probably start substituting greenriders or
bronzeriders in the verses, then, and where would we all be?" Nevertheless,
she hums the tune under her breath while adding the sugar to the mix.

Ofira moves around the room gracefully, peering over shoulders and
checking. "Anyone need any help so far? Or have any questions?"

Bryena scoops her six cups of sugar in, counting them quietly aloud. If the
bronzerider is paying attention, he should catch that. If not, it will be
amusing. Bryena enjoys embarrassment almost as much as she enjoys matchmaking.

Jayna waves quietly to the Master, from the back. She missed the beginning
and is trying to figure out what's going on.

Richenda calls gaily, "Having the most delicious fun splashing around in
all this berry delight, thank you, Master Ofira!"

The Nabolese girl measures five cups of sugar, slowly, adding them to the
pot. She looks at Omali, who smiles and says "One more, Dayla." The girl
ohs! and adds another measure.

M'hryn nods at Richenda and starts pouring sugar over his berries. Getting
to six, he starts to fill another cup, but pauses. His eyes are on the
other Baker Craftmaster, his expression curious. "She only used six?" he
says to Richenda, questioningly. "At least I only heard up to six."

Ofira nods and returns to the front of the room, seeing that most people
have mostly the right amount of sugar. "Okay! Once you've gotten it all
poured in, mix it together with the berries. Gently!" she adds, remembering
the vigor that Kassima sometimes applies to her efforts.

Richenda doesn't answer M'hryn, as she's busy giving Ofira her attention.

Jayna watches the stirrers curiously.

M'hryn looks back at his pot as Richenda doesn't answer. "Well, too much is
better than not enough, I guess," he mutters and dumps one more cup of
sugar onto his berries before stirring. Gently. In fact, he's barely moving
anything in the pot.

Kassima doesn't measure very precisely. She just tops off each cup and
dumps it in with the aptitude of those who are either experienced with such
things or very confident in their own ignorance. The scary thing is, it's
hard to tell just which. Taking up a spoon, she twirls it around in her
fingers a few times before setting to the task of mixing, quite gently. For
her. Which is to say, if blueberry goo doesn't escape and splatter on
anyone else, it'll probably be a miracle. She has abandoned the song about
blueriders and is now singing 'Any Jam of Mine' under her breath.

Richenda stirs with the vigor of someone who is usually making numbweed,
not preserves. And hums. She is having a delightful time.

Ofira patrols the room again and reaching M'hryn, smiles and gently takes
the spoon from his hand, "Like this..." she shows him , stirring round and
round in the bowl.

Deyla, the Nabolese girl, starts stirring the berries and sugar with
extreme caution, nearly bursting into tears when one the berries "breaks"
and leaks juice onto the sugar.

Bryena stirs casually, one eye on the bronzerider. He seems a nice enough
fellow... and she does know several single girls about his age. Hmm...
she'll have to find out more about him.

M'hryn bites his lip as he surrenders his spoon and watches the Craftmaster
stirring his pot. "Oh, I see," he replies, once he's sure he understands
what Ofira is doing. "Okay. It seems easier fighting thread than this."

"This fights back," Richenda notes, indicating a splatter of stain on the
apron. "See if that stuff comes out. I'll bet you three marks and Rennick's
best tunic it won't."

Ofira smiles at the bronzerider and moves on, stopping by Richenda, "Very
good!" she says approvingly.

Omali tries to catch Ofira's eye.

M'hryn looks at Richenda and her apron. "Rennick?" he asks.

Jayna grins and quietly exits. She can see where this is going. . . .
they're cooking food that they're going to eat themselves.

Ofira nods to Omali and goes to her side, looking into the bowl of her
young companion, "Quite good," she smiles.

Kassima seems to be having a delightful time, too. The fact that there are
specks of purple on her face and hands from the zest with which she mixes
the berries doesn't bother her a whit. "'Tis a good thing we have aprons,
then. Though I'll have t'keep m'scarf out of it; 'twould nay do t'soil an
honorable trophy of warfare. How long should we stir, Ofira?"

Richenda beams at Ofira, looking like a child whose fingerpaintings have
been praised. "Thank you! I do love preserves and fresh bread. Rennick, my
dear boy--" This is to M'hryn. "--is my beloved husband and Telgar's
beloved steward. Well, somewhat beloved. He can be difficult. Keep
stirring, as Master Ofira showed you, my good fellow."

Deyla asks worriedly, "It's OK that one broke, ma'am?"

Ofira returns to her place at the front of the room and hides a grin,
tempted to let them all keep on stirring, amused by such slavish obedience,
but replies, "Once it's all uniformly mixed you can stop. And yes, it's
fine if they break, no problem at all! Now - the next step is to put the
pot on the hearth, on a low heat, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
That means large bubbles."

Kassima doesn't *quite* choke at the terminology Richenda uses, but the
purple on her face is now more a result of a hastily-strangled snort at the
very idea of Rennick being Telgar's 'beloved' steward than of berry juice.
"Ever tried 'em spread on rolls, Riche?" she asks, probably referring to
the preserves.

M'hryn blushes. He did in fact stop stirring as he looked at Richenda,
awaiting her answer. He returns to the task at hand, stirring his berries
and sugar as Master Ofira had instructed him. So engrossed in this task, he
misses the one eye Master Bryena is apparently keeping on him. Satisfied
the contents of his pot are uniformly mixed, he looks up at Ofira.

Kassima peers curiously into her bowl. "Well," she reports, "they're sort
of gooified... purple goo," she helpfully clarifies. "Didn't break all of
the berries, just a few. Is that what you mean?"

Bryena bites back a smile of satisfaction as she notices the bronzerider's
blush. A good sign, that. She makes a mental note to find out more about
the lad before he leaves.

Ofira nods to Kassima, "That's right. It should be one color. And I suppose
"goo" describes it as well as anything" she says distastefully. "Once
you've got it looking that way, put your pot on the hearth and keep
stirring until it reaches a nice boil."

Deyla looks at her pot again. "One color?" she asks doubtfully.

Richenda takes her pot to the hearth and commences to stirring there, her
attitude entirely too cheerful. "This is just a wonderfully enjoyable
task," she remarks to no one.

M'hryn does as instructed, taking his pot over to the hearth. He stirs it
gently, waiting for the contents to come to a 'rolling boil' -- 'big
bubbles,' which is probably a more useful description.

Ofira nods to Deyla, "The sugar shouldnt' look gritty anymore," she explains.

Tiya, a squirming toddler balanced on one hip, slips into the tent. As she
hears the mention of goo, she glances for other small children, then ahhs
softly as she sees what is happening. Finding a seat somewhat to the back,
she watches with interest.

Kassima beams her delight at having gooified the berries properly, and
promptly sets the pot on the hearth as ordered. Stir, stir, stir. She's
considerably more careful this time; splattering *berries* is one thing,
but boiling berry goo? She pauses in singing 'I've Got Friends In Low
Places' to flash Ofira, and then Tiya, a smile. The small girl sitting not
far from the greenrider waves enthusiastically to the only other person
around her age in here. That would probably be Tiya's spawn, not Tiya herself.

Omali ressures the stricken-looking girl. "Just stir it a little longer,
Deyla. It isn't a race."

Ofira looks around making sure everyone is following. While they stir, she
pulls a small vial out of he r apron pocket. "Now, here I've got the
_secret_ of preserve making," she says, holding up the vial, rather
impressively.

M'hryn stops stirring to look curiously at Ofira's vial. "What is it?" he
asks.

Tiya returns Kassima's smile, then leans down to murmur something to her
daughter. Daryan waves brightly to Kaylira (for surely it is Kaylira), but
remains ensconced upon her mother's lap.

Ofira continues to hold the vial aloft, gazing at it, "It's fruit essence -
a compound that makes the preserves jell, so that you wont' end up with
just a soupy mess. It can be a powder or a liquid. What I've got here is a
liquid. It's something the bakercraft distills for use by the craft and by
hold cooks."

Bryena grins at Ofira's dramaticness, although there's a slightly
preoccupied look on her face. Her attention no longer seems to be in the
tent, but somewhere beyond it.

M'hryn nods slowly, not understanding Ofira's answer, but willing to accept
it. It's probably a Craft secret anyway. He continues stirring.

Yes, that would be Kaylira who's bouncing there, with berry juice on her
face and an impatient expression. The other spawnlet is blessedly sleeping,
protected from the dread berry goo by Kassi's careful aim. Which is to say
that the greenrider is splattering it on herself before it can get to
Khari. "Duties to the High Reaches and her queens," Kassi calls out,
inbetween verses of 'If My Love Were a Dragonet's Couch, You'd Be Mucking
It Forever.' She seems to be in a musical mood tonight.

Deyla looks up from the stirring again. "It still looks like berries and
sugar. Not a one-color goo."

Ofira goes about the room, sprinkling a few drops of her precious fruit
essence into each pot, "As it boils now, it should jell, and when it does
take it right off the hearth. We'll be pouring it into these glass jars and
then sealing them with the lids."

Kassima watches the pot with its addition of fruit essence with interest,
leaning forward to watch for the bubbling. "What does it look like, as 'tis
gelling?" she wants to know.

Ofira explains, "Well, it will get thicker. And it'll look the way you
expect preserves too when you put them on your toast in the morning."

Ofira smiles, "Once it's jelled and you've taken it off the heat, and
poured it into jars, you're done! It's that simple to make a good preserve.
And you can always vary it by adding spices or other fruits..."

"I *think* this is done," Kassi finally says, lifting her pot from the
hearth with a wince. "'Twas certes bubbling. You don't have to wait, ere
pouring it into the jars?" She spares one hand to wave Tinya-wards.

Ofira waves a berry stained hand to Tinya and smiles. "We're just
finishing, but you're not to late to get some preserves to take home, Tinya."

Tinya comes in, sniffing rapturously. "Mmmm, smells good in here," she
says, as she comes over, then grins. "Preserves? Really? What kind?"

Ofira smiles, looking around the sticky tent. "Oh, all kinds. Blueberry,
raspberry, blackberry..."

Tiya, after listening for several moments longer, gets to her feet and
heads back to the clearing. Daryan waves byebye over her mother's shoulder.

Ofira smiles at the group, "Thank you all for coming tonight, and I hope
the class was helpful. Please feel free to stay around, finish up and ask
any questions you may have."

One of the apprentices serving dinner at the cooking pit accidentally drops
a thick slice into the pit. He quickly uses a shovel to cover it before the
journeyman notices.

R'val hurries into the baker tent, and grins as he spots Telgarites, waving
cheerily and moving /quickly/ towards Tinya, "Evenin'!"

Richenda waves to Ofira, deposits her berry-spatted apron in its proper
place, and slips out of the tent.

Ofira waves to R'val, with a smile, as she finishes with the class.

Kassima tips her pot to allow the thickened preserves to pour into a jar,
careful to keep her hands away from the hot stuff. "Methinks 'twill have to
try this with breakfast the instant we get back to the Weyr, Ofira," she
remarks cheerfully. "For now, though, I'd best head off. There're still
scavenger things we need t'find."

Ofira nods to Kassima, wiping her hands, "I hoped to see more of the
Festival myself," she agrees, calling a few apprentices over for clean up
duty.

Tinya looks indecisive at the choices presented. Before she makes a
decision, R'val comes in, and she smiles. "Oh, _there_ you are," she greets
him. "I just got here, drills ran late."

R'val waves amiably at Ofira and inhales deeply, 'Oh, it smells lovely." He
grins at Tinya, "Well, I've only been here a while myself."

Kassima takes up the jar and Kaylira's hand, tugging the latter along with
her out of the tent.