?Stop it,? said a stern, husky voice.
?But it does look so yummy,? Amthy pleaded as she tried to drag her finger covertly along the inside rim of the mixing bowl. The earthenware vessel was filled with softly curling peaks of whipped sugary goodness. It was more than she could stand.
?If you don?t then there won?t be enough for all the cookies,? Hedwig admonished. She clucked her tongue and pulled the mixing bowl closer to her torso, and further from Amthy?s questing fingers.
?T?was jus? a lil bit,? Amthy pouted. She scrubbed a bare flour-dusted toe against a similarly flour-dusted floor. Very little of Amthy had escaped a fine dusting of milled wheat. It was in her green hair, smeared on her burgundy-colored dress, and had turned into an icky paste on her apron?where it had mixed with water and egg whites.
?That?s what you say now,? Hedwig smiled and shook her head. Two large braids thumped against her wide, muscular shoulders, ?but I?ve seen firsthand what you can do.?
And since the nymph could not argue with facts, she pouted instead. Her stomach grumbled. The scent of freshly baked cookies was rich and warm, and it filled the lower floor of Ardane. Hedwig had been patient enough to make cookies with her. She could manage to be patient?at least for a little while longer. ?Can we make all o? th?rainbow?? Amthy asked as she turned her attention to a basket filled with cookie cutters. She pulled a gingerbread girl from the mass inside and walked its little feet across the edge of the table top. ?Run, run, run as fast as you can?you canno? catch me, ?m the gingerbread man,? she sing-songed and stopped. ?Girl; I dunn s?pose it really matters.? She said to the bit of tin and dropped it onto the table.
?We can make as many colors as you like,? Hedwig replied.
Amthy tiptoed to the wire cooling racks. She pressed a finger to her lips as she looked down at the cookies. They had made two types. Amthy hadn?t been sure which flavor would be best. They all looked delicious with crisp golden edges and little mounds that promised to be soft and gooey when she?or whomever eventually?bit into them.
The chocolate chip cookies were pretty boring. They liked to be round, so they were. Nothing special about that, Amthy thought. But the sugar cookies, now that was a cookie she could work with. Stars, hearts, ghosts, and arched-backed cats begged to be iced. ?I think blue, green?a yellow green, orange, pink, purple, an? red.? Her eyes widened with anticipation as she turned her gaze expectantly to Hedwig. ?Are they cool enough??
Hedwig tipped her head. ?I think so.? She reached a calloused hand for a cookie. Amthy watched with open avarice as the woman bit into it. ?Yep,? she said around a mouthful, ?they?re ready to be iced.?
?Tha? was so-o mean!? Amthy gasped.
?What?? Hedwig smirked as she took another bite.
Amthy pressed her forearm to her brow. ?You?re doin? this on purpose.?
?Why else would I do it?? Hedwig laughed and poked a thick finger against the side of Amthy?s exposed neck. ?Come on, let?s make some icing. Then you can pretty them up with the candies.?
?Can I help you ice them?? Amthy clutched her hands together and pressed her knuckles to her chin.
?Sure,? Hedwig nodded. ?I didn?t want to do all the work, anyway.?
?I canno? wait to give them,? Amthy squealed. ?I know they will be loved. Thanking you, Hedwig. Thanking you for so much.? Amthy meant every word that she said. If it hadn?t been for Hedwig, she would have been in a spot. It was one of those curious things. When you looked at Hedwig words like dainty and delicate or feminine did not spring to mind. The former Geladinian hailed from a lumber town in the mountains. Everything about her was gruff, sturdy and square. She was also the reason a body shouldn?t judge on looks alone. Hedwig, Amthy found, was well-versed and practiced in most of the ladylike arts. Because of this, she was Amthy?s sometime tutor.
?Aw, it was no trouble,? Hedwig said as she waved Amthy?s words off. Even though she didn?t like the attention, it felt nice anyway. ?Come over here,? She waved Amthy closer. ?I?ll show you my secret to coloring icing.?
?Yay!? Amthy chirped and under the woman?s instruction, they colored the icing and decorated the cookies.
?But it does look so yummy,? Amthy pleaded as she tried to drag her finger covertly along the inside rim of the mixing bowl. The earthenware vessel was filled with softly curling peaks of whipped sugary goodness. It was more than she could stand.
?If you don?t then there won?t be enough for all the cookies,? Hedwig admonished. She clucked her tongue and pulled the mixing bowl closer to her torso, and further from Amthy?s questing fingers.
?T?was jus? a lil bit,? Amthy pouted. She scrubbed a bare flour-dusted toe against a similarly flour-dusted floor. Very little of Amthy had escaped a fine dusting of milled wheat. It was in her green hair, smeared on her burgundy-colored dress, and had turned into an icky paste on her apron?where it had mixed with water and egg whites.
?That?s what you say now,? Hedwig smiled and shook her head. Two large braids thumped against her wide, muscular shoulders, ?but I?ve seen firsthand what you can do.?
And since the nymph could not argue with facts, she pouted instead. Her stomach grumbled. The scent of freshly baked cookies was rich and warm, and it filled the lower floor of Ardane. Hedwig had been patient enough to make cookies with her. She could manage to be patient?at least for a little while longer. ?Can we make all o? th?rainbow?? Amthy asked as she turned her attention to a basket filled with cookie cutters. She pulled a gingerbread girl from the mass inside and walked its little feet across the edge of the table top. ?Run, run, run as fast as you can?you canno? catch me, ?m the gingerbread man,? she sing-songed and stopped. ?Girl; I dunn s?pose it really matters.? She said to the bit of tin and dropped it onto the table.
?We can make as many colors as you like,? Hedwig replied.
Amthy tiptoed to the wire cooling racks. She pressed a finger to her lips as she looked down at the cookies. They had made two types. Amthy hadn?t been sure which flavor would be best. They all looked delicious with crisp golden edges and little mounds that promised to be soft and gooey when she?or whomever eventually?bit into them.
The chocolate chip cookies were pretty boring. They liked to be round, so they were. Nothing special about that, Amthy thought. But the sugar cookies, now that was a cookie she could work with. Stars, hearts, ghosts, and arched-backed cats begged to be iced. ?I think blue, green?a yellow green, orange, pink, purple, an? red.? Her eyes widened with anticipation as she turned her gaze expectantly to Hedwig. ?Are they cool enough??
Hedwig tipped her head. ?I think so.? She reached a calloused hand for a cookie. Amthy watched with open avarice as the woman bit into it. ?Yep,? she said around a mouthful, ?they?re ready to be iced.?
?Tha? was so-o mean!? Amthy gasped.
?What?? Hedwig smirked as she took another bite.
Amthy pressed her forearm to her brow. ?You?re doin? this on purpose.?
?Why else would I do it?? Hedwig laughed and poked a thick finger against the side of Amthy?s exposed neck. ?Come on, let?s make some icing. Then you can pretty them up with the candies.?
?Can I help you ice them?? Amthy clutched her hands together and pressed her knuckles to her chin.
?Sure,? Hedwig nodded. ?I didn?t want to do all the work, anyway.?
?I canno? wait to give them,? Amthy squealed. ?I know they will be loved. Thanking you, Hedwig. Thanking you for so much.? Amthy meant every word that she said. If it hadn?t been for Hedwig, she would have been in a spot. It was one of those curious things. When you looked at Hedwig words like dainty and delicate or feminine did not spring to mind. The former Geladinian hailed from a lumber town in the mountains. Everything about her was gruff, sturdy and square. She was also the reason a body shouldn?t judge on looks alone. Hedwig, Amthy found, was well-versed and practiced in most of the ladylike arts. Because of this, she was Amthy?s sometime tutor.
?Aw, it was no trouble,? Hedwig said as she waved Amthy?s words off. Even though she didn?t like the attention, it felt nice anyway. ?Come over here,? She waved Amthy closer. ?I?ll show you my secret to coloring icing.?
?Yay!? Amthy chirped and under the woman?s instruction, they colored the icing and decorated the cookies.