OOM: Returning Eunuch

[bigarmy_strangepants]

It is late in the day, and Ragnar is lounging in his room, talking to Athelstan.

He could spend eternity just talking to Athelstan, and then an eternity again with all the other Athelstan-related things.

But they never run out of things to talk about, it seems.

"... will turn seawater into potable water, like making salt, just the other way around," he is saying.

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan has been soothed almost to sleep by this point, but he opens his eyes.

"...how much did you get?"

[thewidewideworld]

"A feast indeed." Sinric chuckles, torn between bouncing over to help Ragnar and finishing Athelstan's massage.

In the end he stays with Athelstan, smoothing his hand over Athelstan's shoulders. "Almost done, beloved." He works back down Athelstan's arms and fingers briskly.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar puts the tray on the table.

There is tea and bread, fruit and cream, cured meat and cheese, a bowl of olives, and a special loaf of flat white bread that contains olives as well.

Also, tomatoes. Also, honey cake with candied angelica roots.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Is there anything we should eat right now?" Athelstan asks sleepily.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric finishes up, wiping oil from Athelstan's hands. "There, all done. I can do more later." He kisses Athelstan's cheek and goes to wash up before breakfast.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"The tea would get cold, and the butter would get warm," Ragnar says. "And there is this olive bread I made with Rae's help that I hope you will like."

[athelstanthescribe]

He pushes himself up.

"Then let's eat."

[thewidewideworld]

Since returns, running a hand over Athelstan's shoulder, checking he's okay after the massage before kissing Ragnar's cheek.

"You spoil us." He smiles, pouring tea for them all out of habit.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"We had olives the other day, after we talked about the Romans, and Athelstan liked them, so I wanted to spoil him with something with olives in."

[athelstanthescribe]

"So you cooked this for us, all yourself?"

[thewidewideworld]

"I love olives. They remind me of Constantinople and summer." He grins, flowing into a chair and folding his feet under him.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I made some of it myself, yes," Ragnar says. "But the olive bread, I made with Rae especially for you."

He takes a knife to cut off pieces for them, then picks up his cups and drinks some tea.

[athelstanthescribe]

So does Athelstan before it cools.

"Thank you."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric smiles and stretches out, resting the tips of his toes on the edge of Ragnar's chair. "Tastes wonderful. Thank you." He purrs, nibbling happily and adding some cheese and meat to make a sandwich.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar tries some of the olive bread, which is as nice as he hoped it would be.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan butters a piece for himself, and eats with evident approval.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric, having somewhat regained his appetite since he arrived at new years, tries a bit of everything.

"I miss good bread. The Sinese eat almost none of it at all."

He attacks the fruit next, licking juice off his fingers. "And the vegetables the Khan's eat are all dull and stringy as grass."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"What do they eat instead of bread?" Ragnar asks.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan glances at Sinric, chewing on olive bread and waiting for the answer.

[thewidewideworld]

"A grain they call mĭ but in the Greek is called oruza. Here, I have heard it called rice. It is grown in fields of shallow wetland and marshes."

"There are mountains just beyond the imperial city where great flat plateaus are cut, like stepped pools as big as lakes to grow it. Other places, all the lowlands are damed and used as fields."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"A grain they eat as gruel, not as bread?" Ragnar says. "That is interesting. Then their food must be very different, to go with that."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Their land must have been given to marsh before that", Athelstan supposes, "for a plant to arise that thrives in wet conditions."

[thewidewideworld]

"Much of it was, and still is. But they have found a way to make use such land to feed an empire."

"Their food is quite different but oruza is cooked less as a gruel and more as softened grains. It can be made to stick to itself to form balls or eaten from a bowl. Or ground fine as as we would with wheat and made in noodles. It grows fast, is very nutritious and dried properly; can be stored for great lengths of time and transported easily. I suspect it is one of the keys to why the Sino Empire is so large and powerful."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Do they trade it to Miklagard, for the Greeks to have a name for it?"

Ragnar leans back, munching on his olive bread and obviously getting ideas.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan eyes him.

"You're planning to get some, aren't you."