Branessu thought about all Lidia had said, during her journey. She was so occupied with her thoughts, that she rarely paid attention to the road and was grateful that her horses followed along with little guidance. She’d treat them later. When she came to she noticed that everyone was creating a circle to house the animals. Drawing up near Lidia, she beamed, "I'd be happy to be the group healer. For animals, there would be substitutions for certain remedies but yes, I could also heal animals.  Lidia, it would be a pleasure to teach you all that I know, and you can tell me stories about your family. They sound so fun. Also, about your question, pertaining to food. When it comes to food, I'm not picky. There may be many different textures, aromas and colours, but it’s all going the same place."<br/><br/>She stopped, "....But, I do recall this one time” she held up a finger, ”a traveller stopped by our house. He had hunted rabbits and raccoons, and was going door to door selling them. My mother told the maid to escort him off the property as they wouldn't purchase any of the animals. She also made it very clear that none of the staff were to make any purchases. As I watched from my window, I saw one of the cooks talking to the man, and then he bought a rabbit. It was so funny, the way he sneaked it around the back.” She paused, looked around and then continued. “Anyways, I had to see what would happen, so I snuck downstairs.  As I stepped into the kitchen, I was blindsided by the smell of something so delicious it filled the whole room, and it was salivating, "  she paused, as she remembered the smell, "I actually  thought I was going to drown in my own saliva. Excuse me." She laughed.<br/><br/>"It was the most... the most ambrosial smell I've ever crossed. I could’ve sat there all day and smelt it, I even forgot about the rabbit but no, with a smell a delectable as that, it had to be tasted. I searched the whole kitchen, all the pots and pans that I could find, but I couldn’t find it.  Then I saw it. Hidden away, in the corner of the room, the cook had created a makeshift pit and had the rabbit roasting on a spit over an open fire. The rabbit was large and plump, its skin already turning golden brown. The cook had rubbed some sauce or glaze of sorts across it, and it gave off a sweet aroma with a tinge of cinnamon. The sauce was dripping into the fire, causing sparks to fly with a loud sizzling sound. It was...beautiful.”<br/><br/>“I took up the knife I found on the table." Her hand clenched as she held the imaginary knife, "and I carved a strip. It was hot, chewy and the juices flowed into my mouth. It was.....The pleasure derived from eating that small strip was indescribable. I’d only planned on taking that piece  but I couldn't stop, I just kept carving and eating. Again, it was ...” She sighed. “Before long, it was finished. I ate the whole rabbit, no, I cleaned it to the bone. I might have tried eating the bone, if I didn’t hear something behind me. I turned to apologize to the cook, I would even buy it back for him...if he’d promise to share. But no, it wasn’t the cook or the maid or even any of the boys that worked in the stable. It was my mistress, Lady Rotennum...”<br/><br/>Branessu sat upright and placed her hand under her jaw, as she always did in deep thought. “I don’t know why she came to the kitchen area, I had never seen her on that side of the house. She avoids it like the plague. I always assumed she came looking for me as it was time for my classes, little did I know. It was only later on that I found out that she was seeing Jon, the head stable master against my parents’ wishes, and she was coming back from their secret spot- behind the old storehouse out in the orchard.” She shrugged, “Who knew, other than all the staff. Jon never could keep his mouth shut. When my parents found out..” With a grimace, she continued. “ I’ll leave that for another day. Where was I? Oh yes, she’d seen the whole thing, and stood there, appalled, with her clothes dishevelled and hair out of place. I almost laughed but I wasn’t one to talk, because my face and arms were covered with tidbits of meat and grease.  I was also very positive that most of the sauce was on my dress, so that was also ruined. We just stood there, staring at each for what seemed like an eternity, and then, she just left the room. She didn’t say a word, just turned and exited. We had class later on in the day, and it was like any other day. She never mentioned it so I thought she forgot.”<br/><br/>Laughing, she continued, “Two weeks later, Yaliae was having her 10th birthday party, it was to be held in the night. Being her best friend, I was to sit at the main table, and we’d have the first pick of all the foods and sweets. I was so excited, and I never saw it coming. My father called me into his study, and told me exactly what Mrs. Rottenum had told him. It was true, but I couldn’t feign innocence for he’d seen me watching my mother tell the maid not to purchase anything. Well, needless to say, I did not go to the party, and I was sent to bed with ten lashes. I wasn’t allowed out of my room for two weeks, except for my classes, dinner and to greet the guests. The funny thing is,” She took a deep breath, “If I was put in that same situation again, I would still eat that rabbit.”