Closed [Rearing Stallion] Beginning with Baking (Alexander Ross)

[Orin Fenix]

Orin took a moment to think about Alexander’s comments about the Knighthood needing brains as well as brawn. It made sense but Orin was almost certain that the Syliran Order had strict requirements about the physical capabilities. Which didn’t preclude an individual Knight being a scholar. Orin just was completely baffled how the man could find enough hours in the day to keep up his combat prowess, attend his duties, and also get some studying done on the side. ”I mean that all sounds about right. But my question or, well, concern rather about admission into the Knighthood still stands. Doesn’t every member need to, you know, be able to fight and also aren’t they supposed to keep those skills up, patrol the city and the mountains and help people out? I mean how would any one person have enough bells in the day to do all that. I only have to do one thing, cook and I barely can do one other task a day outside my job. And if they need someone to be a scholar wouldn’t they just, hire a scholar? I mean I guess what I’m saying is how would someone with a studious bent get through the training? Not that intellectuals can’t also be skilled fighters I mean, that’s not true at all. It’s just that in my experience it’s hard to master one or the other and to be the master of both is, well, it’s rather remarkable. You’re lucky to get to train with such an amazing person.” It was true. Maybe if Orin’s own bosses were a bit more open-minded and gave Orin a bit more of a well rounded training regime then Orin would be a bit happier with his current job. Not that he wasn’t pleased enough with his work and a squire’s training was completely different situation entirely. But still Orin couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was missing, or that there was more out there for him. Still for now he was stuck in this alley training Alexander and that’s probably what he should be focusing on.

Coming back to Alexander, Orin felt the man’s fist make a slightly impact. However, there was nowhere near the amount of force that Orin had been expecting. Orin frowned and went into the stance again. Maybe Alexander should take a moment to look over the proper footwork or as close to proper footwork as Orin could manage. ”Alright I’m going to throw a few punches. I guess just watch me and see what you pick up.” That done, Orin threw a right jab followed by a left uppercut. Orin was too inexperienced to string together an actual combination properly. However, that lack of speed and finesse might actually be more helpful in this particular case, since Alexander would, if he had any physical training at all, pick up on what Orin was doing wrong. Orin then switched sides, throwing a left punch followed by his right fist coming up and in an arc. If there had been an opponent there Orin hoped that his fist would’ve connected that person’s chin. Orin’s left arm and right uppercut were significantly less coordinated than his other side. Probably because his left sider was weaker and so everything that started from there was also weaker.

Turning back to Alexander Orin shrugged. Orin didn’t really have much more to tell him so Orin figured stalling for time would be appropriate. ”So ah, tell me what you just noticed. Either good things or bad I don’t mind the criticism, I probably need it to be honest and there’s no one else around.” While Orin was waiting for Alexander’s response he wracked his brain for further training ideas. Now Orin remembered exactly why he didn’t do more physical fitness himself, because he was simply terrible at it. One idea did pop into Orin’s mind and though it was a bad one it was still definitely better than nothing. ”So you’ve only been working on one side. I want you to give me your best shot on the opposite side without any input from me. Think you’re up to the challenge?” Orin put his hands up in the guard position which was quickly becoming familiar to Orin. Orin was definitely preparing himself for a bigger hit. If Alexander had learned anything then this would be the time that it would be shown. Without poking his head out from it’s protected area, Orin responded to Alexander with an immediate yes. ”It’s the least I can do after your help, what do you need?”

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross "Well, yeah. Every member needs to know how to fight, it's just that Ser Grayne is also somehow able to study on the side. Don't get me wrong, he's more than capable of fulfilling his duties as a knight, but as far as hiring goes... I'm not exactly sure. It's had me a bit confused as well, I just never really cared to question it... which probably isn't a good thing to say." Alex said with a shrug, reaching up and pulling off his glasses, he wiped them clean on his shirt before returning them. "But I can't say I don't agree with you, I honestly have no idea how Ser Grayne does it, or what the Knighthood thinks of it, so I'm probably not the most reliable source of information on the subject. But you're right; I am lucky to have him as a patron." When he saw Orin frown after he delivered his second punch, Alex sighed and looked down at his hands. Wow, I really suck at this... He thought to himself with a light, half-hearted chuckle. He nodded when Orin offered to demonstrate a few more punches, first delivering a right jab followed by a left uppercut, then switching and delivering a left jab with a right uppercut. Alex observed this closely, soaking in as much as his attention-deficit mind would allow. When Orin asked for his opinion, the boy thought for a moment before answering. "Um... It looked okay, aside from the lack of speed. Well, unless you did that on purpose. Also, when you switched sides, it looked like your footing was off by just a bit. It could just be me, though I've never been one for observing things." He said with a shrug. He nodded when Orin suggested switching sides. Hitting with his left hand definitely was not going to apply much force, considering that he was right-handed. Of course, he could always train in order to get himself better acquainted with using both. Readjusting his position, he took a deep breath and threw a right jab at Orin's forearm, this one having more force and momentum behind it. Of course, it would have been much better if he had his hands positioned better, and if his footing was just a bit more apart, but it was progress. "That... was a little better." He smiled when Orin immediately responded with a yes. "Well, my birthday is coming up around the fifty-fith this season, and Ser Grayne has been pesturing me lately to plan a party... much to my distaste..." He said, rolling his eyes. "And I was wondering if we could have it at the Rearing Stallion with you as the head chef? You know, just cook up a few things for the guests. You don't have to if you don't want. To be quite honest, I don't see my birthday as a special occasion, so I don't really care for having people take time out of their lives just to acknowledge me becoming a year older."

[Orin Fenix]

As expected Alexander's next blow hit with a bit more power behind it. It wasn't exactly painful if compared to some of the other scrapes and bruises Orin had received in his life but it still definitely stung a bit. Orin shook out his arms to try and dispelling some of the lingering ache, then beamed at Alexander. "That was brilliant! I mean I couldn't exactly see you considering my arms were in the way of my face but it definitely felt better. For me at least I mean hopefully it was a bit better for you as well. Right?" Orin crossed his arm against his chest, still smiling. He'd been pondering everything Alexander had said about his patron. The man almost sounded too good to be true to Orin. Still, the Syliran Order was supposed to be the best of the best so their were probably chock full of incredible individuals. "Well that's probably why he's a knight and we're just lowly, well, whatever we are, squire and cook I guess. Ser Grayne I mean. But who knows maybe one day if you do stick to the whole Knighthood business you'll be just as amazing. It's a pretty thought yeah? Of course I'll still be a lowly cook but at least one of us would have made it." Orin chuckled at his own joke. He wasn't at all resentful and he hoped Alexander didn't take Orin's words the wrong way. Actually Orin quite happy to stay a lowly little cook. Being a hero would just be a quick way to get Orin dead quickly.

Orin squinted at the sun then cursed under his breath. "Ah shyke I lost track of time. Come on we've got to go check on the bread." Hustling his way back into the kitchen and hoping Alexander would follow, Orin zeroed in on the two cloth-covered bowls. Twitching off the still wet fabric, Orin was glad to see he'd just been a bit reactionary. The bread had indeed risen but it definitely hadn't gone too far. It appeared to be around twice as large as it crept steadily up to the rim of the bowl. Of course Orin couldn't actually detect the movement but he liked to imagine he could. Taking his fist Orin pushed it gently into the center of the dough, then with his free hand pushed the edges into the center. "What I just did is called punching. I hope you don't mind if I do it this time around. It's kind of an important step, not that all the steps aren't important this technique is just a bit more complicated. Also I have to get this in the oven pretty quickly. Please watch and learn though." With that Orin rolled the dough into a ball and then took it out of the bowl. He gave a few easy kneads to remove excess air bubbles. Next he repeated it with the second bowl and then got out the baking pans. Splitting the dough as evenly as possible, Orin filled each pan and then slid them into the oven. "There we go! I hope you followed all that. Now it's just got to cook for three-quarters of a bell, or thereabouts then you take it out and enjoy your wonderful fresh bread. Not right away though it'd be way too hot, let it cool for about ten chimes I'd say. Actually more to be safe." Orin quickly tacked on that last warning since he didn't want to be responsible for Alexander severely burning himself.

When Alexander requested Orin's services as a caterer Orin was flabbergasted. Sure he'd worked on Sayana's party but that had been more of an impromptu gathering of friends. Of course when Orin thought of Sayana he realized there might be a problem. What are the chances two people need me to cook food for their birthday parties on the same day! However, if Alexander was hosting at The Rearing Stallion then perhaps there was a solution to this that would satisfy everyone. Of course it would mean Orin would be working himself to death but that wasn't necessarily bad. Orin had actually been hankering for a culinary challenge and catering two birthdays on the same day with completely different dishes for both, or at least as much as Orin could manage, would definitely qualify. So Orin was inclined to say yes to Alexander.

Still there was a chance that this wouldn't work out if Remi, Rondo or Ser Kevith vetoed the entire idea. And Orin had to make sure that was clear to Alexander. "So I'm going to very tentatively agree but here's the whole situation. I'm already engaged at a different event earlier that day. However since all the cooking would take place in The Rearing Stallion I'm confident I would be able to handle the work. The only issue would he if Rondo and Remi, they're the head chefs here, don't allow it. I'll definitely present it to them and do my best to convince them that I can do this and it'd be good for both me and them and the tavern as a whole, especially if I tell them that it's for the Order. But they have the final say. I'll send word to you either way though but I think you should probably head out now. I'll think of the best way to broach the subject to you but it would go over better if you weren't here." Orin was already formulating responses to the inevitable objections they would come up with. Still Orin thought he could make this all work just fine.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross For a second, Alex's face flashed a look of concern when Orin shook his arms a bit, but smiled when Orin suddenly praised him. For the first time in a very long time, he felt a bit of pride in himself. Even though not much was done, he felt the strangest feeling that he had made a major accomplishment. Usually, the boy's only feelings of accomplishment were dragging himself off to the squire dorms and flop down on his bunk. This time was different, though. Instead of feeling a void of exhaustion, lethargy, and the overall emptiness in his chest, there was actually something there. Something good. Alex frowned at Orin's comment regarding the Order. Of course, he knew that it was a joke, but it really had him thinking about what he would do in the future. "I don't know..." He said with a shrug. "I mean, I do like being in the knighthood, but... I'm going to have to make a few decisions. If I do become as successful as you say, then don't worry. I won't forget about you." He quickly followed Orin inside, noticing that he too had lost track of the time. That was another aspect that he needed to work on: Time management. He always had trouble with either being too late, or too early. Of course, being early was never a bad thing, but he would often find it very difficult to cope without something to do. Shaking the thought from his mind, he watched as Orin kneaded the dough from the two bowls to remove any air bubbles that had developed during there time outside, setting them in the oven once he was done. He listened closely to the cook's warning and nodded. Of course, it was common sense to wait until the bread had cooled a bit before enjoying it. But knowing Alex, there was always a chance that he could forget. At Orin's last statement, he felt a little bit more excited than he normally should, especially since he would have no choice but to attend his own dreaded party once the cook had consent from Rondo and Remi. "All right, sounds great!" The boy said, beaming. He made his way towards the back door. "Thanks a lot, Orin, I really owe you one. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask." He ducked out of the door and took his usual rout back to the dorms. Maybe talking to people was not so bad after all...

[Devi]

Your Grades have arrived! Orin Skills: Planning: 3XP Organization: 2XP Teaching: 5XP Unarmed Combat: 3XP Weapon Skills: Dagger: 2XP Observation: 2XP Socialization: 5XP Interrogation: 2XP Rhetoric: 2XP Intelligence: 1XP Endurance: 1XP Cooking: 1XP Lores: Teaching: Start with the Basics Alex: Had a difficult childhood Alex: Squire of the Syliran Knighthood Alex: Planning a trip to Wind Reach Syliran Knights: Not just fighters Alex Skills: Cooking: 4XP Unarmed Combat: 3XP Observation: 4XP Socialization: 5XP Lores: Orin: Chef at the Rearing Stallion Orin: A good listener Cooking: Recipe for bread Orin: Skilled with a dagger Orin: Skilled with a dagger Comments: Good stuff both of you! Nice learning curves with the new skills . Let me know if you have any questions and don't forget to edit your post in the Grade Request Thread. Happy Writing!