Tessa stood in the middle of the area cleared for cooking, hands on her hips like a commander about to lead troops into battle. Her men remained beside her as always, hovering with shameless devotion and trying to see if there was any way they could help.
Spread before her was an entire row of ingredients gathered from the hunt and the wilds—fresh meat, roots, herbs, fruits, strange seeds, and jars of things she did not entirely trust.
"I can't believe all these are food," Tessa murmured in wonder.
She skimmed through everything with utmost satisfaction, touching one item after another while trying to decide where to begin. There was too much choice. In her old world she had gone shopping in supermarkets with bright lights and labels. Here she had random roots and suspicious liquids that could either season a meal or kill a person.
