Snowland Ballad[]
This is a story circulating in Northland, though no one knows if it's true, but a minstrel wandering the Northland collected it in an anthology... Two blond Aurorian orphans from parts unknown met in a Northland village and form a solid bond through mutual aid and acceptance. In addition, we will also get a glimpse into the daily life of Northland Aurorians in the story.
Introduction[]
Martha loved cooking, and to that end, even figured out how to get salt. After listening to Martha's explanations, Dorothy got the idea of trying it herself.
Volume IV: Free Salt[]
Martha stopped spending all day in the wood next to the village but instead on making meals. She didn't like eating cold sharks and canned herrings, that led to more vegetable stews, fish soups, kabobs, and mashed potatoes on the dining table. Dorothy didn't want Martha to cook at first, since Martha was considered a guest, but compared to Dorothy's lack of culinary skills, Cruz obviously enjoyed Martha's cooking more. That compelled Dorothy to help Martha during prep work in the kitchen as much as possible, while secretly committing the recipes to memory.
Martha was not satisfied with just filling up the tummy. Once, she tasted a broth and commented, "This probably needs more salt."
"Salt?" Dorothy pondered for a long while before realizing it's a condiment the size of tiny snow pellets. "That's very hard to get," she said.
Martha nodded thoughtfully at the reply.
Next day, when Dorothy got back from doing chores for the elder, Cruz tugged on her sleeves and guided her into the kitchen, pointing to a small sack, shouting loudly, "Salt!"
Dorothy crouched, dabbed a finger into the fine white grains and tasted it. Saltiness spread across her tongue.
"Where did this come from?"
"Martha brought it back!" Cruz pointed behind Dorothy as Martha approached the kitchen with a leg of boar in hand.
"The salt... Was it expensive?" a hesitant Dorothy asked Martha.
Martha paused before answering, "I didn't buy it."
"Where did you get it then?"
Martha smiled. "The saltwater lake nearby."
Under the siblings' interrogation, Martha revealed how she got the salt: She had tracked her prey to the saltwater lake on a hunt not too long ago. She would get the water and let it freeze on shore, bring the unfrozen brine home, boil it to get the salt, then filter many times to make it edible. Dorothy and Cruz were captivated by the account, bugging Martha even when she was marinating the boar leg.
"How do you know so much, Martha?" Dorothy inquired as she imitated Martha rubbing salt all over the meat.
"It's really not hard," Martha gave a rather vague answer.
Dorothy nodded to herself, thinking it's really not hard to do, either.