Another busy morning. Chrysanthe stifled a yawn as she thought about how just yesterday she had bounced from table to table taking orders from the flood of customers who had decided to grace their small cafe. It was good that the business was thriving, but unfortunate that Chrys had not gotten as much sleep as of late. The young woman had simply been too restless and usually ended up tossing and turning most nights until she finally gave up on sleep and instead slipped into the kitchens to work just before dawn. It was there in the early hours of morning that Chrys both prepared the morning breads and also played around with recipes a little. After taking up work at the cafe, the hybrid had discovered a passion for baking and sought to make the best of it while she could. After all Chrys had traveled for so many of her teen years that the young adult was still wary of staying in one place. Even spending the last four years in Belrea seemed almost unreal. She had left home when she was only sixteen and after a failed year of traveling to Matori in search of a mysterious father she would never meet, Chrys had ventured towards Belrea. Running away from home had forced her to mature quickly and her determination had allowed her to master the crossbow in less time than most others. It was strange to think of how quickly the last few years had gone and soon enough it would be her twentieth birthday.

“I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.” Mused Chrys with a quiet laugh as she began kneading the dough that she had left out overnight. The seasons were starting to change and the cooler season was the perfect time to bring in some of those spices. Chrys was working on a spiced loaf with various sugared nuts found commonly in the forests of Belrea during this time of year which she knew was a popular item with many of the cafe customers. The smell of bread had filled the bakery for the last several days and Chrys was doing her best to not be weary of it. Still, it did not stop her from playing with more unique flavors once the required baking was prepped and in the large brick ovens resting in the huge kitchens behind the store. “I could add some of this and maybe a little of that as well.” Chrys pursed her lips thoughtfully as her fingers skimmed over the spice rack. Once she finished the spiced loaf she could also begin working on some sweets for the shop which she truly looked forward to baking. It was after all also the season for treats and many orders were coming into the bakery. Chrys was already thinking about what type of fruit tarts she could bake for the day. Those and the little sugar candies were in high demand lately after all. Chrysanthe had already finished a batch of those last night and had to remind herself to set them out before opening the shop for the day. They even came wrapped in pretty packages so that others could give them as gifts or bring them to special events in the city.

But for now she needed to finish this spiced loaf of bread for the morning menu…

“Okay, got it.” Chrysanthe smiled as she placed the loaf into one of the ovens and then turned towards the pantry. Grabbing several baskets of fresh berries, gathered early yesterday morning, the hybrid rinsed some off one more time before starting to lay out her other ingredients for the wildberry tarts. Humming softly under her breath, Chrysanthe started to mix up the ingredients for the tart pastry. Two eggs, some of this spice here, a splash of milk, lots of flour and some sugar. She marked each ingredient off from her mental list as she added them together in the large mixing bowl. Once the dough had settled Chrysanthe set it out on the cleaned counter and started to roll it out with one of the many rolling pins found in the bakery’s kitchen. Each press was like a rhythm to her as she went back and forth to make certain that the dough was fine and yet still firm enough to make the tart shape. Pressing it into the cooking dish, Chrysanthe started to fill it with a cream she had also prepared. “Now for the berries.” The hybrid smiled as she plopped several of the berries on top and sprinkled some more sugar and a honey glaze. Now to just wait for everything to finish baking~


[782]