A good morrow to you, my dear reader...
A most perfect morning it would seem to me by both me and young Jake...
I would say.
Why, I should say the very same for all his companions.
Yes...
And of you, dear reader, why...
I do suppose the same thing is true for you as always...
Indeed.
A cold day once again, I would argue?
Hmmm?
Indeed.
'Tis as I did imagine prior...
Do take care, my dear reader.
Do take care indeed.
The very cold, I say...
'Tis not something humans or even I would wish upon another...
Moving along...
Ah, yes...
The very meat seller...
Fren Chavalier...
Of those that rode upon carriages.
Indeed.
And thereof had he a promise to the young lad.
A strange one, one would say.
And thereof...
Did he speak of the meat I mentioned prior...
A single cut of red meat...
The very likes of which...
Fren: ... what lays before you is an experience.
Was one most special.
Fren: A rarity, I would say... why...
He held the very meat by one side to his own side...
The very thick red flowing from it...
Emanating, even so...
Victoria: Really?
With a somewhat, how you say, play-acting charm did she speak.
I do suppose you are of the understanding of what is afoot, my dear reader...
Truly, I hope I shan't have to explain it all.
Hmmm?
Very good then.
Moving along...
Fren: Indeed!
Why, the very smile on his face did not waver even for a moment...
Fren: Why, this very fine piece of meat hails from the nation of Rovara.
Yes...
The very land of shinobi...
Why, had the young lad less on his mind, perhaps he would have cared...
Hmmm...
No...
Knowing the young lad, he wouldn't have cared even if the sun in his heart was shining...
Indeed...
'Tis the boy by the name of Jake Phyr...
Victoria: Oh my...
Naturally, she was well aware of what that entailed...
Do fail to be fooled, dear reader...
The nation of Rovara is many a ways away from the city of Vesturia.
Why, Vesturia is quite in the middle of Vanamour...
All the same, does Rovara border Vanamour...
And thereof, why...
I do suppose you get the gist.
Indeed.
Moving along...
Ah, yes...
She also remained aware of what shinobi and Knights are...
Truly, I would say...
And even so, do I continue...
The very woman lightly elbowed the young lad...
As though to assure him of the fact that he had just gotten a truly exquisite deal...
And surely, one would argue...
That was true.
The very young lad did not so much as move or quarrel...
Or even so venture to look into her eyes...
Nay, his eyes remained affixed only to the meat...
Fren: Indeed!
The very man then dropped the piece gently unto the front of his carriage window...
And then remarked...
Fren: And of it, my dear boy, do touch it.
The very lad then put his hand to the flesh...
Yes.
Ice cold.
Fren: What do you feel?
Jake: Cold...
Victoria: Oh my...
Indeed, my dear reader, indeed...
The very meat was fully cold...
Hmmm?
Naturally to preserve it, I would say...
Hmmm?
Truly?
Why, I had no idea...
The very fact that such a thing is common place in your world...
Surely, I would say...
'Tis a most incredible discovery that you all live by every day...
Why, to enjoy meat in this world, must one either cook it quickly...
Or salt it or the very many other things of this world.
Yes.
And thereof, my dear reader, must I say...
That you are most fortunate to live in a world such as that.
Hmmm?
Why, to find fresh meat that isn't salted or something of the sort...
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Truly...
Fren: Oh, where are my manners? My dear lady, you may touch it as well.
Victoria: But of course...
The very woman did the same as the young lad...
Victoria: My... it is very cold.
So much so that she removed her hand a mere moment later...
Fren: Truly, I say, truly. Hahahaha...
Smiling as always.
I do suppose you can make heads and tails of what is up and about here.
Indeed.
Cold meat.
Victoria: But... how be it so?
Fren: Hahaha! 'Tis a very trick I have been using.
He lay his hands upon the meat before him...
Tapping it only once...
Fren: A trick... to keep meat fresh without salting it.
Victoria: Oh my...
The very young lad remained as unamused as you would imagine...
Fren: Indeed.
Victoria: But... how so?
Fren: Why...
The very man did return to the back of his carriage...
Holding to his side a bucket...
And thereof did he dive under...
Only to arrive once more following the sound of water being poured and displaced.
Indeed.
Did he arrive with a bucket of water...
Frozen blocks of ice about it.
Fren: 'Twas with this, my dear lad and lady.
Victoria: Oh, dear...
'Twas a thing most strange in the world, I would say...
Yes...
To store meat by keeping it under frozen water for oh-so long...
Why, to the very many of this world and at this time...
'Twas a method most unheard of...
Indeed...
You did call it refridgeration, I believe...
Why, this man called it...
Fren: ... chilling. I call this method chilling.
Victoria: Oh, dear...
She placed her hands to her mouth...
As though in utter shock.
As for the young lad, why...
Did he simply look on.
Yes...
Fren: Indeed!
The man very proudly placed his hands upon a blade...
The very reason to cut it into smaller pieces...
Fren: The very meat before you was wrapped in this bag...
He lowered his leg just enough that he could grab it...
Fren: ... and thereof, dipped into the water... and left to settle for several days...
Victoria: Oh, dear... And... nothing became of it?
Fren: Indeed. Why... do smell the meat.
Yes...
The very intoxicating odour of fresh meat...
The very bloody piece...
Yes...
The very young woman bowed a bit to smell the piece...
And as for the young lad, why...
He needed only sniff a bit more.
Yes.
His very senses were far above those of the very woman before him.
Indeed.
Even so, and moving along...
Victoria: Oh, my... fresh indeed!
Fren: Truly...
'Twas as she lifted her head that he lowered his hand...
Cutting piece after piece...
Fren: Meat as fresh as when it was severed from that beast. Indeed.
Victoria: Beast?
Fren: Yes, of course. The very Loch mole.
Victoria: Oh... my.
Why...
I do suppose I should explain what that is...
Seeing as you have never seen it before...
Ahem...
A Loch mole is a monster known only by those who live near deserts or things of the sort...
Places fully surrounded by sand...
Yes...
Any sort of place...
And thereof, must I say...
Does the very beast find itself much like the grave-tail I did once tell you of...
Indeed.
The very beast is a large...
Truly massive creature...
One whose very bite is well and able to swallow a human whole.
But of it, does it not merely swallow its prey...
Hmmm?
Yes, indeed.
Much like the very moles in your world...
They are furry creatures that have claws...
Indeed.
Even so, do they fail to feed on plants and trees.
Hmmm?
Well, 'twould seem that yours do both.
Even so, do I say...
The very giant of an animal that it is...
'Tis a rare sight, one must say...
Why, the very beast lays itself under the sand it finds itself buried into.
Yes.
It buries itself into the sand...
And thereof, remains...
Ever so motionless...
Breathing not merely by its mouth...
But also, by the very gills upon its neck.
Hmmm?
No, no, no.
Honestly...
What would have you imagine that there exists a creature that breathes sand?
Truly, I say, truly...
Absurd.
No.
The very gills breath as does the very nose and mouth.
All the while in the sand...
Waiting.
Hmmm?
Oh, no, no...
Unlike the very grave-tail that lures its prey...
Does this beast merely lie in wait...
Silently...
Not moving even as much as a muscle.
And as for feeding.
Why, ...
Does the very beast wait until it manages to sense something laying above it...
Yes...
In that way, one may say, is it far less successful than the grave-tail...
Yes...
However, does the very beast find itself hunting in such and such a way.
Yes.
Does the very prey find itself afoot, merely a few metres away...
Shall the beast oh-so silently creep over.
With a movement only those with a discerning pair of ears can hear.
And thereof, yes...
With mouth wide open and teeth sharp and at the ready...
The very beast swallows its prey whole...
Or merely takes a bite of them...
And either rips them apart or attempts to wrestle it down.
Indeed.
And thereof, I say...
Does this lumbering mass then swallow his meal...
Eating it, chewing it...
You do understand, I believe.
Why, should the beast manage to swallow sand, shall it simply fall out of its gills...
'Tis a most common occurrence...
Well seeing as the very most of its prey is much smaller than the beast itself.
Yes...
Well, I do hope that that explanation shall suffice.
And thereof, I say...
Did young Jake Phyr for a moment have his ears perked...
Why, the very lad had never once heard of such a thing.
Yes.
As for the name Loch Mole, as I should also assure you of...
'Tis simply for the fact that once one has you...
Why, 'tis most difficult to have it release you.
Yes...
Why, should one have decided upon you as prey...
Indeed.
'Tis most certain that one's death is assured.
Indeed.
Moving along...
Victoria: That... that is most...
Fren did simply stay smiling as he cut the meat to smaller pieces.
Why, he was halfway at this point.
Victoria: That is most interesting...
Indeed.
The Loch mole is a most dangerous adversary.
Why, to even chase after it, as some would say...
'Tis often a lost cause.
To escape its grasp...
Well, I do suppose you do understand the idea.
And of the very same...
Fren: Indeed.
And with a few more cuts...
Fren: This cut I received from a friend of mine. An old colleague, I should say.
And of the cut, why...
Only a quarter left.
Fren: Why... he did say that the very cut had only been received by him that very day.
Victoria: Truly...
Fren: And thereof, I thought to myself... why... 'twould be the very best sort of meat to bring to the nation of Vanamour.
Yes...
A most wise decision.
Seeing as, well...
You know.
Fren: Why... I myself have no idea of how good it shall taste...
And with that, had he fully cut the thing...
Fren: However, you, my dear lad...
And placed every single piece into a bag...
One that held it without allowing the blood to flow away.
Fren: I would like you to be the very first of all of us...
And handed it to the young lad...
Fren: To take of it.
Who there and then took the bag from his hand.
And thereof...
Jake: Thank you...
As flatly as before, one would say...
Yes.
Fren: As pleasureful as it was for me, do I hope that that meat shall be pleasureful to you, my dear boy.
With an honest smile as always.
Jake: Hmmm.
He took the meat, and thereof, placed it to his side...
And thereafter...
Victoria: What a meal you shall be having. A most splendid one, I would say.
Fake smiles as she did carry.
As the young lad, even failing to give her a proper look to her eyes...
Hmmm...
No.
Not quite.
He simply did not even bother looking into her eyes.
Fren: Now...
The man suddenly grasped the carriage window sill and leaped out once more...
Fren: Let us finish our little party with the very re-clothing of our dear young lad.
Victoria: Indeed.
The young lad failed to reply...
Merely walking along side them all...
As they returned to the second carriage...
The very one where a most ecstatic Madam Thornberry was waiting...
Fren: Yes. To the gorgeous and intelligent Madam Thornberry.
The very woman remained by her carriage...
Why, now...
She was only marvelling at her newest creation.
Indeed.
And once they were upon her...
Nancy: Oh, Mr. Fren. Truly...
Red-faced as always...
As Fren Chavalier did simply laugh and laugh...
A jolly laugh, I would say...
And the very madam's eyes did turn to the young lad...
Nancy: Ah, my dear boy. I have finished it. Look.
The very clothing was truly well and done.
May, I say, the very woman did a most specially fantastic job.
The very suit of clothing was only a bit smaller than before...
And thereof...
Fren: Truly?
Nancy: Indeed.
Victoria: Why, that is most excellent.
Yes...
And of the very same, why...
Did the very young lady hold her satchel to the young lad...
Victoria: Here, dear boy... you shall be needing this.
Nancy: Indeed.
I did already explain as to what the clothing did look like...
And thereof, I shan't explain it yet again...
Yes...
Even so, why...
Did young Jake Phyr look at it...
Failing to move a muscle...
Before...
Nancy: And all that remains now is...
Yes...
The very simplest of things, one could say...
The only thing remaining...
Was for the young lad to put it on himself.
Yes.
They all did look to him.
One after the other.
First Fren, then Madam Thornberry and finally Madam Hathaway.
Indeed.
As for the young lad...
Why...
Was it then that Madam Thornberry called to him to...
Nancy: Oh. And you may come with me.
Indeed.
The very young lad did find himself taken to the very inner room of the carriage...
Led by Madam Thornberry...
Having taken the satchel from Madam Hathaway...
And following the very smiling of Fren Chavalier.
Indeed.
Inside the room did he go, and inside was he left alone...
All the while...
As they all, men and women...
Waited alongside the door.
Awaiting his eventual arising from the door.
Indeed.
'Twould be a mere matter of a few moments...
Why, the very lad had left the axe outside the carriage, I should say...
Even so, the very bag of meat...
And as for those outside...
Fren: A very good work on that, I must say, Madam Thornberry.
Nancy: Oh, why thank you, Mr. Fren. 'Twas no trouble at all.
Fren: And as for you, Madam Hathaway, a most perfect weapon you have found for him.
Victoria: 'Twas no trouble at all, Mr. Fren. I do do my best.
Fren: Hahahaha!
And of the very same...
Why, in even less time than they all expected...
Yes...
Did the door open...
Their heads all up and about...
Turning...
All to see the very young lad...
Fully clothed...
Fully ready...
Yes...
In all the brown animal skin and fur...
Even so...
In one pocket, the very bladed pen to be seen...
And in another, the sight of a chain...
Likely from the very gift from Reginald...
And all the same did he turn to them all...
Fren: My, my...
Victoria: A smashing look, I say.
Nancy: Indeed. A most perfect fit, I say.
Indeed...
Madam Thornberry smilingly walked to the lad...
All the while touching her clothing...
Inspecting it...
Nancy: Is it comfortable?
The very lad did answer...
Jake: It is.
Indeed...
A most perfect fit for the young lad...
Dare I say.
Why, Fren Chavalier was not merely toying around with words when he spoke these.
Indeed.
Even so, ...
Fren: Why, of course it is, Madam Thornberry. Why... I would expect nothing less from you.
Indeed.
Victoria: Truly, Madam, truly...
And...
Hmmm...
Well...
Time is up once more.
Do have some fun even in the cold.
Hmmm?
Why, dear reader...
'Tis as a wise man did once say...
Perhaps repitition...
Is the cause of one's failure to listen.
Yes...
Do take care, dear reader.
Indeed.