((OOC/Author's Note: The player to this character should stop putting posts off until the day after the events.... XD Anyways, this mainly pertains a bit Dryn's past so... Hope you enjoy. :) ))
Dryn used the knife carefully as he cut up the meats and the vegetables, saving a few raw meat for Fenris. He attempted the recipe so many times though resulted in either burning it or burning his hands or not adding enough seasoning. It was mostly of the first two scenarios for the now nineteen-year-old Bree-land boy. That was only for his personal try though. He had to make sure that this recipe was exactly right tonight. He initially planned on just making some and then eat at the graveyard as a means of "spending time" with his late parents. However, this year was different. He was having friends over, good friends no less. This was the first year of not being with family due to his late parents as well as the harsh circumstances given by the Umaarahs. Well... Kristophor was rather like a brother-figure to him due to the many things they had gone through. Despite of his nervousness, he smiled at the thought of having just a small get-together away from Bree, away from the cruel events that had awaited there. He paused for a moment from his cutting. Not all of it was cruel now that he thought about it. There were things like expecting the black robe he paid Miss Doutie to have it fixed as well as the times that he had talked to Ainsleigh. He continued to cut the meats and vegetables for the stew, his mind going back to when he was younger and had nothing to worry about, when he was...more pure.
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"Dryn, what do you want for your birthday?"
The eleven-year-old Dryn smiled as he watched his mother in the kitchen. Even then, he was not one to ask things as gifts on his birthday. Yet, there was one thing he would look forward to. It was his mother's stew recipe. The meats had consisted of cubed beef, rabbit, pork, and chicken as the vegetables had been of carrots, potatoes, and beans.
"Mooooom, you already know!" Dryn feigned a pout. "I always look forward to your stew!"
"Lucky that I got the ingredients then, hm?" His mother chuckled. "You always ask for that every passing year since you were able to eat it."
"Dad says that I'm a growing boy so I would need the meat!" Dryn grinned.
"Your father may be right..." His mother started to prepare the meat and vegetables. "Now... Be sure to watch me this time. One of these days, you may use it to impress a woman."
"I'd be scared to!" Dryn's eyes widened in terror. "Corrben said that I would get sick by something called 'love!' I don't want to get sick!"
"Well, you best tell Corrben that he'd get sick, too, if he manages to find someone!" His mother laughed.
"I don't want him to get sick, too!" Dryn looked at her still.
His mother only laughed as she had worked. Dryn pouted before watching her prepare the stew, observing each and every step and memorizing them.
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Each passing year was the same recipe until the unfortunate events that had occurred. Each year was the stew followed by a wish in the night sky, wishing to have friends as the only ones that he had thought of us friends were his cousins. Being the only child had its disadvantages as well.
Dryn's light-green eyes looked up towards the window. His guests would come by at any moment. He stirred the contents in the pot. At the same time, he was sending a silent thanks to anything that was listening, like a god or something. He finally had friends to spend time with. He didn't need to be alone this year. He looked up towards the door as he heard a gentle knock. Well, the first visitor or visitors were here....
"Come in."
