Nanny For The Alien General by Athena Storm
Serafina
“And then, if we whirl this around very fast, it makes the eggs nice and fluffy. See?”
Both kids peer over my hands as I whisk several hretash eggs in an earthenware bowl. Though they are small birds, they make an abundance of eggs and are kind enough to share them with me as I feed them regularly.
“Whoa….” Both kids say in perfect unison. Have they never seen anyone cook before? True, watching eggs turn into fluffy goodness just waiting for a hot griddle is pretty exciting if you’re hungry, but I would have thought they would have seen something like this before. How sheltered are these kids? Where, precisely, have they been living?
“Do it again!” Belanna commands, adopting a very stern face.
“‘Fraid not, friend. Those are all the eggs we have. But, we do get to put them on the griddle now and watch them change again.”
Her pout quickly turns into a look of curiosity once more as I shuffle to the stove. Though crude, it works perfectly (it should after all the tinkering I’ve done to it). It’s basically a hot flame over a flat surface, but it really does the trick.
We move like one being, the kids glommed on to my sides.
“And now for my next trick,” I announce, in my best Master of Ceremonies impression.
Dipping my hands in a bowl of water, I flick it at the griddle. Both kids shriek with happiness as they watch the water spin and dance before them.
Perfect. Ready for the next act.
“Now, stay back. We don’t want to get burned. You’ll do much the same dance as those water drops,” I admonish gently.
As they watch, I drop the whisked eggs onto the griddle, adding some herbs and spices as the eggs begin to cook. A gorgeous smell wafts through the little cabin. No matter how many times I make this breakfast, I’ll never get over the smell. Since I’m now cooking for four, it’s even more pungent this time.
Not complaining.
Suddenly, my mood is broken by the sight of Keilon. Though he sits only feet away from me, we may as well be in different worlds. While I am enjoying his children, he sits, forlornly, on a chair opposite, his face a scowl of confused envy.
What is going through his mind? Is he angry that I am taking care of his children? He shouldn’t be. Though they are cute, they are a handful and I’m way behind on all my chores. But, I know he needs rest so I dare not disturb him.
Whatever beef he has, he’d better deal with it. And soon.
Perhaps breakfast will help.
“Now what?” Emex asks, pulling on my sleeve.
“Oh! Now, we add the qar shish peppers.”
I keep a small jar of them (grown in my garden) on the counter. They are sweet and add a flash of vibrant purple color to the eggs.
Looking around, however, I can’t seem to find them.
“What the…? I could have sworn…” I say, trying to look around while keeping one eye on the kids and one eye on the eggs. I really don’t have enough eyes to be doing it all at once…
“Here,” says a voice.
Looking up, I’m shocked to see Keilon, standing near me, the jar in his outstretched hand. “They were over there,” he says, pointing to a high shelf nearby. I’d forgotten I’d moved them when the toddlers were being particularly rambunctious.
“Thank you,” I say, trying to keep the marvel out of my voice.
He grunts and shuffles back to his chair.
It’s somewhat of a miracle he’s up at all. I didn’t think he would be walking at this stage of his recovery. He’s certainly in no condition to do more than what he’s just done, but it’s a good sign.
And, large as he is, it’s also quite amusing to see him the way he is.
Weirdly adorable comes to mind.
It’s true. His tall frame is wrapped in a blanket, his shoulders hunched and his face slack. If it weren’t for the sadness in his eyes, he’d look downright cuddly.
Did you just say ‘cuddly’?
Clearing my throat, I return to the task at hand. The eggs are now fully cooked and I’ve prepared sash zi yogurt and a simple toast to go along with them.
“All right, everyone take a seat! Breakfast is served,” I announce. The kids promptly skitter to their chairs, eager to taste the breakfast they ‘helped’ to make.
As I sit down, Keilon shoots me a pathetic look.
“Can I have my clothes back? I feel a fool in this blanket.”
Spooning out the eggs onto the plates, I can’t help but giggle.
“Oh no. You can’t.”
He looks at me like I’ve insulted him.
“And why not?”
“Eat your eggs. You’ll feel better,” I reply, sitting down myself.
“I’d feel better if I could wear my own clothes.”
Putting my fork down, I level with him. “I’m afraid they were destroyed. Your arrival here, and whatever did a number on you, made a mess of them. I couldn’t salvage them. I’m sorry.”
“But…I need something to wear,” he says. Do I detect the hint of a whine in his voice?
“Tell you what…” I start to say and then trail off.
Don’t go there. You can’t do that.
My initial thought was to go to the village and scrounge up whatever clothes I could find for him. But that would only raise eyebrows if I went looking for something suitable for a seven foot two Kiphian male.
Not even with all my quick thinking could I explain that one to my fellow villagers.
“What? Tell me what?” He says, an imploring look on his tired face.
“I’ll…make you some. Yes. That’s what I’ll do.”
With all that extra time on your hands…
It’s not ideal, but what choice do I have?
He nods at this, knowing that there aren’t many options open to him. Finally, he tucks into his eggs. The children have already gobbled most of what was on their plates. Egg and breadcrumbs litter their little faces.
“Good. That’s settled, then. Oh, and one more thing. All of you listening?”
The children look at me and smile, eager to please.
“No one is to leave this cabin. No one,” I say this with particular emphasis in Keilon’s direction. “Do not leave here and certainly do not go into the surroundings.”
“And why’s that?” Keilon demands, his mouth full.
“Because if my fellow humans found out you were all here…well, let’s just say they wouldn’t be as understanding as I.”
The kids nod sagely and Keilon blinks.
“I see,” is all he says as he returns to his breakfast.
Though I have made my arguments that humans here aren’t savages, I can tell he might not be entirely convinced.
But I know I’m right. Though these humans may not have destroyed anything, there’s no telling what they might do if they find Kiphians in their midst.
The rest of the meal is eaten in silence.
