Liz Cardinal smiled to herself as she was in her element. With a flick of her left hand that was firmly wrapped around the handle of a hot skillet, three eggs flew up in the air flipping over and landing back on the pan with a satisfying sizzling sound. She looked through the window where she could see almost the whole inn besides a small corner in the inn.
"Liz do you have the egg special coming up?" A voice questioned as a familiar face showed up at the window.
"One second Bernie," Liz said with a smile with another flip this time the eggs landed on a plate. With expert precision, she dashed the perfectly fried eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. With a swift movement to her right, Liz lifted a basket out of a molten hot vat of grease that held freshly cooked hashbrowns. A loud dinging sound could be heard behind her gracefully she turned around catching two pieces of toast out of the air laying them down on the plate next to the eggs.
"I can watch you work all day." Bernie her server and front of house worker said with a smile as he watched Liz butter the bread with two swift motions with a knife that seemingly came out of nowhere."
"You already do. Liz said with a smile as she lifted the basket and dumped the hashbrowns on top of the plate partially covering the buttered toast and freshly cooked fried eggs. "Order up sweetie." She said with a bright smile that got even wider as she watched Bernie's face turn a bright red.
Bernie gulped loudly and grabbed the steaming plate, "Thank you, mam." He said walking to a party of one who looked excited to be receiving a meal cooked by Liz. Bernie smiled, "Enjoy sir." He said looking up towards the entrance. He saw three people waiting to be seated two of them he recognized. Swiftly Bernie made his way through the masses of chatting eating diners.
Terry breathed in deeply as they entered a small inn with a smoking chimney even though it was still warm outside. All the lights shined brightly out of the windows. The smell was heavenly eggs... bacon.... beef.... chicken. The sound of joyous diners surrounding them made Terry smile. It reminded him of the old mess hall of the orphanage.
"Just wait till you have lady Liz's cooking it's amazing. She has a gift." Darryl said with a smile while Alison nodded her head in agreement.
A man approached them wearing formal attire and was carrying a large black circular trey under his arm, "Dragoncaller, Phoenix, It's been a while. Who's the new face?" Bernie questioned with a wide smile.
Alison laughed, "It's only been two days since we've stopped by... and this is Terry a new Tomefinder that we are bringing to the circle."
"Two days is a long time for regulars." Bernie laughed, "Will you have the usual? A steak dinner for the caller of dragons, and a creamy chicken alfredo for the bird lady?" He questioned pulling out a notepad from his chest pocket.
"That's not funny... I'm not a bird lady." Alison said with her face growing a bit red.
"Of course of course... I'll be putting in the usual... and what can I get for the new tome finder?" Bernie said with a smile his gaze stopping on Terry.
Alison and Darryl both turned to look at Terry without saying much of anything. Terry gulped loudly, "I don't know... I"m just really hungry and I really don't know what you have."
"I see one grand sampler. That'll be on the house for you sir. A... celebratory gift for the finding of a new Tomefinder... I'll open you three seats in a hurry." Bernie said walking away from the trio stopping at a dirty yet empty table. With brutal efficiency, he cleaned off all the debris with the black trey under his arm the entire time. "Sit here." He said turning to the three and smiling or a moment until breaking it turning to the kitchen.
Darryl was the first down followed by Allison and then Terry. "It's crowded in here." Terry said after sitting down, "Especially for being after dark."
Darryl smiled turning his attention to Liz who was already aggressively cooking their order. Things were flying up in the air landing in seemingly random places or right in Liz's deft hands. Every move she made was methodical. "Gah...I love her."
Alyson smacked the back of Daryl's head, "Then ask her out. Every time we come here you just watch her cook like a creep. No wonder she doesn't like you."
"Ow! What was that for." Darryl said putting his hand over his ear where he was smacked. "I mean, I think she likes me. I mean she always makes my food just the way I like it. She knows me." Darryl said with sparkles in his eyes.
Alison laughed, "You're in your own little world huh?"
Terry watched Alison and Daryl wide-eyed, "You know... how you guys treat each other reminds me of a brother and sister that was at the orphanage."
Darryl shrugged, "That's cus we are."
"Regretfully." Alison sighed putting her elbows on the table and her hands on her chin, "He's been a thorn in my side since I was born."
Liz smiled as she sat three plates in the window. "Berrrrnieeee!" She called out with her hand cupped over her mouth in a C shape.
Bernie appeared in the window seemingly out of nowhere moments later, "Finished already. I'll get it right to them."
Liz smiled and nodded her head I think that was my last cook for the night, "That is for Dragoncaller and Phoenix right?"
"Yes, Mam." Bernie said with a nod of her head, "They also have a new person they brought with them. A new tome finder."
"Oh, that's interesting. A new tome hasn't been found around here for a long time." Liz was cooking at the same time she was talking to Bernie. She flicked her wrist flipping three pancakes over with seemingly no thought.
"Interesting indeed. I thought you were done cooking for the night." Bernie said with a tilt of his head.
"I'm done. I just wanted to make me something to eat." Liz said pouring some syrup over the now plated pancakes and walked out from the kitchen line into the dining room. Bernie followed behind her with the three dishes balanced on his black tray.
Liz made her way to the table, "Hello Phoenix. Hello Dragoncaller." She said sitting down next to Terry putting her plate down in front of her. "Bernie's right behind me he's got your dishes."
Alison nodded, "Oh Hello Liz! You done cooking for the night?"
"I guess. Don't usually have many come in past this time. I think Bernie already put the closed sign up again without telling me."
Bernie followed up putting a steaming bowl of creamy chicken alfredo in front of Alison and a wooden plank of steak with a bowl of freshly cut fries in front of Darryl. Bernie circled the table and placed a large plate of shrimp, a small steak, a whole steaming baked potato, with a large pile of creamy noodles nested in the middle of the large plate.
Terry looked down, "t..that's a lot of food."
"That's the sampler." Liz said with a smile, "It's a way to get a taste of a lot of the stuff I cook here... so new tome finder what's your name?" She questioned.
Terry already had a fork full of noodles in his mouth they were tender and the sauce savory. Terry's eyes lit up as he greedily began to eat not really hearing Liz's question.
Darry laughed gulping down a piece of steak, "His name is Terry. He's lived his whole life in an orphanage. He's never had food like this so don't mind him."
"I see. I like it when people get like this. It means they really enjoy my food."
Alison was twisting her fork into the creamy alfredo, "That's a good way to look at it." She said with a smile.
"You three aren't going to be heading to the circle tonight, are you? It's already late. Why not spend the night here?" Liz questioned putting a triangular cut of pancake in her mouth.
"Honestly that's a good idea," Darryl said cutting into the steak it was cooked a perfect medium rare just the way he liked it.
"I couldn't think of a better way to end the night... a bed for once," Alison said with a smile.
"That settles it. Bernie." Liz said waiting a moment and on cue, Bernie showed up at the table's side. "Can you prepare a large room for these three? They'll be spending the night."
With a soft bow and a smile, Bernie spoke, "Yes mam."