(The next day...)

I woke up just as the sun started to crest the horizon. I heard a rooster crow and thought of food, which consequently caused my stomach to growl. (I know it's strange to think of food when you hear such a noise. I guess I associate hearing a rooster crow at the break of dawn with breakfast, which is totally normal...)

-A- You just can't resist a good cock, can't you?

-H- haha, very funny Ana. Give me the damn pen before I kick you out. *Sigh* this is why I can't have nice things...anyway, as we were.

I was lucky enough to know how to cook. I know, a Templar who knows how to cook? On my shit bricks! How is that even possible? Well, my dad taught me first, then I perfected my cooking methods over the years. I think its okay, but for the battalions of troops I've fed during campaigns I've been on throughout the years, they told me the stews I whipped up for them were more than 'okay.' (They used plenty of terms to describe just how great my food was.)

Hilariously enough, the irresistible aroma of my cooking lured Dorrian and Analise out of their slumber. I heard them stumble with stifled groans and hissed curses of agitation as they entered my room and sat at the small table in the kitchen as I continued to make breakfast. Luna followed suit a few moments later. I heard her knock quietly at the door, and I smiled.

"Come in," I called, only to frown as the smell of cooking ham graced my nostrils. I had seasoned the ham before everyone entered my room, so the aromas of my work permeated my humble abode by the time my friends showed up. I made sure to carefully flip the ham at increments of about ten minutes to ensure both sides of the slab of meat were evenly cooked. It would be a most egregious crime if I accidentally burned breakfast...

"It smells so good in here," She murmured as she appeared in the doorway of my room.

"Come on in. Don't starve yourself just standing there," I told her as I continued cooking the slab of seasoned ham.

She walked in and sat at the small table as I tossed a few logs into my trusty cooking fire, which accepted the fuel with a contented hiss and crackle. She took a seat beside Dorrian and glanced wearily at Analise, who looked back at her with an innocent grin on her face.

"What's up kitten?" She asked in a sweet voice.

She looked helplessly at me. Her face was easier to read than a book: 'Please help...' it declared in a feeble, delicate font.

I had busied myself with kneading some dough I had whipped up for a batch of biscuits, and I now turned to glare at the twisted red head before I transferred the readied balls of dough onto a small cast iron pan: "Enough's enough. Cut it out Ana."

She scowled, "Sod off, you fuck. Lemme have my fun."

Dorrian laughed as I turned my attention back to preparing a few salmon I had caught in a nearby creek to be cooked over the fireplace after I had placed the pan o' biscuits beside the ham : "Uh huh, have your fun Ana."

I heard Ana sigh while I cracked a few eggs into a cast iron pan and set it onto the cooking rack: "What are you implying little man?"

"Oh...nothing at all," He replied in an airy tone, "You know what they say about girls and having their fun: enough is never enough."

She groaned, "Go to hell, little man."

Dorrian was feeling pretty ballsy today, and I could tell even with my back to them.

"What? Did I say something that wasn't to your liking?" He asked in mock-innocence.

"Oh, you cow fucker..."

"Alright, alright," I cut in like a referee as I removed everything from the cooking rack and transferred all the food onto porcelain plates. (Don't worry, I put on an oven mitt so I didn't burn the shit out of my hand.) When I was sure everything was cooked through and through, I started transferring breakfast over to the table and laid it down before my ravenous friends: "Eat more, and insult each other less."

Luna looked at the fish begrudgingly, and I chuckled when I saw the expression on her face.

"I take it you don't like fish?" I inquired.

She shook her head, "They taste like feet..."

Laughing, I set a plate before her and motioned to everything else, "Then eat some ham or anything other than fish."

She stared at the ham like a cat stares at a nice juicy fish-I mean rat.

"That does smell good..."

"Then have some, silly," I replied as I cut her a moderately-sized piece of ham and placed it on her plate: "There's more than enough to eat."

She needed no other push after that. She wolfed the piece of ham down in a heartbeat and sighed in appreciation. This startled me, and Dorrian's eyes were as big as saucer plates. I stopped myself from asking a stupid question like, "Have you never eaten ham before?" I'm really glad I stopped myself from asking such a question. I don't think I would've liked the answer.

Without needing to be told, I cut Luna another piece of ham.

"Hey...please save some for me..." Dorrian protested. A death stare from me hushed him up quickly.

"Have fish," Luna muttered as she glared at the salmon again.

Shrugging, Dorrian put a good helping of salmon on his plate: "Maybe I will," He grumbled, "Don't need to be so mean about it though..."

She sighed, "Forgive me. I'm not very fond of fish..."

He chuckled, "Hey, don't sweat it kitten. Why exactly do you hate fish?"

A thoughtful frown appeared on her face before she sighed in resignation, "I was fed that when I was a...a slave."

Silence enveloped the table. I didn't want to badger her, but I found myself asking: "What exactly happened when you were a slave?"

A soft, wispy sigh escaped her, and Luna seemed to shrink into herself. "D-Depending on whose fields I was tending to, I was treated decently enough. My mother and the other slaves taught me how to take care of myself, so I at least wasn't useless. H-However, I was separated from my mother when I was eleven..."

Once more, silence enveloped the table.

"Let the lass eat, Dorrian." Analise breathed. "She probably hasn't tasted Helix's cooking before."

I glanced quickly at Luna, but she beamed at me and said, "Your cooking is the best I've ever tasted. Thank you Helix."

Catching the meaning of what she said, I nodded and grinned: "No problem."

Well, there were no leftovers. That much could be said. The plates were cleaned through and through.

Belching lightly, Luna blushed. "E-Excuse me."

Belching not-so-lightly, Dorrian chuckled, "Don't sweat it Luna. Manners are something we practice on a regular basis-."

"Bullshit," I muttered.

"Ahaha, How kind of you, my good friend," He replied in a dour tone.

Analise shook her head and sighed, "Boys. No respect. Especially fish breath over here. He'd burp and crop dust anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path."

"Again, I call bullshit," I retorted, "I at least know how to be kind to others and respect them."

That got a laugh out of Ana, but I saw Luna frown thoughtfully.

As stated previously, cleaning up was a breeze. There wasn't even egg left to scrape off the plates.

"That was kickass food, Helix," Dorrian began, patting his stomach, "What spices did you use on the ham you made?"

"Just brown sugar," I replied.

In actuality, I had used a plethora of spices to make the ham both spicy and sweet at the same time-my favorite taste.

Now Dorrian was the one to call bullshit, "That didn't taste like 'just brown sugar.' Spill; what did you use to make that ham taste so freakin' good?"

"It's my secret recipe you-."

"It tasted wonderful, no matter what he used," Luna interjected quietly.

Shrugging, Dorrian decided to give up bugging me, "Yeah, like heaven in my mouth."

"Heaven?" Analise inquired, an evil smile curling the edges of her mouth, "Care to go into detail? What exactly does 'heaven' comprise of?"

Dorrian sighed, "Would you kindly shut your face?"

Analise shook her head, and a devilish giggle caused her entire body to shake: "No can do. I'm havin' my fun now, not later, so suck it up little man."

"You people need to stop insulting each other." I snapped.

Dorrian and Analise exchanged a quick glance before they both grinned at me.

"Nah!" They shot back.

Luna started laughing, "You are all so peculiar."

The three of us all shared a glance: Dorrian wore his signature goofy grin on his face while Ana had a genuine smile on her face. I hadn't realized that I was worried about how Luna would react to Dorrian and Ana's...fondness for crude humor. Thankfully enough, she seemed to be enjoying their presence, and the ensuing madness it brings forth.

"Well, I'm glad you find us peculiar," I began, breathing a sigh of relief, "I was afraid you were going to elaborate..."

"Why do you say that?" she inquired, "You're all being so kind to me. I'm...More than a little surprised."

"Why are you surprised?" Dorrian asked her.

She shrugged, "I'm...New here. I wouldn't think you'd accept me so readily..."

"We're all outcasts in one form or another, Luna," Analise chimed in, "And while we may be weird and crude, we understand how it feels to be ostracized-abandoned. While it's true I barely know anything about you, I wouldn't be opposed to giving you the benefit of the doubt. If Helix thought it was a good idea to bring you here, then I'll go along with his judgement."

"Hear hear!" Dorrian cried out happily.

I chuckled while Ana shook her head and muttered, "Idiot."