narniaexchange | Fragile Layers

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Fragile Layers - for ilysia_039

Title: Fragile Layers
Author:

ceitfianna
Recipient:

ilysia_039
Rating: G
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: Set during Horse and his Boy
Summary: Hayat lives in Tashbaan and wonders about the Northerners that she is cooking for. When one of them comes to visit her, her views on her neighbors to the North change.
Author’s Notes: I read the prompt and thought of conversations that happen in kitchens and this was the story that resulted from it. The food in this fic was inspired by my own experience with Moroccan cooking, it made me hungry as I wrote it. The first proverb is Berber and the second is Arabic. The heavy use of proverbs in The Horse and his Boy sent me out looking for appropriate ones.

Fragile Layers

Hayat was one of the finest pastry makers in all of Tashbaan. It was whispered that the bees knew to provide the sweetest honey for her, and those who had eaten her ktefa spoke of how all the flavors created the finest music in your mouth. When the Northerners came to stay so that one of the Queens might decide to join the two kingdoms, Hayat offered to bake for them so that they would know the best of Calorman and the sweetness of her pastries would complement the sweet words of the prince.

When their ship, a golden, shining thing arrived, everyone lined up by the harbor to see it and Omar, from the stables, pointed at the standard. “A lion, it is a lion,” he said. “Why do they care for lions?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps we may ask their servants when they move in, but we must be polite,” Hayat chided him though she also wished to know why the Northerners who were spoken of as diplomats should favor such a terrifying beast. They were spoken of as brave fighters and gentle folk, she wasn’t certain how they could do both. The lions of Calormen were hungry and scraggly creatures that figured in many a story where someone went too far from home, a reminder to not step far from where you are meant to fit.

One day while she was in the midst of the layers of a bisteeya (chicken, spices, dough that threatens to crack), there were footsteps, no, hooves and she sighed, carefully placing the delicate layer before she turned around. Omar must be doing something with that foal he found and insisted could become a good horse. When she turned, taking a moment to consider how many more layers of filling remained, she clutched her apron. It was the half goat creature. She had seen him when the Northerners arrived but he was in her kitchen wearing a linen scarf with a pocket, an odd use for a bit of cloth. He seemed barely dressed and she didn’t know where to look, at his hooves on her clean floor, at how he was almost as bearded as a sage just with it all in the wrong places, a wisp of a beard and hair up his arms and those ears that turned to her. Finally she bowed, that was proper. “May I be of assistance, visiting master?”

“Oh, I do hope that you can. We’ve all been enjoying your wonderful food and I bake at times and was wondering if perhaps you might teach me?” His words were polite and rather hurried, he almost sounded shy. He reminded her of a scholar she knew who seemed to never know how to take control of his words, they were either a torrent or a trickle.

“My recipes, those are not mine to give. I have learned them from my teachers and my mother’s mother.” It would be best to not be rude, but to share all of what defines her is not right.

He blinked and considered her before starting to turn away. “My, yes, I’ve just been terribly rude haven’t I? Forgive me for being so ignorant.”

“It is said: Knowledge is better than wealth: you have to look after wealth, knowledge looks after you. I will not share my secrets with you, yet we perhaps may share some knowledge. First though I must finish this dish for the meal tonight.” There should be an offer after that; if he were an apprentice, she would take him to the market or set him to caring for the many layers of the bisteeya. He is a guest, an important guest as well for it’s clear that he is treated as a confidant by the visiting Northerners, and it would not be proper to have him doing the work of the apprentice. It would also be a shame if any of his many hairs got caught in the dough.

As Hayat considered what to do next, she returned to the bisteeya, the thin phyllo that was almost invisible after butter had been brushed on it then the mixture of chicken and spices between. He was quiet while she worked and the silence was beginning to worry her, perhaps he was being polite. “Might I ask you a question?” she asked.

“Yes, anything you wish and please, call me Tumnus.” His voice was eager, he had probably felt that creeping silence as well.

His name wasn’t as awkward as some of the other Northerners and she tested it. “Tumnus, why is a lion the symbol of your land? They seem such unpredictable creatures.”

“Because of Aslan.” When he spoke the name, there was awe in his voice. She looked at him and his gaze was seeing something far from her kitchen. Believers had that timbre to their voice, she had known a few true believers in anything in her life. Once there had been a hermit who came from the desert who spoke in the souk, she had heard him when she was a little girl and his words had made her think of the care her mother put into each fold of phyllo dough. He had spoken much that day, but she had been hot and only remembered the look in his eyes and one proverb, which she whispered, “You are like a tree, giving your shade to the outside.”

She had not expected him to hear her, but then he did have such big ears that turned about, “Yes, he is like that. He watches over us.”

“And Aslan is seen as a lion?” Prophets and saints often saw visions, and a lion would be right in a vision.

“No, no, Aslan is a lion. His roar brought Spring back to Narnia and where the White Witch brought cold, he gave warmth.” His hands twisted in his scarf and Hayat leaned forward, she knew of the Long Winter and had heard tales of the Witch. He had lived through them, he must have for how grateful he sounded to Aslan.

“Then I think I begin to understand. He is the strength and hope of Narnia.” Then there is nothing else that should be upon their banner. She has more questions but they are not for now, not when he looks cold and far away. “There, that is the last layer of the bisteeya. Help me put this into the over and then we shall have tea. I believe that I have some almond cookies remaining from lunch. I am glad the young prince enjoys them so but he must learn to leave more for everyone else.”

At the mention of tea, Tumnus’ face began to warm once more and he smiled. Hayat could find herself used to that smile. “Might I be of any help?” he asked.

“Yes, the sweetmeats are over there and set the water on for the tea.” She gently put the bisteeya into the oven as his hooves clicked on the floor. The North was not as simple as the stories she had been told and Tumnus did seem to hint that he might be a worthy teller. It was hard to tell but the care he took with his words was like her uncle, who always told the finest tales.

Original Prompt that we sent you: What I want: Let's talk about Calormen! Alternatively: one or more of the Pevensies attempts to explain Narnian theology to an outsider. Predictably, it doesn't go overly well. Feel free to be as creative as you like with the prompt.
Prompt words/objects/quotes/whatever: "No mortal power may stay her spinning wheel./The nations rise and fall by her decree./None may foresee where she will set her heel:/she passes, and things pass." -Dante's Inferno Canto VII 82-85; politics; religion.

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This was a good scene between someone from Calormen and one from Narnia. The use of Moroccan cuisine here was a nice touch but all the mentions of food was making me hungry! I think food, like music, can be a bridge between two completely different cultures and it helped here for Hayat to learn a bit more about the Northerners (and I liked that she just accepted Tumnus' words about Aslan, that she didn't show a great dislike of the great Demon of Narnia so many of the Calormene nobles harbor.)

Thank you. Kitchens are some of my favorite places and it felt like the right place for this sort of discussion.

I liked this scene very much. Hayat's willingness to look past the strangeness of Tumnus's form and listen to his stories was very sweet. And the consideration of how lions might be viewed very differently in a land where they're actually lurking out in the wilds was a good touch.

Thank you, the lion part came from me looking over Horse and his Boy and Shasta's lion comments. I'm glad it made sense.

Oh, thank you! This scene is absolutely lovely, providing a look at an oft-ignored (but very important!) part of life, and it is beautiful. Food is absolutely a way to bridge gaps, and the inclusion of the details here was great (but made me, like autumnia, quite hungry).

Thank you so, so much! I adore this.

You're very welcome. The prompt felt like such a wonderful challenge and then the character of Hayat came together and it all started to work.

A charming slice of life! What a lovely bit of worldbuilding with the pastry maker and her careful care. Using Tumnus here was very nice as well. It's great how confused she is and worried about Faun hairs in the food and really charming that she does not know wear to look.

A very nice scene! Thank you!

You're welcome. Tumnus is one of my favorites and always seem to me so very Narnian that I thought he would work best. I've worked with phyllo dough and was thinking about that as I wrote.

I loved the descriptions of the food, though I agree with autumnia and lady_songsmith: I'm hungry now! The interaction here is wonderful, and I love the emphasis on food as a way of building bridges. Her unwillingness to share her secrets is so great, especially contrasted with the compromise of an exchange of stories. A great little scene, and a joy to read! Thank you!

You're welcome and I'm glad it all fit together. Kitchens are some of my favorite places and seemed like the perfect place for this sort of conversation.

It's always great to get a glimpse from an unexpected source in the Narnia 'verse! And with the unlikely visitor of Tumnus the faun, no less, which was a pleasant surprise. There's nothing more universal than tea, either, for them to further sit and share! Lovely job!

The prompt sent me to the source and then Hayat came alive for me. Yes, and the proper sort of tea for every place and interaction. Thank you.

Now I want to try bisteeya! You do an excellent job describing the way Hayat puts together the pastry. I also like the way she's not quite sure how to treat Tumnus -- both because she's not sure how to act around a faun and because he's a noble guest who requested to be treated like an apprentice, which is a drastic contradiction in terms of social roles. Since Hayat previously noted that it's important not to stray from where you're meant to be, that makes sense as a source of tension or misunderstanding. I'm glad they found common ground, though, and I hope Tumnus wrote to her later on after the later events of HHB. It seems a pity such a promising bit of cross-cultural communication might have fallen apart because of Rabadash.

Its a delicious dish, but a pain to make. My family made it once. Yes, I'd love to write more of these two, something to think on. Thank you.

So wonderfully done. I love how they silently bond over food and there's no need for any epic declaration of acceptance :)
~Ruan Chun Xian

Thank you, kitchens are great places for putting aside other things.

Mmmm, like so many others, I am feeling hungry now. I particularly enjoyed Tumnus's eagerness to help with the tea, and Hayat seemed like a wonderful character! The way she tried to explain the Lion in Calormen terms, like when she suggested he appeared as a Lion in a vision was very nice, indeed. Wonderful!

Tea seemed like something that goes across the world and I'm glad you liked her. She was a pleasure to write and create. Thank you.

Oh this was lovely! I love how there are little details about the differences, and similarities in both Calormen and Narnia, wonderful work :)

Thank you, I kept looking through the book to make sure the differences made sense and then filled out with some of my own knowledge.

I really enjoyed this! I love the conversation between Hayat and Tumnus and that she was willing to look past their differences and talk and share knowledge :)

Thank you, it was a treat to write.

Oh, I liked where you went with the end of this, the bits I hadn't seen yet. I like that she is interested in hearing Tumnus' stories. As in, she will be sharing her knowledge with him while he, in return, shares his knowledge with her. It makes for such a nice foundation for what is sure to be a sweet friendship. I also really liked her POV on the way Tumnus was nervous and shy and all of his words just fell out of him in a rush - that was so exactly Tumnus that it delighted me! Well done!

Thank you, I was trying to capture him and her and how she's trying to understand but its hard.

Oh, this is so lovely! I love how Tumnus's attempt to explain Aslan is not met with scepticism but rather an attempt to understand. The food sounded so yummy, too! I really enjoyed this, good job!

Thank you, well, I was hoping to create a character that was open to understanding, but wasn't certain how to begin. I'm glad that she worked so well.

Wonderful, evocative description of Hayat's cooking, good insertion of Morrocan cuisine here, and a good evocation of a"culture of hospitality" along with the description of the art of cooking. And a nice view of Tumnus, many years later, older but no less able to talk to strangers now than when he first met a very young Queen Lucy.

The author did a fabulous job with this prompt!

Clio1792

Thank you. I have some good family friends who have spent a lot of time in Morocco and I thought of many evenings cooking in their kitchen and it came together.

Oh, I really enjoyed this, and like everyone else, it made me hungry!

I liked Hayat trying to figure out what to do, how to act, with Tumnus, and Tumnus' realization that he had been rude. The two of them negotiating different cultural traditions to a mutual understanding was very believable. And Tumnus describing Aslan, and Hayat's recognition of a true believer was well done.

And omg, as someone who has done a lot of baking with phyllo, I could totally understand Hayat's absorption in the bisteeya, and how gentle you have to be working with it. :D

Hee, yes, many years ago, my family made bisteeya and thinking about the bother of it helped to get this story going. I'm glad the cultural negotiations made sense as they tend to be complicated. Thank you.

Oh, now I want to go eat baklava and spanakopita and anything with phyllo. I've never had bisteeya, but it sounds delicious.

Food! Stories! I especially liked your first proverb and "he was almost as bearded as a sage just with it all in the wrong places."

I don't think anyone's commented on your title yet, but I think it's very appropriate--the oh-so-fragile layers of phyllo representing the tentative exchange of stories and culture across the tension, and the fragile understanding to which Tumnus and Hayat have come. Nicely done.

Bisteeya is delicious, its sort of like a savory pie along the lines of spanakopita just with more layers. Thank you for the title thoughts, it was one of the first things I created for the story.

oh gosh i loved this! it was so sweet--the vantage point was lovely, as was the focus on cooking, the sharing of culture, and the proverbs. i love the way your narrator spoke--i really felt like i was back in the horse and his boy!!!

thank you so much for this!

Thank you so much. Its one of my favorite Narnian books and I was always curious about the Calormens so having the chance to write more in that world was wonderful.

The cooking in this made me hungry. I could imagine the tastes and the aromas. All of those from Narnia are alien to Hayat, but she welcomes Tumnus anyway. I like her curiosity and her pride in who she is and what she does.

Thanks for writing!

Thank you, I'm glad that the kitchen came alive so much.

I liked this very much -- liked Hayat's view of a lion especially -- the view of someone who really knows lions as a danger in ordinary life -- and also her delicate picking her way through the protocols of politeness to a guest, and refusing a request. (i also liked her puzzled perception of the scarf.)
I was a bit uncomfortable with the use of language which seemed to tie Calormen too tightly to the Middle East in our world -- e.g. souk. when there is an available English word, market.

Heliopause.

Thank you, it was a tricky balance to make it feel other wordly and not. I understand the comment on souk since for all of the words, I struggled for what's too much. I'm glad you liked it.

Oh! I really liked this, I thought the two characters' attempts to understand each other were really well done. Also, mmmmm, the food sounds delicious!

Thank you, it was a challenging prompt and I'm glad that it came together. Your icon is beautiful.

Aah, I really like this! Hayat is awesome. (And, obviously, so is Tumnus.)

Thank you, she's based off someone I know who always makes me smile.

This was very sweet, and definitely made me hungry! I loved how you worked Hayat's passion for cooking into a real integral part of the story; the food she is making is almost a character itself. It's an interesting perspective on Narnia, and I would love to see a continuation where Hayat and Tumnus cook and talk and debate and drink wine and discuss culture and history and politics and cuisine until there is nothing left to be said!

My only tiny criticism is that it seemed to end somewhat abruptly, but that could also be because I was hoping to hear more of the tale!

Overall, though, well done!

Thank you, I would love to write more of this. Endings are hard things for me and this one was what felt right for this one at the moment I wrote it. I'm glad that you liked it, it was a challenging story to get right.

It is always fun to see a Narnian from the outside, and this is a lovely perspective. Cooking is such a sharing, collaborative activity, and yet, the pride of the great cook in her work is natural, so it is fun to see Hayat carry herself with pride, even while she warms to the outsider. Thank you!

Thank you, cooking is one of my favorite things and I love how it can cross boundaries. I'm glad that all came across.

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Fragile Layers - for ilysia_039

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