The local tavern Ivette followed Sara to was called the "Yak Tavern," the sort of hole-in-the-wall place locals knew well while travelers from elsewhere had never heard of.
It was just past four. Though the sky had already darkened, it was still some time before dinner, so when Ivette and Sara pushed aside the door curtain and entered, they easily found an empty table in the corner.
The tavern was not large, and the rough wooden tables and chairs were arranged somewhat crampedly. Orange-red flames danced in the stone fireplace, casting warmth and flickering shadows across the wooden tabletops worn smooth by time.
At Sara's enthusiastic recommendation, Ivette ordered several dishes with a distinct Snow Kingdom flavor: thick-cut rye bread, Rock Stew, raw ice-lake fish, slow-braised snow rabbit, and a plate of appetizing pickled cabbage.
Other than the bread, most of the dishes on the menu had strong Snow Kingdom characteristics. However, according to Sara, they had mostly been adapted from outside dishes using local ingredients. Rock Stew was the only truly original dish.
"So what's the difference between this Rock Stew and ordinary vegetable chowder?"
"The difference is—it's simmered in a stone pot."
"What about the taste?"
"There's no real difference in taste. The main thing is that the chef is good. It tastes great whether he uses a stone pot or not, and it isn't expensive."
"Don't worry, I won't rip you off—uh, no, no! I'm treating you, so if anyone gets ripped off, it'll be me!"
Ivette thought that the girl's earlier mistake of taking her to the wrong room really had not been intentional. And the fact that the owners of Snow Smoke Manor were willing to keep such a scatterbrained girl as a server showed that they were genuinely nice people as well.
Afterward, they