There might not be a Hughday next week. We have to push through on the editing. But meanwhile we offer extra today.
Bucky clopped down the road, stamping his hooves into the old asphalt with cheerful abandon. The day was bright and lovely. A clear blue sky, flooded with crystalline sunshine and feathered with white clouds, stretched overhead. The magic hit about ten minutes before they left the castle, and Bucky’s coat glowed an ethereal white.
Hugh watched the autumn woods pass by them, awash with yellow, gold, and scarlet. Behind him, Bale rode on a chestnut Morgan mare, and behind the berserker, the delegation from Aberdine chugged along on their horses, grim-faced and looking like someone pissed in their cornflakes. Five Iron Dogs brought up the rear.
Bishop nudged his gelding and caught up, drawing even with Bucky.
Hugh waited.
Bishop cleared his throat.
“Something on your mind?”
“I know your people are good.”
“They are.”
“I mean no disrespect, but there are at least seventy mercs camped out in our field.”
“You mentioned that.”
Bishop glanced behind them.
“You’re bringing six soldiers.”
Hugh pretended to frown. “You think it’s overkill?”
“You know what I mean. They’ve got this guy, Silas. He’s as good as any of yours.”
Silas, huh? “Did Silas do that?” Hugh nodded at Bishop’s arm.
The lawman grimaced. “No. That was Falcon’s personal goons. He’s got these three guys that follow him everywhere. Not especially good, but big and happy to hurt people. You can always tell the types who are in it for a chance to dish out some pain. They get off on it.”
“Good to know.”
They rode for a bit more.
“We could turn around and get more people,” Bishop said.
“No need.”
“I don’t want any of you getting hurt for nothing.”
“Ah, that’s sweet. I didn’t know you cared.”
Bishop heaved a sigh and dropped back.
Bale chuckled softly.
“You watch yourself,” Hugh told him.
“Poor fella is worried about our safety.”
“He is the chief of police. He gets paid to worry about things like that. Besides, you heard what he said. They have Silas.”
“I heard that.” Bale’s eyes lit up. “As good as one of ours.”
“We’ll have to test that.”
The trees parted, and the road unrolled into the open, with Aberdine rising in the distance. Before the Shift, it was a typical small Southern town, with a handful of street lights and gas stations, a Wells Fargo, a firehouse, a school, and too many Dollar Generals. Now a sturdy wooden palisade, reinforced with steel beams, guarded the few blocks inside the city’s center, with scattered homesteads and farms crowding around it.
Like most modern settlements, Aberdine kept a cleared kill zone between the town and the few surrounding farms and the forest. Coller Road, on which they now rode, cut right through that cleared land, leading to the city gate. The gate was shut. Old tents were pitched on both sides of the road, some military issue, others the civilian camping type. People mulled about, dressed in random gear, unshaven, looking hungry.
Hugh scanned the camp. Sloppy. No guards or sentries posted. No signs for designated latrines, no cook tent, no mess hall. No cleared spots for drills and training.
The wind brought a whiff of shit and other human body odors.
Lovely.
The mercenaries glared at them as they rode past.
“Ooh, so much hostility,” Bale said. “I’m beginning to feel unwelcome.”
The bell on Aberdine’s fire tower pealed, ringing out three times.
Hugh looked at Bishop over his shoulder.
“I didn’t tell them to do that.”
So much for the element of surprise.
A group of men moved in front of the gates, blocking the road. The one in front was tall and beefy, with reddish hair cut regulation short, so close cropped on the temples, he looked like he had a short mohawk. Heavy jaw, almost no neck, small cold eyes. The man stared at them like a gator watching a deer sneak in for a drink in his lake.
The five mercs around him didn’t seem any friendlier. They were cleaner than the rest, better fed, better equipped, with some remnants of military bearing, but there was no doubt of it. This wasn’t an organized, disciplined unit with hierarchy and defined roles. This crew was run like a gang, with the clique at the top making all of the decisions. The best possible scenario.
Lamar had been right once again.
They were about twenty yards away from the mohawk and his entourage. Hugh stopped. Everyone behind him halted as well.
“You must be the man in the castle,” the mohawk said.
“You must be Falcon,” Hugh said.
Around them the mercenaries drew closer.
“I am,” the leader said. “Now that we know who’s who, what are you doing in my town?”
#
Elara layered mushrooms and chopped parsnips in the bottom of the Dutch oven. She tossed a few sprigs of rosemary, fresh sage, and thyme on top of that, and reached for the garlic cloves. One, two, six, eight…
“Don’t you think that’s enough garlic?” Savanah said.
“No.”
Ten, fourteen. That should do it. She poured about a cup of white wine into the pot, picked up the chicken, and set it on top of the vegetables. She’d already seasoned it with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
The older witch shook her head. Her dark curly hair was wrapped into a tight bun today. She’d recently bought a new pair of glasses with bright red frames that complemented her warm brown skin, and her hair clip matched the scarlet shade exactly.
“Why do you even bother?”
Elara washed her hands and dried them on a blue kitchen towel. “He’s my husband and he asked for something delicious for dinner.”
Savannah rolled her eyes. “We have a fully staffed kitchen.”
“He didn’t ask them. He asked me.” Elara put the lid on, opened the oven, and heaved the heavy cast iron pot into it.
“You could have made something easy. Why this?”
“Because he’s French and Chicken en Cocotte is the only French main dish I know how to make.”
“What is happening to you?” Savannah demanded.
Elara leaned back. “It’s a bargain. I make this and he comes back safe.”
“Who are you bargaining with?”
Elara waved the kitchen towel around. “Fate, the Source of All Life, everything. Whoever is around.”
Savannah threw her hands up. “What about the budget projections?”
“I have them right here.” Elara pointed to a stack of paper on the table.
“In the kitchen?”
“The budget projections don’t care where I read them. I have fifty minutes until I need to take the lid off and turn the fire up. Plenty of time. Just let me get the potatoes cut up.”
Savannah gave her a resigned sigh. “I’ll brew us some tea.”
#
“It’s not your town,” Bishop said.
Falcon squinted at him. “I thought we had an understanding. Instead, you went behind my back. And this was all you could get? Seven men?”
“Hope it was worth it,” a large dark-haired man offered on Falcon’s left.
Falcon glared at him and turned back to Bishop. “You and I are going to have a long talk after I deal with this. It seems to me you still don’t understand the chain of command.”
“I’ll make this short,” Hugh said. “My wife is cooking a delicious dinner, and I don’t want to be late. Aberdine doesn’t want you here. You have an hour to clear out.”
Falcon smiled. Behind him a couple of his heavies chuckled. “Is that so?”
“It is.”
Falcon squinted at him. “The folks in town tell me you’re some kind of a big deal. Well, that doesn’t mean shit to me.”
Why was it always the hard way?
Hugh let out a bored sigh. “We can kill the lot of you, but it would take a while and I’m getting hungry. Why don’t you pick your best guy, and I’ll pick one of mine. Sound fair?”
The mercenary leader gave him a calculated look, surveyed Bale and the five Iron Dogs behind him, then glanced at the tents. Falcon was not a complete fool, or he wouldn’t be able to hold this lot together. Bishop had left to get help, and now seven soldiers rode straight into Falcon’s camp. The numbers were clearly on his side, yet this new group was unbothered and their leader was now giving him orders.
Hugh could practically feel the wheels turning in Falcon’s head. The merc leader was thinking that the magic was up, so it was likely a factor. He had to suspect that they had an ace up their sleeve, and Hugh had just handed him a chance to see what it was. In Falcon’s mind, they could see what they were up against and even if they lost, they could always swarm them after. They had ten times as many warm bodies.
“Cherry, go get Silas,” Falcon ordered.
The dark-haired man who ran his mouth earlier took off and disappeared between the tents.
A minute passed. Another.
Cherry double timed back, slightly out of breath. A blond man followed him, carrying a katana in the traditional saya scabbard. He wore a black turtleneck, loose-fitting athletic pants, and dark tennis shoes. His hair was cut short, his jaw was clean shaven. He glanced at Hugh, his expression flat, and stopped in front of Falcon.
“Here he is,” Cherry announced.
“They want to put one of theirs against one of ours,” Falcon said. “I need you to explain to them why that was a bad idea.”
Silas turned and took five steps forward. He stood about five ten, with the kind of build that came from living by the sword – lean, spare, but strong, as if he was twisted together from steel cables.
Bale got down from his horse and made a show of loosening up his shoulders and back. “So, you’re their secret weapon?”
Silas didn’t answer. His gaze was fixed on Hugh as if Bale didn’t even exist.
Bale lumbered closer and scrutinized the swordsman. “What is this shit you’re wearing? Must be very high speed.”
The look on Silas’ face turned slightly desperate.
Falcon grinned in anticipation. The man was clearly loving this.
“Get them, Silas,” Cherry called out.
Silas held still.
“Have you got anyone else?” Bale leaned to the side to look past Silas at Falcon and his mercenaries. “This one looks a bit beaten down and half starved.”
“Silas!” Falcon snapped.
Silas didn’t move. He seemed in pain.
“What are you waiting for?” Falcon snapped.
Enough was enough. It was time to put Silas out of his misery.
“I’m waiting for you to put one of your men up for the fight,” Hugh said.
“Are you stupid?” one of Falcon’s men demanded.
“My man is standing in front of you,” Falcon said.
“No,” Hugh said. “These are both my men.”
Something broke in Silas’ expression, as if a wall inside him came crashing down.
The mercenaries stared at them.
“Dog!” Hugh called out.
Silas snapped to attention. “Yes, Preceptor!”
“Kill the next man who steps forward.”
“Yes, Preceptor!”
Silas pivoted around, faced Falcon, and unsheathed his sword.
Bale draped his arm around Silas’ shoulders. “You remembered how. See, I knew it would come back to you.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Falcon roared.
Hugh put some steel into his voice. “Put a soldier up or concede.”
Falcon stared at Silas. “Have you lost your fucking mind? What do you think is going to happen to your wife after we kill these assholes? Do the fucking math –”
Bale charged forward, mace in hand, the muscles on his right arm boiling and ballooning into a massive limb. None of the mercs had time to react. The berserker swung, monstrous muscle flexing. The mace whistled through the air and smashed into Falcon’s face. The mercenary leader’s skull cracked like an egg under a hammer. Chunks of brain and bone exploded, splattering onto the other men.
Bale twisted. Flesh rippled across his frame. His voice was a low inhuman growl.
“Who else wants to threaten my sworn brother’s family?”
He pointed the mace at the largest merc. “Is it you?” The mace moved to Cherry. “You?”
They backed away from him.
On the left, one of the mercenaries in the field by the tents raised a crossbow. On the right a mage was chanting, building up power and winding it into a bow like cotton candy on a stick.
Hugh pulled the magic to him and opened his mouth. “Osanda sapawur daas kair.”
Kneel before me and be silent.
The power words tore out of him, shaping the very matrix of magic. Power pulsed from Hugh, exploding in all directions like a blast wave from a bomb.
Seventy pairs of knees hit the dirt. The entire camp knelt as one. Only Bale, Silas, and the riders stayed where they were.
The mercenaries’ faces contorted. They were trying to rise, trying to scream, and couldn’t do either.
Silence claimed the field. You could hear a proverbial pin drop. Above them a hawk swooped, crying out.
This was the ancient power he had inherited from the Builder of Towers. He shouldn’t have been able to use it. Roland had purged him, ripping that gift away from Hugh, and yet there it was.
He’d been practicing for the last month, and the magic was getting easier. Every time he used a power word, it hurt less. He’d timed this one for about 10 seconds, because he wanted helplessness to sink in until it birthed terror. To the mercenaries kneeling on the field, every moment would stretch into eternity. They were panicking now. He saw it in their glassy eyes.
“One hour,” Hugh ordered. “Get your shit and be gone.”
The magic ran its course. The spell collapsed and the entire camp fell to the ground.
Bale hefted the mace onto his shoulder. “Silas, we looked for you everywhere. Look at you! You got married and none of us were invited. Introduce me to your wife, you bloody ass. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Silas turned to Hugh, his eyes still haunted and desperate.
“Preceptor, there is something wrong with my wife.”
Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. Hugh swung out of the saddle. “Lead the way.”
Elara’s Chicken en Cocotte with Roasted Young Potatoes
Modified from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street recipe. The original is behind a paywall, but I highly recommend the subscription.
Chicken
- 1 3-4 pounds whole chicken
- 10-12 garlic cloves
- 3-4 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 lb brown mushrooms, sliced into large chunks or whole if they are small
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 sprig sage
- 1 cup white wine (I used 2021 High Planes Rose from Lewis Wines)
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- butter, salt, pepper and smoked paprika
Roasted potatoes
- 1 5lb bag of young gold potatoes
- 1/4 cup of animal lard (if you are not BFFs with Grace Draven who sent me Wagyu beef lard, any lard will do. Duck fat would be great. You can do butter. You can also go with the olive oil for a healthier spin. But Wagyu lard was to die for.)
- A dash of Italian seasoning
- salt, pepper
You need a large Dutch over for this.
- Heat the over to 350 degrees with the rack in the center. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Throw mushrooms and parsnips into the Dutch oven, arranging them in a single layer if possible. Scatter whole garlic cloves and sprigs of herbs on top of the vegetables.
- Pour 1 cup wine and 1 cup water over the vegetables. Place the chicken on top of the vegetable layer and put the lid on. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Melt some butter and brush it over the chicken. I ended up using around 1/4 cup of so. Return the chicken, uncovered, to the oven and turn it up to 450. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the temperature of the thighs or breast reaches 175. The chicken will brown and develop a nice crust.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Using tongs, place the chicken into a deep platter or baking dish, tent with foil. (The original recipe used leeks and returned the Dutch oven to the over for another 10 minutes. I hate leeks, so my vegetables were perfectly cooked.) Discard herbs and half of the garlic. Remove vegetables to a serving platter. Mash the remaining garlic into paste in the Dutch oven.
- Turn off the oven – super important step I sometimes forget.
- After the chicken rested for about 10 minutes or so, remove it onto the cutting board. Pour the drippings from the platter into the Dutch oven. Set the Dutch oven on the stove and bring to boil, whisking the sauce. (Because I am a savage and I know my family’s tastes, I whisked about 1/3 packet of powdered turkey gravy into the sauce, but you can skip this step.) Cook until thickened. Mix in finely chopped parsley.
- Carve the chicken to your preference and arrange it on the platter on top of potatoes and vegetables. Or serve everything separately. (I served separately.) Pour the sauce over the chicken – it will be divine – and definitely serve it at the table.
Potatoes
- While the chicken is baking for that initial 50 minutes, wash the potatoes and slice them in half. Place the potatoes into a bowl, season with salt, pepper, and a dash of Italian seasoning, mix well, add you choice of melted fat or olive oil, mix again. dump the potatoes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for the ease of cleaning. Arrange them cut side down. You wouldn’t think they would brown with paper, but they do.
- When you remove the chicken from the oven for the first time and turn the heat up to 450, pop the potatoes on the bottom rack. They will need roughly 40 minutes to bake, but you might want to check them at 30, depending on how small your potatoes are. The cut side should be crispy and the top side should be soft.
Grace Draven made her chicken with leeks, so if you want to ask her about it, here is her website and Facebook.
First?
Certified 🥇!
Yay! I was being my #TeamDushegub member of the BDH self and stalking the blog in between meetings this morning. 🤣
Loved this snippet
I’ll claim second. Love the recipes!
I think I saw somewhere that Le Creuset or a vendor was having a big sale on their items, including their Dutch ovens. I had a small crack in mine and called them up and they replaced it free of charge. My brother recently did the same; his wasn’t damaged, it had just been used for cooking for 30 years and was discolored, and they swapped it out.
I’d be really tempted to try this recipe but it seems kind of a lot for one person. Maybe I’ll forward it on to my brother.
You could reduce the quantities and use a Cornish hen in place of the whole chicken. Or even use your favorite cut of bone-in piece (like a chicken quarter or bone in breast). Obviously, the time would need adjusted, but I think it should work well on a smaller scale. Depending on how small your chicken is, you might want to cook the veggies a bit before starting it or cut them smaller, so they finish at the same time. Or just have a lot of leftovers! I bet it could be very useful as leftovers. 😁
I make delicious lemon/chicken/rice soup out of the leftovers. It freezes well, too!
Aldi often do le creuset quality , we have one and it’s great, for significantly less cost. We got some le creuset as wedding gifts 20 years ago and use Aldi more often as it’s just the right size
I just use a well seasoned Lodge cast iron dutch oven.. bitch to clean up if you don’t have sand, LOL. But gets the job done, fits on the round webber grill and well… they’re very verrry good at browning meats and biscuits and such… campfire cooking! The best way to keep heat out of the kitchen in a florida climate!
Thank you for the bonus recipe! I do love Hugh being sneaky. And power words! Go, Hugh!
+1! I don’t even know Silas, but now I’m invested in his wife’s well-being!
Thanks so much for sharing! 🤗
+1
Amazing how that happens with just a few words.
+1
I completely agree and am always amazed and happy about it.
+1
+1
+1
Hughday
Yummy harvest feast
Happy friday team andrews and mod R
Sending all the good vibes for a productive week.
Thanks for all the Hugh that you do share. Does this mean no post or just no Hugh? Because I enjoy when ModR throws out fun questions, quizzes, adventures of Steve, etc. But I also don’t want to be an entitled little snot and act like we are owed a post.
Either way — happy editing!
There will definitely be a Friday treat next Friday- just maybe not a snippet/chapter of Hugh, depending on how the week goes.
But definitely a treat!
Yay! Friday treats!
I read that as Freaky treats, and thought ooooh. Now I want Freaky Friday treats, but that sounds more like something for Halloween.
+1
thank you
Lifting my mood up as always. Thank You♥️
Yeah!
This was amazing. Thank you so much. Worst week ever, between flu and womanly issues all combining to make me miserable, this was the perfect sweet escape thank you <3
best wishes on a swift recovery
it is lovely to be transported to another world, away from our troubles, for a brief respite.
I missed it!
🙁
What did you miss, BT? 🙂
I knew I probably couldn’t be first but wanted to see if I could be in at least the top 10. I kept updating the Blog, then stopped to take my shower. When I was decent enough to check again Hugh had arrived! My question is – I know I had checked by 9:20, but didn’t see it – do the posts just pop-up on the Blog once you post it?
I’ve been meaning to ask this for awhile – what language (if any) is the language of power based on?
+1 ! I’m interested in knowing too !
Ancient Made Up Language (TM). It is cobbled together from Old Akkadian, Sumerian, with chunks of Babylonian hanging from its hair and no regard for grammar or historical accuracy.
Thanks! I was putting my money on Sumerian or Akkadian given Roland’s origins
🤣😂🤣 Love it!
Thanks!
I was silly enough to look it up (might have been ancient Persian!) and was referred: back to this post….
Thank-you from a hither-to-now silent member of BDH
😂 !!!
Oh my! Love Hugh so much. And I will try the chicken. 😊
Bucky! We get Bucky this week, along with Hugh and company.
What a twist in the chapter this week. This week’s headline for Aberdine: Don’t mess with Bale. Oh, my goodness. Don’t underestimate Hugh.
Then it’s meanwhile back at the castle with Elara cooking a chicken for Hugh.
This week’s Hughday reminds me of Magic Tides and/or Magic Claims. Everyone underestimated Kate. 😀
#FortheloveofBucky. 😎😁🦄
You’ll get some Marvel fans with that one. Although Sebastian Stan with slightly long hair and scruffy beard is not bad at all.
+1 I want to say #Stucky, but I’m not sure BDH’s Steve swings that way. Or that I want to imply anything so outra.
Ok, so, I might have an odd perspective on this due my serious allergy to garlic, but clearly Elara is making poison chicken for Hugh, and he’s going to demand she eat the chicken if she wants to claim it is merely a chicken seasoned in a different way. But maybe that’s just my level of horror at anyone doing that to a perfectly good chicken. Shudder.
Wishing HA a productive week. Thanks for Hughday!
Perspective really can have a profound effect. I love garlic but I’ll think of it as adding poison, at least for today.
Serious allergy to garlic? You have my condolences…
I’m that way with mushrooms, as I have a serious allergy to them. But my folks wouldn’t believe me when I was a child. They kept forcing me to ‘try’ them. It wasn’t until I went into full anaphylaxis that they believed something was truly wrong.
Now, I have a tendency to want to rescue people from the ‘poison’ mushrooms. :->
I feel u on the urge to rescue ppl! I’m so sorry your parents put u thru that. Awful!
My garlic allergy didn’t develop until adulthood. But sadly, I have been deliberately served food with garlic by family members who ‘don’t believe in allergies’. Accompanied by outright lies about what was in the food. That never ends well. My husband and I joke that I am the most sensitive garlic-detector in the world. If it makes u feel any better, neither of us will willingly eat mushrooms, so consider us saved from the mushroom scourge.
My parents made me ‘try’ all sorts of seafood/fish, repeatedly, until I was 21, told them I was done. It wasn’t until I became allergic to garlic that I realized that fish/seafood doesn’t taste bitter and metallic to everyone, and I’m probably also allergic to them. I count myself lucky that I never had significant reactions when I was a kid. But that’s before food allergies were common, so they just decided I was being annoyingly picky. And kept making me ‘try’ it, ugh.
(Hugs)
Nice to see Bucky enjoying himself! Good day for prancing.🦄☀️🤺
Delicious in every way!!!
Thank you for another excellent helping of Hugh “Doozy” D’Ambray!
So good. Thanks for thiygift.
LOVE IT!
Wonderful. I love, love how you guys always throw in curves. Masters of the CurveVerse.
+1 curvelicious
Thank you for the huge Hugh Day today.
I am a bit burned out and shelled shocked from all the goings on for the last 6 weeks. This is my safe space, very thankful that House Andrews provides a world to escape to for much needed mental respite.
Seconded!
Great to see Bucky again! And wonderful that Hugh can reclaim one of his lost soldiers. Thank you for the treat, andf best of luck with the editing.
Random thought, does the chicken Elara is cooking have anything to do with Hugh’s insistence that Elara eats a whole chicken?
can’t wait to find out!
Thank you for the Hughday!
Yes!! This is what I want to know!
I was wondering the same thing.
that was my thought as well
Thank you for the recipe and snipet!
Hungry!!! It’s just past 8 am and I Need that chicken.Is this the one Elara has to eat all by herself?
Thank you for the snippet and recipe!
I enjoy the blog, with or without a snippet, and you are always generous with feeding the BDH so I’m happy with what I get. 🤗
I KNEW there was a reason the Wagyu Beef spray called me to buy it! Now I must skip off to buy chicken, parsnips, and potatoes. Thank you, Grace and Ilona.
Thank you for Hughday!
If you’re busy that means more good reading to come!
We’ll survive next. Just need to reread what we have … and maybe roast some chicken!
Keep telling myself – I should w*it until the book is out so I can read it all in one delicious spree. Then the next snippet comes out and I immediately devour it – inly to be left at the end hungry for more – and wishing I’d waited.
Me too!!
OMG. OMG. OMG.
THIS IS THE BEEEEEEEEEST.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, most benevolent HA. I’m throwing virtual luxury yarn and tea at you (erm… TOWARD you?) in my mind.
love it! thank you!!!
Ahhh, so good! The name Silas did seem familiar to me… has he come up in the series before, or am I just making things up?
The former Iron Dog Silas has not appeared in any previous books.
The name has probably appeared before in other series for unrelated characters 🙂
I was thinking that maybe Silas was the guy Kate rescued. I was going to get the series down and re-read to refresh my memory. Technically if he has not appeared before there is no reason to do that.
So I am going to pretend I did not see your post and do a re-read any way. I have at least six weeks before planting season starts. That should be enough time.
That was Stoyan 🙂. But a reread is always a good plan!
Thank you! I loved that twist at the end with Silas! I can’t wait for the next snippet. 🙂
Have fun with the edits… meanwhile, we will read and re-read and re-read!!@
Thank you!!
Thank you for Hugh Day! I’m loving this story and I was so resistant to the redemption arc – lol
Enjoy your weekend and then go forth and edit.
We’ll be chalant.
I adore Hugh. And Elara. Thank you for improving my day!
Hey Mod R,
What an absolutely lovely snipet. Do you know if finding more Iron Dogs is going to be a theme for this book?
+1
Awwwww!!!! Awesome 👏🏼 I hoped it wouldn’t end before the crushing defeat!! And you did not disappoint
amazing!! and you included the recipe we know folks would ask for. so generous today! thank you very much! can’t wait for the next installment in a couple of weeks or so.
Thank you. I am glad Silas found a wife and his tribe. Bale is so sweet in a goofball way. So Hugh is definitely French then? Can’t wait for the reunion of the Iron Dogs.
Roland found him in France but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s French. He sounds English in the audiobook
Thank you for the snippet and good luck in the word mines. I hope your edits go as smoothly and emotionally-positively as possible.
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I love Fridays!! Whether we get Hugh or something fun! It is a great way to end the week and start the weekend! Mmmm Elara’s chicken sounds great – I’m thinking Sunday dinner!! AND I get to eat it all!!! lol
I also love reading the BDH’s comments. Anyone who had a hard week; I’m sending hugs because I’ve been there and the BDH is so supportive.
Happy Friday 🙂
OMG I LOVE IT!
Once an Iron Dog, always an Iron Dog. And now Hugh will fix whatever is wrong with his wife, in time for dinner. Thank you for showing us Bucky too! And the recipe. This snippet is firing on all cylinders.
unless it’s related to the plant blight?
I had that thought too, although it’s quite a ways from Baile to Aberdine…
So good, so good, thank you.
Tisk for those mercenaries not making an organized camp.
Yum!
And another tantalizing piece of the story.
OMG, you guys are angels. Life has sucked in so many ways lately but you guys are such a bright star. I’ve reread all the different series (anyone else do‘comfort books’?) and look forward to the next snippets of books you share each week. But this, total bonus recipe!!! I’ve often thought you guys could make a best seller cookbook if you wanted to and I’ve enjoyed reading about all the great food items in your books. Thanks for spreading joy and I know what I’m making for dinner tonight!
So many comfort books! 😄
Comfort books are my life right now.
ohh a cookbook from all our favorite characters, that would be a lovely BDH gift for some year. with a reference to which book it came from. Yum!
Maybe that could be a future fun project?
Absolutely lovely. Thanks a whole bunch.
I hope the wife pulls through.
Thank you so much!!
How many is too many Dollar Generals? *snerk*
Yay!! Lovely yummy snippet and a lovely yummy recipe!
+1
Thanks! Love it – especially, “You think it’s overkill?”
I’m feeling down and out of sorts today, so much so that I considered checking the blog and reading the goodies (if available) tomorrow. Then I thought that I will at least check if you’ve posted something.
Now, after reading the chapter, I’m smiling and the world no longer seems so hopeless :-). Thank you! You are the best!!!
So happy it helped 🤗
Whee! (or Oui!)
Thank you…it’s been a tough few weeks and love that you leave these gifts for us.
They make my day.
love it!!!!!
+1
Editing always comes first. Until you get so exhausted that you shout “Oh shit, that’s enough!”, make some tea, and then take a nap. (Naps are both highly underrated and highly necessary.)
+10000!
These chapters are so magical. That’s the only way I can phrase it. I know they come from hard work and busy brains but they pull me in the way only amazing fantasy stories can. It’s so hard to turn my brain off and read these days and yet House Andrews does it every time. Thank you for the moments of joy and peace.
Also, OMG now I’m hungry.
I’m Dutch. I had to Google Dutch oven.
Oh, that. I had no idea that was Dutch. We just call it an iron cooking pan.
Have we met Silas before?
I couldn’t find his name in I&M 1
It’s an American term, via the Pennsylvania “Dutch” (actually Deutsch), for a cast-iron cooking pot with a lid. Basically a cauldron. It can be used for things from baking quick and yeast breads to soups and stews, or when camping.
Woo Hoo! Hugh And a recipe!!
Life is good, and the Horse is Happy!
I loved this! This story is really fun and I’m loving Elara bargaining with fate to bring Hugh home safely. Poor Savannah, watching her “kid” turn into a doting wife hehehehe.
Recipe sounds great! I will definitely try it. And best wishes for smooth sailing during the edits!
I swear it’s like injecting liquid dopamine into my veins, it’s a little dangerous 😂
but i do have a question, what does this joke mean exactly?
“Bale lumbered closer and scrutinized the swordsman. “What is this shit you’re wearing? Must be very high speed.”
Very high speed? I don’t understand, maybe im just dumb 😅
p.s.i love bucky
“In military slang, “high speed” refers to a highly motivated, skilled, and capable soldier, often used to describe someone who performs at a high level and is considered very effective in their duties; it can also be used sarcastically to describe someone who is overly enthusiastic but not necessarily competent. “
Ah thank you! I guess Bale is just teasing poor ol’ Silas 🙂
Thank you for explaining🙏, I did not understand either.
It can also be used in a very derogatory or condescending manner. Normally by a senior enlisted to a lower ranking soldier. For instance, “Hey highspeed, you wanna explain why you’re walking around with your dagum hands in your pockets like you’re back on the block?” I can assure you that the Command Sgt Major does not, in fact, think PVT Snuffy is actually “highspeed.”
In other words, to Silas, “WTF are you doing with this bunch of losers and where the hell have you been?”
oh wow. oh wow. oh wow. this was so great!
Is this the story of the chicken mention in KD?! Also, that sounds delicious
Thank you, thank you. I don’t cook anymore, but this has inspired me. mmhm
Hugh AND food???
Thank you Authorlords!!!!!
Thank you for the Hugh day even though you’re busy editing. I’m happy they found another of the iron dogs.🥹
I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask this before but do you guys have a dictionary for the language of power? What are the grammar rules? Is there a real world language you pull from for it?
I loved this! Perfect for a Friday and the ultimate in distractions. I read it aloud just for fun—accents and all.
Ah, how delicious! Chicken with Ossanda, you spoil us!
Any Friday that includes Bucky, the sparkling “unicorn” just makes my day. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!
“Yes, Preceptor!” had me punching the air with both fists. Thank you!
Book Editing Question: How do you determine if an editor is a good fit?
Specifically regarding developmental editing. I sent in a single chapter test run and I liked the feedback I received, but I am an inexperienced writer and I’m not sure what key points to look at and measure the fit of this editor and my project.
Thank you!
I just finished rereading Iron and Magic and I am so glad I did. This is making Hugh Day SO MUCH BETTER. Loved this snippet. Like the recipe too! I am a sort of MilkStreet fan, but I find their recipes a little outside my usual wheelhouse of getting whatever it is on the table in 30 minutes or less. Perfect though for a special dinner for Hugh to come home to.
Check out their “Tuesday nights” recipes. They are pretty quick (by milk street standards) and so are usually under 45 min (sometimes ~20)
Thanks!
Thank you for these snippets! I have really needed them the past 5-6 weeks. They are gifts that make me feel lighter as I read them. Even if the story has dark turns, it is essentially a story of hope and triumph and maybe we all need that.
this was so great.
how kind of you to give us a Hughday in the midst of editing. Sending you lots of positive energy for your task.
I’m a little slow and was unsure of how to put together the clues.
Was Silas undercover or just a wayward Dog?
was he in pain because he was embarrassed to be found in the Drakes company or out of concern for his wife or both?
no he was in “pain” because he didnt come back to the iron dogs (like the missed wedding etc) and until Hugh claimed him as one of his own men, he didn’t know if Hugh would accept him still as a Dog. But ofc 🥹
Their motto should just be from the marines lol, semper fidelis is always Hugh’s motto.
…aaaand now I’m hungry… lol
Thankie Authors for the post! 😀
thank you for a great snippet/chunk.
I’m now hungry 🤣
Thank you for the awesome Hugh chapter! And thank you for the warning that we probably won’t get one next week.
I called Le Creuset about a chip and discoloration a few years ago and they offered me about $75 off of a replacement. I’ll have to try again!
I’m also a singleton. This looks good for inviting people over for Passover, though.
This made my day today. Thank you very much 🙂
Hugh, and a chicken recipe. It’s a good day!
omg tasty chicken and mysteries 🙂 my friday is made
Love Hugh’s confidence (definitely not unearned). And now Silas is home with his brothers, so happy for him.
Oops. My bit above was in reply to Tink.
New and figuring things out. I do love the recipe and look forward to trying it.
Thank you for Hugh Day- It is a bright light in my week. Loved “they looked like someone had pissed in their cornflakes.” I grin every time I think of it.
Go Hugh! I love Elara and Hugh’s story.
The chicken sounds divine!
THANK YOU!
thank you ☘️
Thank you for the double treat … Hugh/ Elara and a recipe.
“As good as one of ours” 😁😁😁 This was awesome.
Always happy to see more of Bucky too…
Wasn’t there a snippet about him a while back? Or am I mixing up with something else?
**sends hopeful eyes at ModR**
Sorry, I don’t remember anything Bucky-centric. Maybe someone else will 🙂
Oh I was so hoping Hugh would find at least one Iron dog! Thank you so much!
I love things that go in a pot in the oven and leave me free to get on with other things, great choice Elara.
Oh you sneaky ducks! Elara is making a roasted chicken! I wonder if she eats it🤔
After I listen to Chris Kimbell on NPR, It always makes me hungry. I made the Fish Tacos on his website they came out pretty good.
Thank you so much for the snippet, and the recipe 😊
Bribe accepted!! Thanks for this. It’s been a hellish week and this was the one thing I was excited about today.
This reminds me of Kate’s retrieval efforts in Wilmington. But it seems as if Hugh has an easier time with power words than Kate does. Doesn’t she always bleed from her nose when she uses one?
No. She did in the beginning, because like most of her magic, she was untrained in its use 🙂
Hugh, on the other hand, has had decades of the most proficient teacher in magic there is: Roland.
I love the Hugh stories. When I first met him in Kate’s world, of course, he was awful. but learning what is behind his life and what all happened to him, he’s now one of my favorites.
thank you for the story. good luck with your edits!
Couldn’t read this until 2:30 today. At 9 AM eyes were dilated, wet AMD left eye, received my two shots about 10 AM,
Wow, great writing as usual, and with a recipe. I like leeks so they’ll go in the pot. I might throw in a habanero which adds a good flavor.
I don’t want to email per the website and I don’t see anything on the website in regards to tattoos. but I have a really cool tattoo idea in regards to Kate Daniels but don’t want other readers to steal my idea. I just want to do things right and get permission for the tattoos. how or can I ask?
Hi Brooke, you do not need permission for a tattoo 🙂 . Unless you intend to sell the image for profit (which clearly you do not intend to), there is absolutely no issue.
Many readers already have Kate-themed tattoos and proudly posted them in the fan groups on different social media fan spaces.
Wow! A HughDay AND a recipe! **happy dances in chair**
Thank you thank you thank you
you really know how to leave us hanging!
Wow, great to have Hughday and a yummy recipe! I love both! Thank you for taking the time. It has made my day!
Amazing, once again ♥️
Maybe one of the best Snippets EVER. Love Hugh, adore me some Elara and all the other peeps (can’t say characters, they seem too real). I don’t know why this story gets me, but likely my fave ever. And yes, I’m re-reading the Ilona Andrews canon over and over. My happy place in a terrifying world. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this. Gonna try that recipe. He/Milk Street also does/do amazing biscuits – too much with the potatoes? Nah…
Thank you for the recipe that looks and sounds good
Wonderful snippet! The recipe is too big for 2 people so I’m baking brownies from scratch. I haven’t” made them in a few years and used a different pan. Looks like 5-10 extra minutes. Right now the edges are baked and the center flows when the pan is tilted. I shall prevail! I also found some super soft fine baby yarn in a shade called hummus and am working on baby booties!
That. Was. Awesome. And a delicious recipe as a bonus?! Fantastic! Thank you!
Oh sooo good. I felt for Silas. Nothing like coming home to your people. Chicken En Cocotte for breaking my fast this week. What a way to start Ramadan! Now to find some wagyu beef tallow.
It’s nice Silas has been found, but did the barracks Elara made have quarters for married couples? Where will they live?
it just keeps getting better and better!
Omg, of course their guy is as good as one of Hugh’s 😂
can I just say how much I love when a recipe is included with a story? I can’t wait to try this.
thank you for the chapter and the recipe!!!
Ahah! The chicken makes an appearance!
Thank you!
One thing I love about Hugh is that he’s a jerk. A lot of other things too, but the swagger of his internal monologue brings me so much joy.
It may not be much but you hold a place of honour in my library.
Thank you for bringing joy to my day!
Thank you! I have faith in you and your Muse with the book edits. 😎Virtual Hugs!
*Trying to remember if Silas was mentioned in other books* Dammit Google!
Nice! I was wondering if Silas was an iron dog! great snippet!
Thank you for this. I had a very long day at work, just watched the news when I got home and am completely shocked. This was the comfort I turned to. Thank you for the snippet.
Love this one so much – thank you!
Soooo good!
I never know whether to read the serials or wait until the release. Time to go reread all the books
Bale is competing for my love with Wonder Boy Derek
I need to stopnreading these snippets before the book is out but I CAN’T STOPPPP 🤣😆
Thank you for sharing your stories with us, reading this today especially helped me a lot:) It’s been a hard stretch of months and your stories are always bright spots
Yay, Hughday!! And it ends on a mysterious note, must be p*tient 😅
😲 This was sooooo good!
😀 Thank you, the boys are back in town!
Have a great weekend all
Did anyone else gleefully gesture at a couple of mercs with an imaginary mace? Or am I the only one.
Thank you HA, the bringers of joy through reading .
Love the continuation of Hugh’s story , we appreciate all your hard work and enormous talent .
Thank you!
Amazing what you can do with the right 6(7) men 😉
Ahhhhh!! So many things happening in this segment. THANK YOU for sharing! This treat really, really ended my rough day on a high note.
Best of luck with editing! Hopefully you have something in your life, too, that helps lift you up after a rough day like you do for the Horde. <3
Just wonderful , go Hugh x Who knew we would love him so much !!! Chicken recipe sounds lush 🥰
This scene is a masterpiece…
Cada capítulo es mejor.
Sois los mejores ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hugh day is the best day!! Thank you!
I have said it before and I’ll say it again: I am in awe of the quality of your work.
I’m so invested in Hugh! And to be honest all things IA too of course.
I feel so privileged to have access to this blog.
I don’t get the notifications until Saturday. I never remember to check on Fridays SMH But reading the blog first thing Saturday morning is such a treat! Starts my weekend off just right.
Sounds yummy
Yum. Just enough too much garlic. 😋
And thank you so much for Hugh! You are forgiven this week’s episode as you need to edit.
Yay! Hugh and a recipe 🤩
Bucky goes on the strut❣️
Thanks for the snippet and recipe!
Hey Mod R! If you are taking suggestions for Friday festivities that aren’t snippets, maybe a recipe would do? I know many of us enjoy them and maybe it can be a try this…report on your results.
Also, JD Robb has a cookbook coming out based on dishes/food mentioned in the “In Death” series. I’m sure it’s a lot of work to create and test recipes but maybe someday for HA?
I love a cookbook idea. The JD Robb one is written by a chef, not her. Makes sense.
I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated this post. I know you both have a lot going on, yet you still make time for things like this. I especially love that you added the recipe, and I can’t wait to try it. For some reason, cooking something you suggest makes me feel closer to you and the characters. Just like Dina’s apple cake. Yum! Have a great week.
have never wanted to own a Dutch oven so badly
Thank you
Thank you for Hugh Day!
This is so awesome! When I read about Hugh with admiration it is strange to think back to when I loathed him. I was certain you could never change how much hate I felt for him. You work miracles!
Ditto
Very satisfying. Thank you.
We all love snippets and bits. Give us what you can. We will be p*tient. (Ha!)
Amazing chapter!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Looking forward to trying the recipe. Every time I read the Hidden Legacy series I want to eat the fajitas. You could probably write a cookbook with all of the food from your books and the BDH would, well, devour it. lol
When I read Hidden Legacy, I want sushi!
Thank you.
I don’t comment much but I just have to say Iron and Magic is one of my absolute top favorites if not THE favorite of all of your novels, and so the fact that we are getting Hugh 2 at some point is such a delight and joy to me personally, and getting to see the sneak peeks is so delightful. And this chapter in particular nearly made me cry. The Iron Dogs’ loyalty is so dang good. Elara’s commitment to her and Hugh’s bargains is so great. I didn’t know how much I needed this today. Thanks <3
SO good. You made my day. Thank you.
Thank you once again. This BDH person is HAPPY with whatever and whenever you care to share with us!
I also don’t understand the desire to be first to respond to posts? (Not trying to be difficult or at all critical, I just don’t see the attraction…AND the emails rarely show in my inbox until maybe 20 hours after whomever is first has responded.) If there was something about being first in the past, I’m a fairly recent member of BDH after retiring 3 years ago today and finally having an opportunity to catch up on my reading for pleasure. I read my first IA book about 2 years ago, with IA quickly overtaking my previous fave author, Altered Carbon’s (& the 2 sequels,) Richard K Morgan. Yeah, quite different, but I love altered worlds. Both authors have that in spades, but IA has my heart now ❣️❣️❣️😘
It’s just a game, there is nothing deep to understand 🙂. Some people enjoy playing it, others don’t care. It’s all good.
Crowing about being first is something from the beginning, the very dawn, of internet bulletin boards. The sole place I see it’s remnant is the comment section on this blog.
Ahhh Hugh using words of power literally gave me chills. Haha. There is a reason Ilona Andrews is my favorite author (duo) ever. 😍
Delicious…
Now I‘m hungry.
And thanks for a Hughday even though you‘re working so hard on Maggie 🥹!
The recipe cracked me up. Ilona Andrews have now started writing cozy mysteries with recipes! Elara as a cozy heroine!
Thank you for this bit, it made me happy.
And we wind up the pitch
Always fun to know what sup with the IRON DOGS….and agood chicken dish….
Always surprising and delightful. I can’t wait to listen to the dramatized audio! I’m amazed that this and Kate hasn’t been picked up as a series. It’s so much better than The Witcher, for example.
Thanks for sharing these snippets.
Love it, made my week!!
That was fabulous! I can’t wait for more! My mind is reeling with questions about what is all happening. What’s wrong with Silas’ wife? What’s wrong with the herbs? Is the herb issue related to the druid issue? So many questions from just a few snippets. So good! Now I need to re-read the snippets to see what I’ve missed! Yay!
Hahahahah! “Do you think it’s overkill?” By God, I love Hugh!
I enjoyed this so much, thank you!
This transformation of Hugh (and his Dogs) works so well and is super fun to read. Also, I love Elara’s character and how she shows love and appreciation through cooking. So cosy and relatable. Also it makes me hungry. ❤️
The chicken recipe looks delicious and is exactly the sort of meal my family and I love. Thanks again!
Love the story; thank you! And thanks for the recipe; it looks great, too.
Squeee!!! THANK YOU!!! This was my favorite snippet yet!
Awwww it’s a unit reunion, welcome home Silas.
Definitely overkill
Love it and all your books. So take care of yourselves and carry on
I am loving these Hugh2 chapters! Especially because we live in a small Kentucky town. You can get a look at the castle from driving on New Circle road in Lexington, but the paragraph where you describe Aberdine “too many Dollar Generals” was so spot on I laughed out loud! Why would any small town anywhere need 5 Dollar Generals? Anyway, thank you so much for these, every time I tell myself I’m gonna wait until I can buy the book and read it all at once and get sucked into the story every time! Thank you both so much!
This is one of the things I love about IA…they keep their geography real. A great example is the Keep in Atlanta, sitting just about where a small regional airport sits now…
Adding chicken and mushrooms to the shopping list. Will have to concoct a crepe recipe for dessert.
Hugh – and Bucky – are the best.
Thank you Thank you THANK YOU!!!! I love you both and the entire BDH so very very much!!! 🥰
thank you so very much!
OMG I need this book! How do they come up with this stuff? This is SO GOOD.
thank you! now wondering about Silas’s wife, oh and is the hawk swooping above is going to take a liking to Hugh, or already belongs to someone. they don’t seem to have an animal in the air yet, horses, dogs, no birds. passing thoughts. thanks again for your wonderful work.
I think the bird is Julie’s.
It’s probably not?, maybe?, lol.
Isn’t Julie/Aurora’s bird an eagle?
And I believe in the 2nd Hugh doesn’t he meet Erra? He and Elara are asked to watch them while they do a sleeping beauty?
Idk, #TeamFactsbeDamned🤷🏽♀️
Hugh 2 takes place before Magic Triumphs 🙂
Hugh and Elara will watch over Erra and Julie as she heals from Moloch’s eye after the events of the King of Fire, which is approximately 6 years in the future.
Oh my gosh! I loved this scene. Thx for sharing!
Thank-you!
They went out to do a favor and it looks like they are coming back richer for one more Dog!
Oooo two treats today!!! An amazing snippet of adventure combined what looks like a delicious chicken recipe and I have leftover frozen duck fat from Thanksgiving whoop whoop. Thank you soo much for sharing your talent with us it is truly a treat
Thank you for your wonderful writings. They bring me so much joy. Your characters and worlds are a splendid gifts.
Don’t sweat about next Friday – we can re-read this post!!! I hope you get some play time as well as work. Thank you for sharing this. 🙂
Aww, no Hughday next week. It’s my birthday on March 10… Welp, I guess it’s gonna be a belated gift instead of advanced. Thank you so much for the free reads! You are very much appreciated. Looking forward to next Hughday!
oh I do appreciate the recipe. I will be cooking it tomorrow evening. yum. can’t wait. Just reading it let’s me understand why Hugh will hurry home!
Thank you. Even when I hated Hugh, he was intriguing. Now, I am so invested in the life that he and Elara are building that I might have to stop reading the snippets and wait for the book…. hahaha. As if that’s going to happen!
Where did the lard come into play. Or was that what was used instead of butter?
The potatoes were cooked in it 🙂
Thank you, I so look forward to Hugh Day and also thanks for the nom nom recipe.
Thank you! Love Hugh and is friday’s story❤️❤️❤️
A chestnut Morgan mare? and she didn’t get into the middle of things? Hmm, now I want to know more about her!
Thank you for the intriguing snippet and the recipe, this book is going to forever smell of garlic, rosemary and roasted chicken!
I squealed as I read this! I’m so glad I dragged it out and read slowly to make it last. Like savouring a cookie.
I used to make Kerry Greenwood’s recipe for 100 garlic chicken for special occasions. There is no such thing as too much garlic.
This was marvelous! I can’t wait to own this book.
This was so good. Thank you so much and happy editing.
you always, ALWAYS. surprise me. Awsome!
Hugh isn’t my favorite of your books, but I’m hooked and enjoying it. Thank you,
A story and a recipe, yum! Thank you.
Wow, fantastic recipe! I just finished eating! I used 1 cup homemade chicken broth instead of water. For the sauce I reduced the liquid and added whipping cream and reduced it till is was a thickened sauce. Oh my. Just wow. The chicken was so tender and the potatoes were amazing. Thank you for sharing! A new once a month recipe added to my repertoire. Amazing authors and amazing chefs to boot! We are sooo blessed!!
Have a great week!
This is an amazing recipe… 🙂
I want Julie to be pulled in to use her sensate abilities to help diagnose the plant problem.
Is it just me, or do other people also imagine Bale as like Popeye the Sailor, but bigger and more mean looking, and the bulging of Bale’s muscles as exactly the same animation as Popeye’s muscles post a spinach intake?
I love Hugh, even when he was an Antagonist for Kate and Curran. Love the snippet, thank you so much. Hope the editing is going well.
I had to read this again today, just to get another Hugh day fix. Been waiting for book two of Hugh’s story. Thanks so much House Andrews!
Happy editing. 🙂
Just wanted to say thanks.
Thank you, HA, for this lovely gift!
This was such a fun scene – so many wonderful details – that I immediately turned around and told my partner about it! (We don’t read the same types of books, but we both appreciate a well-written bit.)
Plus, I was wondering when Bale would show up and now I have my answer.
LOVE – THANK YOU !!!
I love how Hugh saves everyone. Silas is *his man*. Hugh claims him, no matter what happened in the past. You can just feel Silas’s relief when Hugh again becomes his preceptor. I’ve read this snippet four times, and I think I’ll go read it again.
Also, thank you, Elara, for caring about Hugh. Those two can keep saving each other. I’m here for it!
I am a huge fan of using ground herb de provence on my roasted taters.
Does it mean Hugh stole the power the other mage was accumulating when it says:
On the right a mage was chanting, building up power and winding it into a bow like cotton candy on a stick.
Hugh pulled the magic to him and opened his mouth. “Osanda sapawur daas kair.”
Or does it just mean he pulled magic in general to him. Because those are two very different skills I would imagine.
Have we ever seen Hugh steal someone else’s magic? That would be your answer 🙂
I feel so lucky, that I get to read these Snippets. 🥰
Thank you, so very much, for your wonderfulness.
Take care.
Loved it. I am so invested in the rebuilding of the dogs, the building of this little corner of the world for them. Something about the lord and lady of the castle just fits Hugh, and having a family and army and home of his own is such poetic justice after what he went through with Roland.
I made the chicken for dinner tonight. No parsnips available so I subbed in carrots. Excellent recipe. Everyone was very happy with their meal. Thanks for sharing.
mhhhh duck fat potatoes
i love anything written by both of you.looking forward to the next book.
❤️
Love Hughdays! A fun read as always. Thank you so much. 😀
That sounds yummy! Did Hugh like it?