"I brought food, too," Altair said. He got his pack from Wil, unhooked the bag that the cook had given him, and carried it to where Ari was unpacking the food she'd brought. He began to add the provisions to the piles Ari was making: a half dozen apples, which had been stored in the cellars since being picked in the fall; another wheel of cheese; a large summer sausage; a jar of pickles; and two dozen fresh oat cakes. Then he tossed a sack of coffee grounds at Ari. "I'm not sure if you brought coffee," he said, "but this is the good kind."
When his food pack was empty, he decided to help make the fire. He dumped a pile of sticks into the circle of stones Wil had been ordered to build, and cast fire at it. He had to cast fire a few times, since the sticks didn't just all go up in flames at once, but before long, there was fire burning in the pit. Who was a princess now?
Standing and dusting off his hands, Altair went to sit on the other side of Ari and rest his tired feet. "I don't see what the fuss is all about," he said to her. "This is rather fun."