#Jasper Hill cheese

[butterbourbonandothersins]

Chivas Regal 18 Scotch Whisky

I recently enjoyed an elegant gift from Chivas Brothers Distillery and Jasper Hill Farms.

Image Credit: Shutterstock/zef art Regarding fine Scotch whisky, few names carry the prestige and heritage of Chivas Regal. Among its illustrious range of expressions, Chivas Regal 18 stands out as a true masterpiece, encapsulating the essence of the brand’s artistry and dedication to craftsmanship. From its rich flavor profile to its luxurious presentation, Chivas Regal 18 is a testament to…

[eataku]

One of my favorite American cheeses in recent memory. Soft, pungent and funky with a hint of fruitiness. Not sure if it was the aging or the beer wash, but this was a next level Willoughby from Jasper Hill and Ommegang. Went back for more and it was sold out. And not coming back in stock as it was seasonal. Bummed. If you find some, I highly recommend buying one.

[analogmonologue]

Jasper Hill Hartwell cheese with a custom Opinel from Shacksbury.

[quotesfrommyreading]

By now you might have started to suspect: Cheese is fundamentally about decomposition. Like microbes on a rotten log in the woods, the bacteria and fungi in cheese break down their environment — in this case, the milk fats and proteins. This makes cheeses creamy and gives them flavor.

Mother Noella Marcellino, a longtime Benedictine cheesemaker at the Abbey of Regina Laudis, put it this way in a 2021 interview with Slow Food: “Cheese shows us what goodness can come from decay. Humans don’t want to look at death, because it means separation and the end of a cycle. But it’s also the start of something new. Decomposition creates this wonderful aroma and taste of cheese while evoking a promise of life beyond death.”

Exactly how the microbes build flavor is still being investigated. “It’s much less understood,” says Mayo. But a few things already stand out. Lactic acid bacteria, for example, produce volatile compounds called acetoin and diacetyl that can also be found in butter and accordingly give cheeses a rich, buttery taste. A yeast called Geotrichum candidum brings forth a blend of alcohols, fatty acids and other compounds that impart the moldy yet fruity aroma characteristic of cheeses such as Brie or Camembert. Then there’s butyric acid, which smells rancid on its own but enriches the aroma of Parmesan, and volatile sulfur compounds whose cooked-cabbage smell blends into the flavor profile of many mold-ripened cheeses like Camembert. “Different strains of microbe can produce different taste components,” says Cotter.

All a cheesemaker does is set the right conditions for the “rot” of the milk. “Different bacteria and fungi thrive at different temperatures and different humidity levels, so every step along the way introduces variety and nuance,” says Julia Pringle, a microbiologist at the artisan Vermont cheesemaker Jasper Hill Farm. If a cheesemaker heats the milk to over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, only heat-loving bacteria like Streptococcus thermophilus will survive — perfect for making cheeses like mozzarella.

Cutting the curd into large chunks means that it will retain a fair amount of moisture, which will lead to a softer cheese like Camembert. On the other hand, small cubes of curd drain better, resulting in a drier curd — something you want for, say, a cheddar.

Storing the young cheese at warmer or cooler temperatures will again encourage some microbes and inhibit others, as does the amount of salt that is added. So when cheesemakers wash their ripening rounds with brine, it not only imparts seasoning but also promotes colonies of salt-loving bacteria like B. linens that promptly create a specific kind of rind: “orangey, a bit sticky, and kind of funky,” says Pringle.

Even the tiniest changes in how a cheese is handled can alter its microbiome, and thus the cheese itself, cheesemakers say. Switch on the air exchanger in the ripening room by mistake so that more oxygen flows around the cheese and suddenly molds will sprout that haven’t been there before.

  —  The Science Behind Your Cheese

[evilsubscriptionservice]

jasper hill farm special edition campfire harbison

disappointing but still very good

with blackberry jam, crackers

back finally on tha cheese, its been sooooo long because these fucking price gouging shit i cant fucking stand it!!!!!!!!! and also to be honest ive been spending my money on perfume instead lol. i had intended to get a different cheese but i saw this one and figured it was my responsibility as a reviewer to try it because its limited special version of something i already really like. unfortunately, its kind of just the same cheese again. there is a very slight difference in taste, it does have a more smoked sort of flavor, but it's pretty faint and i feel like i wouldn't even have noticed it if i wasn't looking for it. i do prefer this one over the regular version though, if only because it smells slightly less wretched, but all my other opinions are broadly the same. fine enough as a return.

[bluemoonrabbit]

We had a virtual cheese tasting as our work holiday party. Jasper Hill creamery is actually a Vermont brand, so it was extra fun for me! I remember them establishing their aging cellars back in 2006 and what a big deal it was. That's like $100 of cheese up there. My job's pretty great.

[esspurrr]

i got some cheese propaganda. if you ever come across jasper hill's alpha tolman Pick That Shit Up. alpine style. firm cheese with a buttery creamy taste to it. probably would be great melted over potatoes. insanely expensive though so be aware

[haydryers-agricompact]

Some more #medialove >>In fact, for all the romantic cheese talk that we do – describing #flavor profiles, #aromatic qualities, how luscious or come-hither a cheese is looking today, the number one component in good #milk (and therefore good cheese) is GRASS. It might not be as sexy a topic of conversation, but many of our #cheesemakers joke that they are #grass #farmers first and cheesemakers second. Jasper Hill Farm is located in #Vermont ’s Northeast Kingdom, a notoriously rainy and unpredictable part of the state weather-wise… Making hay was always an issue, and with #terroir being a core component of their #cheesemaking #mission, buying hay from elsewhere seemed incongruous with Jasper Hill’s ideals. Mateo Kehler and Andy Kehler, brothers and co-owners of the farm, decided to #invest in a #hay #drying #machine (the first of its kind in the United States!) and create the Eureka #Cropping Center to make the #haying process easier, faster, and less dependent upon the #weather. The hay dryer allows the team at Eureka to extract all #moisture from the hay in just six hours, preserving the #aroma, #color, and #nutrients of the hay. In addition to making hay, the Eureka Cropping Center was built to capture an immense amount of #solar #power, and now offsets nearly half of Jasper Hill Farm’s power usage. << SAXELBY CHEESEMONGERS ALMANAC This Summer's Grass Report Straight from the Farms 26th July 2016 #jasperhillfarm --- #AgriCompact #haydryers - What else?! Since 1970. #dryhay #rawmilk #cheese https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZzO2fMslZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[haybug1]

Raise a glass to Sherry!

Raise a glass to Sherry!

It’s International Sherry Week! Spain’s beloved fortified wine gets the spotlight for the next few days, though we think it deserves year-round attention. Savory and sweet, Sherry wine delivers everything you could want to enjoy from the beginning of the night through dessert, the key is understanding which is best to begin and which makes the perfect ending. For a little more on how Sherry is…

[marcellathecheesemonger]

Is Imitation the Sincerest Form of Flattery?

Is Imitation the Sincerest Form of Flattery?

Sweet Grass Dairy European Cheesemakers don’t think so… at best, they consider it being a “copycat” and at worst, the theft of centuries of recipes and traditions. In the mid-19th Century, a factory in Upstate New York began making “commercial” cheddar and it was “game” on… Europe began scoffing cheeses made in the United States. And perhaps they were right… after all, it was The US that gave the…

[zuerchercheese]

Little Hosmer from Jasper Hill

Please welcome the newest addition to the Cellars at Jasper Hill collection: Little Hosmer!  A “mini version of a new world-style brie”, this gooey cheese is approachable in flavor, with notes of cauliflower, butter, and fresh cream.  Its namesake is equally charming; a small pond in Craftsbury, Vermont, where the cheesemakers take breaks swimming and fishing. At just 4oz. Little Hosmer is perfect for a spring picnic or makes an easy appetizer for two with a light drizzle of lavender honey. Try pairing it with a Sparkling Rose or a crisp Pale Ale.

The Cellars at Jasper Hill   began with the intention to be a model for struggling New England farmers while reviving the dairy industry in the Vermont area.  They proved that, with certain modifications, it was possible to be successful amongst the rocky hillsides that dominate the area’s farming terrain.  In the early 2000’s the company invested in a series of aging tunnels built into the farm's hillside.  The tunnels have been designed to maintain the specific temperatures and humidity levels necessary for ripening, ensuring consistency and the best environment for cheeses not only from Jasper Hill Creamery, but also from neighboring cheesemakers.

[fnafsbheadcanon]

Yes I'm sure I encourage the Chucky cheese

Ok here the rat dad au ( I couldn't come up with any other names for it lol )

* there a crossover performance between Munch Make believe band and Freddy fazbear band *

* the performance was going well until a major blackout happened *

* the screen cut to Chuck E Cheese waking up in the backroom of Freddy Fazbear room with no memory of what happen yet still remember his friends and try to find them *

* but instend he found Greogry hiding in a trash can *

* Greogry doesn't trust Chuck at first so the game is about Chuck and Greogry slowly builting trust with each other as they travel acoss the the Pizzaplex *

* game is also Longer since Chuck doesn't exactly know his way around the Pizzaplex yet still try his best to help Greogry while looking for his friends *

* Everytime Greogry does something Chuck would say this "that was awesome Greogry, keep it up!" And would give Greogry a little thumbs up. *

* Chuck have very good hearing so he is able to warn Greogry of upcoming danger *

*Chuck could immediately know that Gregory is a orphan ( fun fact: Chuck e Cheese's official backstory involves him being a orphan and not remembering his birthday)

* during the times Chuck is separated from Greogry one of his friends will help him and each level is specially made for them*

* Helen can go fast thank to her roller shake*

* Munch can intimidate the other animatronics since you know he a giant purple monster thing*

*Jasper is a fucking cowboy so he of course he have a lasso he can use to sturn the other animatronics *

* Pasqually... has a knife and other kitchen related weponds which he can used to make food to distance Chica or he can just distance the other animatronics normally by telling them bad jokes but yeah no Greogry going to get his hand on that knife*

* all of them are are really kind and Friendly toward Gregory, which Gregory think is really weird ( he isn't use to getting this much kindness but now he being shower with it by these animatronics )*

* unlike the Glamrocks, the cec crew doesn't need to be charged yet they can't be with Gregory all the time due to being too giant to fit into some areas *

* Chuck and his friends would be probably terrified of DJ Music man especially when Dj Music man wake up and start chasing them *

*each of them probably would figure that Gregory commit robot murder way quicker than Glamrock Freddy *

* in the true ending, instead of all sitting on hill they are sitting together at a table eating pizza after long and very stange day *

* also the game would be a lot funnier since Chuck and his friends have no idea what is going and have zero idea of the lore so when they see Burntrap or Blod they will be like " WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING?"

* basically Chuck and his friends are just confused and a bit scare for most of the game yet still willing to help in anyway possible *

Vanessa: WHY AREN'T YOU ON LOCKDOWN?!

A Very confused Chuck: lady I don't even live here??!

[amazing-animatronics]

Pictures of the Chuck E. Cheese animatronics at Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. The Chuck E. Cheese animatronics at Marvin’s Museum are Chuck E. Cheese, Jasper T. Jowls, Helen Henny, Mr. Munch, Pasqually, The Warblettes (both variations), Harmony Howlette and Madame Oink. These animatronics are for decoration so they don’t actually move but still it’s nice that the museum has so many Chuck E. Cheese animatronics. (Sources: xx // xx // xx // xx // xx // xx // xx // xx )

[dwyguyhikes]

Grand Teton National Park

Death Canyon Trail: 18.7 mile, 3,792ft elevation gain, https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wyoming/death-canyon-trail--4

Hidden Falls via Jenny Lake Trail: 4.9 mile, 590ft elevation gain, https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wyoming/hidden-falls-trail

This trip was a long time coming, and I couldn’t have been more stoked. Aaron and Cole, my buddies from college who I had previously backpacked Banff and Jasper with, were flying out from New Jersey for a week long trip to the Tetons and Yellowstone.

The drive up to Jackson, WY was pretty chill with some great rolling hills to look at – we spent a lot of time playing our own version of Wordle with 6 letter words. I thought “bazaar” was a fantastic word but they ended up getting it almost immediately. Sad.

Eventually we ended up in the Tetons and set up our first night’s camp in a frontcountry spot right by Lower Slide Lake, a lake with remnants of a MASSIVE rockslide that happened in the early 1900s. We has some tuna mac n’ cheese and a couple beers before calling it an early night.

The next morning, we went to the ranger station to see what backcountry camping permits were still available. We ended up getting there about 30 mins after the station opened due to a slower start, which turned out to be hugely serendipitous – the group two people in front of us were there to cancel their reservation at Phelps Lake, and we were able to hop right onto that.

After a quick detour back to Jackson to get fishing gear and breakfast, we set off for Phelps Lake. The hike in was tranquil and offered some epic views of the lakes, and we quickly dropped our stuff off at the campsite to set off on a day-hike with lighter packs.

Our plan was to go up Death Canyon until we reached the pass, which we knew would be steep and covered in snow. We figured we’d turn around once it got too treacherous to go on.

Let me tell you, Death Canyon is steep. Luckily we had tons of tree coverage and were walking next to some beautiful rapids most of the time, but I also made the mistake of forgetting to bring my water filter. Luckily we were able to borrow one from another pair of hikers.

The views of the canyon were incredible, and it was great to be able to look back on Phelps Lake, which itself was huge. As we kept climbing up, we passed through some dense forest that was a little spooky to walk through. We were expecting to find a bear around every corner, so we stay closed and yelled out periodically so we wouldn’t surprise any.

Our climb up the canyon rewarded us with a jaw-dropping clearing once we emerged from the trees. We were surrounded by ethereal peaks and traipsing through some of the lushest greens I’d ever seen. Cole was hiking as fast as he could to try to get to the pass before having to turn back for sundown, but I was (selfishly) moving a bit slower so I could enjoy all the views.

Ultimately, we figured we wouldn’t have enough time to make it to the pass and make it back down before sundown. With about a mile and a half still to go, we ended up turning around with a new goal: reach the rock jumping area back at Phelps Lake before nightfall.

The hike down was excellent and full of good conversation. We hustled all the way down and did end up making it back to camp with about 30 minutes of light to spare. We quickly changed into swimtrunks and pretty much ran to the rock, about a half mile from our campsite.

There was already a group there to offer us some choice words of encouragement, and the three of us took the icy plunge. It was so cold that it felt like my body was going into shock, but it was also the perfect feeling of a grand reset that we all needed after a long day of hiking.

We went back to camp, made a quick dinner, and all went straight to bed. I awoke to thunderstorms at about 7 am the next morning, but Aaron and Cole had awoken about an hour earlier to something large walking around our campsite. They thought it was a bear, but who’s to say.

We packed up our soggy tents and started our hike back out to the car. On the way out, we talked with a couple at the Phelps Lake Overlook who said they saw a bear right by where around where we were camping. Maybe that bear theory actually held some weight…

After this hike, we ended up driving up to Yellowstone for a few days and then came BACK to the Tetons because Yellowstone sucked, but I’ll save that for another post.

For our second trip, Cole and I dropped Aaron off to do some fishing while we did a more touristy hike. We chose to do Hidden Falls via Jenny Lake Trail, which had the option for you to take the ferry across Jenny Lake and skip the first couple miles of the hike. Cole and I, fiscally savvy and fit as hell, decided to skip the ferry and just enjoy the hike. We were pretty much the only people on the trail and got to enjoy it all to ourselves.

Then we got to the ferry drop-off point, and we joined a group of roughly 200 people for the last bit of the hike. It was nuts – I’ve never seen so many people on one trail. It certainly took a bit away from the experience, but the Hidden Falls were gorgeous and the Jenny Lake Overlook was pretty inspirational.

We quickly made our way down to meet up with Aaron at our pre-specified time, and the return hike was much better once we got back out past the ferry drop-off/pickup point. My only program was accidentally peeing on myself and nearly exposing myself to another hiker when I stopped to take a pee break on the trail. In my defense, Cole didn’t do a very good of serving as a lookout.

We made it back to the car and picked up Aaron only 10 minutes after our pre-arranged meetup time, which I’d say shows pretty good hiking estimation skills. After that, we piled into my filthy car and started our drive back to Salt Lake – Aaron and Cole had to get back for a redeye flight home that night.

The first time we got a good look at the Tetons was one of the most magical experiences of my life. I wish I could better describe the way that big mountains like that make me feel. It’s almost like there’s a magnetic pull in my bones towards them, like they’re calling out to me, like there’s a physical force drawing me closer.

Experiences like this make me so glad to live in Utah where I have such easy access to so many national parks. I know I’ll be back here one day, and hopefully next time it will be to climb the Grand Teton itself!

[tasteatlas]

🇺🇲 WINNIMERE Winnimere is a seasonal cheese that shows off the richness of winter milk from Jasper Hill Farm's hay-fed Ayrshire cows. This cheese is best enjoyed by peeling a bit of the top rind and digging in with a spoon or a piece of baguette. 📷 @murrayscheese  . ➡ Submit your local food and tag #tasteatlas . #foodlovers #foodpic #travelblogger #travel #foodblogger #instatravel #instafood #foodie #dish #chef #chefslife #instachef #tasty #golocal #traditional #authentic #cheese #winnimere #vermont #americancheese (at Vermont) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKusjfdlSDb/?igshid=1xlu8m1jyyf5h

[goldeneyedgirl]

JaliceWeek2020 Day 7

JaliceWeek2020 Day 7: Yeehaw/Western/Sheriff

Love & Duty

Notes: Okay, I’m pretty sure this isn’t nearly ‘cowboy’ enough, and I’ve already started an alternative piece, but I found an old tumblr post about how cowboys were just daytime witches, and I frickin’ loved it (I’ll link it in the morning) and my excitement got out of hand again. There’s definitely going to be more to this story, but separately. 

I also just wanted to prove to myself I could smash out two prompts in one day, honestly. I opted for quantity over quality, and I currently only have some regrets - 4.5 down, 3.5 to go. 

--

The old farmhouse sits outside Laredo, Texas. The wood has blackened from decades underneath the sun and seems to sink in on itself; the ground cracked and dry. The barn roof has caved in, obviously years before if the elaborate nest tucked at the edge is any indication. At the end of the drive, the sign once bore the name of the owners, but that name has long since faded into the wood.

It is an unwelcoming place, for any passerby or stranger - a house that actively discourages anyone from crossing the boundary, even if they never notice it.

But for those that sought it out, and for those few that lived there, it was very different.

—

It was a sacred duty, once upon a time - the Guardians of the Border, sent to protect and prevent the Southern Wars from spilling over from Mexico into America proper. For decades, girls from all the old families across the country were sent to Texas to run the Guard Houses, to protect and shield those. Back then, there were so many daughters that only the very best were accepted at the Border Guard Houses, most of them settled in the city houses, mixing the potions and preparing the weapons. Some girls were even sent home - there were only so many beds, after all.

And Texas remained well-guarded.

But time marches on. Vampire wars, human wars, they all have a death toll, and entire family lines died out. It became less of an honour, more of an obligation, and one that fell to the oldest daughter, or the oddest daughter, or the ugliest daughter. It became more important to keep the bloodlines strong than to protect the South from the never-ending Wars.

Mary-Alice Brandon was never surprised to be banished to Texas on her sixteenth birthday; she’d known her entire life she’d don the blacks and take up the mantle as six generations of Brandon witches had done before her. She was not good breeding stock, with her ‘visions’ and her temper and her complete disinclination to conform to her parents’ social obligations. Cynthia was a much better heiress, and so off to Texas Alice was sent, to three ancient ‘aunts’ who would train her in all she would need to know, having lived their entire lives defending the Laredo house.

The house wasn’t so bad, if you looked past the glamour. The house was in good repair, and the aunts maintained a lush garden out the back, of herbs and flowers. They had two strong horses - Hallow and Haven - and half a dozen well-pleased cats. Her own bedroom looked over the road, hidden only by the branches of an ancient willow tree. Of course, the aunts were strict teachers that expected impossible standards, and third-rate cooks. But no place was perfect, and at least here no one cared about manners or propriety.

But she missed the sunshine. That was one thing the aunts never budged on. “Day is for sleep.” And hell was raged over her head if she wasn’t tucked up tight in bed every morning before dawn, the curtains drawn tight and refusing to budge. Once every moon cycle, her aunts would have a dawn meeting with someone but she wasn’t allowed to join those until she was twenty one, when she formally became a Witch Guardian. Until then, she was just a handmaid and dogsbody.

Which is why she was up to her ankles in mud, trying to pry an overzealous hemlock plant from the ground because it was smothering the chamomile again, with nothing to light her work except the lanterns on the porch. And this was just the first of the positively irritating chores she had been assigned that night.

It was her own fault, really. She should have kept her nose out of the books, and maybe there’d be more lessons for her to finish.

Shoving her hair out of her eyes, Alice glared viciously at the hemlock plant, and wondered if the aunts would consider it ‘inappropriate behaviour’ to curse the damn thing to burn.

“Mary-Alice!”

One of the aunts came dashing out of the backdoor - all three were fairly interchangeable, which felt like an uncharitable thought, but it was the  honest truth - looking more agitated than Alice had ever seen her.

“Yes, Auntie?”

“Get out of the mud, and go and fetch one of the horse,” the older woman said, buckling an over-stuffed messenger bag. “Be quick, girl. Change your boots, don’t worry about your dress.”

Struggling out of the garden and into the house to find her riding boots, Alice knotted her hair back before hurrying to the barn, where all three aunts were gathered, Hallow already saddled - she would have thought Haven a better choice, since Hallow was so big and she was not the strongest rider.

“You’re going to Del Rio, girl,” one of the aunts said, shoving over a mounting block with surprising strength. “One of our allies has suffered an injury and cannot be moved. Hallow should have you there by dawn.”

“Del Rio?” Alice couldn’t remember the last time she’d been into Laredo, let alone more than a hundred miles up the border.

“Yes. Now, they’re expecting you,” the second aunt said, taking her hand and half shoving her up and into Hallow’s saddle. “Everything you need is in the bag; there’s food and water for you, but you’ll need them to provide more for your return journey. Hallow knows the way; if you hit the yellow farmhouse, you’ve gone too far. There should be a scout waiting for you anyway, don’t worry. It’s a long trip, but it’s a good practice for you, and you’re a good, clean healer.”

“The boy’s in a bad way, so you best be off,” the final aunt said, looking grim. “Let us know how long you’ll be staying and when you set off home.”

“Okay,” Alice managed, a bit dazed from the amount of information she’d just been given.

“Blessed and safe journey, my dear,” the first aunt said, looking worried before Hallow decided they had lingered long enough, and moved out of the barn.

Alice suddenly regretted cursing the hemlock.

—

The ride was long and hard. She honestly regretted not getting changed into something more sensible - she’d learnt to ride as a girl English style, side-saddle, but the aunts had laughed at that particular pretension, and Western saddles and long skirts were not a winning combination.

The bag wasn’t heavy enough for any of them to have thought to pack her a clean dress, either, and she was truly wretched at cleaning spells. Perhaps the Del Rio coven could loan her a dress.

Hallow stopped some time after midnight, and she took that opportunity to eat - a floury apple, some dry bread, and cold chicken that was so well cooked it might as well have been ash. But it was food, and the urgency that she been sent off - alone - implied she didn’t have more than a few minutes to rest.

The rest of the trip felt long, and as pink and gold streaks began to hover at the horizon, Alice wondered if she’d taken too long - if the poor boy (boy? she’d never heard of a coven accepting a boy, but maybe the Guard Houses had decided to modernise) had already succumbed. But it wasn’t like she was provided with a map or proper direction…

It was dawn when Hallow began to slow, and she saw a man leaning against a signpost with an indecipherable sign, the road behind him leading to a fire-decimated house on a hill in the distance.

“Miss Brandon?” the man said, looking at her with suspicion before his eyes softened. “Ah, Hallow.” The horse clearly recognised him, nickering affectionately at the man.

“Yes, I am Miss Brandon. You are the scout from Del Rio?” she asked primly, as if she didn’t have mud on her face and dress and sleeves, and no hat.

“Yup. Come on, he’s in the house. I’m Peter,” the man said. “Budge up.”

Within seconds, Peter had swung himself onto Hallow behind her, and Alice gasped at the impropriety, but didn’t get a moment to say a word as Peter clicked and Hallow took off like a bullet.

As Hallow passed another sign that couldn’t be read, the fire-ruins shimmered before reforming into an expansive and well-lived farmhouse, with a large barn. Out the back, she could see pristine fields full of horses and cattle. It was like chalk and cheese from home, and for a moment, she was jealous.

As they stopped in front of the house, Peter slid off, and tied off Hallow’s bridle to the porch railing, reaching up to help her down.

“Quick now, one of the boys will come take care of Hallow, we need you to tend to Jasper now,” Peter said, half dragging her up the front stairs and into the house.

It felt like a bustle of activity, and was so bright and airy. The smell of fresh bread filtered through the house, and Alice couldn’t help but snatch a look as she was dragged deeper into the house.

“Char! The witching’s here!” Peter bellowed, and suddenly Alice was presented with a drawn-looking woman with strawberry-blonde hair.

“Oh, thank gods,” she said. “I’m Charlotte. Come with me. His fever keeps getting higher, and I’ve tried everything I know. We called out to everyone, but your aunt was the only one who got back to us.”

She was lead into a backroom, where a mattress was laid out on the floor, and the curtains were drawn. And in the middle of the room, moaning in pain and sweaty, was a tall man covered in scars.

Alice tried not to gasp. The scars were quite clearly vampire bites, healed ones. Covens had some natural immunity to vampire venom, but it only slowed down the process and allowed it to be reversed. There were dozens of stories of girls who couldn’t be saved, and had been burnt before the change could be completed. It was, unfortunately, one of the risks of their duty.

“He got ambushed,” Charlotte said, kneeling beside the man. “The harpy practically gutted him, but he got away okay.” She pulled back the sheet, to reveal an enormous wound that had been clumsily stitched, from the middle of his chest, slashing downward over his stomach to his hip. “It needs cauterising I think, but I’m no healer.”

Alice came back to herself then. Whatever was going on here - male Guardians, this untrained woman, all the bite marks - could be questioned after this poor man - Jasper, had Peter called him? - was treated.

Dropping to her knees, Alice quickly inspected Charlotte’s stitching of the wound. “It will need cauterising, it’s too deep,” she determined quickly. “And treatment for infection, but stitching it was a smart thing to do.” Charlotte looked relieved. “Did he get bitten?”

“His arms,” Peter said, and Charlotte quickly pulled off bandages, already blackening from the venom. Three bites on one arm, four on the other. Bad, bad business.

“Okay. Do you have a smock, and a place I can wash up?” she said, standing quickly. Walking into a sick room in her filthy clothes and boots had been a stupid thing to do, but nothing for it now.

“Of course - show her the bathroom, Peter,” Charlotte darted out.

Within moments, Alice had a smock over her underthings and a pair of borrowed slippers - Charlotte promising to wash her dress immediately - and she’d scrubbed every visible inch of her skin as fast as she could, her hair pinned under a kerchief.

It was a very, very long day. The bites had to be purified, cleaned, and bandaged to draw out as much venom as possible; the bandages had to be changed four times every day, to prevent the venom lingering against the skin. Jasper had to be fed the tonic that the aunts had sent every two hours to flush any venom that had already ended his system. Then she had to treat the fever, to lesson his evident discomfort, and treat the infection that had clearly set into the wound Charlotte had stitched, whilst reassuring Charlotte that it was nothing actively wrong that she’d done, just the unlucky result of riding home with an open wound.

But by the time night fell, Jasper was somewhat more comfortable - the moaning had stopped, and with a generous dose of pain and sleep tonic, he seemed to actually be sleeping.

Alice wished she could.

Instead, she changed his bandages again before finding herself in the kitchen, with Charlotte piling plates with food.

“We heard from the others,” she said, taking her own seat. “Days away, Carlisle is furious. Emmett’s already on his way back with Rosalie, but they won’t make it here for at least a week.” Charlotte looked exhausted. “At least they’ll bring supplies.”

“What’s done is done,” Peter said smartly, watching Alice as she began to eat, exhaustion in every one of her motions. “Jasper will be okay now, yes?”

Alice looked up. “Well,” she began, and sighed. “There were so many bites,” she managed, trying to be kind. “And he’s been bitten before - even one previous bite decreases the effectiveness of treatment. I swear I am doing everything I can possibly do.”

“You’re young, yes?” Peter shot back. “Not even a full Guardian yet?”

“Peter!” Charlotte scolded.

“No, I’m not of age yet. My title does not affect my ability - I have been trained. I have completed my lessons. There is nothing I can think of that I am not already doing,” Alice retorted.

“And we are grateful,” Charlotte broke in.

“Yup, I’m positive Jasper would be thrilled that his life is in the hands of a schoolgirl,” Peter muttered before getting up from the table and storming away.

Alice was too tired to be angry, and just sighed and went back to her food - Charlotte was far and away a better cook than the aunts; perhaps a week of edible food, and she’d be filling out her dresses properly.

“I’m sorry, Peter and Jasper… they’re like brothers. They’ve been together for years,” Charlotte said, looking at her plate. “…Please, please don’t let Peter’s rudeness dissuade you from helping Jasper…”

Alice looked up in shock. “No. No, of course not. I understand his frustration, I do. And there’s nothing he could say to me that would make me treat Jasper any less, I promise.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte smiled, and began to clear the table. “The guest room is at the top of the stairs, I’ve laid out a nightgown for you, and some towels. Peter’s taken care of your horse, and I’m sure…”

“That’s very kind of you,” Alice said gently, “but I’ll sit up with Jasper tonight; he’ll need watching.”

“Could I help at all? Watch him in shifts?” Charlotte asked, but Alice could see the exhaustion and worry in every line of the woman’s face. If they weren’t careful, Charlotte would fall ill too and she’d have two patients.

“No, it has to be me, to make sure the bites are clean and the tonic takes. We’ll have a better idea of how he is tomorrow, though,” Alice offered. “I would like to bathe, though, if you could watch him?”

“Oh, of course - there’s a washroom in the guest room,” Charlotte said, gesturing to the stairs. “Thank you, Alice. I mean it. Thank you for coming, I feel like everything is going to be okay now that you’re here.”

—

It was a long night, with exhaustion setting in for Alice - she hadn’t slept in over a day, had ridden half-way up the border… she felt like an old woman. But it was her duty. And she would do it to the best of her ability.

Charlotte had leant her several dresses, and it was quite strange to wear a colour that wasn’t black or grey, but a welcome novelty, even if the dresses were a size too big.

Settling beside the sickbed, Alice administered the tonic every two hours, and found herself changing the bandages obsessively, as soon as she saw or smelt the venom. She flushed out the bite wounds - one would need stitching. She’d have to cauterise the chest wound first thing in the morning; his fever still lingered, but the tonics and potions seemed to have had a powerful effect on the infection, with the red veins having already retreated.

Though, she might have to teach Charlotte how to administer stitches whilst she was here. The woman was clearly unfamiliar with stitching flesh. Maybe some rudimentary treatments so that they didn’t have to wait twelve hours for help.

The aunts had packed her two new books to read - purely educational, histories of the coven, that were not even a little bit relevant in her current situation, or interesting. But they did keep her awake.

Morning came, and Jasper’s fever had broken. She nearly cheered at that, and when Peter and Charlotte burst in at dawn, she gave them the good news. She thought that Peter was going to cry - Charlotte certainly did. But then she required the couple hold him down as she cauterised the chest wound.

Charlotte ended up vomiting at the smell, and Peter looked at little woozy, but at least he was held together with more than embroidery thread now. She quickly applied a fresh layer of ointment that smelt like mint and tea leaves to the raw wound and bound up his chest up in fresh bandages. At least Charlotte had the practicality of preparing an immense quantity of fresh, sterile bandages that looked like they been cut from good quality bed linens or petticoats.

The day moved slowly; Charlotte brought her meals in on a tray, and sat with Jasper whilst she changed her dress again, and sent a message to the aunts. Peter was very respectful around her, and brought her anything she asked for - purified water, feverfew, lavender, aloe vera. Jasper seemed to sleep more comfortably each day, as she fed him cold tea laced with every possible tonic and potion she had in her bag and could create from scratch. His bite marks were cleared every day, settling into fresh scar tissue. She was genuinely sorry that they had scarred, but there was nothing for it.

But only time would tell if the venom had made it to his heart.

—

Seven days. She had been at the Del Rio house for seven days and seven nights. Jasper had passed out of danger, and was now just healing, though he hadn’t regained consciousness. But Alice continued to nurse him, as was her duty and purpose here. She fed him careful sips of tea and then herbal broth, to build up his strength and hopefully reinforce his immunity; she rubbed ointments into his new wounds to keep the skin supple and preveshe lnt thick scar tissue and ease any discomfort. She helped Charlotte wash and dress him as soon as she deemed it safe.

That she had not been expecting. She hoped her poker face was good, because she’d really never seen a man’s body before. Not like that - she was only nineteen, had lived with the aunts since she was sixteen and had never been courted. Even her lessons had been done on whatever animals they could hunt or trade for from the market, not really humans. And this man, he was… handsome. He was tall and just the right amount of muscular and tan and, she shouldn’t be having these thoughts.

She couldn’t even imagine her embarrassment if this Jasper had seen her in such a way.

Oh, she was definitely sleep deprived. She had yet to sleep a single second in the guest room, snatching cat naps in the corner of Jasper’s sick room when she couldn’t hold her eyes open a single moment longer.

Which was what she was doing now. She twisted her neck uncomfortably; she’d been sleeping at a funny angle, she’d be feeling that all day. Stretching out, she looked over at her patient, only to see Jasper staring back at her curiously.

“Oh my gods!” Alice gasped, scrambling over. “You’re awake? How are you feeling? How long have you been awake?”

She quickly helped him sit up, reading for the water cup on the beside table. He took two deep swallows before coughing.

“Oh, it’s got lemon and mint in it, for healing,” she explained. “It’s helped, I promise. Hopefully we can get you back to normal drinking water and food tomorrow.”

“Who are you?” croaked Jasper, looking up at her with glazed eyes.

“Oh. Um, I’m Alice Brandon. From the Laredo Guard House,” she said, embarrassed. She was acting like a bumbling sixteen year old trainee, not a proper Guardian. “I was summoned when you were wounded.”

“Alice Brandon from Laredo,” Jasper repeated, a quirk of his lips. “Thank you.” His energy seemed to drain out of him all at once - totally normal for the severity of his wounds and his recovery.

“It was nothing,” she said. “Sleep now. It’s a great healer. Charlotte and Peter will be awake in a few hours.”

He nodded half-heartedly before he closed his eyes again, and Alice sat backwards. He was okay. Two blue eyes without a hint of red, talking and lucid, and drinking easily. She did it.

He lived.

—

Both Peter and Charlotte had wept when they realised that Jasper was conscious again, and Peter had nearly tackled the man when he saw Jasper sitting up, drinking water and talking to Alice, trying to piece together what had happened to him, and to learn how she had treated him - the Del Rio Guard House had fallen to the Whitlock-Hales several generations ago, and many of the old skills - like healing - had been lost.

In fact, it was only him, Peter, and Charlotte who were at the house full-time now - they hired local boys to help out on the ranch that funded the Del Rio clan. Jasper’s own sister and brother-in-law visited regularly, as did various other friends and allies, “but none of us are witchlings,” he coughed. “We were raised in the sun, not in the night.”

She smiled at reference to the old rhyme. “Even your sister?” she asked; girls were kept to the night, boys to the day. Old attitudes that had held true - girls were protected and cloistered (and much less likely to be caught poisoning or cursing) in the darkness. Their herbs and plants bloomed and grew so much harder under the moon than the sun. But boys, they were the fighters, the warriors, and battle against vampires and other dark creatures was best done when there was no darkness to escape into.

“Even my sister,” Jasper had smiled. “Rose would have made a horrible healer - punched me in the arm and told me to ‘man up’ the first time I fell off a horse; my arm was broken. She’s not nearly as committed as I am, but she helps. Her husband’s good at it too, he just married into the madness.” He spoke about his family with such affection, Alice felt a little jealous, but before she could ask any other questions, Charlotte and Peter were there, Jasper just as pleased to see them as they were to see him.

Alice slipped out to give them privacy - a bath and a clean dress sounded heavenly right now, and she ought to send another message to the aunts. She’d help Jasper wash and change afterwards, and hopefully be able to move him from the sick room to his usual quarters with fresh sheets. He’d sleep more comfortably in his own bed.

By lunchtime, Jasper was safely ensconced in his own bed, in a room that overlooked the a paddock of horses. He’d eaten some broth and drunk as many cups of herbal tea as Alice could press on him, as she fussed around. Peter had headed off to get ranch work done, and Charlotte had taken up a vigil at Jasper’s bedside with some sewing.

“Alice, please, you don’t have to do anything of that,” Charlotte laughed as Alice began folding clothing. “You should rest - you must be exhausted.” Turning to Jasper, she continued, “I don’t think she’s rested this entire time - she sat with you every night, didn’t even wake us to help change your bandages. She insisted Peter and I sleep.”

“Oh, I’m up at night anyway,” Alice laughed. “And I’m here to help.”

Jasper was watching her carefully now.

“She hasn’t stopped at all. I cannot imagine how efficient the Laredo House is,” Charlotte shook her head. “Though, I’m sure having proper recruits makes a difference.”

Alice shook her head, as she reached out to plump a pillow behind Jasper’s head. “Oh, it’s just me and the aunts,” she said airily. “All the old families are dying out, and, well, it’s not exactly a glamorous position. I knew I’d be sent to Laredo since I was very small, so I suppose my mother and father prepared me for it.”

“It sounds lonely,” Jasper said quietly.

And it was. She always tried to think of the positives, that she had her own bedroom, and she got to learn so quickly and do hands on practice much more quickly, and there were practically no chores but she had still been alone there for three and a half years. No companions, just duty. It hadn’t felt quite as bad until she’d come here, to this bright, happy place with sweet Charlotte and practical Peter and handsome Jasper…

“It’s home,” she finally said, honestly. “But I will take you up on that offer for a rest. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to wake me.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise,” Jasper said.

“See that you do - you’re my first official patient, and it would look terrible if you died when I was napping,” Alice teased, before slipping out of the room. She could sleep, finally.

—

The next week and a half fell into a routine. Jasper regained his strength surprisingly quickly, and went from being bedridden to eating meals in the kitchen with them all, to back on his horse - an enormous brown beast named Duke - within the week, though he did seem to tire quickly.

He took to showing her their operation - the wall of blessed weapons in the barn and in the house, the modified saddles to carry the weapons, the horses carefully trained to protect their rider and be desensitised to the presence of vampires.

It turned out that Charlotte was a newcomer, a local girl raised as a kitchen-witch whose brother had worked on the ranch. Charlotte had fallen quite hard for Peter, to hear Jasper tell it, and hadn’t flinched when she realised she’d married into a quasi-family of cowboy vampire hunters. She had started a small greenhouse with many common herbs that was a good start, but Alice knew that they needed something a little more robust for their ‘business’. She immediately promised Jasper to write them a list of additions they needed - and send them seeds and samples - and their purpose as soon as she was back in Laredo.

It was all very pleasant, but Alice realised quickly that Jasper was, for all intents and purposes, healed. She had no place here any longer; his sister would arrive soon, and he had no use of a nurse or witching now. She needed to leave.

She announced those plans at dinner that night, as Charlotte presented another one of her delightful spreads.

“I’m going to miss this,” she said ruefully, as they all dug in. “The aunts cannot cook at all.”

“Miss this?” Charlotte asked innocently, passing out hot rolls.

“Jasper is healed,” Alice smiled, trying to keep her voice upbeat. “Your recovery will continue, and you should be conservative about what you take on for a months or two, but you have no need for me any longer. I should return home first thing tomorrow.”

Everyone froze.

“So soon?” Jasper managed, almost looking… hurt?

“The aunts need me. They’re elderly,” Alice explained, “and it’s where I belong.”

Silence.

“Well, we’re mighty grateful you came all the way out here for us,” Peter said. “We’d all be happy to see you around here again.”

“Ah, but that would mean one of you was hurt, and that would be acceptable,” Alice teased. “You’ve been very kind to me. If I could trouble you for some food for the trip home, Charlotte…”

“Oh, of course,” Charlotte nodded. Jasper was focused on his potatoes and not looking at anyone. “You must stay in touch, yes? It’s been so nice having another woman here.”

“Of course,” Alice gushed, trying to ignore the reaction she knew the aunts would have if she started using the messaging system for socialising. “I’m going to be lost without you!”

“You’re not the only one,” Peter murmured, and Alice chose not to pull at that thread, and instead turned the conversation to Jasper’s sister’s arrival and tried not to dread the next morning.

—

It was a moment of weakness when she waited til Jasper was downstairs helping Peter wash up, when she slipped the medallion into his cowboy boots. He’d never feel the tiny silver charm, blessed with protection and a long life, but it would keep him safe.

She tried to convince herself it was because he probably wouldn’t survive another bite, but it didn’t work.

—

She left just before dawn, once again clad in her blacks - freshly washed and mended by Charlotte - and Jasper was waiting there, holding Hallow’s bridle as she walked out, Charlotte’s food tucked into her bag.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” she said, realising Hallow was saddled and ready to leave.

“I wanted to.” He looked her up and down. “You look beautiful.”

Alice smiled - her black lace dress, from ankle to wrist to throat - was practically her uniform; she had four more just like it hanging in her wardrobe at home. Any particular beauty in the garment had faded the one hundredth time she wore it.

Jasper stepped closer to her; standing on the second step of the porch, they were nearly eye-to-eye.

“I never truly thank you for what you did for me - Peter and Charlotte filled me in,” he continued.

“It was truly nothing, it was what I was born for,” she said, wondering if it was Jasper’s proximity that was making her so warm, or if summer was coming early.

Jasper just stared at her and all of a sudden his lips were on hers.

She had never been kissed before, not even once, and it was… unexpected. Within a moment, Jasper deepened it, and she was properly clinging to his strong shoulders and oh, how could he do such a thing to her when she was about to leave?

Pulling back slowly, Jasper ducked his head. “I just wanted to do that once,” he murmured. “I couldn’t let you walk away without…”

“I can’t,” Alice whispered, somehow unable to pull away. “I… I’m not allowed. I would have to recant my vows, and the aunts have no one else to take on the Laredo house… I just can’t.”

Jasper looked at her. “That seems cruel,” he said in a low voice. “Looking after some old ladies until they die, then being left alone without being allowed anything more.”

“It’s how things are done,” Alice took a shaking breath. “I’m sorry. Please thank Charlotte and Peter for their hospitality.”

And with that, Alice took Hallow’s bridle from Jasper and mounted her horse, leaving for the Laredo house, trying to drag her mind away from what was behind her, from the first (and likely the only) kiss she had ever been given. From the way he looked at her, like she hung the moon.

She was, in all probability, never going to see him again. And that was how it was supposed to be.