His Journeywoman

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 18th March 2008

Characters: Causton, Rikka
Description: Causton and Rikka meet up at the Tavern and she accepts his invitation to finally meet Geni
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 9, day 11 of Turn 4

Rikka paused before heading back into the cool room, wiping the condensation off the window and peering out into the early darkness.
She frowned. The snow wasn't easing up. If anything it was getting heavier. It had better stop before she was stranded at the Tavern for the night -

Her frown cleared. There were worse places to be stranded, she supposed. But not if she didn't get the fault fixed in the cool room.
Stranded at the Tavern with unhappy staff and patrons didn't seem like the best idea. She turned away from the window and went on through the kitchen to her work in the not-cool-enough cool room.

"Well hello!" a smile broke out across the Hallmaster's face when he recognised the young journeywoman. "Fancy meeting you here." He smiled up from the table, where he sat perusing the wine list Bhervehan had left him with. The Tavern Master had disappeared back into the tap room and left the Hallmaster to run over the list of new brews Bhervehan had been working on.

"Not so surprising to meet you here, I suppose," Rikka said with an answering smile, then added a belated "- sir." He was such a friendly man it was all to easy to forget that he was the Hallmaster and not just a fellow crafter.

"Enough of the Sir's when we're alone Rikka. Just call me Causton." he smiled, folding the paperwork up again, and slipping it into the file Bhervehan kept it in. "So what are you doing here?" he asked, noting her grubby work clothes.

"I've been working. On-loan to the Vintner Hall," she said with laughter in her expression. "Apparently your own technicians must always make 'the vintage' their priority and keep disappearing half way through any job here. Or that's what somebody's been grumbling about in my ear. Our master said the Hall could borrow me long enough to get the jobs done around the Tavern. I think he's quite keen on the place."

"There's a lot that are." Causton grinned. "So, what's the problem you're working on today?" She was right, there own technicians were more interested in the batches of fermentation than working on the problems around the Hall, he would have to make a mention of that to Daigoro.

"Mainly the cool room, which is not is getting warmer than the Tavern Master would like. It wasn't a difficult thing to fix, just time-consuming figuring out what it was that was the problem."

"And you've finally worked it out?" Causton could understand Bhervehan's consternation. The coolroom was an essential part of the Tavern, keeping food at a healthy raw temperature was one thing, but Faranth help the Tavern if the brew was warm. He had no doubt the young technician could make the repairs necessary.

"Oh yes. And done a 'few other jobs' that needed doing before I left."
She added hurried, lest he think she was complaining about the Tavern Master: "I didn't mind. It's wasn't any sort of weather to walk home in, anyway. Has the snow stopped?"

"I've been here for about a candlemark, so I'm not sure. But we can find out together if you like? I'm about to leave as well. Figure I'd better get home before Geni starts wondering where I am."

"You wife! I heard she and the children had arrived. And ... One grown up daughter? Is that right?"

"A grown up daughter?" Causton frowned in puzzlement. "We have five children; the oldest is Ednes who is ten..." suddenly everything became clear, "Oh! You mean Teene. She's Geni's helper, a fostermother for the children." he grinned widely, then gave a mock frown again, "You mean to tell me I look old enough to be Teene's father?"

"I haven't seen her myself," Rikka said, a little embarrassed to be caught out repeating something that turned out to be only gossip.
"Somebody just said she was grown up."

"Yes, she is." he nodded, still silently laughing at the mistake. "She's been with us since Brylee was born." he explained. "Look - would you like to come back to the house and meet everyone? You and Geni have so much in common."

"We do?" Rikka glanced over toward the windows but as with the kitchen there was too much condensation on the glass panes to allow her to see the weather. "I'd like to meet them all, but perhaps some other time.
If I can get back to the Hold I'd like to."

"Well if you come back and meet them, I can organise your return to the Hold in a more comfortable manner than you would make on your own." he replied. The little cart the boys had wanted to repair and use for the family, was now up and running, with one of the Hall runners in the shafts it was an easier mode of transport for quick, short distances.

"Uh ... I don't want to put you to any trouble," Rikka said. She dealt with people - men - who thought they could tell her what to do often enough to be firm when she had to be, but Causton wasn't _telling_ her, he was _inviting_ her and that was harder to resist.

"It's no trouble, and I can assure you, the boys will think it great sport to take you home later." the thought widened the smile he wore.
"Come on, do say yes. I've told Geni about you before and she showed an interest in _my journeywoman_ as she refers to you."

"_Your_ journeywoman?" Rikka's eyebrows rose as the possibilities for trouble suggested themselves. "As long as she's the only one saying or thinking that sort of thing."

"As long as she is saying it, no one else can cast aspersions," he corrected, "Geni has reminded me on numerous occasions to invite you back to meet her, when and if I see you around. So please, stop her nagging me," he grinned, "by coming to meet her."

"All right, all right! But only to save you from trouble at home. And maybe a little bit of avoiding the snow, if I can."

"Good!" he smiled happily, "Okay, let's find our coats and bid the Tavern Master farewell, and we can be on our way." he guided her out towards the tap room of the tavern.

Last updated on the March 19th 2008

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His Journeywoman