Playing Catch-Up

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 19th March 2009

Characters: Misara, Raistinor
Description: Misara catches up with Raistinor in the tavern and they discuss brews
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 2, day 7 of Turn 5

"Raist!" A smile brightened Misara's lips as she spotted the journeyman
making his way through the evening gathering, to the bar. "How are you this
evening?" she asked, reaching for a glass and filling it with the heady
scented beer from the fresh flagon she had just brought in.

"Hello Misara." Raistinor eased himself down and accepted the glass that
she offered. He lifted it in salute before taking a long swig. When he set
the mug down he nodded toward the woman. "Good brew today. How do you
fare?"

"Fair to middling..." she smiled back, "Refill?" she asked, not waiting for
an answer, "So, you're settling in well now?" she asked, it had been more
than a sevenday since she had seen him, the children had all been down with
a cold so she had missed over a sevenday in the tavern to be home minding
them.

"Pretty well so far." Raist nodded and lazily shuffled his mug of beer from
one hand to the other. "Finally falling into a routine, getting the hang of
things here. Where have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Sick children." she answered, pouring another beer for the journeyman next
to Raistinor. "All three at once, but at least they're all over it now, and
bouncing all around the cot again."

"That's good. At least you didn't get sick too, eh?" Raistinor knew that
illness often and easily spread from one family member to another.

"Well...there's the rub..." she said, nodding to someone further along the
bar, "I wasn't feeling too bad, but today..." she shook her head, "I'll be
right back." she turned and hustled to the other end of the bar, and poured
the last of the beer she carried into a waiting glass, before accepting
payment, and disappearing out to the coolroom to refill the jug.

Raistinor watched the woman go. Wasn't? Was she coming down with the
illness too? He certainly hoped not. When Misara returned he motioned
toward her. "Go on...but today?"

"I think my sevenday confinement with the children has taken its toll, I'm
just feeling very tired today. But it has been busy, and this is my first
day back." she shrugged, and gave him another smile. "So, what do they have
you doing around here?" she asked, keeping her eye on the other patrons.

"Working a specific brew right now, actually. Trying to combine some fruits
into it, see what sort of flavour that brings about. Just a small batch for
the first run, but it should prove interesting." Raistinor took another sip
of his drink then set it aside. "That's just one of the things I'm working
on right now, but my current favourite. Got any fish today?"

"Fish? Yes I think so. Want me to go and order some for you?"

"If you would please?" Raist gave another smile. "I've been craving it all
day."

"Consider it done." she walked back to the kitchen and passed on the order
to Barthella, before returning to the bar with a plate of food for one of
the other patrons. "Here you go, enjoy!" she slid the plate in front of the
man, and felt her own stomach rumble in protest. Moving back to Raistinor,
she asked the question that had been niggling at her since he'd mentioned
the brew he was testing. "So, what fruits are you trialing?" Much as she
loved her job here at the Tavern a part of her always wanted to be back in
the brewing sheds herself, and practising her craft.

"Well," Raist let the words east out slowly. "I want to see how an ale
infused with gooseberries and raspberries would taste." He gave a sidelong
grin. "To be honest, plain ale bores me and I thought I'd try to spice
things up. We'll see how well it takes once this current batch is done. I
can bring you some if you like."

"Sounds good...." she said slowly, then looked to her left and right, "I
actually brewed redfruit and cinnamon into ale once, it wasn't a half bad
combination..." she said quietly enough that only he could hear.

"Really?" Raist was surprised that Misara brought that up. She seemed
hesitant to talk about her past, especially around others. He'd heard that
the South was more strict about women in the craft, but he had never asked
for details. The difference when he had actually arrived there and see
exactly _how_ strict had taken him aback. "I'll have to try that some
time."

"Just don't mention where you came across the idea." she said knowingly.
"Causton for one, would probably guess since he enjoyed it more than most,
but still...:"

"Does Causton disapprove of your former status?" Raist was sure to keep his
voice low for Misara's sake. It was a shame that a woman had to give up her
craft just because of her gender.

"No..." she shook her head, "he was as supportive as he could be, but.." she
shrugged, looking around the bar, "he knows how it would be viewed by others
in the Hall - by Southerners as a whole."

The journeyman vintner nodded, then smiled. "I shall take your suggestion,
though. It does sound like it would make a good brew."

"It does, just remember me once its ready." she winked, then turned as
another patron caught her attention. "I'll just serve Fidor and then go and
get your meal, okay?" she asked.

"Certainly." Raist stated, responding to both questions. He watched Misara
bustle over to the other patron then disappear to the back. Yes, it was
very much a shame that she couldn't still practise. Some day, he hoped the
policies would change and women could freely join the crafts once more.
Some day.

Last updated on the March 21st 2009

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Playing Catch-Up