Wine and Sweetrolls

Writers: Danielle
Date Posted: 19th October 2005

Characters: Catriana, Darrin
Description: Catriana and Darrin find time to catch up
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 15 of Turn 3

Dinner in the Hall was long over, and the hallways and main rooms were quiet, scattered glows and candles keeping the darkest shadows at bay.
It was not _quite_ past cerfew yet, but most, if not all, of the Hallfolk were indoors and seeking their beds.
Catriana crept out of the kitchen and out into the courtyard, her cloak bundled around her with its deep hood covering her hair.

It was cold outside, but the sky was clear with a myriad of stars strewn across the sky. Plenty of light for her to see by. And there, sitting on one of the courtyard tables was the familiar profile of her brother, staring up at the sky. Quietly, she snuck up behind him and hopped up on the table. "Hey! What are you doing?" she whispered in his ear.

Dar jumped and spun around, eyes wide. "Shards, Cat, don't do that!
You scared me half to death."

"I know." She grinned and mock-punched his shoulder. "You deserve it, I'm sure." Then she sat down next to him, shrugging deeper into her cloak.

"Very funny," he said, trying to keep the good natured laughter out of his voice. It didn't work too well.

"So..how have you been?" Catriana cupped her hands to her mouth and breathed on them, trying to get some feeling back. It was cold outside, and there was a slight breeze. Darrin didn't seem to notice the cold.

"I've been alright. It hard. It's a lot of work, a lot to remember."
He sighed and leaned back, hands behind his head, staring up at the sky again. His dark hair was getting long, falling into his eyes now.

"I'm sure you're doing fine in class. The Craft's in your blood."

"It takes more than that. And you've got more talent in it than I do."

"You can't say things like that. Not here." Catriana hissed, her voice quiet.

"I know. I just can't help it. It's hard learning without you there too. I'm used to you sitting in on lessons, and taking notes and all that." They might have been five turns apart, but the pair had been inseperable since they were little. Catriana was the youngest, and Darrin the second oldest boy of their parent's five children.

"Don't be silly. You're doing fine without me. It's only been a sevenday. It will get easier in time." Cat sighed and rubbed her eyes.
It would get easier for him, but she was going crazy here, surrounded by the Craft she'd always wanted to practice, and her hands were tied now. "Here, I brought these for you," she said and took out a packet of sweetrolls and a small bottle. "They might even still be warm."

"Aww, you didn't have to do that." But he opened the cloth wrapped around the sweets and tore a flaky piece off, eating it anyway.

"Sure I did. I made them." She winked and opened the bottle. It was a sample size, about a quarter of the size of a standard winebottle.
"It's last year's dessert red. Da made me bring some along, just in case we needed it. I think this is a good occasion as any."

"Don't you think sweetrolls and the sweet red are...well, just too sweet to pair together?" Darrin asked through a mouthful of pastry.

"Ordiarily, yes, but sometimes you just have to give in to a sweet craving now and again." Cat raised the little bottle in a salute, then sipped. "Especially when you're feeling homesick."

"I'm not homesick..." Darrin took the bottle and breathed in the fruity smell. "Hmm...Berries."

"What else?" Cat tore off a half of pastry and nibbled at it.

"Spices? No...it's...ah..."

"Pepper. And it's both sweet and spicy on the palette. But it's not dry. Which is different from the year before's which _was_ very dry.
Why?"

"Because of the sugar. We left it in last year."

"Yes, indeed. See? You're doing fine. And you'll just get better, with age and time."

"Like wine?" Darrin grinned.

"Yes, Dar, just like wine."

Last updated on the October 19th 2005

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Wine and Sweetrolls