For the Craft's Sake

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 31st March 2009

Characters: Keayd, Daigoro
Description: Key convinces Daigoro to leave off hidework and give him a hand
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 2, day 8 of Turn 5

Keayd had finished his first batch of experimental fruit brandies.
Now, all was left to have people taste-test them and then masters to
approve them for production (or disapprove). He already tasted them
himself, but he needed more opinions. According to his own taste,
couple of them had turned out well, most were okay but need further
developing while two were down right undrinkable. That's why it was
called experimenting.

The journeyman set up an empty classroom for his testing. He had
glasses, pitcher of water and the brandy bottles (their labels were
covered and numbered), and writing equipment to write down notes.
Then Keayd went to the hallway to ambush passing people.
"Hello, Hallsecond. Do you have moment?"

"Of course," the Hallmaster nodded, stopping in his tracks. "What can I
do for you?"

"I need people to test my experimental fruit brandies. Would you care
to help me, please?" Key explained and asked.

"Hmmm," the Hallsecond hummed thoughtfully. He could pour over hides
for candlemarks wearing those silly spectacles that hurt his ears, or
drink delicious fruit brandies. "I think I make time for that."

"Thank you, master Daigoro," Key said.

"Anything I can do to help a journeyman improve his product." Or to get
out of hidework for a while longer.

Keayd nodded and guided him to the classroom. "I'm sure you've done
enough taste testing to know how it's done," he gestured towards the
table.

"I have," the Hallsecond said with a soft snort, more amused than
annoyed that he would even ask. "I didn't get these knots by just
looking at our wares."

"Of course you do," Keayd smiled sheepishly. "I'm bit nervous. This is
my pet-project after all."

"I understand completely," Daigoro assured him. "I felt the same way
with my own brew."

Key nodded and poured him the first sample. There was nervous
fluttering in his stomach when he handed the master the glass.

He took it and cupped it in his large hands to gently warm it, swirling
it around in the glass and bringing it up to his nose to take a long
whiff. "I smell... cherries."

Keayd peeked from his notes what variety it was. "You have a keen nose."

"Brewers use our smell as well." Just usually for less sweet aromas.
He lifted the glass to his lips and took a loud sip. "Now there's
something a little spicey in this."

"Can you guess what it is?" the journeyman asked with a challenging
grin.

"Cloves? And something like citrus fruit." At least, he _thought_ that
was it. "And something else..." He took another sip, rolling it around
his tongue. "Cinnamon?"

"Not bad, two out of three," Keayd commented. He was making notes.

"Only two?" Daigoro was a little disappointed. He thought he had
nailed it! "What did I miss?"

"There's no clover there," Keayd replied.

He frowned, feeling like he had failed some sort of test. "Then what is
it?"

"Lemongrass," Keayd grinned.

Well shells, he had been way off. "Ah, I see that now," he said
sheepishly. Though deep down he was convinced there had to have been
clove in there _somewhere_. "Anyway, it's very good."

Key nodded. "Try the next one." The next one was apricot brandy made
with very old recipe he had found during the move. To Keayd's
knowledge it had not been produced since the Plagues.

Daigoro washed his mouth out before picking up the second glass and
swishing it around, releasing it's aroma. "Oh, I know this one.
Apricot. Smells like Master Atmen's recipe. I'd know it anywhere."

" I found the receipe when I was helping to move the achieves
from Amethyst Cliff hold to here," Key said.

"Atmen's famous for his apricot brandy." Daigoro had even met the old
Master several times before he died, and though he was a beer man, he
felt honored to say so.

"Perhaps she was his apprentice then," Keayd mused.

"She?" Daigoro asked, suddenly confused.

"The receipe had been written by a woman. Perhaps during a class, I
don't know, but she had some sidenotes scribbled that were
unmistakenly female, like that journeyman Messlin had the cutest brown
eyes," Keayd replied.

"Definitely female," the Hallsecond quickly nodded. "Wait a minute...
Journeyman _Messlin_? Really?"

"Does the name say something to you?" Keayd asked.

"Master Messlin was my Liquors teacher when I was a junior apprentice.
I can't imagine _anyone_ complimenting his eyes..." He seemed like a
rather sour and bitter old man to him and they had all breathed a sigh
of relief when he had been called to the Main Hall.

"He was young man once. As I said it was _old_ receipe," Key grinned.

Daigoro couldn't help but see the man through the eyes of an adolescant
boy. "I am not sure that man was _ever_ young, even when his turns were
few in number."

Keayd just shrugged at that. "Perhaps we should move to the next one?"
he suggested. This was all very interesting, but they had strayed off
from the business.

"Ah, yes," the Hallsecond said sheepishly, realizing he was talking
about people Keayd had never actually met.

Keayd poured him the next sample. This one, the blueberries, was one
of the failures. But he was interested to see what the Master said
about it.

When he brought it up to his nose, Daigoro frowned slightly. "This one
smells as though it might have gone bad."

"The dangers of experimenting. Dare you taste it?"

"The danger of volunteering." He brought the glass to his lips and with
an audible sucking sound pulled some of the liquid into his mouth. "Did
you add citrus fruit to this?"

"No, if I had, it might have improved it," Key replied.

"It tastes off." Daigoro couldn't quite figure out what gave it that
taste.

"I think it just too sweet. Bit of citrus would take off that cloyness
that at least made me think of rotting fruits."

"Do you have any stashed away in here?" Perhaps they could add a
squeeze and see if his theory was correct.

"Unfortunately not," Key sighed.

"We must have some somewhere. Perhaps I can go raid the kitchen?"
Daigoro offered. Any excuse to give his wife a quick peck on the
cheek... or steal a cookie...

"Would your wife mind that?" Key wondered.

"She's a very patient woman," the brewer assured him.

"I rather not have boiled grubs as a dinner," Keayd muttered.

"I have never made her that mad, and believe me, I've tried her patience
many a time." And so far not a grub in sight.

"Well, she is your wife, so I suppose you know her best. Shall we raid
the kitchen then for the craft's sake?" Keayd replied.

"Yes," Daigoro replied quite seriously. "For the craft's sake."

Last updated on the April 27th 2009

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