Chapter 72
Year’s First Snow
Brewer’s Reputation: 549.
Dream Cutter Stone Shard Quest: 14,898/15,000.
It snowed as Abigail and I made our way down to the port. We sat at the end of the dock and watched snowflakes meander down with the Mist Hidden barrier in the background. The sea was more agitated than usual. We shared sips of warm-warm beer. Blood rushed to our cheeks. Heat rose from our bodies.
I sat with my back to a piling. Abigail leaned into me. There was silence between us, save for small movements of our entwined fingers.
What a beautiful sea with a deafening sound. So lovely, how the waves leapt to snatch snowflakes from midair. The sun, a bright bronze, lay its reflection on the sea where it melted. The bioluminescent mist raged like an eternal wall of flame. What a treasure the cowbell roots had been. But would it always be a trade off? Isolation from humans in exchange for the company of orcs and goblins, isolation from the orcs and goblins in exchange for the trespass of humans… Fable, Mythic, and Oblivion ranked adventurers at that… What chance did a Silver ranked Brewer have against that?
I heaved a sigh.
Abigail leaned away and turned to me. Her eyes did not convey her usual mirth. “Are you considering your options?”
“It’s the principle.” A crest of the sea slapped against the piling. A spray of saltwater sprinkled our faces. I licked the salt from my lips. “High ranking people—Oblivion? I’ve never heard of that!—they think they can just walk all over people.”
The clouds thickened over the sun. In the distance, sheets of snow fell. Throughout our time at the dock, the sun repeatedly broke through.
“But they can just walk all over people,” said Abigail. “Who’s going to stop them? Do you think I would have agreed to work with Margaux in the first place? From the start I never liked her.”
“It isn’t right. I’m not even after riches, fame, or reward. There has to be other Brewers that can provide things for them.”
“But Planes Cutter Brewers? Maybe in a few years there will be a lot, but for now… …I put my foot down with her, you know—Margaux.”
“Are you saying I should put my foot down with them?”
She lay her head against my chest once more. Over her head, I could see her eyelashes blink as she gazed out at the sea. Another crest slapped against the piling. Snowflakes mingled with the salt on the planks of the dock.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“I’m not saying that,” said Abigail. “All I’m saying is that there’s nothing wrong with putting your foot down.” She pulled my arm across her collarbone in a hug. She rested her chin on my forearm. “I have your back.” She tilted her head until we made eye contact. “I will always have your back at your side.”
I pressed my lips to the top of her head. Fragrances of honeysuckle and jasmine put colors in my mind. Her cheeks bulged by smile.
How fair was it to have put all this effort into protecting these woods when powerful beings could just stride on in uninvited. And more people were apparently on the way! A necromancer too! When will contact with the outside world end?
My chest expanded big. The breath I let out came with a sound of exasperation.
Abigail chuckled. “...We just want to brew beer.”
How could I not smile at that. “That’s it. That’s all. Why does it have to be so hard?”
“Will you brew those beers for them?”
“I’d have to give over the master beer.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“I haven’t given it much thought. I was only heeding Dellia’s advice at that moment.”
“If you decide to brew these ethereal planes for them, do you think that they’re peerless?”
“What do you mean?”
“What would stop word from getting around that you’re willing to brew these beers for high ranked adventurers? Surely more would follow. And brave of you, by the way, for speaking to them the way you did. My heart was racing. The next high ranked arrivals may respond with violence or worse.”
“If I just got away with anything, it has to be because Thrush might have made them uneasy.”
“Can you rely on Thrush to always be there?”
“No. Remember that not too long ago we couldn’t get a hold of him for a while using his dreambon ales.”
“Does talking help? Am I helping? I want to help. You’re not alone, my…”
“Your what?”
“...my love.”
“Love.”
Her eyes were darting between mine. They were filled with something like questions. We never broke eye contact, even when a giant crest crashed against the piling. The spray of saltwater was like a drizzle. Snowflakes fell between us. Some landed upon her eyelashes and forced a blink. Another landed on the tip of her nose. More landed in my beard. I leaned my head back against the piling.
“Will there be an end?” I said. “Why can’t we just end this right now. I’ll tell them to leave. They’ll have to respect that.”
“That’s asking a lot from powerful people. Saying no might put us in danger.”
A sudden wind made all the snowflakes turn like wheels. Abigail’s hair blew across her face. I took another deep breath and gazed out at the sea.
“I don’t want to brew beer for them, just to have others seek us out. I’m afraid it will be nonstop.”
“I understand.”
“How they’re going about it is all wrong. They’re not only trespassing, but they’re using the fact that I want to be left alone against me. On top of that, they’re not even offering anything on the table.”
“You can always negotiate with them. Thrush can mediate. Is there anything you would ask from them? Legendary ingredients? Legendary beers? Legendary recipes? A better barrier than the Mist Hidden? Whether you turn them down, think about what they might be able to do for you in return. That’s another way to go about things.”
“So much to think about…”
Abigail settled back against me. We listened to the sea. We watched the snowflakes spin in the wind. We sipped warm-warm beer back and forth.