Chapter 11
After two weeks, I’d become a regular Hagopper. Each day, I would wake up in the morning, defend the honor of my gnome, and then spend the afternoon brewing my beer.
It had taken Babble a little time to adjust to the schedule of chasing his debts before noon, but it meant that we got all the dirty work out of the way before lunch, and then he could nap until it was time to head to the taverns and gambling houses again. He had more money than ever, which meant that I had taken some pretty hefty bonuses, which in turn meant that it was time to go and procure the expensive elf seasonings that I needed for the next step in my process.
I was pretty confident that this beer would be one heck of a hazy IPA, but I needed the right citrus and spice notes to make it come to life.
I headed down the stairs and smiled at my brew, which had taken on a lovely hoppy scent. It was all coming along better than I could’ve imagined, and I always felt like doing a little dance in the morning whenever I walked by it for the first time that day.
“Good morning, Hagop,” I chuckled as I stepped into the yard.
I drank in the crisp air and the buttery light for a moment, then locked up the barn. I had the money to spend on a better room, but I had been saving it for the best spices that I could get. Besides, once my beer business took off, I’d have enough money to buy ingredients and still find a small place for myself.
A pair of blue jays squawked at me as I headed across the yard, and I waved back. I nodded to Tulip the donkey, who was munching on some hay that Hildegard had set out, and then I stepped into the tavern to look for my employer.
“Morning,” the little gnome said from his favorite stool. “Pleasant outside today, isn’t it?”
“Every morning here is beautiful,” I said with a smile.
The weather had taken an autumnal turn, and I could see yellow and orange leaves falling to the ground around the Hagop River. For some reason, it conjured up scenes from my childhood, like the county fair and Halloween parties at my friend’s house. It made me realize that fall had just become another season when I was an adult, and not one of the fun ones in Portland.
“You know, I’ve started to actually like the morning,” Babble said. “I used to think that it was too noisy and too bright. But now I think that it’s rather good! And last night I was spooked enough by a few out of town elves, so I hid away and got to sleep even earlier.”
I’d never visited Babble’s lodgings before, but I had the feeling that he would’ve invited me over by now if I could fit through the door.
“That’s good,” I nodded. “The beer is looking and smelling as good as always. And it’s going to be even better when we get these spices today. Everything’s right on schedule!”
“Oh, more materials for your beer, is it?” Hildegard said as she stepped behind the bar. “Where are you two boys heading off to?”
It seemed funny that she would still refer to us as boys when Babble was a tiny gnome and I had accepted my title as the local giant. But it was endearing, and she’d proven to be an excellent landlady during my time here.
“We’re going to get some spices,” I replied. “From the south. It’s where the elves go to get the ingredients to make wine.”
“Ah,” she nodded. “Now that’s a good idea. But what made you think of that? And why do you need it? I don’t think the dwarves use anything like that.”
“A couple of weeks ago, we stopped at a wine bar, and one of the elves told us where they get the ingredients for the wine,” I said. “The type of beer I want to make has strong citrus flavors with some other minor notes, and I figured that I could get what I need there.”
“Citrus… beer?” the gnome cocked an eyebrow.
“They use all sorts of things to craft the flavor back home,” I replied. “And you’re right, no one around here seems to experiment with any exotic ingredients or methods here.”
“Well, the dwarves are pretty set in their ways,” she said. “It’s like they’ve been trying to perfect the exact same recipe for hundreds of years. Some of them are even passed down between families. But I like your way of thinking. Maybe what we need is a whole new flavor.”
“That’s why King’s Brew is going to be the best brew in town,” I said. “I just know it. Anyway Babble, should we get the cart and go? I’d like to leave before Tulip gets too comfortable in the yard.”
“She can be stubborn,” the gnome sighed. “Just like any donkey.”
“Well, she really only seems to be stubborn around you,” I said.
“Only because the humans have been warning her about gnomes,” Babble sniffed.
“Just make sure that she has some food and water when you arrive so she doesn’t get too tired,” Hildegard said as she rolled her eyes at the gnome. “At least it isn’t as hot out now, and those donkeys can go a long way in weather like this.”
“Will do,” I said as I lifted Babble from his stool.
We walked back to the yard to fetch the donkey and cart. I gave Tulip one of the carrots that was in a bucket near the barn before we fastened her to the cart, a trick that Flora had taught me. Then I took the reins, since I’d mastered the art of cart driving and because Babble had a hard time getting Tulip to go where he wanted. I had to admit, I’d gotten used to driving a cart, and somehow it was way more rewarding than just driving everywhere in a car. The pace of life here was slower, which meant there was time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. I never felt like I had to rush somewhere, and there was always a sense of peace whenever we took a journey.
A few people tipped their hats at me as we made our way along the main road, and I smiled back at them. Most of the humans had been pretty friendly to me, and I didn’t really have any enemies other than some of the creatures who I’d had to rough up a little bit. But even then, that was just business, and the only real foe I had made in my short time here was Cassian.
“I wonder if Flora will have any good buns for us today,” Babble murmured. “Those poppyseed pastries she made yesterday were absolutely delightful.”
“They were a real winner,” I nodded. “The fresh farmer’s cheese in them was amazing.”
“It’s the milk cows here,” Babble nodded. “Their milk gets extra yellow because of the quality of the grass. It’s like you can taste the sunshine coming through them.”
“Mmm,” I nodded, and I thought back to the poppyseed buns from the day before.
Flora just got better and better with every recipe that she devised, and I couldn’t wait until she was confident enough to show her own baked goods to the masses. But for now, we were her test subjects, a role both Babble and I had quickly learned to enjoy.
We pulled up outside the bakery, and I tied the cart to a stake outside of their shop. But instead of the usually rosy-cheeked Flora that I was expecting to see, I found the flustered baker girl rushing around the store with one of the part-time apprentices, Elina. Both were covered in flour, and Elina looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“That was for Madame Abbey’s,” Flora called out. “It was due an hour ago. Are you sure it’s too wet?”
“Hey, is everything okay?” I asked.
“No, it’s not,” Flora nearly wailed when she saw me. “This is the worst setback I’ve had in my career. Somehow, my proofs didn’t rise when I was making the dawn deliveries, and now we’re behind in stock for the early afternoon. Usually this wouldn’t be a problem, but the noblewoman Madame Abbey is hosting a family from the West Country, and we were supposed to have double the amount!”
“I just don’t know what happened,” the small teenage assistant called over as she desperately tried to knead what looked like wet cement. “Flora used the exact same recipe, but they just didn’t work. They looked like someone had poured milk on them!”
“My dough was all soggy,” Flora sniffed. “And it smelled sour. I don’t know what happened! They’ve been ruined, but I don’t know how.”
But I had an idea of who could’ve done such a thing like that.
“It’s Cassian,” I said, and Babble gasped. “It has to be. He tried to get to you, Babble, and now he’s trying to get to Flora to slow us down.”
“But why would he want to ruin my bread deliveries?” Flora asked. “This is a business! It doesn’t just reflect on me. I don’t even own it! Oh, but if I can’t get these goods to Madame Abbey, then I’ll surely lose my job. Mucking up a commission like this might put the bakery out of business! The boss would happily serve my head on a platter if that’s what it takes to save this place.”
“You won’t lose your job,” I told her, and I took her flour-covered hands in mine. I felt an electric rush up my back, and I tried to ignore how attracted I was to her, even when she looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“But how, Tyler?” she asked. “This is a complete disaster!”
I had to think quickly. I had worked in a deli, but I hadn’t actually made the bread or meats that went into our sandwiches. The one thing I did know was that it took bread a long time to rise, and there was no way the damp dough would be ready to go in the ovens in time to make Madame Abbey’s party.
Then I had a lightbulb moment. I knew that Flora was always experimenting in her spare time, and if there was a chance that one of her own delicious recipes was already to go, then maybe she could replace the bread with those.
“What about some of those incredible cheese and poppyseed buns?” I asked. “Do you have any of the dough ready for those?”
“Of course I do,” she shrugged. “But that’s not what they ordered!”
“Well, let’s step out of the problem phase, okay?” I said, and she furrowed her brow in confusion and nodded. “Now we’re in the solution phase. We already know the problem. All that we have to do is fix it. Now, can you make enough bread from the dough you do have to get it to the noblewoman in time?”
“Definitely not,” she shook her head. “It’s not possible anymore, and all of the bread that we already baked today has been delivered to the early morning crowd. And the dough looks like sewage! That evil little trickster!”
“So clearly you can’t send the bread,” I said. “It’s out of the question. But why not offer them those delicious buns that you made yesterday? They’re a lot smaller, and if you still have some waiting to go in the oven, I know they won’t take long to bake.”
“But what if they don’t like them?” she whispered. “What if they hate what I make and then they get angry at me. I could lose my job, and then I can’t pay my rent, and I’d have to leave the city, and I would go nowhere in my career, and I’ll never join the bakers’ guild, and I’ll have to become a washerwoman! Not that I disrespect the washerwomen, but I just love baking so much, I’ve always wanted to be a baker my whole life, and now I--”
“Flora, you’re going down a rabbit hole of worry,” I interrupted. “But your buns are delicious, and right now, we don’t have the option of sending them bread. So you can either go empty-handed or go with your amazing buns that will probably blow their minds for all we know. Let’s think positive rather than negative. And whatever happens, you can count on me to help you out. Okay?”
She blinked a few times, but then her mouth started to curl into a smile. I started to see the pink in her cheeks return, and she blushed as she patted some of the flour from her apron.
“You’re right,” she said. “We have to think positive. And we have to get rid of all this gloopy dough and get those buns in the oven. Elina, stop trying to salvage the dough. We both know it’s a lost cause. I’m going to get those poppy pastries in the oven this instant!”
She rushed into the back, and Elina gave a sigh of relief before starting to pile all the smelly glop into a big wooden bowl.
“Thank goodness you came, Tyler,” the young assistant muttered. “I was worried that I would be here all day trying to resurrect this mush.”
“What can we do?” Babble asked.
Elina thrust the giant wooden bowl into my hands, and I nearly reeled back from the stink that rose up from it. It still had a yeasty smell, but there was definitely something off about it.
“Tyler, could you dispose of this out the back?” Elina asked. “And then… I”m not sure.”
“You can help with the deliveries!” Flora called out as she threw a tray of speckled pastries into the oven and wiped her brow. “If you’d be so kind, of course.”
“It would be my absolute pleasure,” I said.
While the bakers worked on the pastries, I stepped outside to find a place to get rid of the dough. I was doing a good job of keeping a calm exterior, but I was mad as hell. Trying to hassle a dwarf and a gnome to hand over some money was just a part of my job, and I hadn’t minded that.
But sweet Flora? She could’ve lost her job over this. And all because of her affiliation to me.
This dwarf was an evil prick, and he was going to get his comeuppance. As I poured the sticky, gooey slop into the waste bucket, I imagined the goo was his mashed and pulverized dwarf body. Better yet, he could drown in the sickly paste, and his last thoughts would be about how to swim out of a vat of dough…
Wait. I was getting ahead of myself. Man, this guy had brought out something bloodthirsty in me, which was not something I’d really experienced before.
But then again, I’d always just been a drone with big dreams before. In Hagop, though, I was a brewer and a protector. Those were my two titles in this town, and I was going to do them damn well. I cared about the product that I was making, and I sure as hell cared about protecting my team.
And the revenge on this guy would be pretty fucking sweet.
“Bastard,” I muttered to myself as I headed back into the bakery.
“What was that?” Babble asked from atop the counter where he and Elina were shoveling more useless dough into another bucket.
“Nothing,” I sighed as I watched them work. “Just… Cassian. He’s a bastard.”
“He comes from a long line of dwarf troublemakers, actually,” Babble said. “I could tell you exactly who his father is, and his father too, and the ancestry…”
“It’s just a turn of phrase,” I said as I grabbed the now-full bowl.
I chucked three more bowls of corrupted dough into the slop bucket, and once we’d gotten rid of all the dough, I helped Elina clean the countertops just in case whatever Cassian had used had somehow ended up on the surfaces. When that was done, we closed the bakery while Flora finished getting all of the buns ready.
After an agonizing fifteen minutes in which I had to physically pry Flora’s hands from her mouth so that she didn’t bite all of her nails off, the place started to smell heavenly.
“You smell that, Flora?” Babble asked, and an almost drunken smile passed over his face. “That’s the smell of success.”
“That’s cheese,” Elina snorted, and then she blushed as she glanced at me and then wiped a rag over the already pristine counter.
“They usually take a while to pack away,” Flora said.
“I can help,” I offered. “I have, umm… large hands.”
“You do,” she nodded and then smiled. “And that’s exactly what we need.”
Once she’d removed the buns from the oven, Babble started to blow on them with the reckless abandon of a four-year-old blowing out birthday candles.
“So you don’t burn your fingers!” he yelped when I tried to get him to stop.
“No one wants to eat your germs,” I replied.
“My what?” he asked.
“Just… never mind,” I sighed. “Trust me, I’ve got this.”
Elina set the gnome back on the ground to make room for the four giant wicker boxes that Flora tugged from underneath a pile of aprons.
“Stack them on top of each other in rows,” she said. “Please and thank you. And put a cloth in between so that they don’t crush each other.”
“Yes Ma’am,” I said and saluted.
Once all the buns had been safely packed away, I took two of the boxes and packed them onto the regular bakery cart. Then, I took the last two and packed them onto mine. Even Tulip must’ve thought they smelled good, because her ears perked up, and she blinked a few times as I hopped into the driver’s seat.
“Alright,” I said. “What’s the game plan?”
“Elina, you go do the usual afternoon deliveries,” Flora said. “It’s on the regular route, and it would take too much time to explain to Tyler.”
“Yes, Flora,” the anxious teenager said as she hopped onto the bakery’s cart.
“Tyler, we’re going to Madame Abbey’s,” Flora said as Babble clambered onto the cart.
“A noblewoman!” he laughed. “I’ve never been to a noble house!”
“Well, be good, or else we won’t get invited back,” I laughed. “Which way?”
“Up past Hildegard’s and down the Western Lane,” Flora said. “It’s behind Gnome Hill, just past that stretch of ancient oaks. You can’t miss it!”
“I know the place,” Babble declared. “Though I’ve only seen it from afar.”
“Then let’s go,” I said and slapped the reins.
We turned back onto the main street, and I gave the reins a few taps so Tulip would pick up the pace. A few people moved out of our way, but I could see that they were more distracted by the smell of the warm, delicious cargo that we were carrying, than the fast pace of the cart.
“I hope they like them,” Flora muttered to herself. “Or else… I suppose I’d be a good washerwoman. I mean, I love clothes, and I’d have to get used to the smell of fish by the river, but the fishermen are always so friendly…”
“Solution phase, Flora,” I said to the blonde. “Not problem phase. And whatever happens, I’m here for you. Now brush that flour off your face before we get to the noblewoman’s house.”
She looked up at me and smiled, and then she used the edge of her apron to dust away the flour that was sprinkled on her rosy cheeks.
“Thanks for this, Tyler,” she said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
I was excited to take a route that I’d never been on before. We passed Gnome Hill, and Babble stood up in the back and shook his fist at it as we went by. We passed a small patch of mighty oaks that looked like they’d been there for centuries, and then Flora pointed toward the Western Lane.
I steered Tulip into a grassy field, and the cart bounced across the ground as we headed for the other road. Even though it was a stressful time, the view was still glorious. Red, orange, and yellow leaves littered the ground, and we left a cloud of vibrant color in our wake.
The ride smoothed out once the wheels rolled onto the road, and Tulip trotted along like a mini race horse. We’d traveled a couple of miles down the road when a large stately home started to appear in the distance. Its shape reminded me of a large barn, but it had stained-glass windows that could be seen even from the road and a variety of topiaries that had been shaped to look like cones.
“Is that it?” I asked.
“That’s the one,” she said and nodded. “Oh, I hope we’re not too late…”
“If they ask, we’ll tell them that a rat got into the stock!” Babble laughed. “It’s only the truth!”
“Don’t say that,” I told them. “Nobody wants to think about rats being where their food is.”
The gnome shrugged as I turned the cart down the path to the house. Someone had already raked up the leaves, so all we kicked up was some dust as we made our way along the drive. When we pulled up to the front door, we were met by two short men in white conical hats, black tunics, and white leggings.
“Welcome to the Madame’s house!” the man on the right said as he bowed. “Have you arrived from the West Country?”
“We’re here to deliver goods from the bakery,” I said.
“Are we late?” Flora asked, and one of the footmen blinked at her.
“Who am I to know?” the man asked and shrugged. “Between you and me, everyone in the nobility is late. We have no idea when the guests will arrive.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” Flora said and fanned herself with her hand like she was about to pass out.
I hopped off the cart and started to hand the boxes over to the footmen when I heard the sound of clacking.
“Dill, is that from the bakery?” a pleasant voice sang, and an older woman in a pink velvet robe with white-heeled slippers appeared in the doorway.
“Yes, Madame Abbey,” Flora said and then curtsied. “Please forgive this lateness… Something went terribly wrong in the--”
“Oh, don’t, I only just woke up,” the noblewoman yawned. “Dill, has the family arrived yet?”
“No Madame,” the footman said as he handed over the buns to another member of staff who appeared in the doorway. “No sign of them yet.”
“Oh, my,” the noblewoman said, and her eyes widened. “That doesn’t smell like bread… it smells like…”
“They are poppyseed and cheese buns, madame,” Flora said. “I… I devised the recipe myself for your special day!”
The noblewoman looked at Flora in surprise, and I held my breath. This was going to make or break her job, but if anything bad happened, then maybe I actually could give her a larger share in the business, and she could feed me pastries all day until I got too fat to walk.
“Perfect!” the noblewoman clapped her hands together. “Poppyseeds and cheese! They smell remarkable. And I can guarantee that there’s nothing like that in the West Country. What’s your name, girl?”
“F-Flora,” she stuttered. “My name is Flora.”
“Well, Flora, I’m very glad that we’ll have something new to show our guests!” the noblewoman smiled. “I always love to try new and exciting things. Who needs ordinary bread when you can have cheese and poppyseed… well, we’ll have to come up with a name for them, something that says Hagop!”
“Oh, um, thank you,” Flora mumbled.
“I never would’ve thought’ve that myself,” Madame Abbey mused. “Perhaps I shall have you design a special delight for all my guests. Here, take this.”
The noblewoman removed a small sack of silver from her pocket and tossed it at Flora, who caught it in a daze.
“Thank you, Madame Abbey,” Flora said. “This is very charitable…”
“This is payment for your hard work,” she replied and shrugged. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get dressed. And Dill! Fix me one of those right now while they’re still hot. With some butter. And make me some tea.”
“Yes, Madame!” Dill replied as he followed the lady inside.
I looked between Flora and Babble, and the baker woman started to jump up and down.
“Yes!” she laughed. “Yes, it was fine! Oh, my goodness, I think I’m going to faint…”
Before she could make good on her prediction, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her waist. Then I twirled her around, and she laughed into my hair.
“I knew that it would be fine, Flora,” I smiled. “You’re such a talented baker that I knew there was no way Madame Abbey could be upset.”
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “This is such a relief… and that Cassian fellow can go and choke on the sour milk glop for all I care!”
“Oh, I’d like to see that,” Babble chortled.
“So would I,” I admitted. “But our day’s not done yet.”
We climbed back onto the cart, waved goodbye to the man still on duty out front, and headed back down the drive. There was a palpable energy of excitement between us as we made our way back to Hagop. It was barely noon, and we’d already defeated a common enemy.
And even though Cassian had tried to foil our plans, his trickery might’ve just landed Flora a promotion.
“Where to now?” Babble asked.
“South of the river to get those spices?” I suggested.
“Let’s go!” Babble laughed.
Instead of riding back through the city, Flora directed me down a parallel country lane so we could take in all the sights. The hills of Hagop seemed to roll on forever, and we passed a few hikers who tilted their hats and smiled at us. The sun was gleaming in the sky, the birds were singing from the branches, and even the animals we saw looked too cute for words.
“Down there,” Flora said when we crested one of the hills. “Where the river twists.”
I could see the river glimmering in the distance, and there was an assortment of small huts surrounded by private gardens. I started to smell whiffs of citrus in the crisp autumn air, and I turned to the other two.
“Do you have oranges here?” I asked.
“I think that some of the smaller farmers do,” Flora added. “They’re quite a lot of work to keep up, which is why they’re such an expensive essence to get.”
Luckily I’d been saving up all my money, and I couldn’t wait to see what the farmers had in store for us.
“Let’s follow that scent,” I said.
We followed the scent all the way to the small town and up a small dirt road that led to one of the farmhouses. I found a post near the river, so I tied the reins off so Tulip could drink some of the cool water, and since everyone here had donkeys, I was sure that I could get some oats or maybe a carrot from one of the farmers for her as well.
“Afternoon,” a voice called out, and I saw a very small man with a beard and a straw hat holding a shovel. He was wearing gloves and had a muddy white tunic, and looked like an artisanal farmer if I’d ever seen one.
“Afternoon,” I said as I made my way over. “We could smell your orange blossoms from way out in the fields.”
“Well, if you venture out of town this far, that’s the reward,” he laughed. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m looking for some spices and essences,” I said. “I’m a brewer.”
The farmer’s eyes widened, and he took my stature in and nodded.
“A human brewer?” He tutted to himself. “And you’re all the way out here? Where did you come from, the land of giants?”
“I guess you could say that,” I replied since I didn’t feel like explaining about Portland yet again. “But I was wondering if you had anything that we could use.”
“Oh, certainly,” he said and then squinted. “But it… uh… it certainly won’t come cheap. I don’t know what the other human brewers have told you, because I don’t see them out here very often. Only elves, usually.”
“I don’t know any other human brewers,” I told him. “Just me. But I’m very interested in what you have to offer. And I have the money to pay as well.”
“Well, then, follow me,” he said with a smile, and then he led the three of us through his miniature groves and showed us his produce.
After an afternoon of deliberating over every single thing that the farmer had on his farm, I finally decided on a mix of citrus oil, geranium oil, rosemary, and tarragon for the beer and a couple of carrots for Tulip. The fee came to a hefty three hundred silver pieces, but I knew that it was worth every glimmer of silver that I had.
“An interesting concoction indeed,” the farmer laughed as he counted the silver. “I’ve never quite heard of anything like it! And especially from a human. Where did you say that you were from again?”
“I’m from Portland,” I said. “It’s very far away from here and from the city of Hagop. But this has been a wonderful trip.”
“Well, I look forward to tasting whatever you make, Sir,” he said. “Will it be at the festival?”
“Oh, of course,” Flora added. “It’s going to be called King’s Brew.”
“King’s Brew!” he laughed. “Well, so far it seems to be fit for a King. You’re a peculiar fellow, but I’m sure that I’ll be impressed. You three go on now, before the sun sets. The days are beginning to get shorter, and the journey back to the city is steeper than the ride here.”
“I’ll do just that,” I said as I nodded my head. “And thanks again!”
I fed Tulip one of the carrots before I untied her, promised her the second one when we returned to town, and then climbed into the driver’s seat again. Tulip started back along the road to Hagop, and I fell into a pleasant daze as we started to climb through the hills again.
The ride down had seemed so pleasant and short because of the afternoon sunlight, but I didn’t realize just how far out of town we were until the sky turned pink as the sun started to set. Even Tulip seemed anxious to be back in her stall, and she responded quickly when I gave her more rein.
“My, I’m tired!” Babble said. “After all of that rushing around earlier, and then we drove all the way out here…”
Hagop appeared in the distance, and Tulip started to move even faster. A cool breeze brushed against us, and the sun was nearly out of sight. But we made it to the town before it was completely dark, and we passed the fishermen who were dragging in their boats as well as crowds of people either heading home for their supper or venturing to one of the local inns. We rode up the main street to the bakery, where we stopped long enough to drop off Flora.
But Flora didn’t hop off of the cart right away. She bit her plump, pink lip and looked up at me, and then looked away as she brushed a stray hair out of her face.
“I have to hurry off,” she finally laughed. “Another day at work tomorrow, and it’s always early for me… but really Tyler, I can’t thank you enough. I think my head would’ve exploded if you hadn’t helped me out back there.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” I laughed, and she fixed her blue gaze on mine.
Her blue eyes lit up with appreciation, and all I could think at that moment was that she was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.
“Well, I’m glad that we could help,” I finally mumbled after another couple of heartbeats had passed between us.
“Ahem,” Babble coughed, and the spell was broken.
But the baker woman gave me a kiss on the cheek before hopping off the cart and waving at us.
“Goodnight!” she called out as she ran along the road.
“Goodnight, Flora,” I sang to myself.
“As I said,” the gnome said as he climbed up next to me. “I am sensing something between you two, and it doesn’t seem business-like to me.”
“Oh, come off it,” I said and slapped the reins.
Tulip could smell home, I was sure, because she took off at a fast pace again. We pulled into the yard as the sky turned black, but luckily there was enough light coming out of the inn to direct us. I put the sweet donkey away and gave her the second carrot before thanking her and going over to unlock my barn.
“This is where I leave you, Tyler,” Babble said. “Unless you’d like a brew.”
“I’m good for now, thanks,” I said. “I want to check on my own brew. I can’t wait to add these ingredients, and I need to get the measurements just perfect for my first barrels of beer.”
“Fair enough,” Babble sang. “You have your work, and I have mine. I’ll see you in the morning!”
I waited until the gnome had headed into the inn before I unlocked the stable. The smell of hops filled the air, and I smiled to myself as I laid down the newest ingredients in a pile of hay. I couldn’t wait to start mixing them in, but I would have to wait until it was daylight again before I could add anything. It was too dark in the stable at night, even with the lamps that Hildegard provided.
“Until tomorrow,” I sighed and then headed up to my room to work on the perfect formula for my brew.
I fell asleep as I tried to work out the perfect combinations, and I woke with a start when the rooster crowed again. I shook myself awake and then pounded down the stairs to look at my brew.
“It’s time,” I said happily.
I took one of the larger wooden spoons I’d taken from the kitchen, took a deep breath, and then started to do the thing that I’d looked forward to the most, and that was mashing the wort. I started to press the hops and the grains together into one big soupy liquid, and the smell of the stuff was overpowering. Maybe for Flora the cheese had been the smell of success, but for me, it was my sweet golden mixture.
When I was satisfied with my mash, I stepped into the morning light for some fresh air and firewood. I built a nice little pile in the firepit, and once I had a steady flame, I set my pot on the heat.
As the wort gently bubbled, I added small amounts of spring water so it wouldn’t get too thick. I needed it to be more soupy than stew-like, and I needed to keep an eye on it the whole time.
It was also time to add in my flavors, so I retrieved my oils and herbs from the barn and started to sprinkle them into the mix. I hadn’t settled on an exact ratio the night before, but as I stirred and mixed, I knew exactly how much I wanted to add of each ingredient.
“Something smells good,” a familiar voice said, and I turned around to find Hildegard leaning in the door like she always did. She was wearing a simple dark blue dress but looked as elegant as always.
“It’s the King’s Brew,” I smiled, and I looked down at the pot. “And it’s the best thing you’ll ever taste.”