He Always had Some Mighty Fine Wine.
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyrhold
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr (NPC)
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall
Writers: Avery, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 12th January 2018
Characters: Corran, Nohria, Lucan
Description: The Vinter Hall's gathering is underway, and Corran and Nohria are ready to have some fun, thanks to wares made by an imaginative vinter.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 9
As promised, Nohria was waiting for her lover by Amber Hills' main entrance at dusk, dressed in her Gather best with her hair left loose. It was such a pleasant evening that she didn't even need a shawl or coat, which added to her good mood. Maybe it wouldn't be perfectly easy to stake out the Vinter Hall and also pay attention to Corran, but she would try.
Corran pulled on a dark green tunic made of a silky material, his best Gatherwear, and wished there was somehting he could do other than comb his hair and be freshly shaved to look appealing. He headed out to meet Nohria and smiled when he saw her.
"You look lovely tonight."
"You look handsome always," Nohria stated. "Are you all set? We should hurry before we lose too much light."
"I'm ready. I've convinced Warden to stay in the barracks by feeding him till he's stuffed fat," the guard said with a laugh. "I don't want him to cause any trouble with wine around. If flits can get drunk I don't want to find out."
Nohria started laughing so hard, it took a few minutes of walking for her to get her mirth under control. "Oh, Ancients, I don't think I want to find out either," she finally said. "Can you imagine trying to treat a fire-lizard with a hangover? I almost wish I'd thought to over-feed Malin, but after his supper I just told him to go play with as many friends as he could find. He was certainly happy to do just that."
"Hopefully they'll both stay distracted, because I can't imagine a drunken flit. So many things would be broken," he said with a sigh.
As they were arriving at the Hall, it was clear the Gather was at full swing. There were tends up that filled the air with tantalizing aromas of food, plus other ones for the alcohol on sale, and the soft strains of music. "Where to first? Lady's choice," he said.
"Oh, I don't even know. There's so much to choose from." Nohria surveyed the area. "Is everything outside, or are some things available indoors too?"
"I think some of it's inside, but it looks like a lot is outside," he said. "I'm up for tasting a few things before eating."
"I am as well." Staying outside meant she could see much of the perimeter first. "Let's try that golden-tan tent over on the left first. I think that sign says- yes, it's advertising cider."
"That sounds good to me," Corran said, angling his path to lead them over there.
The dark-skinned Vintner at the tent smiled at them. "Welcome to the cider tent, lady and gentleman. What's your pleasure tonight? We've got ciders from redfruit and mixed with other fruits, we've got options ranging from sweet to dry."
"Oh, I like those options," Nohria said approvingly. "Do you have a semi-sweet redfruit cider, by chance?"
"That I do. Two varieties. One's made from a more common redfruit you've likely tasted before, it's a pale golden color and lightly effervescent. The second one is a bit sweeter than the first, it's a darker color and there's notes of spices in it. It's an early prototype for a fall-season cider," he said.
"I'll take the second," Corran said.
The crafter turned to Nohria. "And for you?"
"I'll have the same. Some spices have medicinal effects, which is important for this time of the Turn," Nohria said. "And they taste marvelous." She waited politely as the sampler cups were filled, and had a mouthful, letting the fluid linger on her tongue and in her cheeks before swallowing. The smile she gave to the vendor was one of utter satisfaction.
"That was fantastic," Corran said with a nod at the man.
"I hoped you'd both like it. That's a new one, and those always sell less well then established favorites."
"New things are progress. People should be more open-minded about that," Nohria commented. "I hope you'll keep trying to sell this, at least for a little while. The use of clove instead of nutmeg in recipes like these will go a long way."
"There is some nutmeg in there, but it's clove and cinnamon dominant," Lucan said with a smile. "You've got a good ability to pick out tastes."
Nohria was surprised by how flattered that made her feel. Perhaps because it was an unknowing testament to her grandmother's training. Malinnka had insisted that not only should her granddaughter be able to identify medicinal plants -whether fresh or dried- on sight, she should be able to cook and bake with them and know them by taste in food, drinks, and in powdered form. That had come in handy when Nohria had needed to work in bad lighting conditions. But what she said aloud, just in case the vendor supported the craft ban, was "Thank you, sir."
The Vintner held up a hand for them to wait where they were, before turning away to bring out something else. He came back out with two new sampler cups and offered them. "I'm curious to see what you'll think of this one."
Intrigued by the drink's color, the herbalist had a cautious sip, then a larger one. "This is a good blend of sweet and tart. Is that cherry juice? If it is, Corran, you and your guards might like it after a hard practice; alcohol dilates blood vessels, which can make people feel warmer and cause sweating, which creates a cooling effect, and cherry juice is an anti-inflammatory, which would help the muscles and joints."
"It is cherry juice," the vintner said, beaming.
"I didn't know that fact. This tastes good enough I'd drink it just for the taste, with that as a benefit," Corran said, honestly impressed by Nohria's insights.
"What else do you have?" the herbalist asked, deciding to enjoy herself as much as possible before she got to work.
"I've got two more for you to try, if you've the patience," the Vintner said with a laugh. "It's a pleasure to show off wares to such knowledgeable folk."
"Oh, she's the knowledgeable one, not me," Corran said, shaking the proffered hand. "I'm Corran."
"I'm Lucan," the Vintner said, and offered his hand to Nohria as well. "And who's the bright young woman?"
The woman shook his hand. "I'm Nohria, herbalist." It was one of the truest things she had said in some time.
Last updated on the January 16th 2018