The Ale Critic
Amber had just made her best batch of Dwarven Brewed ale and bottled some of it for her father to test taste. It is good enough this time, at last her father will be proud of her. ~~~
"Who dat?" Amber sat up from the shelf of the hall table she used as a bed, in her own little home cottage, her little blanket up to her chin, for the feeling of safety she called out once more,"Who dat in my hallway' " Ther was nothing to hear but the rattle of someone walking sneaky toed along the flooring, someone wearing hobnailed boots.
"Cartwrite " Dat you my family person?" It is difficult to ignore the smell of the tobac her clan men smoked.
"Amber. This me. Your brother. Mktum. " Her eldest sibling spoke from the dark hallway and she cold see his face, in spite of the gloom of night. "Get me a ale, babysister. I got some news and I had me a long, long journey to get here.
"Oh! I get you ale and some food and ginger bread. Mktum! It been so long since I seen you and the rest. All is well and healthy and happy?"
She lit a bit of fire in the hearth and ran to serve her brother a nice welcoming snack. An apron over her bathrobe, Amber hauled out every good bit of food there was in that cupboad.
Mktum settled onto a plain wooden chair and hefted that ale mug with a heavy heart. "Amber. I come wif bad news. It about our Da."
"Da" He come to visit me too' I maked some ale good enough for him, this time, I betcha." She nibbled nervously upon a gingerbread cookie, off the platter full she set out for Mktum.
"Nope. Da ain't a come visiting,; that be what I come to say about."
"Da been hurt in the mine?" Her face went plain serious and the gingerbread fell onto the table top. "Broke leg like Uncle Lembrett' Da is ailin?"
"Nope. Nuffin hurtin's Da no more." Mktum hung his shaggy red hair and beard over his ale mug and tried not to let her see his face, that expression he had now.
"Then what? He leave Mum for a stork leg lady wif a beauty mark" I knows how them beauty maked Da googled eyed..." She tried to face if; what if her parents spilt up. That was tragedy to Amber.
"Da got smooshed. Flatter than a ironed cake. Dead, Amber. A rock ceiling falled on our Da."
Tears welled up in her huge luminous eyes and poured out over both cheeks, unchecked. "Da?" Then the wailing began and she cried and sobbed, "My Da, it cannot be. " "I maked him this ale and this time I got it right. He woulda liked it"I know it! An now its too late. My da!"
Mktum put one arm around his sister and just let her cry it out. Nothing was going to help but time.
Amber had just made her best batch of Dwarven Brewed ale and bottled some of it for her father to test taste. It is good enough this time, at last her father will be proud of her. ~~~
"Who dat?" Amber sat up from the shelf of the hall table she used as a bed, in her own little home cottage, her little blanket up to her chin, for the feeling of safety she called out once more,"Who dat in my hallway' " Ther was nothing to hear but the rattle of someone walking sneaky toed along the flooring, someone wearing hobnailed boots.
"Cartwrite " Dat you my family person?" It is difficult to ignore the smell of the tobac her clan men smoked.
"Amber. This me. Your brother. Mktum. " Her eldest sibling spoke from the dark hallway and she cold see his face, in spite of the gloom of night. "Get me a ale, babysister. I got some news and I had me a long, long journey to get here.
"Oh! I get you ale and some food and ginger bread. Mktum! It been so long since I seen you and the rest. All is well and healthy and happy?"
She lit a bit of fire in the hearth and ran to serve her brother a nice welcoming snack. An apron over her bathrobe, Amber hauled out every good bit of food there was in that cupboad.
Mktum settled onto a plain wooden chair and hefted that ale mug with a heavy heart. "Amber. I come wif bad news. It about our Da."
"Da" He come to visit me too' I maked some ale good enough for him, this time, I betcha." She nibbled nervously upon a gingerbread cookie, off the platter full she set out for Mktum.
"Nope. Da ain't a come visiting,; that be what I come to say about."
"Da been hurt in the mine?" Her face went plain serious and the gingerbread fell onto the table top. "Broke leg like Uncle Lembrett' Da is ailin?"
"Nope. Nuffin hurtin's Da no more." Mktum hung his shaggy red hair and beard over his ale mug and tried not to let her see his face, that expression he had now.
"Then what? He leave Mum for a stork leg lady wif a beauty mark" I knows how them beauty maked Da googled eyed..." She tried to face if; what if her parents spilt up. That was tragedy to Amber.
"Da got smooshed. Flatter than a ironed cake. Dead, Amber. A rock ceiling falled on our Da."
Tears welled up in her huge luminous eyes and poured out over both cheeks, unchecked. "Da?" Then the wailing began and she cried and sobbed, "My Da, it cannot be. " "I maked him this ale and this time I got it right. He woulda liked it"I know it! An now its too late. My da!"
Mktum put one arm around his sister and just let her cry it out. Nothing was going to help but time.