he said, “You have a wonderful family.”
Alicia’s father nodded. “They are my greatest treasure,” he replied.
The doorway to the library was in Chad’s line of sight and he saw little Erin peering around the corner at him. When she caught him looking at her, she quickly ducked her head back out of sight.
“Alicia tells me you belong to the Warriors Guild here in Gilbeth?” asked her father.
Chad nodded, returning his attention to the man sitting across from him. “That’s right,” he replied. “I recently finished my initial training and have been raised to Armsman.” He sought some sort of reaction from him at that, but his face revealed nothing.
“She also tells me that you are employed by a magic user,” he stated. “One who himself has only recently left behind the designation of Apprentice.”
“Yes, sir,” he acknowledged.
“Not much money in that is there?” he asked.
Chad didn’t know what to say to the man. “Not a lot, no,” he replied. Then his eyes caught sight of Erin peering at him from around the corner again.
“Hmmm,” grunted her father. He didn’t look entirely pleased at the man his daughter held an interest in. But then again, what man was ever good enough for a father’s daughter?
“My father owns and operates a mill up north in Quillim,” Chad offered.
“A millers’ son?” he asked.
Chad nodded. “That’s right,” he replied. “Though my older brother Tye will be taking over the mill after my father.” Erin continued to stare at him from the hallway.
“I see,” Alicia’s father said.
Just then Erin disappeared from the edge of the doorway. A moment later, her mother arrived with a tray bearing two glasses of steaming mulled wine. “Thought you could use something to warm yourself,” she said as she entered the room.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Chad said after she came forward and he had removed one of the two glasses from the tray. The father took the other.
“Dinner will be another ten minutes,” she said.
The father nodded. Then she turned about and passed through the doorway. Chad took a sip of his mulled wine just as he heard Erin out in the hallway whine, “But mama.”
“Come along,” her mother’s voice said.
Then Chad saw Erin peer around the door frame one last time before scampering after her mother to the kitchen. Turning back to the father, Chad saw his eyes crinkled in amusement. He sipped his steaming cup of mulled wine quietly.
He and the father spent the time until they were called to dinner talking about Chad’s past, his hometown of Quillim, and other mundane subjects. Chad felt a great deal of relief when Alicia appeared at the doorway to the library and announced that it was time to come to the table. He allowed her father to precede him from the room. As he passed into the hallway, Alicia took his arm and walked with him to the dining room.
Five places were set at a table that could have held ten. Her parent’s sat at either end, while Alicia was centered on one side, and Erin sat next to Chad across from her on the other. The food laid out for dinner was much finer than anything he’d had in quite some time. Meals at Kevik’s estate weren’t what one would call gourmet. In fact, depending on who was doing the cooking, one couldn’t even call them edible half the time.
As he took his seat, the smell of the roast goose and fresh baked bread caused his stomach to growl. His mouth was watering fairly well and it was all he could do to be patient and wait. Fortunately he didn’t have to wait very long and was soon breaking off a piece of bread and spreading a generous portion of honey onto it. He had always loved honey. Being expensive as it was, it wasn’t something they had at Kevik’s estate.
Taking a bite, he savored the taste of the honey, and actually closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them, he saw Alicia’s mother looking at him expectantly. “This has to be the best bread I’ve ever tasted,” he said.
“Chad likes honey,” Alicia explained.
“Then, by all means have more,” her mother said as she moved the honey pitcher closer to him.
The roast duck was perfect, the skin crispy and meat full of juice. Before he even realized it, he had cleaned off his first plate. Everyone else at the table hadn’t yet eaten through half of what they had.
“Would you like more?” her mother asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied and helped himself with more of everything.
“It’s good to see a boy eat,” her mother stated.
Erin giggled. “He eats like a hog mama.”
“Erin!” admonished her father.
The smile on her little face vanished quickly when she turned fearful eyes toward her father. In her exuberance, she had overstepped the bounds of etiquette.
“That is not how a lady talks at the table,” her mother instructed her.
“Sorry,” she said quietly.
Chad glanced at the father and mother, then back to the sad face of Erin. “At least I don’t snort while I eat,” he said with a grin. Glancing across the table to Alicia, he saw her grinning back at him.
The brightness returned to Erin’s eyes as she raised her head to look at him. A smile began to emerge then disappeared as she cast a glance to her father. She could tell he wasn’t amused, and was glad that he didn’t pursue the matter further.
“So,” her mother began, “Alicia tells us that you recently came back from a trip to Catha?”
“That’s right,” he replied. “A couple weeks ago.”
“Papa took me there one time,” Erin piped up.
“You remember that do you?” her father asked.
“Oh yes papa!” she exclaimed. Turning back to Chad she said. “It was so big and…” The rest of the meal was spent in talk ranging from Erin’s trip to Catha, the area and people of Quillim, and a dozen other topics.
This was going better than Chad had hoped it would. He liked Alicia, more than most of the others he had acquaintance with in Gilbeth. This evening had been a source of angst during the last week. But like his instructors back at the Guild had said, ‘Most of what you fear is of your own making.’
When the goose was gone, and Chad had all the bread and honey he could eat, Alicia’s father said, “Chad, I’d like your opinion on something.”
“Anything sir,” he replied. He glanced over to Alicia who only shrugged.
Her father turned to her mother and said, “Could you fetch the bottle that’s in the storeroom. The one I brought back on my last trip?”
“Yes dear,” she replied and went to get it.
Turning to Chad, her father said, “One of the traders I deal with in Kendruck gave me a bottle of what he said was a new wine that has just been made available for trade. He suggested that it might find a market in this area.”
When she returned, she held an amber colored wine bottle. Chad was quick to notice that the seal hadn’t yet been broken. “Saving it for a special occasion?” he commented.
The father shrugged as his wife gave him the bottle. “Not especially,” he replied. Grabbing a corkscrew from off of a nearby shelf, he was soon breaking the wax seal and removing the cork. “The trader gave me a taste of it before I left. I found it to have a fruity flavor, stronger than what you would normally find in this area.”
His wife produced two fine glasses, each worth more than some men make in a month. He poured a small amount in each then handed one to Chad. “Tell me what you think,” he said. “Would it find a market among others of your Guild do you think?”
Chad took the glass cup and examined the liquid held within. While Alicia and her family watched, he first sniffed it and was surprised by the tangy aroma of fruit that the wine exuded. Then he put it to his lips and took a small taste. When the wine hit his tongue, it practically exploded with fruity flavor. He held it in his mouth for a moment before swallowing it.
“Well?” asked her father.
“I like it,” Chad replied. “You’re right about it having a strong fruity taste.” He then upended his glass and drank the last of the wine it held.
