• Graded • He's Mai's Brother

[Darius Baer]

A continuation from The Road Is Long and He Ain't Heavy.

Arc 721, 103rd of Ashan

When the scarfed woman knocked on the back door, a pair of fearful eyes peered out from between two wooden boards that covered one of the windows.

"Do not fret," the guide called gently through the closed door. "Your brother is here."

There was a long pause, and the eyes seemed to look in every direction. Darius realised that Kerik would not know he was, and the sight of a hulking man with a pair of axes probably wouldn't be reassuring, so he ushered Jarad into around the corner at the same time as he urged Mai to step forward.

"Kerik, it's me," the Hopetounian farmer spoke, trying to make himself as visible as possible.

"Mai?" came a voice from behind the window. "What are you doing here?"

"When you didn't turn up in Hopetoun, I decided to come looking for you," Mai grinned, pointing over his shoulder and prompting Darius to step forward and offer a polite wave. "Now, are you going to let us in, or are we gonna talk through these wooden planks?"

Kerik left the window and a few moments later, the group outside could hear the sound of a bolt sliding across. When the back door opened, and Darius caught sight of the man, he could understand why the scarfed woman had reacted the first time she'd seen Mai. Apart from the moustache that Kerik sported, the two men were almost indistinguishable.

"You're twins?" Darius asked, and the group's guide flashed him a look, raising her eyebrows in affirmation, and it was to her that he turned next. "Thank you for telling Mai to cover his face. I had no idea."

[Darius Baer]

It did not take long for Kerik to explain what was going on. After reacting to how many people had filed into the house - "I thought it was just you, Red, and the baron?" - and initially stepping back as Jarad's large form emerged from around the corner, the group were able to gather inside.

The dwelling, which looked abandoned from the outside, was surprisingly well furnished, although it was clear that some of the items had seen better trials, with scuffs, scratches, and other marks that revealed wear and tear.

"Is this a safe house?" Nael had asked of the woman as he looked around, and she had responded with a curt nod.

The others were finding seats, as the question of why Kerik was in a safe house in Almund and not in Hopetoun loomed larger.

The two brothers had already embraced, and were sitting in adjacent seats, while Darius sat opposite. Jarad had settled his large frame down into a chair that creaked in protest, while Nael had allowed his curiosity to get the better of him and was taking a look around the space, peering through a doorway into another room. The woman, who chose to keep the scarf material over her face, stood by the same boarded window that had separated the two siblings, and there she remained, content to look outside and allow the others to talk.

"I took a contract to brew a dozen barrels of Peppermint Boot," Kerik started nervously, providing an answer before anyone had even asked any questions. "But I underestimated how long it would take. I'm a one man operation. I shouldn't have agreed to brew it."

Darius furrowed his brow at what the man had said. It didn't explain why he was hiding in a building on the opposite side of Almund from his brewery. In fact, it seemed like a position that could simply be renegotiated. Mai apparently thought similarly.

"So cancel the order," Kerik's twin replied with a shrug. "Or tell your customer that it'll be late."

The moustached brother shook his head.

"I can't! These aren't the sort of people you can say 'no' to. I've seen others beaten for less."

Darius watched on as Mai sighed. On their journey from Scalvoris Town, the farmer had explained that his brother had something of a knack for finding himself mixing with the wrong crowd.

"So you decided to hide?" Mai asked.

"I found him," the scarfed woman interjected, though she didn't look away from the window. "You asked me to look for him, and I found him and brought him here."

"So this is your place?" Nael asked the woman, but she did not provide a direct answer.

"It is a safe place."

"Aye, that's all that matters," Darius added. "Kerik is safe here."

Then the founder of Hopetoun turned to the brewer, weighing up the options in his mind. The man could not hide there forever, and he assumed the scarfed woman wouldn't want that, either. He couldn't flee Almund with angry debtors chasing him. Where would he go? To Hopetoun, where his brother was, and would that bring trouble there? And he apparently couldn't finish the work. Not on his own, at least.

"When does the order need to be ready?" he asked Kerik.

"W-what?" the man replied, clearly surprised by the question, before he regathered himself. "Two trials from now."

"And how long will it take to finish the work?" Darius continued.

"Um...a dozen barrels...the brewing has been done, and so has the fermentation, but I can't get move a dozen full barrels by myself, and—"

"How long," Darius interrupted, "if you have extra hands to help you?"

"W-with extra hands? Kerik asked.

For the first time, the woman looked away from the window and turned to face the bearded blond, cocking her head slightly as she did. Nael looked, too, an uncertain gaze across his face. Mai sent Darius a relieved and hopeful glance, while Jarad shifted in his seat and made the chair creak in protest once more.

They all looked at Darius, apparently realising his train of thought. But none of them objected.

"Depending on how many extra hands," Kerik said after a pause, taking in the offer, "then it might be possible."

"Then let's hope that six pairs of hands is enough," Darius concluded.

[Darius Baer]

It was much easier to get into the brewery than Darius had expected. The group was careful, sticking to the shadows that were growing as the sun was setting. Kerik knew the way, of course, but it was Darius who took the lead, in case the brewer's customer was waiting nearby. It was thought that the founder of Hopetoun - with Jarad and his axes close behind - would be best-equipped to deal with any potential challenges.

But no such encounter happened, and the group were able to slip through the back door of the building without being seen. It was only later that Darius realised that as the order deadline had not yet passed, it would have been unlikely for an angry customer to be lying in wait. Even so, it made sense to play it safe by being extra cautious, given how fearful Kerik had been of this unseen client.

But once they were inside and the door was closed and lamps were lit, the brewer's statue appeared to grow. His back straightened, his voice grew stronger, and he no longer seemed to jump at every movement or noise.

The building itself had a high roof, with large vats on platforms that could only be reached by ladders. On ground level, there were barrels, into which liquid dripped from the vats above.

In this familiar environment, Kerik appeared to be much more at ease. And just like that, he went from terrified fugitive to brewing instructor.

"Anyone can brew ale," Mai's brother said as he climbed one of the ladders and peered into a large vat above the group. "You just throw some grain and water together, ferment it with yeast, and you've got yourself a drink."

The others stood around as he took a moment to study the vat's contents, before he began to descend the ladder.

"But you need hops for beer. Without hops, the brew goes off too quickly," he added. "After two trials, only the bravest or silliest men of the village drink the ale, but usually it's only fit for pigs!An (almost) exact quote of a medieval writer, as quoted in Everyday Life in Medieval London: From the Anglo-Saxons to the Tudors by Toni Mount."

The brewer laughed at his own jest, then pointed towards a group of barrels that had been set aside. There were a dozen in all.

"We're going to need those," he said simply, and he gently tipped one over, before rolling it towards where the larger vats were. "They're much easier to move when they're empty like this!"

The others followed his lead, each person bringing over the empty barrels until they were all nearer to the brew.

The group worked together, using their collective muscle to fill each barrel and then painstakingly set it to one side. After a couple of breaks of sweat-filled labour, the accented woman pulled Darius to one side. Despite the heat from their physical exertion, she had not removed her scarf. As she and Darius moved away, Kerik continued to educate the others about brewing beer - regardless of whether they wanted to learn or not.

"You seem like a good man, Darius Baer," she said, before she answered one of his unspoken questions. "You can call me Red."

"Well met, Red," Darius replied with a nod, and he extended a hand in greeting, which the woman shook.

"I am here because Nael contacted me," she continued, "but also because I think it is good to help. Kerik is no criminal, so I help him."

Darius nodded, then turned to look at the brewer. He was no longer addressing the group, but was having a conversation with his brother Mai.

"If you need other help in Almund," Red spoke again, drawing his attention back to her, "let me know."

Darius' expression of gratitude was interrupted by one from Kerik.

"Thank you," the brewer said. "I couldn't have moved these full barrels without your help. Mai is trying to convince me to come to Hopetoun and get away from all this drama."

"Aye," Darius nodded. "Your brother is probably right. If you tie up your loose ends here, you'd be welcome to make a new start."

That was, after all, what the settlement stood for.

"But let's get these barrels delivered first," Darius added, clapping Kerik on the shoulder. "And then you can figure out what you want to do next."

[Doran]

Darius:

Knowledge:
Brewing: Ale consists of grain and water, fermented with yeast.
Brewing: Ale goes off after a couple of trials.
Brewing: Hops are needed to make beer.
Intelligence: Contact: Isla 'Red' Raye
Socialisation: Give them an offer they can't refuse.
Stealth: Stick to shadows to help you move without being noticed.

Loot: -
Lost: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: 10, for finding Mai's brother and helping him.
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 10

- - -

Comments: This was a great conclusion of this series in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all three threads!

I have to admit, I didn’t expect Mai and Kerik to be twins. I was just as surprised as Darius was. I agree that it was a good idea that the group’s guide told Mai to cover his face!

The reason why Kerik had decided to go into hiding surprised me as well. I like that you used a drink that has been developed for ST. I half expected Darius and his companions to threaten Kerik’s customers, or give them money – I like Darius’ solution of helping Kerik with the barrels much better though!

In my opinion, it made sense that the group were a little worried and didn’t realize that the deadline hadn’t passed yet and that it was unlikely for angry customers to be lying in wait as a consequence right away.

It was a bit of a scary situation!

You didn’t actually write about the barrels being delivered (Will there ever be another thread? I’d love to read that!), but I think you deserve a bit of Renown for finding Kerik and helping him in any case.

Enjoy your rewards!

P.S.: I would have added "Detection" to the list of skills used here as well.