meridian_rose

Title: A Wondrous Concoction
Fandom: Original
'Verse/Series: Kat
Pairing/Characters: General Series
Word Count: 867
Rating: PG-13
Beta: by

dorothydeath
Summary: Over breakfast, Cal tells Kat about a wondrous drink he sampled, and MacBride once again proves helpful.
Warnings: None
Notes: A shorter and less polished version of this originally made up the second part of "Curses, Coincidences, and Concotions". It takes place immediately after the events of "Curse or Coincidence?" and before "Diverse Skills"

The Tour members, with the exception of Tara and Riku, were already seated when Kat and Honor joined them for breakfast. MacBride was there, as well as the king, the chancellor, and a noblewoman that Kat didn't recognise. The king had almost finished his meal, for he was going out deer hunting, and apologised for his absence as he took his leave. Kat assured him she was satisfied by the spread and did not require him to be present.

Cal was staring morosely at a bowl of porridge.

"Where were you last night?" Kat asked, taking up an apple and polishing it on her sleeve.

"There was this small tavern," he said slowly. "Very…what's the word?"

"Exclusive," supplied Ryan, who was in brighter sprits than Cal. "Not just anyone was allowed in there."

Honor rolled his eyes. "But Sir Callaghan had no such problems."

"Quite. He said I was his bodyguard." Ryan shook his head in mock offence.

"Got you in, didn't it? Anyway," Cal sighed, "there was this drink. It was the best thing I ever tasted."

That was high praise indeed. "Sounds expensive," Kat said.

"It was," Ryan told her. "I know because I was the one sober enough to settle the bar tab at the end of the evening."

Kat laughed. "So, what was it like, this best and very expensive drink?"

Cal gestured as if mere words were inadequate to describe this wondrous nectar. "It was smooth and – and soothing, somehow. And it tasted like… like warm honey and summer days and, and - yellow."

Honor looked at him askance. "How can something taste yellow?"

"I don't know. But it did. It was delicious." Cal paused, lost in reverie. Then he shook himself and continued with this story. "Only it was a bit stronger than I thought."

Ryan smirked. "The landlady warned you that it was powerful stuff and what did you say?"

Cal hung his head. "Keep them coming," he confessed.

"I told him to slow down after three," Ryan said self-righteously, clearly eager to prove how responsible he had been.

"Yes, but they didn't taste strong," Cal protested. "They had a sort of delayed reaction, and by the time I felt the effects, I'd had a few too many. I mean, I haven't got a headache, but the world seems – I don't know. Too bright. Too yellow-y." He gestured. "And off kilter."

MacBride cleared his throat. "I believe you're talking about dragonblood," he said. "A fanciful name, but it is a rather extraordinary concoction. My experience is that it tastes green, but it's all subjective. The drink is most often used to commune with the gods, since it allows a trance state to be entered with ease."

Cal regarded him with puzzlement. "I don't exactly believe in the gods."

"Well there's something beyond what we see and hear and feel. Maybe even something beyond the gods. The heartbeat of existence as some call it." MacBride put a bread roll on a plate, added several rashers of bacon, and poured a cup of chocolate. He added a pinch of salt to the drink and served the cup and plate to Cal. "Forget the porridge. This will ground you. In future, save the dragonblood for times you want to commune with the aetheric realm."

Kat made a mental note to acquire some bottles of this dragonblood. They would make for wonderful gifts – and maybe, she thought wryly, some of the more stuffy religious types might experience a revelation and find that they were not supposed to be subjugating whole classes of people.

Cal took a few sips of the drink and seemed better able to focus. He blinked and smiled at MacBride. "Who are you, oh magnificent stranger?"

He gave a bow. "MacBride."

Cal's eyes widened. "The famed storyteller everyone at the bar was talking about?"

MacBride brushed the praise aside. "I tell an occasional tale."

Well, now MacBride had made a friend, Kat thought. Giving him breakfast and knowing new stories was guaranteed to put Cal firmly on MacBride's side unless given very good cause to do otherwise.

Tara entered and crouched down beside Kat. "Where do you need us today? Riku went on the deer hunt already, but we can catch the party up if you would like."

"No, I'm enjoying breakfast." Kat put the apple aside and poured herself some chocolate. "Besides, I have other plans. I'm going with MacBride to tour the boundary line in a while. Honor will no doubt come with me." If only to glare at MacBride some more.

Kat gestured to Ryan. "Will you come riding with us, you and Tara?"

"I'd love to." He glanced at Cal.

Cal shook his head. "I'm going to go back to sleep for a while. As soon as I've finished eating that is." That was probably for the best, Kat thought.

"Barton, see to the other horses and then entertain yourself until I return this evening," Kat said. "The point of staying here is we can relax. Enjoy yourselves whenever you can."

They were a little over halfway through the Tour, and, after everything they'd all been through so far, they deserved some time to recharge and recover.