laughed, setting the horn down. ‘There should be a jug of herbal brew on that table over there.’ He pointed to the opposite side of the room. ‘It’s got a rather pungent smell and it’s bitter, but it definitely helps get rid of the sour taste in your mouth. Help yourself, and I’ll go and check if breakfast’s ready in the kitchen.’
As he was leaving, Einar caught a glimpse of the beast-man grimacing again as he sniffed the herbal mixture. He went out and headed straight for the kitchen, where it turned out that breakfast would be ready in a few moments.
When he returned to the dining room, Tahon was sitting there with a smile, savouring the bitter drink. Einar, however, preferred gethun juice, so he poured himself another hornful and sat down at the table opposite his new friend.
‘I see you’re enjoying it,’ he remarked with a wry smile.
‘Mmmmm… You bet!’ The knight seemed to be in seventh heaven over the brew. ‘I can’t stand... hmmm... a sour taste, but this?’ He pointed at the herbal infusion. ‘I really do like it.’
‘I’m glad you do, at least.’ Einar took a long sip of the juice, trying not to think about the taste of the herbs. ‘Neither I nor any of my brothers are particularly fond of this druidic invention. Sure, it has its merits. For example, it cleanses the palate and is supposedly healthy, but in our opinion it tastes awful.’
‘It reminds me a bit of... hmmm... dark dwarven beer,’ muttered Tahon. ‘Or maybe it’s just my imagination?’
The dining room door burst open and old Gudrid walked in, carrying a large tray of steaming food. Without a second thought, she set it down on the table between Toinen and Ceet, pushing aside everything that had been there before.
‘Well then,’ she gasped, glancing at the rest of the table. ‘At least you won’t be eating alone today, Einar,’ she said, once she’d made sure everything that was supposed to be on the table for the Ytren breakfast was there. ‘If you need
