Chapter 148

What We Do For Others

Brewer’s Reputation: 5,211.

Dream Cutter Stone Shard Quest: 13,189/15,000 shards.

Four different soups boiled on the stove. Onion, squash, a vegetable broth, and cardoon. While Abigail seasoned the soups and gave each of four ladles a stir, I sat to blow a few gourds using my Gourd Blower level 303 skill. Producing enough gourds to fill 4 pots of soup with a low level bronze rank skill required more mana, so I brewed a few batches of purely ethereal mana beer. I put a few of those bottles on the shelves, offered some to Abigail, and put the rest in my cellar. From that small amount of brewing, I raised my Downy Dew Foam Cascade sub skill to level 124 and Brewer’s Chill to 1600. My quality tier rose to 79/100 Lesser Honorable. Yet, I still did not break into gold rank.

We filled the gourds with soup and stowed them in our inventory. Then we began the walk down to the sea. Abigail had brought up that she’d been thinking about Hiccup since she’d had some time to reflect on things.

“I’m just so disappointed in him,” she said.

We left the flowers behind and entered the trail between thin oaks. The afternoon was waning and the birds were rushing their last songs of the day.

“I don’t know him at all,” I said, “but I imagine I’d feel the same way you do.”

“I’ve been thinking about it lately.”

“That’s why you’ve been quiet.”

“Hiccup was never like this. Not since I’ve known him. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

“You could go talk to him.”

“I was considering that. But what would be the point?”

“Closure.”

“It’s because Barnacle-eyes is leaving. And Boggo. And Thrush.”

“I see. You’re thinking about what you’re going to do once your favor for Potere is over.”

“I already told Potere why I think you’re going to become a great Brewer.”

“What did you tell him?”

She filled me in on the conversation she’d had with the god.

“Whether you disagree with that or not,” she said, “it's what I’ve observed.”

“No, it makes sense. I have all my friends to thank. And you too.”

“I’m considering what to ask Potere for.”

“A fable rank beer?”

“Hiccup is a good man, Hawkin. Always was. He’s changed lately. I’ve talked to you about Riggvelte before.”

“You have.”

“Riggvelte seems different too, like he’s drained. And even though Riggvelte is technically Hiccup’s butler, I would say they’re more friends than coworkers.”

“You want Potere to help Hiccup somehow?”

“I’m going to ask Potere if he can reunite Ashlee and Hiccup.”

We had just reached the sumac when we stopped. She looked at me without expression.

“Wow,” I said.

“But if Potere can’t, then I’ve thought of something that might work. I might ask for Ashlee’s remains.”

“You want me to brew an ethereal beer like I did with Corylus’ dog?”

“I need you to understand that it is one hundred percent ok for you to decline. That’s entirely up to you, and I will not judge you any less for declining. I’ll still think you’re…I’ll still think you’re a great Brewer.”

“We invited Corylus onto my Beyond the Cabin. I don’t want to invite Hiccup there.”

“Remember when we talked about how you could build an ethereal plane for grievers to have one last day with their pets?”

“An ethereal plane that’s really a mausoleum.”

“Would it work with people too? Those who have lost pets and those who have lost people could use the plane to reach their loved ones. Would you be willing to do that and reunite Hiccup with Ashlee? Would it work?”

“I could try.”

“You’ll do it?”

“I’ll try. I can't promise anything. Who knows if it works on humans. I’ll brew another ethereal plane and if we have Ashlee’s remains, I’ll see if it works. But are you sure you want to do this? Because it might not change anything.”

“Hiccup is my friend. I feel like he’s going down a bad road. The least I could do is try to snap him out of it. And if reuniting with his late loved one won’t help him, then that’ll be that. I’ll have at least tried. Talking with him won’t work. I’m certain of that. Especially since he’s hosting high profile guests.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

We said no more and continued on down the trail. We reached the dock, climbed the gangway of the ketch, and found the Barnacle-eyes, Remember-not, Boggo, and Thrush playing a game of Potholes and Tunnels. Boggo was pacing across the map of the game while he explained the rules.

We shared our soups with everyone except Thrush, who hadn’t quite seen his appetite return. He instead fixated his gaze upon the stern of the ship through the open deckhouse door.

While we ate, I observed Boggo a lot more than I usually did. More than I usually could. He was out and about much more often. He only ate half his soup and offered Thrush the rest. Thrush declined, but Boggo tried again and again to share his meal.

When everyone returned to Boggo’s game, and Abigail and I were included, I observed Barnacle-eyes and Remember-not. Barnacle-eyes exercised incredible patience with the goblin when it was her turn to roll the die. The Admiral helped her read the numbers of the die and count on her fingers. When Remember-not smiled at Barnacle-eyes, Barnacle-eyes beamed with joy.

I was not just the observer. I was also the observed. I caught Abigail keeping her gaze on me. She blushed when I turned to her.

I thought it was incredible what she was doing for Hiccup. She knew him—who he was, and she was prepared to do something about that. I would do the same for Thrush, for Boggo, for Barnacle-eyes, and even for Abigail.