Tea.
She leaned over the cauldron, stirring slowly, lost in the swirl of scents that curled upwards from the flames. There was something of a peace to be had here, she could plop down on the hearth and just breathe and brew and be happy all day. Wei smiled, opening her eyes, and eyeballed the brew before her. Almost there. The colour wasn’t quite right yet.
She fussed around in one of her many pouches. It needed something more floral. Spring was coming, albeit slowly, and with the war finally over or at least winding down, people needed something lighter, more refreshing then bracing the cold battlefront. She paused, pondering. The Justicar was a fine appreciator of tea. She almost had a pandaren’s nose for the stuff. Ah! Yes. A little bit of sharp and sweet lemongrass would pair well with the bergamot, and a dusting of dried strawberries to bring out memories of summer and bright sunlight… in a few more minutes she could add the tea leaves, once the other flavours had time to simmer and the pot reached the right temperature. They needed so little time, the green leaves.
Wei sat back on her haunches again and meditated on the pot. You could lose yourself in this. Which was…half the point. It helped her forget, sometimes. It helped her remember, others. But *good* memories, happy ones, and more importantly, it helped her remember when the bad times crowded in, when her memories made her sweat and fear and pace, that there was still joy. Things could be good. She was still here. Still brewing. Still smiling and most importantly, seeing others smile.
Now, like after any other battle, there would be fewer smiling faces. Worn by the war, by the trauma of battle, and they would need that gift of forgetful joy as well.
She looked down at the pot, pondering, and silently reached into a small bag, pulling out a tiny pouch. This little herb… rare, flavourful. Hard to get. It did add a faint touch of bitterness to the tea, but with it came contentment. Understanding. Peace, in some cases. And it was gentle, too, for even the most delicate of drinkers.
Wei smiled and stirred it into the pot with the green tea leaves, lifting and straining the detritus when the batch was ready. Eyes sparkling, paws laying out many little cups, pouring and offering to any who came by. If there could be a way to ease a little pain today, that would be enough.
Comments
No Comments