Scene Fourteen - Maiden's Cream

"Ah greetings Traveller - welcome to the Crimson Moon...  Come on in and take a place at the bar...
Travelled far ? Ahh - no wonder that you are tired...
What can I get you ? We have the finest wares.....
A speciality? Well yes .. as it happens we do have a drink created for this very Tavern ...
We call it Maiden's Cream.
Not heard of it ? Not surprised it is a very special and unique drink.

Perhaps I should tell you of its origin as I mix you a Maiden's Cream...

It was far in the past. Back in the days when the Lions and the Wolves were not talking - indeed were actively fighting each other. No-one remembers the cause these days, but if a Lion Knight of Albion should meet a Viking Wolf of Norsca then blood would normally ensue..

The feud was all resolved by an honour battle - lasted 68 seconds so I am told - though the men of Albion claimed that they only put on a show with their second best fighters... who is to say?       

But be it as it may - before that resolution there was once a Knight of Albion.
A Lion by the name of Sir Verdun.
A brave and noble knight, but one that the Gods had treated very poorly, but a true and pure soul.
He was travelling along the Lace Road travelling from West to East, when he chanced upon a Norscan man, who was known as Agna.
A healer of the Wolves.
A man skilled in the healing arts and knowledgeable in the power of the Fountain of Life..
He was travelling home from the south heading Northwards.

They chanced to meet at a crossroads, and both being proud representatives of their factions - neither would back down to let the other pass..
In other circumstances - this may have led to the shedding of blood, but Sir Verdun had been afflicted in his constition by the Gods, and Agna the Healer was cursed with not being able to hold bladed weapons - a sacrifice he had made to achieve his greater knowledge and skills,
and so instead of crude attack they chose to challenge each other with their intellect and words...

"A duel" cried Agna - "I challenge thee"
"Accepted" answered the brave knight" under what terms?"
"Compliments" replied Agna
"A Capital Choice " came the rejoinder
"Ahh - I see that you have dueled before" replied the healer..

And so they pitted their wits, one against the other, with compliments, and insults, and tricks and riddles, and each found the other to be a worthy foe...

Indeed, so evenly matched were they that the sun soon started to set....
And being gentlemen they decided that they would stop for the night and commence again in the morning...
And so in the centre of the cross road they lit a fire and shared provision and drink, and set about discussing their personal areas of expertise -
The finest alcohols that they had drunk and the finest Ladies that they had ever met.

.. and needless to say - they did not agree on these either!!

Now I should have mentioned that Sir Verdun was not travelling alone!
He was accompanied by a Lady.. The Lady Bryant was her name.
Now! I say lady .. though perhaps I should say that she was a ...  "lady of the night!"
 And what a fine lady she was.
It was rumoured that to spend a night in her arms - could cost up to a castle and lands...
It is a shame that she has not been mentioned before - and I can assure you that this must be the first time that she has ever been overlooked for a such a period of time...

But the three travellers spent the night in that lonely crossroads upon the Lace Road...
and as the sun rose the next morning...
It seems that Sir Verdun and Agna the Healer were in complete accord....

Both swore to the end of their days that there was no lady in the land that could surpass the beauty, the presence and the abilities of Lady Bryant...
And they resolved immediately to commemorate that meeting by designing a drink that would pay full tribute to that Lady and her bounty...

And they did.
They created a drink which held the coolness and creaminess of her skin..
the tender sweetness of her kiss...
the bubbling of her personality...
her boundless energy.
and deep within... her clear and dauntless spirit....
finished now with a straw, so you can suck deeply of all the Charms

The Maiden's Cream .. brought by that very same Agna  to this - the Crimson Moon Tavern... 

This of course is Au Naturale - I am told that Agna would suggest a drizzle of Red aftershock over the top - Maiden's Cream "A la Agna"

Enjoy my friends ...  And remember - you heard it here first ..  The Crimson Moon......

Vollsanger .. the skald...