Epilogue
Koru
“Koru! You’re back. And so soon. I thought it would be at least another year before your presence graced my doorstep again. What can I get you?” Gods, will Ravena shut up? I hate being called out like this. Maybe I should just buy my own espresso machine for the brewery, so I never have to come here again.
“Yeah, I surprised myself, too.” Her damn crow caws, loudly, and I jump. I hate birds. “That coffee you made me the other day...I can’t get the flavor out of my head. Some sort of spice, but not cinnamon. What is it?” What I don’t say is I think it would be fabulous in a beer. Light, hoppy, with some citrus and whatever the hell her spice is.
“Ah! I had a feeling the other day that you would like that. I’ll make you another. Go sit down.” Any normal customer would go sit down. It’s what I would expect someone at my brewery to do if told the same thing.
But I don’t move. And neither does Ravena. Somehow, the coffeeshop owner and I are in a standoff. Great. Her look becomes more pointed, her grey eyes drilling into me, reading my darkest secrets.
No thanks.
Huffing, I go pick a seat in the corner. Away from the game of cribbage being played by Njal and Sune. Those guys. They play Rumikub at the bar, cribbage here. When do they work? Do they even have a life outside of drinking and games?
When Ravena brings my coffee to me, she also brings me a scone. It’s a piece of art on a plate. Big red berries, a glaze dripping perfectly along the edges. A groan escapes me as she sets it in front of me. She doesn’t smile, just looks smug and satisfied, like I’ve confirmed what she already knew. How does she do it? Maybe Bjorn is right and she is a witch.
“Thank you. Now, what is the spice in here?” I say after a satisfying sip. Loathe to admit I’ve been craving it for the last week.
“Ah, Koru. It’s proprietary.” She winks, and the crow nods his head in agreement. “When you enter my shop, I get an urge for what you need. Then I make it.” A shrug, like no big deal.
Arms crossed across my chest, I lean back and ask, “And what is it I need?”
“You don’t know? Well then, I’m going to have to let you figure that out for yourself. You and fate. ”
With that, she leaves me in unsettled peace. What do I need? What I want is to win at the Great Northern Beer Rack Competition. Expand the brewery. But need? The question brings a deep pain in my chest that I think must be heartburn.
Palate satisfied, but annoyed at Ravena, I shove the last bite of scone in my mouth and get up to leave. I have beer to rack and inventory to catalog.
My foot is out the door, indenting the fresh snowfall, when Ravena calls out again. “Oh Koru!” I’ve never thought of her as a busybody before, but all that is changing today. She bustles around the counter to bring me a paper bag. “For later. And remember, what your heart desires most will arrive unexpectedly. Be ready to receive.”
Before I can ask her what she’s inhaled to make her so loopy, or tell her I’m perfectly happy the way I am and I don’t need anything, she’s gone. Chatting up Dorian, the town’s florist, and listening intently to him describe his dream to her as she plates a pastry for him. Dammit.
I decide to spend the walk back to my brewery contemplating what she said. What does my heart desire? I don’t think she was thinking of fame and fortune from my beers. Or world peace. And I’ve known for ages that love isn’t in the plot for me.
The sign for Stone Barrel Brewery shines like a beacon against the white and gray background of late winter. This is all I need.
As I walk through the door and inhale the scent of hops and roasted barley, I decide that Ravena doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She may be an expert at scones and coffee, but she doesn’t know anything about what’s inside my heart.
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T HANK YOU FOR READING One Night with Her Mountain Orc. I hope you loved August and Bjorn’s story.
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