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Stiles had been reading his mother’s journal, off and on, for weeks and weeks. It wasn’t that it was excessively long, but it was detailed and he wanted to be sure he understood everything she’d written. So he read and reread and researched. He was fairly convinced there were secrets to be derived from it if only he knew how to look for them.
That day he had been swamped in botany and recipes and potions and he was finding it pretty dull. He knew that there was useful information amongst the pages but without being able to pick the required plants and try out the recipes, he was finding it hard going. He swore when this business with Deaton was out the way, he’d create a calendar of when to pick important ingredients and go foraging for what was needed.
He was just about ready to give up despite having come to the entry for Mountain Ash when he noticed a loose page. It was addressed to him from his mother. His interest reignited, he settled down to study it.
Stiles darling,
I know you will be bored by this section of the journal but please take it seriously, it may save your life someday. The plants you should learn about are many and varied but don’t be disheartened, pick a few to start with, those that are already familiar and get to know them well. Then identify a few more to master and as you go on it with become easier. I promise you, within a very few years you will become proficient.
A warning: do not put off starting your learning until times are peaceful. Seriously darling, this is Beacon Hills, times will rarely, if ever, be peaceful.
Set to work now, with the recipe I have written out below and I know you’ll thank me.
Wild Rowanberry Vodka
Do not despise the Rowan, Stiles. The ash powder derived from its wood may upset your werewolf but there is so much more it has to offer. This is just an enticement to get you started.
The Rowan Tree(Mountain Ash) is a protector against misfortune, sorcery and evil spirits. The folklore says it wards against witches but in truth the intentions of a person are more important than their status and treated correctly it should protect you from those who will do you harm. (You should plant a sapling near your little cabin.)
Never cut one down and only ever take wood that has fallen from the tree. The most powerful trees are those that grow upon another tree (like the mistletoe) or in the cleft of a rock, however for this recipe any old tree will do.
If my calculations are correct, it should be mid-August by now and the rowanberries should be ripening. The old books say not to pick them until they have seen their first frost, but you live in California in the 21st century, so pick as many as you need and put them in the freezer for a week, it will do the trick.
Start small, (you are not going into catering) and use quality ingredients. I think Polish vodka is best but then I’m biased and you should be too; always respect your ancestry.
So, buy two bottles of the best Polish vodka you can afford. Better still get Derek to buy them, I don’t want your father cross with me. I have the upper hand at present and I’d rather it stay that way.
Has he married that lovely Melissa McCall yet? I do hope so. Tell him that would you darling please, he needs to move on.
Back to the recipe. Find a tree that is well covered in berries and pick only enough to fill two vodka bottles. Clean them in cold water and remove all the stalks, twigs and leaves then freeze them.
After a week, defrost the berries and divide them evenly between four bottles and then fill the bottles with vodka. Cap the bottles tightly and shake them vigorously. Put them aside to mature at room temperature for about a month, shaking them occasionally. Then strain the mixture (I used to use a pillowcase) to remove all the berries and decant the liquid into cleaned bottles. Now leave the bottles to mature for a few more months, it should be ready for Yuletide.
I loved the taste of this, Stiles and I hope you will too. The berries are chock full of vitamins and goodness (read the journal for details) and are not harmful to werewolves. So share your vodka with your gorgeous wolf, darling; Talia used to swear by it as an aphrodisiac!
Take care darling and be resolute,
Your loving mother, Claudia.
Stiles was not sure whether to laugh or cry when he had finished reading but when Derek returned to the cabin that evening, he asked him if he knew where there was a Rowan tree.