"And how," he asks, "do you know about the taste of this? I thought you were above this sort of thing. You certainly seemed it earlier."

He's a bit drunk, admittedly - actually drunk, which is sort of a novel sensation. He's often a low-level sort of tipsy - he doesn't drink for show - but the maple mead is a hell of a lot headier than what he's used to. So he's a bit less functional a drunk than usual. He's not slurring, therefore; rather, his enunciation is very precise, very careful.

"Anyway, I wouldn't give it to you regardless. Here." He passes the mead onto the soldier sitting just beyond her.