Chapter 12
A Warm Welcome
Rance decided to get a better idea of what the village of Westerveldt had to offer before he spent his coin with Central Supply. He was a big fan of shopping locally, and supporting the local economy, and if he decided to stay in the area he wanted all the good will he could muster. Especially after the way the locals had treated him so far.
He left the trade building and wandered slowly back up the street to the town square. He kept his eye out for businesses along the street, but aside from a Barber that appeared to moonlight as a dentist, all he saw were homes until he reached the square.
The Blacksmith was first on the list to visit. Rance didn’t see much smoke coming from the shop but he did hear the metered ringing of a hammer on metal.
“Maybe they use charcoal,” he thought as he walked into the doorless shop.
He immediately saw the brick forge along the back wall of the shop, and a great bellows overhead, with a rope ending in a large knot hanging down near it.
Rance knew that this rope pumped the bellows, blowing air into the fire making it burn hotter, so that metal could be heated to the critical temperature to be moved, and even welded.
There was an anvil set into a large block of wood just a few feet from the forge. This allowed the smith to work the metal before it had a chance to cool much. The anvil itself was not the horned anvil Rance was used to seeing but a much older version. Basically a large metal wedge with a flat top, close to 8” x 10” that had been driven down into the stump. This provided a flat, solid working surface for the smith to ply his trade.
The smith himself was not the overly large man that Rance expected,but rather a man of middle height, broad shoulders and powerful looking chest and arms. He had the narrow hips of a man who had built his strength instead of being born to it.
Rance could see he was making nails from old horseshoes. He had drawn out part of the horseshoe into a long thin taper, about the size one would expect for a nail. He then heated the tapered part by thrusting it into the coals and pulling the bellows rope. When it was glowing bright orange he picked up his hammer and placed the taper on a hardy hot cut that Rance could see was set up apart from his anvil.
He taped the metal a couple times, almost cutting through. Then he put the point down into the nail header and twisted the horseshoe back and for a couple times snapping off the soon to be nail. Then he quickly placed the nail sticking out of the bottom of the header into a small hole on his anvil and struck it. Once, twice, thrice, and four times. He picked up the header and tapped out a perfect rosebud headed nail.
The man was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even notice Rance at first. Rance studied the smithy some more and noticed a bell hanging from a bracket on one of the large support beams close to where he stood. Above the bell was a crudely painted sign.
It said “Ring 4 Serviss”
Rance waited until the smith had finished a nail and then reached up and jangled the cord tied to a clapper. The bell made a very pleasant ringing sound and the smith looked up.
He laid his hammer on the anvil, wiped his hands on his leather apron, and looked Rance up and down, smiled and said. “What can I help you with?”
Rance was slightly taken aback with the friendly reception considering the almost opposite reaction he had gotten from others. The man had an eastern european…maybe Russian accent.
“I was interested in your smithy and possibly buying some things.” Rance answered.
“Good, good. Come in and look.” The smith said gesturing toward a wall where several farming implements, along with a couple swords were hanging. There was a shelf that looked to be full of various knives, cleavers and the like, and there were crates, barrels, and boxes stacked in the corner, and Rance could see some of them were full of nails.
“You look like you have a full inventory,” Rance said.
“Aye, it’s true. I am like you, convict, not many will buy from me. I am Gregor.” He said sticking out a hand.
“Rance,” Rance said, shaking the smith's hand. “I am looking for a couple things, and I have no problem buying from a convict that is trying to better himself.”
“Many things I have.” Gregor said, gesturing toward the wall. “It is hard to better oneself when others treat so poorly, but I slowly make progress.”
“Sounds like we can do business.” Rance said “ I am looking for one of two styles of knife. Either what I call a big belly Bowie, which is slightly shorter and slightly wider in the middle than traditional styles, or a Kukri. And then I would like a beared hand axe. Finally,” He said taking out the extra belt knife he had gotten from the attack. “I would like this blade bent back on itself into a curve to make what is called a crooked knife.”
“I know Kukri, and bearded axe,” Gregor said, “ but belly bowie I don’t know. And bend blade to crooked I can do.”
Rance looked around. “Do you have something to draw on so I can show you the bowie?”
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Gregor went over to a shelf on the other side of the forge and brought back a slate and a piece of chalk. “Draw with this.” He said handing Rance the slate.
Rance drew an outline of his preferred Bowie pattern, and then to be safe he drew a bearded axe, and the curve profile he wanted for his crooked knife.
Gregor took the slate back and studied the drawings. “How big Kukri you want?” He asked looking up.
Rance held up his hands about sixteen inches apart.
Gregor nodded and got a thoughtful look on his face. “Axe, Kukri, Belly Bowie, and bend knife, two silver, three days. You pay first.” He said.
An icon popped up in Rances vision it said “Proposed sale” He mentally clicked it and the details of the sale from Gregor were listed. Although Rance had been planning on getting one or the other knives Gregor had listed both, and Rance decided to go with it since they both had their uses.
He clicked accept and got a notice that two silver had been removed from his account.
“I happen to have knowledge of smithing out there.” He gestured up and over his shoulder with his head. “Is there a chance I could use your forge sometime to build my skill here? Maybe I could make some nails for you.”
“Ha hahaha!” Gregor threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t laugh at you but at nails.” he said. “I only make to stay busy. As I said, not many willing to buy from convict, but yes you can use forge during slow times.”
“How about weapons, can I get a sword or something?” Rance asked
”You are convict like me.” He answered. “Weapons have severe penalties. If you make yourself, okay, but buy, not so good. Besides, I have not leveled enough for weapon making yet.”
“So the system imposes a penalty, what about my hand axe and knives?”
“Axe and knives are tools, they are okay.” Gregor said.
“Thank you for the information.” Rance said, “Three days then?”
“That is what I have said.” Gregor said
“Good, do you mind if I wander in and watch you work during that time?” Rance asked.
“Of course, of course, come see me work!” Gregor gestured to his forge. “I start now.” With that he turned his back on Rance and moved to a pile of scrap metal and began poking around.
Rance left him to his work and walked out of the shop. His next priority was to get some clothes and boots, so he looked around for the general store that the chandler had suggested was around somewhere.
Rance noticed a sign that read “The Gilded Larder”.
“Maybe,” He said slowly out loud, and headed in that direction.
He knew he had chosen correctly as soon as he walked into the shop. The walls were lined with shelves of goods and there were tables scattered about the room with more goods on display. There were also a few racks of clothing, and on the floor along one wall there was a row of boots.
There was a loud harsh voice that rang out mere seconds after he walked in. “We don’t want your kind loitering here. Move on unless you have coin.” Said a pinch faced older woman behind the counter at the rear of the store.
“I do, I do,” Rance said, raising his hands in a placating motion. “I am trying to get rid of these clothes and get something more functional and stylish.”
“How much coin do you have?" she snapped.
“How much do things cost?” Rance replied, starting to get irked. Everyone was giving him a hard time just because of his looks and he was getting really tired of it.
“You need at least four silver for a set of clothes.” She snapped. “Now get out!”
“I have that much.” Rance said, meeting her eyes. “I need clothes and boots.”
She turned to the door into the back room and yelled, “Ulyss, I need some help out here. One of them convicts wants to buy some stuff.” She turned back to Rance, “Pick what you need and bring it here to the counter.”
“What about trying things on.” Rance asked.
She glared at him. “It’ll fit.”
An older man wearing what looked like well used leather armor, and sporting a large dirk in his belt walked through the backdoor, around the counter and stood by the front door.
“Now don’t be thinkin’ o’ dashing out with the stuff neither.” He said.
“Hey,” Rance said “I’m just here to buy stuff.”
“That remains to be seen.” snapped the woman. “Get on with it then.”
Rance sighed and set about examining the goods in the shop.
He started with the boots. He picked what looked like a sturdy pair. He knew he might eventually make moccasins but he had to get rid of these sandals as soon as possible.
After putting them on the counter, he picked out two pairs of pants, two tunics and several pairs of socks and underwear, and put them on the counter. He grabbed a dark grey felt slouch hat, and a wool cloak in case he got chilly. He was surprised to find leather gloves, so he picked up two pairs of them as well.
Next he moved over to the backpacks. There were several to choose from.
“Can I ask a question?”
“Get on with it.” The woman said.
Rance took this as an affirmative, and started asking about the various packs that were available.
He was pleased that they contained storage slots. He had been worried that he would only be able to buy mundane items here. So he chose a large pack with ten storage slots that held 100 like items. He also chose a small bag, similar to a messenger pouch with five slots of 100 similar items.
He hoped this would be enough for foraging. He had certainly filled his noob packs quickly enough, but with that kind of income he figured this step up would be all he needed to live comfortably until he had leveled up and really got after making money.
Had added a cast iron dutch oven, a tin drinking cup, and small bow saw to the growing pile. He noticed a rack of belts and picked out a wide one so he wouldn’t have to fumble with the knot on the rope he currently had around his waist.
Finally he walked to the counter and looked at the smirking woman. “How do I know these will fit?” Rance gestured at the pile of clothes.
“Everything adjusts to fit, you stupid clod. It’ll fit you, it’ll fit me, and it’ll fit that great oaf Lars that works on a homestead up the river.” She answered.
“How much then?” He asked.
She used a wax tablet and stylus to do some figuring. After a bit she looked up and Rance would have sworn she did a double smirk. “32 silver, 14 copper.” She said, looking down her pinched nose at him with an evil grin. “Too much?”
Rance had no idea if the price was good or not but his first windfall had come with only a small amount of real work so he said. “Send the sale notice.”
It blinked in his vision and Rance chose “Buy”
“Thank you.” He said as he stuffed everything into the large pack and headed out the door.
The woman and Ulyss just stood there slack jawed and watched him go.