SJ followed Alice as she led her from the barracks. “I have picked three places, and you may choose which you prefer to use for now,” Alice said as they walked.
Due to the Inn's positioning, SJ had always stayed in the centre of the town and had gotten used to the hustle and bustle of the vendors and market traders who were there every day and the noise of their daily routine. The Inn was, after all, the hub of the town, and anyone who was someone frequented there. Since SJ had met all the council members during the meeting, she realised that many councillors visited the Inn regularly.
“Is there anything near the centre of town?” SJ asked.
“Unfortunately, not too close to the centre. Those buildings are very rarely free. Normally only when a family leaves for Asterfal or one of the other outlying villages,” Alice replied.
“That’s a shame. I have enjoyed being at the Inn.” She had gotten used to the noise every night, the laughing, the singing, and the general camaraderie.
Alice was leading SJ into an area of the town she had never been to before. It was on the northeastern side, towards the mountain. The first building she stopped at was a two-storey affair. It was in a row of four closely packed homes. The street outside was wide, and opposite was a small open area with a garden and some seats. It was a pleasant location, and SJ stood looking around. “Well, this is the first,” Alice said, removing several keys from her pouch. She walked to the door and opened it, letting SJ in.
The interior was well maintained, the beams were all cleaned, and there were no signs of dust or cobwebs. It reminded SJ of her childhood home. They had lived in a row of terraces and were in one of the middle properties. She had never been a fan due to the noise that used to come through from the neighbours regularly. The house consisted of two rooms on the ground floor. The kitchen, lounge, and narrow stairs led up to two bedrooms and a bathroom.
“It’s very nice,” SJ replied.
“But not for you,” Alice replied, smiling.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Ha. You don’t seem overly excited, so yes.”
“Sorry,” SJ said apologetically.
“No, it’s fine. This was a last-minute addition.”
“How long have you been looking?” SJ frowned.
“The mayor asked me to investigate a residence three days ago.”
“I had only just found out about potentially joining the council then?” SJ replied, surprised.
“We were both confident you would get accepted. You have done so much for the town since you have been here. We could not see any objections to you being added.”
“I wasn’t as confident as you were. Not with the concerns over my kind.”
“Yes. Many Fae are problematic, but thankfully, you and Mistress Francisca are starting to show a different side.”
“I hope it will continue. I don’t like being thought of as a nuisance.”
“You have been anything but,” Alice replied as they walked back outside. She locked the door. “Okay. Number two.”
Following Alice, she was led down the northern edge of the town, past the church. Lythonian was tending the flowers, waving as they walked past. SJ knew she would need to speak to Lythonian and get his thoughts on the Draconian council member Bellakiy and his family.
The next house was smaller than the first and sat in a small plot opposite the church hall. SJ liked the look of it from the outside. Alice showed her in and then realised that the inside was not as well kept as the first home. “This one does need some work done to it,” Alice said, showing her the interior.
After looking around, SJ was quite pleased with it. “I quite like this,” she said, smiling.
“Good. Let’s show you the third one, and then you can confirm which you would like to use.”
Walking to the third property, they moved to the northernmost edge of town. As soon as SJ saw it, she knew it was the one. It was a small cottage that sat on a small plot of land with a garden at the front and rear. It was like Farleck cottage, although slightly larger. It had a small fence that surrounded the garden, and it looked out directly onto the open cornfields that spread from the edge of town to the forest, where the path to the crags headed.
“This is beautiful,” SJ said, gawping. She had no idea that there were such idyllic locations in the town.
“It is a nice area. Very quiet and peaceful.”
SJ could hear the rhythmic pounding of the smithy in the distance and looking out from the front garden, she could see the large white sails of the windmill slowly turning. The roof of the Mage’s academy was not quite visible. On entering the property, it opened into a large lounge area. The main bedroom and lounge were situated at the front of the property and looked out over the fields. The kitchen, bathroom, and second smaller bedroom were at the rear. Looking into the back garden, enclosed by a fence with two trees, a small lawned area and a wooden garden swing. One of the trees bore bright red apples, and SJ grimaced at remembering her initial mistake of tasting one. The other grew a fruit that SJ had not seen before. Its skin was purple and bobbly.
“What fruit is this?” SJ asked.
“It’s called a Grapey. They are succulent and very flavoursome,” Alice replied.
SJ picked one of the fruits from the tree and, using her knife, cut into its flesh. It looked like a peach, and she lifted the fruit to her mouth and took a bite. The flood of flavour and juice that erupted on her tongue was a sensation to behold.
“These are amazing. Why am I only finding out about these now?” SJ said.
“They are delightful. The owner spent years nurturing the tree as many do not bear fruits.”
“I think I have a new favourite. I may have to give some to Floretta and see what she can cook up with them.”
“I am sure Floretta would be exceedingly happy getting some Grapey to cook with. They are not readily available.”
As SJ walked around the remainder of the property, she smiled broadly, knowing this would be perfect.
“I am guessing this is the one?” Alice asked.
“Yes. This is lovely,” SJ replied.
The property was furnished, so she wouldn’t need to worry about providing anything besides bedding and the usual household items.
“Excellent. I need to confirm the details with the owner, but she will be very pleased. Once the contract is written, you will be able to move in. It shouldn’t take too long to confirm. I will send her a message today letting her know the good news. She will be so happy it is going to be looked after.”
“Oh. The owner lives in Asterfal?”
“Yes. She was a long-standing town council member, but when her sister fell ill, she gave up her position and moved to Asterfal to look after her.”
“That’s unfortunate to hear.”
“Yes. She was a breath of fresh air and used to keep many of the grumpy old goats in line,” Alice chuckled. "Which I think you will end up doing naturally now,” she smiled at SJ.
“I am sure you are more than capable of dealing with any dissent,” SJ replied.
“You would be surprised. The members can be very stubborn at times and can take a great deal of persuading.”
“I noticed that today about the expansion of the borders.”
“That is going to take time to resolve. As soon as the mine is up and working, we will be able to start considering it more openly, and if we can begin to sell the Mithril, it will make a huge difference to the town.”
“I completely forgot, getting caught up in everything today. My friend has arrived and said he would be willing to help with that. He is staying at the Inn currently.”
“Really. You have already got someone here?” Alice asked, surprised.
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“I messaged him as soon I found out about the mine and asked him to come straight here, and I trust him with my life.”
Alice looked at SJ, frowning. “How did you get a message to them so soon?”
SJ removed the gemstone Nexis had given her. "He gave me this so I could message him," she said.
“Nice. They aren’t cheap,” Alice replied.
“We met in the valley where my cottage is. He gave it to me afterwards. I have no idea of their cost. He said if I needed help, I should let him know. He was the first person who came to mind. Knowing that he trades at the auctions, it just made sense.”
“How do you know you can trust him?”
“I just know,” SJ replied, shrugging.
“I am not sure that letting an outsider know about the Mithril so easily was a good idea. It will cause problems if it gets out,” Alice frowned.
“I promise you that he is trustworthy. He would never do anything against the town or myself.” SJ replied emphatically.
“How can you be so certain?” Alice was not willing to accept such an easy answer.
“Let me take you to meet him. I am sure he can put your mind at ease.”
“I think it best,” Alice replied, a very concerned look on her face.
They left the cottage and began heading straight to the Inn.
“How do you communicate with Asterfal normally?” SJ asked as they walked along.
“Through the council mage, William.”
SJ had realised that the mage who performed all the town announcements was a specialist mage aligned with air magic. “I see. I always wondered about distant communications.”
“We only ever communicate distant messages as needed. It is very draining for William to communicate long distance. Most will go via the mail service.”
“Mail service?”
“Yes. Every wagon that arrives or leaves for Asterfal contains communications. We also have couriers who travel to the outer towns and villages as necessary.”
SJ still had so much to learn about the day-to-day workings of the town and the wider region. On arriving at the Inn, the lilt of the Bard could be heard as they approached, and walking inside, the bar was much busier than usual. SJ frowned as she looked around. The usual clientele seemed to have grown substantially. Many of the patrons stood up and looked towards the Bard, who stood singing in his usual spot. It all seemed a little strange. SJ couldn’t see through the crowd. It was so packed.
Walking to the bar, she caught Kerys's attention.
“Hi Kerys. What’s going on?” she asked.
“Hi SJ. Your friend is what’s going on,” she replied, smiling.
“Sorry?” SJ turned, looking down the length of the bar. From here, she had a view of where the Bard stood. It wasn’t the Bard that drew her attention, though, but Nexis, who was sat on a stool next to him playing what looked like a violin. The sound from the instrument was angelic.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I will go speak to him.”
“No, no. There is no need to apologise. He is bringing in customers,” Kerys smiled. “Hi, Alice.”
“Hi Kerys. Could I have a Plum Wine, please?” Alice asked.
“Of course. Honey Wine?” Kerys asked SJ.
“Yes, please,” she replied.
Moments later, Kerys handed the glasses to them, and the music stopped. The watching crowd gave a thunderous round of applause.
“We will be back after a short break,” the Bard called out over the din.
To some groaned responses, the patrons took the opportunity to refill their glasses. SJ and Alice, taking theirs, headed towards where Nexis was sitting talking to the Bard.
“SJ,” Nexis beamed as he spotted her approaching.
“Nexis. This is Alice,” SJ said, introducing her.
“Charmed,” Nexis replied, smiling broadly at Alice.
Alice tried to remain stony-faced at his beauty, but SJ could still see slight colouration to her cheeks when she replied.
“Nice to meet you, Nexis,” Alice replied calmly.
“Can I speak to you, please?” SJ asked.
“Of course, my dear. What can I do for you?”
“A little more privately, if that is possible?” SJ asked.
“I will be back momentarily, Ptolemy,” Nexis said to the Bard.
The Bard smiled back at Nexis, nodding his head. SJ had never known the Bard’s name before. Nexis stood, placing the musical instrument on the stool, and SJ led them away from the stage area to a quieter area of the bar, sitting at a table.
“So, what do you wish to discuss?” Nexis asked.
“Alice is the second of the town, and she wished to meet you to discuss a couple of things before meeting with the Mayor.”
“Of course. What can I do for you?” he looked at Alice, giving her a dazzling smile.
Alice was handling his Charisma magnificently and not allowing herself to be overthrown by his beauty and charm.
“I wished to understand your reasoning and loyalty to SJ,” Alice asked.
“I see. You are concerned about the information being divulged outside of the township. I fully understand your concerns, and you can rest assured that I am not one to gossip about my private matters. I have many clients whose identities remain secret, and I trade on their behalf.” Nexis replied.
“You may have, but there is still a trust concern. What if you were offered money in relation to information?” Alice asked.
Nexis laughed, making SJ feel like a spell had struck her. It seemed to cut through her and made her feel slightly giddy. Alice shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“My dear Alice, money is no object to me. I earn my coin through my trust and worth as a trader. I would never damage my reputation. We all know that reputation matters on Amathera.”
“Do you mind if I check something?” Alice asked, removing a small item from her pocket.
“Of course, please do check my alignment,” Nexis replied.
The item was the same as SJ had seen Lythonian use on the skeletons at the compound. Alice said a few words, and the items changed to bright blue. She raised her eyebrows on seeing the colour. “Lawful Good,” she stammered, a little taken aback.
“Yes. I am,” Nexis smiled.
“Your word is your bond,” Alice replied.
“It is indeed. As I say, my reputation matters, and I would not sully it through underhand methods or bribery,” Nexis replied.
Alice placed the small item away. It still reminded SJ of a magnifying glass, and she would have to discover how it worked.
“You don’t need one. When your identification skill levels are higher, you can read alignments of all,” Dave said, taking SJ aback as she had not said anything.
“Would you be free to meet with me and the Mayor in the morning?” Alice asked.
“I can, yes. What time?” Nexis replied.
“10:30?”
“Perfect. It will give me time to have more of Miss Floretta’s amazing breakfast before I come over. I am assuming SJ will accompany me?” Nexis asked.
“Yes. Of course, she is our ambassador, after all,” Alice replied.
Alice drank the remainder of her plum wine and went to stand. “SJ, I will speak to the owner and see you in the morning.”
“Thanks, Alice. That would be great,” SJ said.
Alice turned to face Nexis again. Standing overly stiff, she nodded at him slightly, “Nexis.”
“My pleasure,” he replied as Alice turned and left.
“I better get back to it. I can’t leave Ptolemy alone up there. This crowd is a little demanding,” he said, smiling and standing.
SJ turned and watched as he returned to the stage, picking up the violin and striking a few chords. He spoke to Ptolemy before the bar was again filled with angelic music and song from the pair.