Shad walked to the area Terry told, soon he finds tracks, many tracks from many humans and animals, going to a hill on a forest. Bandits clearly didn't fear the law. Soon he finds out why their hideout looked like a rudimentary small castle made out of stone and wood. And he saw the Swampers Terry talk about, bringing some fish hanging from a stick they carry on their shoulders.
He didn't know these swamper creatures before. But they were simply frog-faced and brown-skinned creatures with short height and humanoid body futures. They only wore loincloths and carried stone head spears.
Those didn't try to attack him so he didn't attack them. Shad just kept his safe distance.
On the gate, a gambeson wearing bandit looked at him and said "Now that's a first, an orc youngling. This place becomes a monster trade center or something. Whatever, if you have the money you are welcome."
This was a warmer welcome than Shad expected. Inside there was a small yard. A tall trader donning a robe which hides his face looking at kidnapped people. Those people looked like villagers. They looked desperate and malnourished.
A woman in her mid-thirties wearing fancy black leather armor comes to the Shad. She said "Welcome orc youngling. I presume you come for trade, I am Anabelle, I am the chef here." The trader turned toward them. "A youngling, you have a slave to sell?"
Shad started to speak respectfully, he needed trade partners and he had no intention of offending them in any way. "Pleasure to meet you, great chef, and honest trader, I am Shadik, son of Kalra. I wish to make a trade with you, not just now but also in the future. I hope to establish beneficial trade relations between us." Trader spoke, "You can call me Al kid, there is no wonder why you are chosen to come here, you are well mannered. How much you are asking for that pretty girl behind you?" Shad "I have no wish to sell her honest trader Al, but if we can agree I would love to sell you, my future prisoners."
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Al said "Think again young one. She worth a lot of coins, I can pay you ten gold for her, that is a lot." Shad scratch his chin. He said "I need her to be safe and I need to obtain her when a time comes. I presume you are going to sell her a brothel right?"
When they spoke Rosalyn stand there looking with dead eyes.
Al said, "Yes, those conditions are agreeable to me." He comes near the Shad and whispered in his ear "You can always find me in Karenburg slave market, just wear your cape and hide your face, nobody will bother you there. I will talk to the brothel owners of the Karenburg and sell her only to someone who accepts your conditions. If you agree." Shad said, "I knew I am losing a lot of money by accepting this deal, but still I will accept it, just remember, I am doing this because I want to have many future deals with you, much more profitable ones." Al smiled and nodded. The rope changed hands and ten gold coins dropped at Shad's hands.
Anabelle said, "You can't come in my hideout and make deals among yourselves, that is unacceptable."
Shad looked at her "I won't dare to do such a thing chef Anabelle. I will use some of these coins to buy weapons and armor in your hideout if you agree. She looked at Shad and said, "Okay, that would be fair go see our selection there." The armory-like building of bandits didn't have many good selections. But Shad needed to use some money. So he just bought a basic lamellar armor, that armor was not only much more durable but also only moderately heavier than a leather one.
The armorer said "This cost seven gold." Shad said, "What about my old armor, how much you would pay for it?" Armorer said "Just one gold." Shad looked at Anabelle, she said "Two golds would be adequate, we don't want to underpay to our new trade partner. For your information, anything you don't need please bring it here, we constantly need new armor and weapons."
Shad said, "Of course chef Anabelle, This would be my pleasure."