Dan opened the door and walked down a long hallway. The door on the left had a room full of crops, growing under a light that reminded him of the warm summer sun. The crops were in various stages of growing but none seemed to be dying in the cold of winter, much of that had to do with the caves keeping the temperatures steady, but still a marvel. He knelt down to look at the soil, if his farm had soil this rich he would probably have fields with crops still yielding too. None of the plants were potatoes, so he moved on.
There was a solid door at the end of the hall, and no way to open it. The room immediately to the right was open. The room was cozy and seemingly unoccupied. He wondered why no one was using it, maybe no-one knew it was here. He left to go find Uden, she would be excited to find out she didn't have to sleep with a wild animal anymore.
Uden was not in the cavern, she must have gone to purchase food for the day. Dan hid the door again and returned to the kitchen to finish the prep he could without the potatoes. She would probably bring potatoes back with her anyway.
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Uden was at the market that morning, or whatever you would call buying from the traders at the fork. She only brought enough gold with her for what she needed, any more would be asking to get robbed. Not that there was much gold to trade with anyway. With all the free meals, free rooms and free drinks the new owner was giving out funds were tight. Trading at the fork was also always a losing process, most of the traders would be happy to sell direct, but the local "administration" always demanded a cut.
The morning was cold, winter making a strong first impression, she pulled the black cloak tightly against her to keep out the cold, the embroidered dagger and coin on the sleeve had long been pulled out, all that was left was a faint patch of dark where the original color had been preserved from fading to the elements. She had managed to get most of what she needed right away, a good stock of potato's while they were still on the market was the last thing she needed.
As she was going over the sales board a man approached her.
"I hear you're looking to buy food and drinks; you work for the new inn?"
"Yes, we are pretty stocked up for now, all I need is potatoes, but it seems like this year’s crop has been sold out. I may just have to go with these parsnips" She grabbed a notice off the board and turned to the man.
The man was average in a way that made her want to move on, this conversation could only be a waste of time. The only thing stopping her was his gloves, the leather was light and fine, the fur sticking from the cuffs was lavish, the stitching flawless. This langden was either a man of means or works for someone who is.
The man was staring past her shoulder, she caught his gaze. "If you are looking for a place for you or your... Boss? to stay we still have a room open."
"Oh, I am sure my boss won't ever come this way, at least I hope he doesn't have to" The man chuckled a humorless laugh. "I am surprised the locals let you build here, from what I hear many have been trying to capitalize on the travel through here."
"We were just lucky then, that we stumbled onto this opportunity" Uden shared a knowing smile
"Yes, I suppose that's how many find opportunity, me as much as others." the man smiled back. "I may stop by soon, we will see what the days ahead bring, you seem busy, good luck with your parsnips." He turned and walked away.
"Even his walk speaks money" Uden thought, watching the man blend into the crowds of travelers. It was encounters like this that made her deliveries the bright point of her day, time to speak freely to the public without them demanding things from her. As a slave the wealthy only saw her as a capital investment, it may not be much, but being an indentured servant was at least a step up. She mentally kicked herself, she should have tried to get the man (or his boss) to buy the inn and hire her on, anything would have been better for inn and it's citizens than the farmer.
She eventually returned with the goods. They wouldn't have potatoes, but they did have parsnips and turnips, those were almost as good.
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It was another night as bartender, busier than most nights but nearly everyone was just living their best lives. Four groups of caravanners were sitting at tables, enjoying roasts and parsnips with mugs of hot spiced cider. A few administrator types had pulled some of the smaller tables together in the corner and were discussing deals and trade routes. Faul was sitting at the bar, six other people who would promise their first born for free drinks were surrounding him and laughing at all his plotless stories. Dan's dad was among them.
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Faul's group were the only ones causing trouble, of course they were also the only ones she couldn't ask to leave, and of course they were the loudest.
Faul was just finishing telling everyone how successful they could be if they just focused on what they wanted "Well that's why I built the inn to begin with, it was my land and I do what I want, no red tape was going to stop me, all it takes is the right mindset"
Uden felt something was off. Faul always thought he was the center of attention, suddenly he actually was, everyone in the bar looked at him, except the six "friends" who were still laughing at nothing while focusing on their drinks.
Uden reached for the axe under the bar.
The caravanners suddenly got up and forcefully escorted the six out of the bar, the group at the table talking trade routes all night stepped up behind Faul. Three of them drew swords, Uden would have taken her axe to them, but she hadn't seen where the swords came from, she had to assume she wouldn't be able to follow where they put them next if she started something. She wasn't afraid for Faul's life as much as what would happen when she inevitably got blamed for his death.
A new person came in from the outside, it took Uden a moment to recognize him as the man that approached her in the market.
Faul was still drunkenly trying to figure out what was going on, he wasn't so far gone that he didn't understand the meaning of the three sword points pressing into the back his stained shirt as he sat very still facing the bar. The administrator type without a sword addressed the plain man.
"Carried through" a slight bow accompanied the greeting, "everything went as planned, only the owner's drunken friends saw anything, and they are so far gone they wont be remembering any of it."
"Planning and timing" was the response as the man approached Faul.
No one seemed to pay Uden any mind, she slowly put her hands on top of the counter, instinctively knowing that was the best way to get out of this alive.
"Landowner Faul" The plain man continued. "Have you heard of Silver's Debole?"
"I don't know anything, never seen any of them, don't know of their dealings" Was the more than shaky response, a shuttering sob coming from the farmer at the name.
"Very good, you will continue to know nothing as they take back what you took from them, assuming they exist"
"I didn't take nothing from anyone! This whole place is on my land and everything in it was stolen by that pagnos! The bartender, it was all her!" He was on the edge of hysterics at this point, the blades digging in as he moved.
"The laws of second ownership are very clear, it is the one that possess that is the one that owns. Now the law may get involved and decide who should possess what, but we are not necessarily the law now. You understand that?" The tone was condescending, designed to make it easy to get the message.
Faul only nodded.
"Now you two then, are going to keep doing business here at the bar. The inn is now permanently occupied by travelers and off limits to everyone. You, Faul, will sleep here and never leave, same with the bartender. We simply want to make sure no one slices off your head the second you take a step off premesis, you understand what's in your best interest, right?"
Another nod, this time Uden joined in.
"If you need anything one of the guests in the Inn will get it for you, or your cook. Your cook doesn't need to fear coming and going, what he doesn't know can't kill him... Right?"
Another two nods
"I understand you have a pet portabique in the back, if anyone get's hurt going in and out of the back of the caves, it will be the beast and possibly anyone else nearby, specifically you two, you should consider cutting it's throat right now if you feel like avoiding collateral damage."
With this the man walked off into the night. The group that had escorted Faul's friends away returned without them. Faul's face went white. They started bringing in packs and crates into the inn, ignoring Faul and Uden.
Uden was the only one to speak, and it was directed at Faul "I guess you're joining me and the portabique?"
Faul's face went even whiter.
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Uden left the bar, the silhouette of a guard was visible against the moon hitting the waterfall. She was certain the guard was meant to be seen and was even more certain there were guards that would never be seen. She sat on the ledge around the pool, drinking a mug of cool water. Faul joined her.
"What did you get me into! First you steal from me then you steal from ...the silver's debole?" The name was whispered so quietly that Uden had to guess what he said. "Do you have a death wish?"
"I never stole from you, should have asked to use your land, but it all came together before I thought it through. I didn't steal from any thieves, they attacked me, and I took what they left behind. Never imagined they were part of some organization."
"This is no organization, this is a life sentance for us, we are now slaves to them, death is the only way out for us now."
"Nothing's changed for me then has it?"
Faul just stared at her, trying to come up with a cutting remark, but he couldn't think of a way to make their new managment seem worse than he had been. "well, I am sorry for that then" was all Faul could come up with.
"No, no your not."
" NO I AM NOT!" Faul shouted and immediately glanced around, scared that his outburst would bring an arrow from the dark into his heart. " No I am not sorry, you did this to yourself and to me, but just because we are both in it now doesn't mean that I don't still own you! You will help us get out of this mess and you will pay me back!"
Uden sighed, stood up and walked back to the den she now called home. "Time heals all wound's Faul, except the ones that kill you."
Faul tried to think about what those words meant but was too tipsy to make anything of it, he laid down on the cold ground and shivered until morning.