Chapter 12

Through all this, Khan had not given up on his hunting endeavors. He still went and hunted for his quota everyday—it was a good source of income. Especially when you considered that he could sell the skins and meat to Azul and Tarig.

Right now, he was on his way to Azul the tanner. He barely had to negotiate with Tarig anymore. The butcher and he seemed to have come to an understanding. Khan’s skill earning the man’s respect.

Azul’s tannery was located at the other side of Lunis close to the noble area, with his work area being near the walls of the city, a winding river flowing through the place.

I knew I was there because the smell of the tanning pits hit me before I saw them. That was what probably kept the wild animals away.

His actual workshop was built far better than almost every other thing in the Humilis district. There were perks to being one of the best tanners in the city.

Barrels of dye and finely crafted saddles were strewn around the place.

Fine, sturdy stone, and a small courtyard greeted me as I neared the workshop. I brought one of my best catches so far; a fox, three hares and a beaver.

That was my most prized one out of all the catches. They were great for meat, and even better for their skin. Especially as winter approached.

I knocked twice, then shouted Azul’s name. He insisted I do this. I was rapidly becoming one of his best suppliers as far as I could tell. Yet the man insisted on being treated like royalty.

It would have annoyed me more if he also didn’t offer the best prices.

He took his sweet time walking out of the workshop. I almost turned back home to skin the animals myself.

Even if I didn’t skin them properly, I was sure Isabella and Charlotte would appreciate the clothing from the beaver and the rest.

He opened the door as I was thinking of leaving. The tanner sure took his time.

A soft chemical smell hit me as the door was left open. Azul lifted up his eyebrows, slanting them like the roof of a house. “What do you want?”

‘Ugh, did this man clean himself when he was working?’ I don’t know why the people here have such a thing for not cleaning up after themselves’

I held up the carcases so he could take a good look, granted I had wrapped them carefully before putting them in a sack.

“Fox, hares, and a beaver”

“A beaver?” He seemed more interested now. We had to go through this encounter every time I came here.

“You better have caught it properly. If the skin is damaged, I’m not giving you a rusty copper”

I sighed, this was tiring to have to go through, especially after coming straight from hunting and trapping around the farm.

“You take a look then.”

Azul tried to snatch the carcass cloth out of my hand, but I pulled my hand away. He was one of the few people who refused to show me any proper respect. Every body else treated me different.

“You could take it properly, or just hold your hand out. You don’t have to snatch it.”

He rolled his eyes and held out his hand.

“That’s better.”

He ignored the comment and brought the animals to a large stone desk. Proceeding to check up on the animal.

He moved straight for the beaver.

“This is better than expected.” He ran a hand over the thing, then looked at me skeptically. “Are you the one who caught this?”

“Yes, I caught it.”

“Baah, ”he swatted his hands dismissively. “What does it matter if you cannot get more like this?”

“If you want more, you could just say that.”

He turned to me, wide-eyed, “Are you sure you can get more of this quality?” I nodded, the first time I was seeing any type of surprised expression on his face.

“Do you know how hard this is to catch? Wait… don’t answer that”

He walked back and forth. “Okay, look, the season is changing and the demand for these furs have increased from the nobles and merchants.” He stopped pacing, removing his hand from his chin, slightly less arrogant. “How many can you get?”

“How many do you want?” I didn't think they were that hard to catch. Sometimes those were some of the best meals to have during winter at my old home.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

A brief, painful memory ran through my mind before I crushed it.

“That’s just what I’m looking for. Two weeks. How many can you get in two weeks? ”

“I’ll have to trap them if you want the same quality, shooting them would only damage the furs more than necessary, so I could probably catch more nearing the end of the period. But around 2 or three a day. Why?”

“The merchants will start to leave soon. They’ll want to get as much money as they can before winter comes in full effect. If we move fast, we can sell to them before they go. Not to talk of the nobles who’ll want the latest furs for their wardrobes.”

This smelt like another opportunity. I had already conceded to build an empire of gold… right now I just had silver.

“You mean they’ll want to go on one last trade run to sell of their wares?”

Azul nodded, turning his back to me and waving “Yes, yes, all that matters is that you can do it.”

“If you want them so terribly, then name a price.”

Azul froze. His fingers twitched, lips pressing into a thin line, like he had reaten something bitter. His eyes flickered between me and the beaver carcass, ignoring the other animals. Calculating.

He inhaled sharply. Through his nose, then exhaled in frustration, his jaws tightening as he realized his mistake. I had him by the neck now.

“One silver.”

I arched my brow.

He gnashed his teeth and his nostrils flared. He stared at like he was trying to bore a hole through my skull. The silence stretched. Heavy. I’m glad I wasn’t the first to speak. This was fun.

I’d spent most my life in the forest hunting, or waiting for prey to come my way. Still as stone for prey to wander into my traps. I could do this all day.

“One silver and 50 copper”

I started to walk away. Taking a slow step back, turning just enough to make him think I was serious. A single bead of sweat rolled down his temple. I hoped he wasn’t actually this stupid.

One step.

Two. His hands clenched at his side. His lips parted but no words came.

Four.

He fought with himself.

Five.

“Wait.”

I smiled. This really was fun.

“One silver 50 copper per beaver corpse.”

‘What? The first offer was for the whole batch?’ This guy was mad. I kept walking.

“I won't make money on this.”

I didn't mind him.

“Khan!”

I didn’t have time for this. I’d much rather spend time with Henley, or talk with the old healer. I was sure she could still teach me some stuff from her days working for a noble house.

“2 silver!”

Now we were talking. I turned around. Face natural “Three,” I paused. “And you have to help me out with something.”

His eyes bulged. I almost laughed. “2, and a ten percent discount on any animals you bring in the future.”

At the end of the day, we settled on 4 silver per beaver corpse in good condition and he had to tell me about all the best animals to hunt in the area and give me priority over other suppliers.

I was good at hunting, and the quota wasn’t a problem, but if I wanted to make the kind of money I was thinking of, I had to start aiming for things that would get me more money for all the effort I was putting in.

At this point I was holding up more than I could bear.

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Now, I was heading over to Big Randy’s place, if I wanted to get the amount of beavers I said I would, then I would have to get proper tools.

I was sure his wife would be happy to see me, regardless. Though I was starting to believe she was trying to make me fat

Today, I only saw Big Randy.

“Khan, what brings you here today, I’m sure we were supposed to meet the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes, I want to get some equipment.”

“Ah, you’re here to trade then. You’re shaping up to be a better business partner than I’d hoped.”

I wasn’t sure how to react to that. He got up and led me over to a small den in the forgery. It had comfortable looking chairs, flowers everywhere and a set of tea and pastries on the beautifully designed desk.

This must be his wife’s work.

“What type of tool are you thinking of?”

“I just want a strong iron cord and a small door.” That stopped the man in his tracks.

“What would you want that for?”

“I’m hunting some beavers for the tanner, Azul. I want to go ahead and build some traps so I can catch them without the tools wearing down and whatnot.”

“Aah, you want a pit trap?

“You know how to trap?”

He burst into a low, contained laughter, “I’ve been doing this type of work for decades. You learn a little bit of everything when you deal with so many people.”

‘Oh! That made sense.’

“Don’t worry I can make you something much better. It’ll be able to reset itself and it’s much more easy to carry around. You’ll be able to use it with no instruction.”

“Thankyou uncle, but, the cost?”

“It’s not a problem.” He could still see the worry on my face. “It's the materials that you listed are expensive. I can make what I just said with barely higher prices.”

“Can you really?”

“Of course! Who do you think I am? If I said I was the second best mortal blacksmith in this whole city, no one would dare say that they were first!”

I was starting to think I had offended him. “I believe you uncle. I was just curious.”

“You said you were hunting beavers right? Just give me a few and we’ll be even.”

“Are you sure? Do you even know how to skin them?”

“Of course not, I don’t know everything. I’ll just ask Azul. He’s a bastard but he’s damn good at his craft.”

“If you’re asking him, then don’t worry about it, I can talk to him for you.”

Big randy showed a surprised look on his face. “Oh? I didn’t know you were so connected.”

I chuckled, brushing it off. I wasn’t anywhere yet. “If you’ll handle Azul, then the deal is done.”

He held out his hand, a weird gesture. “You’re supposed to put out your hand as well, its something I learned as an apprentice.”

I put out my hand the same way he did. He brought his hand forward quickly and clasped the inside of my arm firmly.

“The deal is sealed now.”

‘That was it?.’ This was easier than I thought. We barely even haggled.

“I don’t have to do anything else?”

“Not unless you want to my lad.” He smacked me on my upper back. For someone who worked with heavy metals and hot things all day, it felt like he hit me with a hammer.

“Now, let’s get you out of here before my wife catches you. Otherwise, you’ll be stuffed with pastries and tea until you’re too fat to swing that bow of yours.”