Arriving at Godrick near sunset we were somewhat sickened by the state of the road.
It was in greater disrepair than I expected. Large ruts from carriage wheels had become pits. It was dangerous for the horses, a single step into one of the deep grooves could easily break a leg.
I was slightly glad I hadn't brought Horsey.
Ah, no. That line of thought was rude to 'Penelope'.
This was the name I've given temporarily to 80's fashion sense horse. I think it fits, Claire agreed as well.
She had apparently not named her horse, I saw that as a major issue, But maybe I'm the only one.
I'm beginning to think animals were not often named in this world. Claire looked at me strangely when I told her I had named this horse that I had ridden for less than an hour. She didn't seem to question the logic for very long though.
From the look of pondering on her face I wondered if perhaps she was thinking of a name for her's as well. Well, all I can do is wait patiently. I'm sure she will tell me if she comes up with one. Or she will let it slip by accident.
Incidentally that's how I had revealed Penelope's names. Though what choice did I have? I had to convey to Penelope that there was a dangerous rut directly in her path. Luckily she came out unharmed.
We found a place to stall our horses for the night in Godrick. The town was entirely empty. When I asked the stable master about it he explained that it was common to stay inside just in case of the occasional bandit attack. They had been lessened slightly, there hasn't been an attack in seven days now. It's likely due Joseph's 'show of might'. I'll say what I want about the man, but he was strategically intelligent, no doubt about that.
But the village being empty was somewhat of an issue for me. I wanted to get information as soon as possible.
But I guess that wasn't in the cards.
I asked the location of an inn and he told me there was none, my only option would be to ask the village master to stay in a spare room in his mansion.
He said mansion, but as I looked at the building in the distance it was honestly no bigger than the inn that I lived in. However it was only a single story, so it was than my house. It was also heavily dilapidated.
The roof looked to be settling improperly, the steady line that should be drawn by the roof was more of an arced bow.
Housing codes. That's something I should add to my list. This is the village master after all. If this person dies due to their mansion collapsing, it would be disastrous for the village.
While I was gazing at the mansion slightly disturbed Claire nudged me from the side. I noticed what she was alerting me of moments after.
Between us and the mansion was a homely looking man with greasy thinning hair and a dark mole under his eye. In his hands was a small blade. He holds it readied. 'Is this a stick up?' I wonder to myself suppressing a smile. I know I shouldn't be joking around. But it's hard not to.
In fact I'm more worried about the motives of this man. He seemed a strong man, but the kind of strength not made from swinging a sword or ax for money. If I had to guess this man would likely be a miner. A weak cough from the man confirms my thoughts.
It also explained the fact that his left arm was slightly weaker than his right which held the knife.
In the months I worked as a physical therapist it was something I saw a lot in pro football players. Their dominant arms would be significantly bigger.
And as the mine was likely the only real source of income in this town I'm sure that's where this, once, well-off man had come from. It was clear that he had not always been forced to rob travelers in the dead of night. His clothes were far too nice. Though now the torn, the silks were clearly bought for style at one time.
There's only a single logical explanation.
The towns mine had dried up.
It would also explain the town's current economic state.
I nodded to myself once as if to confirm my own thoughts. Or I suppose I was confirming earth-me's thoughts. Well, I should deal with this first.
I reach my hand for the leather clad blade I had gotten from Degin earlier.
I was thrilled I could use it so quickly. Obviously I didn't intend to hurt the man, but even disarming with it will sure to be fun.
But once my hand was on the handle, Claire quickly interrupted my motion.
"Oh come on Drew, you already got a chance to do practice swings this morning. I saw." She say indignantly pulling out her blade much quicker than I ever could.
I suppose that's the joy of a real sheath.
Why had I not asked the craftsmen guild to make me one?
I was worried she wouldn't have the same thought process as me. So I began to say 'don't hurt him'. But the fact that she had said 'practice swing' a moment ago clued me in that she hadn't intended to hurt the man either.
With a single strike from the pommel of her silver sword onto the palm of the man's hand the dagger goes skidding off to the side of the small road. I also think it may have broken in the process. Honestly, how do you make such a cruddy dagger? To break just from falling to the ground?
The man quickly cowered down, putting his hands to his head.
"How did you know he'd be a novice with a blade?" I ask honestly curious, she likely didn't come to the conclusion the same way that I did.
"A bandit doesn't rob someone in front of his own house." She says pointing to the window where two children were peering frightfully at their father cowering.
The man seemingly noticing the direction Claire pointed and began to beg.
"Ah, I'm terribly sorry for raising a blade to you, please take my life. But spare my family. They have done no wrong. Oh, but without me my family will surely… " the man begins tearing up and his words became more and more incomprehensible.
"I don't think we had any intention of doing anything more, did you?" I ask Claire, she nods blankly so I add, "I assume a bruise on your dominant hand it is a big enough punishment for a miner."
"You'll spare me?" The man says "I thank you ever so much kind sir," he stutters the words that were likely foreign to his mouth. "But if I may ask, how did you know I was a miner?"
I likely wouldn't have made the connection if it hadn't been for Susan's schooling on magic. This man was likely and earth spec'd mage.
Now despite the fact the overall brawn isn't entirely necessary the way this world mines. The amount of stone grabbed by a single scoop does directly correspond to muscle mass.
If a farmer level mage wanted to become a miner the most common way was simply by bulking muscle and gaining an advantage with that. It was only rare highly trained people like Susan and the other craftsmen who could manage equal sized scoops without the extra muscles.
Thinking about it my theory could have very easily been wrong.
His disproportionate arm muscle strength was likely due to how he had bulked his muscles in the first place. It didn't actually correspond to his work as a miner.
Realizing this I found for the first time earth-me's knowledge had been partially wrong.
It was kind of alarming, I put more faith than I thought in him. And in this case had I been wrong very likely Claire could have been hurt. I can't be wrong again. I need to always pay attention, always be aware of the alternate possibilities.
After lifting the man from the ground I talk with him for a few moments. He and Claire seem particularly surprised when I explained that I would be opening a new mine soon so he should just do his best to hold out until then.
They both look even more surprised when I toss the man a single coin and continue towards the village master's 'mansion'.
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"Do you really plan to do that?" Claire asks once she catches up with me and properly sheathed her blade.
"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. Silver and other precious metals always leave signs of their presence. We'll take a peek tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll find something." I say nonchalantly as we arrived at the door of the village heads house.
I wasn't trying to act big either. I had recently remembered my time working as a surveyor in Africa. Searching for precious metals via geology was in my job description.
Claire knocked and we were greeted by an older woman and an intense smell of mold.
Yeah I was now sure.
Claire began to ask about a room to stay in but I interrupted with a genius idea I had just thought up.
"We are just humble travelers, we wonder if we might be able to stay in your barn for the night." I say patting myself on the back mentally.
"Ah that army man days before said the same thing. Well it's no problem. There's fresh straw in their. Waters in buckets. G'night." She says with a sleepy wave of her hand.
Ah smart choice Joseph, though I'm not exactly happy he had come up with the plan before me.
But really, for an older woman like her to be living in this death trap.
When will the calamities stop? My heart can only take so much.
We settle into the stable looking stables and found a clean place to set down our packs. Claire peers at the dangerous looking mansion beside us and sheepishly grins after looking at the structure inside of the barn.
It was surely the right choice and she seems to agree.
Honestly the two of us had barely had a moment alone. After we separated with our steeds we were interrupted by the misguided miner. Being alone with her was awkward. I wasn't sure what to say to her. I hadn't talked to her at length in more than two years now. We may as well be strangers now.
"So what will we do?" Claire asks, I suppose it had many different ways to be answered.
If this was a video game this surely would be a route deciding question.
Assuming she is referring to the mission at hand, as a Knight would, I answer with my plan. Which basically consisted of Degin’s plan. Ask people, then walk around till we learn something.
She seems unsatisfied with either my answer or my plan, it was unclear.
She smirked at me after frowning at me for a few moments. This was a common Claire-like behavior.
She was likely angry with me so she glared at me, and then thought of something funny on accident so she had to hide her giggle with that smirk. I remember it happening often during blade training with father.
"Well, what would your answer have been?" I ask curious what the correct answer to the question had been, and also as a subtle way of asking for help developing a proper plan.
"Well the way I see it there's two options we hunt them down or we wait for them to attack. Be a bird of prey or a bird of leisure."
She wasn't really giving me much option then. I suppose we will go with my plan, Its of course better to be a bird of prey. I will ask various villagers which direction the attacks came from and search for clues from there.
We will carefully hunt them down.
"So you remember the time we came here when we were twelve?" She asks breaking what had been a long moment of silence.
"Yeah what about it?"
"Ah, no. Just that you remember it." She says, her facing turning noticeably red in the darkness. "I'm glad."
Honestly I was too, I had a distinct feeling there were memories I was still missing after my long sleep. But as they were hazy I had no way of knowing weather those memories belonged to me or 'The Earthling'.
"I'm glad we got to go on this mission together." I said voicing my honest thoughts as I collapsed into the pile of straw. It poked at me strangely but it was much more comfortable than sleeping within 'certain death mansion'.
"Me to." Claire confirms leaning back into her own pile of straw.
Her's appeared significantly bigger than mine, I was slightly jealous. But I suppose it's my fault for choosing piles first.
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Morning came quickly.
We both must have been exhausted from the journey. After checking on the horses and asking around town we basically heard a consensus that all attacks had come from the north.
I suppose it made sense, even bandits needed water they would have to be on the river somewhere.
I also ask a bruised miner where the mine was. He pointed in the direction and I followed the well beaten path towards a small building and cave in the distance.
This must be the mine. The area around the cave was mostly granite. Slight striations appeared on the surface, so glaciers had indeed been on the surface of the planet at some point.
This is good news, there is most likely to be gold in the riverbeds. But I'm not worried about gold right now silver is my main priority.
Or so I say, but upon seeing the most beautiful example of both acid bleaching and quartz pebble structures I couldn't help but fall to me knees.
This mine was dug hundreds of feet into the mountain. It even had several feeler tunnels. Yet here, five feet from the mines entrance. I stared at a rock formation that almost surely concealed gold.
Likely in vast amounts. Acid bleaching only happens to this an extent under presence of the minerals that are found near gold. The Quartz pebble structure was another sure sign.
I notice last night's mugger standing a few hundred feet from the two of us eying us cautiously, so I wave him over with a big motion so he was sure to see it.
He was taken aback but then followed my command and approached, I told him to take out a few scoops. I assume it would take at least 10 feet before we see anything.
If gold was really this close they would have found it in passing.
Again I was wrong.
Two large scoops from the bulging man and I saw the first sign.
It was small but there was a speck of gold visible on the surface of the second solid scoop of rock. I grabbed a nearby hammer and struck the scoop of stone.
The half sphere broke into a dozen pieces, on the top of the pile sat a chunk that seemed to glow in the light.
Good, I've struck gold.
Well that'll do I guess.
I pat the man who's gasping at the discovery. Then after kneeling down to grab a small finder's fee me and Claire head back into town.
Perhaps this will help the town a bit.
I hope first thing they do is repair that ratty mansion. It's too dangerous, it's all I can think about now.
I still hadn't met the actual village master but his wife, or maybe mother, seemed kind.
I really didn't want anything to happen to that woman.
But really to find a gold deposit so close to an active silver mine. What are the chances?
Seriously?
I was sure I would have to hunt for the correct geography to find another silver deposit. I was actually excited about the venture.
But it was entirely unnecessary, I almost solved this issue too quickly. Maybe I should have done a few laps before pointing it out.
The miner was a little too awestruck by the fact that this much gold lay right next to his workplace.
Damn, and I had allotted so much time for this venture too.
Well, Claire claimed she wanted to eat. But after I glance at the blood soaked chef standing inside the town's only restaurant I quickly turn that idea down.
I realize we have packed nearly no food.
Only the buns we had eaten yesterday on the journey.
My mother also made rolls using her new rolling pin but they were 8/10 at best. I was saddened by this fact. Just more reason to find cinnamon. Honestly I'd even settle for 'cassia' at this point.
Well I guess we must hunt for food!