Alysha stared around the room in awe. Nir was not only levitating every single object aside from her and that used to be in the room; he was also levitating the chair while he was sitting on it, something which is even harder to do than just having the chair float. Another piece of the puzzle was that, while magic users were not so rare that she’d never seen it done before, but the Arcane Guild didn’t let anyone with ability to manipulate the world around them with arcane energies run around without a string attached. They were always on the lookout for individuals who showed even the slightest potential, and acted swiftly. The result was that, no trained magician was around (at least in Araldor) that did not belong to the Guild, and anyone trained by them who decided to pursue their own goals would be stamped as a ‘Rogue Mage’ and dealt with by them.
Despite knowing this, here was someone who was manipulating the objects around her as surely as she was standing in the room she rented. This made her think of two options. Either Nir was telling the truth, or he was possibly a spy from one of the neighboring kingdoms. The third option was that he was a Rogue Mage from the Arcane Guild, but then he’d be trying to escape the influence of the Guild and not expose himself with something like getting a Pass. Unless he was delusional of course, which could be true for all she knew.
While the second option seemed more plausible than the third, a spy from another Kingdom would not be revealing his abilities to her so casually, or so she thought, and would not be this careless with how he spent his coins. Well, unless he wanted to give the image of a hero who has never been to a civilized city in his life. However, she decided that the simplest course of action was to just hire him as a guard for now. Not only would it bring immense benefit for her, seeing how anyone who can manipulate the arcane forces around them would be very good at dealing with bandits and such, but also if she refused him now and he was indeed a spy, he might as well just dispose of her here and now. Not only that, but she could always observe him during their travels, and if he proved to indeed be a spy, she could just report him when they get to a major city, and to report him it would be beneficial if he didn’t suspect she was onto him. Therefore, Alysha concluded, to hire him right now would be beneficial to her, and he would be at the very least, less wary around her.
“Alright, as promised if you show me some form of proof of your powers, I will hire you. From now on until we part ways you are going to act as my guard. Here, let me get the necessary papers ready so we may form a contract.”
“Do we really need to form something like a contract? It will feel more like work, and less like mutual help.” Nir grimaced at the thought and released the objects gently. Everything was now back the way it used to be.
“It is necessary so that questions can be avoided later on. As a merchant I always carry a few of these around since you never know when you might need them. Just sign it here, of course that’s assuming you can actually write?”
“Of course I can write, what kind of question is that? Are people not educated in “civilized” places anymore?” While saying this Nir put down his name in the corner and finalized the contract.
“It’s mandatory to attend a local school until the daily necessities such as counting, writing and reading are learned for kids. Anything higher than that, one might have to go to the major cities to learn more, but these let people carry out their daily lives without a hitch. I just assumed that since you grew up among barbarians, you wouldn’t really be able to.”
“You’d be surprised what you call “barbarians” are capable of. So is the contract finished? Am I formally your guard now?”
“Yes, it is finished now. This should be enough to avoid any future annoyances. As my guard, the first thing we should do is outfit you so that you look like one. Right now you look like a convict the way you are dressed in those rags. Image and first impressions are very important for merchants. Should I be hiring someone in rags, it could reflect upon me as well. Well, before we do that, anything else you wish to mention? Anything you haven’t already, and could be important?”
“Alright, since I am already working for you, I guess there’s no reason not to mention it. I lied in the beginning when I said that the “Butcher” title is hereditary. I just didn’t really want to mention that I am in fact a couple hundred years old, or you might not even have considered hiring me.”
She nodded while smiling. This was very close to confirming that he might be a delusional Rogue Mage, but she already decided to travel with him, and if she started arguing with him now, it could result in unfavorable outcomes. For now she decided to just go with the flow. Besides, while she didn’t know of any immortals existing, she could not rule out the possibility that one didn’t exist either. If he truly was the Hero he claimed to be, he might as well be immortal. Although how he looked no older than herself was a point for suspicion nonetheless.
They left her room and went down, there she arranged a room next to hers for Nir, at which Harlim the bartender was more than surprised. His eyes kept dancing between Nir and her, thinking about what they had done during all this time. She slightly blushed when she realized what Harlim was thinking and fixed him with a glare.
After that was over with, they went outside of the tavern. It was time to invest in Nir’s clothes. With this in mind they started going towards the center of the town, however there seemed to be a commotion and town guards could be seen everywhere. When the guards noticed Nir and Alysha, they started making their way towards them. Not knowing what was wrong, they waited patiently for the guards to catch up.
The oldest of the guards stepped forward and started talking.
“Are you the one called Nirith?” When he received Nir’s nod as confirmation he took Nirith by the left arm while another guards took his right arm at the shoulders.
“We would ask you that you come with us, in violation to the town laws. You have failed to inform he guards at the West Gate, where you have entered yesterday of the place of your stay. Normally it is done during the mornings but we usually give new arrivals until midday to come forward and only start searching after. Since you have decided to ignore your duty altogether we will take to you the town Judge and decide upon the severity of your punishment.”
“He is under my employment currently, so you will have to take me to the Judge as well.” When Alysha said this, the guards took her sides, but did grab her arms like they did with Nir, and escorted them towards the inner-town.
While the Judge did not live in the inner part of the town, he was by no means any less important. The only reason his house was not part of the inner walls’ protection, was so that he could be called upon to judge any Stragglers if there were any, as well as anyone not part of the central quarter. His role was to deal with any crooks, perpetrators or troubles arising in the daily lives of the people of Brittlemane, petty troubles that could not be presented to the Lord of the town.
When they arrived at the Judge’s house, there were two guards at the entrance, probably to keep order and confine anyone who the Judge deemed dangerous to his persona. Entering the house, it was quite well kept, with fancy furniture and a big hearth at the living room. All houses had hearths in them, so that when the harsh, cold winters came the people would live in warm homes.
The judge himself was an older man with graying hair and an impressive mustache. His belly also was also comfortably plump, indicating that he more than liked his food. He carried himself with a self-important presence, and was waiting for them to enter in his armchair. He took a quick look at Alysha, but retained an unimpressed expression. Apparently another person to judge without prior notice was nothing new to him. Nir was forced take up a kneeling position before the Judge, while Alysha was offered a chair to sit on, so she could comfortably look in the Judge’s eyes. When this was done, the old man decided to speak.
“Since this is your first offense in Brittlemane, as far as we can tell, you will be pardoned with a warning and a fine of seventy-five Ordals. Should you not possess such an amount, you will be taken to the Scribe and given a job there, but anything you earn will be considered as payment of the fine and confiscated. Naturally the amount will lessen each time, so you will be able to pay us back. Should you try to wriggle out of your duties, you will be stripped of any valuable belongings you hold and kicked out of town. I assume there is nothing object able about this yes? Good. Now lass, what can I do for you?”
“Actually as of today I have come to employ this man as my personal guard; therefore I am also responsible for him. But before we jump to any conclusions could I ask some questions? “
“Oh well certainly, but afterwards we will have to discuss the punishment of hiring a Straggler without paying a fee to the town Scribe first.”
“Say Nirith, has anyone informed you of what laws a town enforces in the Araldian Kingdoms?”
“Now that you mention it, the guards did not let me go until they have made everything clear, but I didn’t really have any place to stay so I thought there was no need to report it.” Nir grinned at Alysha while she sighed and turned to the Judge.
“I will pay for his fine in full. As for hiring him without informing the Scribe, I’m sure you can agree that since neither Nir nor I are citizens of Brittlemane, nor does my merchant business belong to Brittlemane, hiring him has nothing to do with this city, and everything to do with me. Therefore, since I have hired Nir for my own personal safety, and the contract will stay active even after we leave Brittlemane, there was no breaking of the law, nor is it necessary to involve the Scribe.”
“It is as you say, just pay his fine and it will be considered done with; however I expect that all the other laws be kept afterwards. You don’t have many warnings left, after all. Oh and before you leave, do tell the guards of your temporary lodgings.”
True to his words, after Alysha counted out 75 Ordals, the Judge put the coins into a satchel, and put it on top of the table in the middle of the room and put a checkmark before Nirith’s name. Leaving him to his work, Alysha and Nir exited the building, where they told the guards that they were staying at the “Honest Rest” tavern. The guards checked a few more details, on which floor of the tavern and what rooms, after which they were free to go as they wished.
Now that they were not hindered anymore, they decided to go back to their original goal, and that was to secure equipment befitting a body guard, so that Nir would look the part. Their first stop was the craftsmen whom Nir observed yesterday. The blacksmith was currently hammering iron into what looked like was going to be horse-shoe. When they entered his shop, he looked up but didn’t stop working on the horseshoe until he was satisfied. Wiping away sweat with his apron he greeted them.
“My apologies for not being with you sooner, but I had wanted to finish that talisman. A customer has ordered a lucky charm in the shape of a horseshoe which he will apparently hang it down from somewhere. Why anyone would want it is beyond me, but I am not about to argue with a customer, especially if they are paying for something so trivial. Look at me chatter away! I am Gerthan, at your service. What is it that I can do for you this fine day?”
Stolen novel; please report.
“A good day indeed Gerthan, I am looking for some armor for my bodyguard as well as a suitable weapon or two.” Alysha smiled at the blacksmith and pointed at Nir.
“Ah it is good indeed that you have come, I believe I have just the thing for the young man there! I have made this exquisite sword for a town guard, but he found it too fancy and didn’t wish to pay for it. Well needless to say there is nothing wrong with it, in fact it is probably one of the best works I have made yet, but I guess I got carried away with it. It was too good a work for someone with a mere guard’s pay.”
Gerthan smiled and picked up the sword that was on display on the counter. The edge looked rather sharp, but the hilt had unnecessary curves that made it look like they were made to show off instead of battle. The blade itself though had a rather unique design, with it not having a pointy triangular end like most swords, but instead split in the middle, ending in two ends. The space between the two was most likely the same size as the space in-between a fork’s. Garthen of course looked at it as if it were the gods incarnate, obviously taking a lot of pride in it.
Alysha looked at Nir, to see his reaction, but he was only studying the sword with interest. She was glad of this, for if Garthen would catch any signs on them that they badly wanted it, he would definitely raise the price, like the good merchant that he was. Nir followed to inspect armors on display and other swords, and bladed weapons, and then turned to Garthen.
“How much would you ask for the sword?”
“I am willing to part with it at a meager price of a thousand and two hundred Ordals, no less.” Garthen straightened his back and nodden in satisfaction. Obviously he regarded his work very seriously.
Nir looked at Alysha who was already shaking her head. The craftsmanship was indeed remarkable, but the price was ridiculously high no matter how one looked at it. Compared to being able to buy fresh fish for one coin, an amount this much for a single sword… one could easily live for more than a year comfortable at that price.
“I do not imagine there are many customers who have that kind of coin around here that would need an extravagant sword like this.” Alysha pointed out, rightfully so.
“Well, I must admit that my price range may be too steep, but I will not part with this sword for less, even if I cannot sell it. It is the pinnacle of my craftsmanship, and it represents my very being. Perhaps if no one buys it, I can just keep it as proof of my skill.”
“I do not imagine it will be gone before the end of the week, so for now we’ll just look at that armor set at the corner there, if you would.”
Alysha nodded towards an armor stand which was sitting at the leftmost corner of the shop. It was an interesting combination of leather straps and steel platings. The joints were fixed with leather, sacrificing defense in exchange for mobility, but a merchant’s guard was no knight either. When Nir tried it on it was a little bit too tight, but with the adjustments of the leather straps that problem could be solved around in.
“Yes, this suits a merchant guard much better than your previous rags. How much for the armor set?”
“Yes, you indeed have very good eyes for these things miss! It has an intimidating presence that will surely keep thieves and cutthroats away! The overall cost is two hundred and fifty Ordals.”
“I’m sure you can agree that these are hard times for everyone, what with all the barbarians roaming the land. As soon as we buy armor it gets dented and ruined. How about two-hundred Ordals?” Alysha got into bartering mode, like any self-respectable merchant would.
“I’m afraid that would barely cover the expenses of the materials and my work put into it. I’ll go down to two-hundred and forty out of consideration.” She was already shaking her head before he even mentioned the price, sensing his intent.
“I’ll say two-hundred and fifteen, and we will make sure to come back and purchase anything else we might need from you while we stay here. After all, armor needs fixing, and we still need a weapon. How about it?”
After thinking a little about it Garthen agreed to the deal since it was reasonable. Should the raids come, which they could easily come any day now, there will surely be need for fixing armor or even new ones, and a weapon. Besides, establishing a good relationship with a traveling merchant is always a good idea. Gaining an extra few coins would be nothing in comparison to the long-run.
With this, Alysha and Nir walked out of the shop, with a bundle that entailed the newly purchased armor. Next, they bought some leather boots and gloves from the Leatherworker, as well as linen clothes from the Tailor. Nir was starting to look presentable, once he donned the clothes and the armor, and there was no question that he was indeed a guard. Well, aside from not having a weapon, but that can be common inside a well guarded town.
They spent the rest of the day by looking around the city. Alysha still had not stated what sort of trade she is doing in Brittlemane, but she seemed to be taking in everything, from the way the town citizens carried themselves, to the prices and goods that were in demand. Nir paid close attention too, since this was a good opportunity to learn the insides of town life. As the sun set, they made their way back to the Honest Rest.
While they were enjoying their nightly meal, and Alysha teaching common prices to Nir, the bartender Harlim surprisingly came to their table and sat down. He pattet his bulging stomach and put three mugs down on the table. Obviously he wanted something.
“The drinks are on the house, do not feel shy.” Harlim smiled and started gulping down his own ale.
Nir took his and drank with Harlim satisfied, while Alysha took a few sips before setting it down again. She looked at Harlim for a while smiling in a knowing manner, that said she knew he wanted business. Harlmi eventually sighed and gave up all subtleties.
“I have something that you could help me with. I will of course pay a decent amount if you agree.”
“First let’s hear the proposition. I’m sure you understand we can’t go into anything blindly.”
Harlim eyed Alysha than looked over Nir’s trimmed armor and his newly worn linen clothes before continuing.
“I’m sure you are aware that my tavern is not the only one in Brittlemane. We may be a small town up north, but we are not poor. That being said, my patrons are mostly regulars, whom I’ve known ever since I started up the business, with a few oddballs here and there coming through. The thing is, until now there was a balance. My tavern is on the eastern side of the town, while Flenagan’s tavern is on the west, thus we could neatly divide and indulge customers from our respective quarters of the town.”
Alysha took another sip of ale and nodded him to continue. Nir was listening interestedly in too.
“Well, recently Flenagan, may his bowels rot in a good way, has developed some kind of new recipe that’s been the talk of the town for a while now, and I’m starting to lose patrons. You know how it is, most people know each other, and they are mostly here for ale and company. Should their friends migrate to the other tavern; I’d soon have little to no business, which is no good I’m sure you can tell.”
Nir looked around and confirmed that there indeed was less traffic than before. Alysha nodded as if it was something expected.
“So, you wish for us to find a way to bring back your regular customers, as well as some new ones, or acquire this new recipe from Flenagan. Possible both?”
Garthen grinned. “I knew you were the right person to come to. Not only are you an outsider, so your affiliation with me should be not know, or at least beyond that I provide you lodgings, and you are a bright merchant too. Quite a looker as well, although not that it matters to a married man like me, mind. That new recipe of his seems to be gathering quite a large crowd for him, and I want to know what he does differently.”
“Before anything else, let’s talk price if you will. I’m fairly confident in my ability to get what you wish, but there is a price of course.”
“But of course. I am willing to pay two-hundred Ordals if you manage to get his recipe, along with bringing back my regular customers. I’ll throw in two Ordals for any new patrons you might be able to bring me.”
“Make it four per headcount and we have a deal. Ideally you will be making around twelve coins per patron, so you will still be in the positive and we will be all the more motivated to bring in more people. How does that sound?”
“Done! But the main focus is that recipe. It’s some new ingredient he’s been adding into his drinks that make the customers decide to come back, and make new ones decide to go out of their way to walk the distance.”
“Why not just go visit his tavern, drink a couple and then try experimenting with your own recipe. Maybe you could come up with something that is even better than Flenagan’s? Nir added in.
“Well kid, here’s the deal. As it stands I don’t have the luxury to do so. I am losing patrons everyday (that might be due to your personality more than anything, Nir thought), and the more this continues the more chance that I will have to close shop for good. Besides, I am not some master brewer, and I do not have precious supplies to just throw away in case the result turns out undrinkable.”
Alysha took out a small notebook and started scribbling into it with a small stick with charcoal attached at the tip. She wrote down the request detail, along with the payment for completion as well as Harlim’s name. The notebook seemed quite fresh, only a couple of pages had been used. When she was done, Harlim left their table satisfied and in a much better mood than he had previously been in, since Nir saw him. They then decided to rest, and tackle the task at hand on the next day.
***
The morning sun caught them standing outside a tavern called the “Drunken Wench”. When they entered, the barkeeper was sweeping the floors, clearing broken glass and going about his daily chores. It seems unlike Harlim, he did not take in patrons who wished to stay for the night, and operated solely on the business of selling drinks and dinner to his patrons, that got hungry from all the drinking.
The barkeep, presumably Flanagan himself, was not only different to Harlim in way he was conducting business, his looks also vastly varied. He was much shorter for one, with receding hair, but had a well built body, that hinted at previous days of adventuring.
“We’re closed until the night.” He said in a rough voice while he looked over the two of them. He paused slightly to look over Nir’s armor and blinked a few times at the sight of Alysha, after which he went back to sweeping expecting them to leave at that.
“Master Flanagan I presume? My name is Alysha, I am a traveling merchant who is currently dealing in all sorts of business during my stay here in Brittlemane. I heard that you seem to possess a new revolutionary recipe that makes the ale incomparably delicious. I was thinking you could provide a sample of that ale for us?”
“Look here lass, you want ale, come during the night. I am currently busy and unless you wish to take over sweeping I suggest you find something to do until you wait for the sun to set.”
Alysha looked at Nir and looked at the broom in Flanagan’s hand, with a smile slowly creeping on her face.