Delta was still a bit stunned when she returned to the mercenary’s tent. Gwen hadn’t dozed off yet and looked up curiously when she sat down. Zipper looked concerned. “They did pay us, didn’t they?”

“Oh, yeah”, said Delta. She took the five gold coins from her purse and held them out. They all stared at them in shock.

“Are they… real?” asked Zipper.

“I’m pretty sure”, said Delta. “They look and feel right. I’ve had payouts like this, but not for one day’s work.”

“Tell me you signed up for more work”, said Zipper.

“I did”, said Delta. She got a grip on herself. “Let’s do payroll.” She counted out one gold coin for Zipper, Gwen, and herself. “That’s one each. And I will keep the other two for brigade expenses.” She pointed at the two coins, and then at Gwen’s three arrows, her clothes, and the food, hoping she understood that she wasn’t just pocketing the money.

But Gwen just nodded absently. She was still mystified by the money. After spending a good long time looking at it, she moved and slowly put it in her pouch, looking to see if the others were going to stop her.

“Let’s go shopping!” said Zipper.

Delta smiled. “We certainly could do with getting some things. But let’s spend a few hours looking first. I have the feeling this town is completely bent on fleecing mercenaries out of as much cash as they can.” She turned to Gwen. “Gwen: sleep.” She then made eyes looking around the room. “Bag: here”, she pointed at her pouch, and indicated she should use it as a pillow. Gwen nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

“Slan agat!” said Zipper, and Gwen made a faint smile.

“What was that?” said Delta, as the two of them left the tent.

“That was ‘goodbye’ in Goblin”, said Zipper. “I think.” She shrugged. “I started asking Gwen for her words for things as well as teaching her ours. I figured there was no harm in having a way we can talk to each other with no one else knowing.”

Delta pursed her lips. “A brigade code. I like it. Good idea.”

“Do I get a bonus?” asked Zipper.

“Don’t be greedy”, said Delta. “And watch your purse.” There were definitely people hanging out about the mercenary tent watching who came and went. A few came up and offered to guide them around ‘the city’, but Delta declined. They got off lightly, since apparently the rest of the mercenaries were known for drinking late and sleeping late.

Their first stop was to the money changers. A few gold coins were not enough for some of the big purchases that Delta would have liked. And it wouldn’t do to flash around gold when making smaller purchases. She wanted to get a feel for how the money translated into the copper and silver coins she was more used to handling. She kept to her promise of not making any transactions until after the noon hour. And it was just as well since the rate changed from vendor to vendor, and the more so if you were going to borrow money or open a line of credit with them.

“Why does something as simple as money have to be so complicated?” asked Zipper.

“Everyone wants a piece”, said Delta. “But I think I might know where we can get an honest answer.”

“In this town?” asked Zipper, in surprise.

Delta walked down the main avenue to where the Countess’s residence was. The guards there watched her warily, but she turned and went up the portico opposite.

The clerks she had dealt with earlier were still there, talking and sorting their cards. One looked up curiously at her. “Did you think of something else you needed?”

“Just advice”, said Delta. “I’ve been to every money changer in town and they’ve given me different rates for changing gold for silver. I thought I might ask you what the official exchange rate is for your county’s minted coins.”

The man looked at his colleagues and they all smiled. “She’s a smart one”, said one to the other. “Quite a rarity”, said another.

He turned back. “Ten silver shillings to a gold shilling on anything minted with the Count’s likeness on it. Ten copper to a silver. Twelve pennies to a shilling.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Delta nodded. “Thank you, your advice is much appreciated.”

“Here”, he said, unlocking his box. “I can give you change right now if you like.”

Delta raised her eyebrows and pulled out her purse. “That is very, very appreciated” she said. Zipper also pulled out her coin.

He smiled pleasantly, and carefully counted out the coins and their change. Then he meticulously locked up his box again. “Wight’s Brigade, right?”

“Yes”, said Delta. He nodded and their discussion picked up again.

“Wow”, said Zipper, as they walked away. “Just, wow.”

Delta shrugged. “I thought it was worth trying.”

They found a food stall near the stock yard. The food was cheaper and better than near the mercenary tent. When they bought enough to take home for dinner, and Gwen, they got a better deal again.

“Since they have a night market here, we should go out together and get gear for the brigade”, said Delta. “But there is one thing I want to set up before that.”

They dropped the food off in the tent, and Delta picked up a bundle from her gear. They then walked all the way back to the stockyard where they had lunch. It wasn’t busy at this time, and she asked the woman who had served them who sewed the livery for the Count. She knew that, but she also knew who that person contracted the work out to, who just happened to be a friend of hers. They walked off with a name, house number, and street.

“I think I could learn a lot watching you”, said Zipper.

“I know how towns work”, said Delta. “I grew up in Touco.”

“Ah”, said Zipper. “That’s, like, the east side of Avenio.”

“Yes”, said Delta. “Right on the Romitu border.”

“That explains why your accent is hard to place”, said Zipper.

Delta looked down at Zipper. “Yeah, I can’t place yours either.”

Zipper grinned. “I move around too much.” She then changed her pitch. “You gotta get me talking about home before I start sounding like it.”

Delta snapped her fingers. “Galacia.” She looked at her closely again. “You don’t look Galacian. Your skin, your hair. Paint a stripe on your face and you could almost pass for an Amazon.”

Zipper laughed loudly. “Those clerks were right: you are one to watch out for. Got it in one. I’m another border kid. From the outlands of a small hamlet you can’t spell in the county of Benenn, which you’ve never heard of.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you look Amazonian”, said Delta.

“I’m half Amazonian, on my father’s side”, said Zipper glibly.

Delta walked for a few paces, then asked. “How is that even possible? There’re only women there. Amazons don’t have fathers.”

“Good Amazon girls don’t have fathers”, she waggled her finger. “Bad Amazon girls… sometimes they get curious, and when things don’t turn out right, the kids get punted over the border.”

Delta looked shocked. Then suspicious. “Are you just making that up?”

Zipper laughed again. “You will never know!”

They arrived at the place and knocked on the door. Delta introduced them, and said she needed some sewing work done. When she said that they had been sent by Emeriza at the stockyard the woman brightened considerably, and let them in.

Delta unfolded a simple cloth tunic. It was large and sleeveless, white overall, but with a black eagle in the middle with three four pointed stars around it. “I need two tabards made”, said Delta.

The woman, who introduced herself as Cevina, clucked and fingered the fabric. “These are for actual fighting and such in, not just for show?”

“That would be ideal”, said Delta. “If you have the fabric on hand.”

“If you are OK with undyed, rather than bright white, that I can do.” Delta nodded. The lady looked at the design. “That will be a lot of work to stitch that on. And I’m not sure I have time. They say there’s a big order coming in from the new Countess. But my Justis has a reasonable hand with the paintbrush. It’ll be quicker, and cheaper, if we just paint it on. It won’t last as long, mind you. And it will fade after some time.”

“If that’s the best you can do in the time you have, then we’ll take it”, said Delta. “I need one for Zipper here, and a second one for someone else. She’s about the same height as Zipper, but not as wide. She’s also… cavalry. So, she’ll need the slit in the front.”

Cevina clucked again and nodded. “There’s a bit more stitching on that. But I can get it done. And I won’t charge you extra for a rush job. I’ve got to get it all done before the morning anyway. I’m happy for anything I can fit in that time. Two shillings, six pence”, she pronounced.

“I’ll give you three, in advance”, said Delta, “If you can have it delivered to us at the mercenary barracks.”

“Well, now!” said Cevina, flustered at their generosity. “That is awfully kind of you! I’ll double stitch it at the shoulders best I can! And here”, she took the tabard Delta was folding up. “I’ll have that laundered and pressed as well!”

Delta thanked them, and they made their way out.

“Tabards, really?” asked Zipper. “Are we angling for parade duty?”

“Just picking up on some stuff my old instructor told me. He said that a good tabard can hide a wealth of evil. Your armor can be as shabby and beaten up as anything. Throw a good tabard over it and you look like royalty. And, yes, we do have parade duty. The Countess is reviewing everyone tomorrow. I think it will be in our interests to look our best.” Delta mused in silence for a while. “Do you remember the two guards on the Countess’s palace across from the clerks?” she asked.

“Sure”, said Zipper. “I thought they looked right pompous.”

“What color was their hair?” Zipper thought a while but didn’t say anything. “You don’t remember because all you saw was the tabards. That’s another good thing he used to say. People see the tabard, not you. That’s great when you want to be remembered as Wight’s Company. And, when you don’t, you just take it off.”

“Hmmm”, said Zipper. “I think I see. You’re not going to make us wear it all the time, just when we want to be noticed.”

“Pretty much”, said Delta.