Helones sat in his chair and waited for Conrad to arrive at the manor house.Devoron and Lorran sat beside him,the first gazing at everything he could find interesting and the former reading parchments.Moments later the door was opened and all saw Conrad,drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.He stood at the end of the table in silence,waiting for Helones to speak.Helones motioned the food and the wine he had ordered some hours ago and.

"Come sit,Conrad.There is food and if you're hungry,and wine to wash it down.Devoron,go and fetch us another flagon of wine and some food."

The squire nodded and went to the kitchen.He came later with the wine,bread,cheese and bacon.They ate in silence, the only noise coming from the munching and the clashing of the wine glassess with the wooden table.When they finished Devoron and another servant cleaned the table and went to the kitchen.

"So, Conrad." said Helones. Conrad gazed at him , with a grin on his face.

"So...my lord." Helones chuckled. at his words.

"Where are you from Conrad?When did you first come to Ungrey?"

Conrad looked surprised at his lord's question.Now it was Helones turn to grin.

"You are not from here, I can see that.Your accent is different and your speech is more fair than the other folk of Ungrey. Either you're a noble's son, or you served in a court. I think both assumptions are correct."

Conrad regained his posture and a grin appeared again on his face.

"I must say that you are more wise than you look, my lord. Ser Venmont, may he be with the maker was a bit more than a halfwit. Yes you're correct ser Helones, I am a noble's spawn, but I despise my kind for they only think about wealth and power. My father was a noble merchant of Lissern and served in the Count's court. When I turned 20 I refused to start the life of the merchant and entered the service of lord Paxton as a spy. Long story short after two years of service lord Paxton decided that he had no more need of me and dismissed me from the court. Ser Venmont found me in a tavern and offered me a roof in Ungrey, for as long as I served him."

Silence fell, before Helones broke it again after five minutes.

"When you say that lord Paxton dismissed you, do you mean you did something that displeased him?

The lad thought for a moment before he answered. Finally he smiled.

"Alright, I may have done some things that I deeply regret." A lie, for his face showed everything but remorse.Helones kept looking at him, until the spy surrendered."I was found in bed with one of the ladies of the court. A powerful knight's wife, if I remember correctly.It was worth the punishment.I found the Count's court dull and boring."

"And you came here to escape  dullness and boredom." Helones stated ironically.

"As a matter of fact, yes.I enjoy Ungrey and its people, as stupid and naive as half of them may be. That may sound contradictory , but I've been caught dozens of times and released by the people who caught me, for they know I mean no harm to them. Of course I have robbed traders, but they also rob Ungrey. So I take their goods and money and give them to the people."

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For the first time during their conversations, Helones saw honesty and compassion in Conrad's voice.

"Then you undertand,Conrad, that the only way that you can improve the lifes of the people of Ungrey is to serve them by serving me."

"How can I do that?"

"It's simple.You are a capable spy, and people as smart as you are rare in Arberia, for you know the life of the wealthy as much as you know the life of the poor and thiefs. I need your help to fix things in this manor, Conrad."

Conrad drained his glass and lowered his eyes.

"I am your servant, then. For as long as you wish me to be around.What is my first task?"

Helones smiled at his servant's eagerness.

"Your first task is not an easy one, and requires all your wisdom and care. I need you to infiltrate the outlaw camp east of here." A flash of surprise appeared on Conrad's face.

"Well that is not an easy task for sure. I don't need to ask for the reason of this quest, but why so fast? You have just arrived here."

"I saw in what condition the hard working people are on this village, Conrad. I will not let outlaws roam freely while I rule Ungrey."

Conrad breathed deeply.

"When shall I start?"

"Tomorrow morning you will set for the camp. You will take a mule packed with goods and some gold, so the outlaws believe that you are one of them. Find out how many they are, their weapons,provisions and the loot they possess. After you have completed this mission you must come and report to me. The manner of your escape you must find out yourself. Take a knife and a flachion with you. Torian wil be of help."

"And how do you intend to use this information, sire?" Conrad asked, the answer revealed to him the moment his lord asked him to spy on the brigands.

"When you come back, I will head for their camp and destroy it. I will kill their leader and collect the loot he has amassed during his activity as a brigand. For now that is what you need to know." Helones answered.The sun sat more to the west now, but still filled the manor house with light.Conrad got up.

"I must thank you for the meal my lord. Now I must go to my house and get ready. I only require a mule, the goods and gold I have in my possessions."

Helones took a small purse from his pocket and threw it to Conrad.The spy took it.

"This is the first payment. There are twenty silver coins inside that purse. Another twenty awaits you when you come back."

Conrad put the purse in his pocket and grinned.

"Thank you my lord." He bowed and left the house.

Helones opened the ledger and started reading it in silence. Two hours passed, until Lorran came out of his room, where he had been counting money and writing. He bowed while Helones continued to read and sat beside him. Minutes passed before the knight lifted his eyes from the books.

"My lord, I finished counting your savings and the money that I found in the small room of the treasury. Apparently, the people of Ungrey kept adding what coin they could spare to the treasury even after ser Venmont left. Usually, when the cat leaves, the mice become wolves, but to my surprise they seem to be a merry folk and respect the rules of hierarchy."

"I am happy to hear that, Lorran. How much?"

Lorran took a look on a parchment that he kept on his left hand.

"Your savings are fifty gold coins,two hundred silver and twenty copper.The people of Ungrey have saved twenty gold,a hundred silver and three hundred copper. All in all seventy gold coins, three hundred silver and thre hundred and twenty copper coins."

Helones took the parchment from his hand and read the numbers.

"Good. I need you to keep gathering tithes from the farmers and goods from the artisans. Tomorrow I need you to send word to all the merchants who live here to meet me. Also, we should start gathering taxes from all the foreign merchants who come here to trade and set fixed prices for goods that they want to buy.This way they will not rob the people of their goods for absurd prices."

"Do you think that is wise my lord?That would scare the traders off. We barely get new traders to this manor." said Loren.

"I don't intend to set high taxes, Lorren. I assume that 10 coppers for every average priced good is more than fair, but you are the expert on this matter. Also, after we get rid of the bandits, tradesmen will flock to these lands. And believe me, this will happend. Before the bandits came to Ungrey, this place was a heaven for traders." Lorren bowed his head in defeat.

"Alright, sire. It makes me happy to see that your choices are wise. I am sure your father would be proud" he said.

"Of course " Helones sighed " he would, if he could mention my name and proudness in the same sentence."