REPUTATION

Shouts and curses rang out from the tables in the tavern. Large mugs of ale splashed across beards, making its way down the expectant throats. Outside the sun had just disappeared to sleep, but in here, the day now began.

"I swear, that black eye looks weird on you."

"Pshh, can you still talk without that buck tooth of yours?"

"Stop talking sh*t fools. Next time we meet that brat, we will kill him."

The leader of the group who spoke the last, grabbed a mug full of beer and guzzled it down--half entering the inside, while the remainder running down an unkempt long white beard. His swollen, blue-black face displayed vindictiveness. Whoever was the target would be in for a world of hurt.

"Drogg, you should stop bitch*n. You know this is not the first, and it wont be your last skirmish in a pub. Gina, give those sullen boys a tankard on the house."

The burly tavern owner hollered to the serving girl, as he cut into the group's conversation. The rest of the tavern's occupants immediately voiced their objection, forgetting their own previous conversation. A free tankard of ale could aid in warming half the cold autumn night, not to mention get a man drunk.

"Yak, I don't know why you left the mercenary business, but today I agree with your decision. Drink up boys, free ale tonight, next two days, we have to eat the cold, escorting a merchant cargo back to Frost City."

"Oh, already? When you return, don't forget to tell the old men in the Guild I'm still waiting on my retirement money, haha..."

The group guffawed along with the full crowd in the tavern. Most of these folks were Mercenaries hired as guards by merchants. The town of Karst being a well-known point as a stopover for restocking before journeying north to Frost City. Merchants dealing in furs and cargo originating from the forest choose this path while on their route from the south.

Tonight this motley group of men consisted of experienced Mercenaries and their new trainees. After this run, most of them would find some errand jobs in the City to tide them over the winter. When the merchants took to the roads, so to do their pouches, once again begin to refill.

"When I return to Frost City, I am going to rain curses on the Guild. Damnit, what a useless bunch of rookies--can't even beat a kid. I tell yo..."

Old man Drogg halted midway in his speech.

The boisterous sounds and yells stopped as silence descended.

This was because last night's perpetrator stepped in through the open doorway.

"Gimme one mug of ale."

The serving girl behind the bar filling a tankard, mechanically poured out a mug before noticing the newcomer. She inhaled loudly as she froze in shock. A look of appreciation flashed across her freckled face. The teen palmed ten coppers on the table, grabbed the wooden mug and brazenly plopped himself down on the bench, plump in the middle of Drogg's group.

Expressions of shock, admiration, and retaliation crossed the faces of these thirty odd drinking men. Half of these men like Drogg and his two companions could be termed veterans, while the rest consisted of trainees and rookie adventurers.

"Brat, you sure have some nuts, showing your face in front of me."

"Old man, don't tell me you're still grousing about yesterday?"

Ming downed half of the contents in the mug, throwing his head back and so wetting both the inside and outside of his mouth. Continuing in character like a true mercenary, he slammed the mug on the table splattering the remaining half of the contents.

The group at the table saw him stare at the spilled alcohol while in quiet contemplation.

'Ten coppers--if Chu saw this, he would flail me alive, before he bled to death.'

"Old man, you know damn straight--your drunken boys tried to accost that there young woman. I simply did the same thing you also would have done."

"Brat you broke their noses and teeth! You even had to gall to attack me!"

Drogg slammed the table with his two palms as he stood up, sharing a ferocious gaze with Ming.

"You coot. That's because you came looking for vengeance."

Ming followed suit but with half the effect given his size. Drogg had a muscular frame to support that long beard of his. Ming secretly noted its effect, soon he planned to sport one similar and just as wild. The two stared calmly into each others eyes. Today unlike yesterday, Drogg still remained sober--last night he was as drunk as a fish.

"By the Nord Pass, brat, you are going to die young if you keep meddling in other people's business."

Drogg sighed.

"My boss told me it's better to die young, saving a woman, than to die old--like a dog."

Ming replied.

The other veterans let out some nods of appreciation, reminiscing on how good it was to be young and free. Drogg and his three friends at the table could only sigh in reply.

"Gina, bring another tankard over on this table. Let's all drink hard tonight."

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Yak hollered. This brat had the making of a real man. Yesterday before Yak could act, the guy punched and kicked those three rookies, knocking them out before they could even draw a weapon. When the drunken Drogg and the others tried to intervene, the boy simply did the same.

Gina brought over the tankard and placed it on the table. Ming stepped up on the bench, knocking his mug with an oversized, wooden spoon, lifted from the table.

"Since Master Drogg is willing to forgive me, let's all drink and be merry tonight. If Gina gives me a kiss, then I will buy a round for everyone here."

Ming announced.

His words brought cheers and hollers from the other tables. Now everyone stood up begging the young woman to commit the act. Ming bent down, perched on the bench as he brought his cheek close to the blushing woman. Tapping his face he urged her to place a kiss on either side.

Gina looked around and then grabbed Ming's face before administering a deep kiss. She then hurried off amidst the cheers to fill the expectant tankards. Ming placed his hand on his mouth before jumping down and grabbing his empty mug. Raising it high he shouted

"And that, my senior brothers, is how you earn a kiss from a barmaid."

'Damnit, I just kissed the serving girl. Did I just become a man? Will I have to marry her? OMG, Chu is going to kill me.'

Ming's reddened face was mistaken for a drunkard in the merrymaking. By the time the tavern closed, this teen had become sworn brothers to the veterans and rookies alike. Yak personally carried the drunken teen over to the stables to accompany the other drunks snoozing among the hay.

The next day Mr Thomas stared at the red-eyed, fatigued looking face on a disheveled body covered with pieces of straw.

"This is the second week, and the second tavern. Are you planning on hitting all four of them in this town?"

He spoke while shaking his head.

"Yep, I'm going to take a sleep. Tomorrow I want to pay a visit to the Jumping Buck on the south side. A mercenary told me it's the hangout for those merchants heading south to Haven. That reminds me, I also need about thirty silvers this evening."

This brat had been busy in the town ever since they settle down. He couldn't complain, since these drinking and bonding sessions with mercenaries and town merchants brought them valuable information. Currently they had gotten first dibs on a carpenter and miner placed up for trade as slaves. The cost of acquiring information however, made him bleed.

"What the hell for now?"

Came an angry retort.

"Haha... It's for the three rookies I delivered a beating to, on my first visit to this tavern. Last night, me and some other rookies carried them to the tavern for a drink. Suffice to say, I'm now sworn brothers with them, so I want to compensate them for my harsh actions."

"What the heck..."

"Besides, it will make me look good in front of Drogg and the other veterans. These old guys are like the previous ones, all trying to poach me to join their group. Oh, and tell Sue--Kip the slaver, is ready for her."

Ming headed off to sleep in the inn. Mr Thomas gazed at his retreating back in wonder.

***

Shine walked along the meandering path, holding a small bag. Her hair blowing in the breeze, she looked nothing like a woman consigned to a life in the slums. Similar to her previous dwelling, these crude shacks also consisted of mainly twigs and branches.

Trees being a scarce commodity, the owners made do with the shrubs from the grassland. Stacks of chaff and dry corn stalks substituted as firewood.

From within these shacks, some eyes looked on in admiration, others in fear and respect.

The first time this woman and her husband arrived in the slums, the ruffians prepared a wonderful welcome. Waiting for Toll to make his daily visit to the tavern, they then accosted the woman in a shack. Five young men barged in to commit the act, but only two crawled out, with a permanent loss to their manhood.

The couple then moved their meagre belongings to the now larger vacant shack. As for the two survivors, they both refused to talk, having lost more than their shack, but rumor spread like wildfire that the woman used a dagger like a trained mercenary. She also seemed proficient at finishing of a man's personal weapon.

Shine entered a shack, after casually scanning her surroundings. Those untrained ruffians could never meet the high standards of the training she experienced. Her lean body had been tempered and toned in the fields, her knife skills, honed to attack fatal points--inflicting maximum damage.

For someone literally living among wolves, and having to butcher fearsome predators caught by the hunting groups, these uncoordinated attacks by weak malnourished men became laughable.

Toll had gone on to the other end of the slums, so as to try to convince a younger couple to join them. That family had only now moved into the slums, because of a tax issue. She was certain that Toll would soon convince them to join the ranks. She had high hopes for their success, while she turned her gaze inside.

Smiling at the five dwellers, she removed the fresh rock bread from the bag.

"Who wants to eat..."

***

Rugol and Stavia had a much better treatment. Both of them found lodging in the local tavern, working as low paid helpers. One night Rugol demonstrated his skills in subduing a group of local drunkards, earning him the respect of the small guard contingent.

This village located in the northeast of Karst, did not have much of a garrison, so Rugol quickly found extra work in driving around a wagon. This wagon transported two aged guards around the local farms for the weekly patrol. He used this time to chat with the farm helpers and the guards, obtaining information and enticing those characters who had good reputations.

This way both him and Stavia learned about the backgrounds and natures of those local to the village. They shared the tavern's worker hut with the children, while providing some assistance to the willing couples in the slums.

Within two weeks Mr Thomas and Ming would return to transport all of them back to Karst. The newcomers would stay in the rented rooms of the inn, under Sue's supervision, while they would continue the process in another village.

While the guards conversed with the farmer, Rugol made his way towards a man heaping up the dried corn stalks. This man and his wife moved to the village in the summer. Apparently his shop caught fire, causing him to lose everything. Faced with the cost of taxes, creditors and customers who paid a deposit, he had no choice but to sell his remaining assets and leave the town.

All information from the villagers, merchants and guards who frequented the tavern showed the young man had skills but also had a stroke of bad luck.

For Rugol, he had the feeling he struck gold. He could only imagine the face of his Boss, if he brought this person back.

A trained woodworker, and a skilled dressmaker. Husband and wife, barely making ends meet.

"Finn, no need to worry, Sherry is all safe in the worker's hut with Stavia. It's much better there than in the slums."

"Thank the Heaven's, thank you Rugol. I don't know what to do. We have no money, and still owe a creditor that I need to pay or else I'm finished. I don't even have money to run from this village."

Finn cried.

"Steady your heart, man. You are lucky you're still young. Remember what we talked about? Have you made a decision yet..."

***

Lucy woke up before sunrise and slipped out of bed so as not to wake the others. She washed her face with the basin of warm water placed near the fire before dressing in her full armor. Cloaking herself, she exited the barn in the chilly air. A thin streak of light appeared in the eastern horizon, dawn of a new day.

She made her way to the western entrance, looking to head out into the forest. Lucy had a few hours before her usual job of patrolling the farm began. She paused as she detected a familiar smell near the gate that should not be there. Her soft leather boots made no sound as they resumed her walk.

Near the entrance, a person sat on a log patiently waiting. She frowned as she saw the wooden crutches at the side.

Chu looked up as he removed his cloak. He smiled as she walked up

"How long do you plan on keeping it a secret. Aren't you going to tell me about it?"