“So all the contents of your wagon, and the uh, exotic animal, hauling it are all officially declared, by you, to be legal salvage of the wreck of the Sugar Leaf terminus township?” The annoying little banker asked, again, this time with some papers and a pen. “And are thus, under salvage laws, considered now, your property and responsibility?”

His eyes drifted over to the cart, and Halona, with a look of pure avarice.

Too bad for him the local sheriff was standing right next to him, making sure all the papers were done correctly. I’d had a good education myself, and some experience with the importance of documents from the war, and carefully re-read each and every line, on all the copies.

“Correct on both counts.” I stated calmly, and very firmly. I did not like the look in that little mans eyes as he looked over the official list of contents of my wagon, which several deputies and clerks had gone through. I thought I would catch pure hell when Halona had stated that she was part of the collection of salvage and property belonging to me.

Damn horse woman was gonna get me lynched!

I should’ve known better though. Halona was a prize indeed, if all you saw was just an exotic horse to sell, which she was decidedly not. But no.

It was the bags of gold bullion they were most hungry for. Sadly, for them, it was all declared official legal salvage after another group of deputies with a local marshal had taken a train to Sugar Leaf and back.

The speed of trains still amazed me.

I mean, I’d heard about it, and seen the results of them during the war, but seeing one turn a multi day journey from here to Sugar Leaf into a few hours excursion was still a shock. Round trip no less! They’d even had time to add in a brief investigation just to make sure our story checked out.

After that, they’d helped go through my salvage and ensured the bankers and the clerks didn’t miss count anything.

I was gathering that there was some kind of issue between the local bankers and the authorities. A mess I wanted nothing to do with. Plain and simple.

So far, our time in Twin Creeks had been…decent.

Our arrival had generated some minor fanfare, with Halona instantly getting a crowd of fascinated people standing around her staring in open wonder. Several brave children had run up to her when we’d come to a stop and actually petted her! She’d laughed in delight, and once I’d unhitched and unloaded her, she’d happily provided short little rides around the Main Street for those who asked, and had their parents permission.

People only got more interested when I asked for the sheriff, and had said we’d just come direct from Sugar Leaf.

After that, the town had practically shut down with everyone wanting to know what the hell was going on. The sheriff hadn’t wanted a riot, so he’d had me give my full statement out on the sidewalk of his office, at a simple table, with the whole town crowding in to listen. He’d gotten my permission beforehand for that, but I’d understood what he wanted to do.

The townsfolk wanted answers, and since they were basically right next door to Sugar Leaf, they were not interested in not knowing what the hell was going on.

Now, people were arming up and swarming into another train, bound for Sugar Leaf. They had plans to recover the town, and deal with any other Furwraiths that showed up. As to the Man-Wolves, no one knew what to do with them. No one even knew if they were sentient or not.

Still, there was a town to recover, rebuild, and reopen, all with lots of salvage to be had.

People were suddenly animated and motivated.

“Sign here then.” The banker stated, looking all but forlorn. I got the impression he felt like he was watching a fortune sail right by him, and he was unable to get any of it.

After carefully finishing going over all the documents and their copies, I signed them. The Sheriff signed as a witness, and the banker sighed as he took his copies. “Everything is in order. Good day gentlemen.”

Without another word, he turned and left. I stared, surprised.

“Isn’t he supposed to try and get me to bank with him or something?” I asked, confused.

“He’s used to coming up with ways of taking everyone else’s money through loopholes and the like.” The Sheriff answered, chuckling. “All this fortune just rolled in, and he can’t touch it. Worse, you actually know how to read these contracts, and what to look for. He’s scum, but petty scum. His tricks are in paperwork and contracts, neither of which helped him here.”

“Sounds like a right peach.” I muttered, getting up from the table. I was very glad all the statements and contracts and general paperwork were all over with. I wanted some food, and a bath. Then maybe a bed.

“Oh he is at that.” The Sheriff agreed, laughing, before he shook my hand. “Good at avoiding outright breaking the law though, sadly. Still, enough of him. Congratulations on your new fortune, Mr. Ranger. And thank you for letting us know what happened to Sugar Leaf. Some had family there, and they still might, all things considered.”

“It was my pleasure Sheriff.” I smiled as I shook his hand.

“That centaur woman of yours is certainly a sight.” He suddenly laughed as he pointed out the window. Looking out the window, I saw Halona giving more rides to children, mostly little girls, who were also braiding her hair and chatting and laughing with her as they rode on her back. Their parents all looked on a touch anxiously, but also with big grins of their own.

“That woman’s gonna be the death of me.” I muttered, chuckling as I watched her entertain the towns children.

“That’s usually how it goes for most men.” The Sheriff replied with an amused shrug. “So, you planning on sticking around?”

“Nah,” I answered, heading over to Butterball. “After some rest, I’ll be on a train east. I’m heading to the coast, looking for some adventure. Or something of that nature at any rate.”

“Well, you have fun.” The Sheriff chuckled. “And be wary of any more monster attacks.”

“Will do.” I said, heading over to my horse. Going through the motions of untying him and getting on him helped me process that I was now, officially, very, very rich. I glanced over at Halona, who was still playing circus pony, and decided to head off to do some proper shopping for supplies for our journey.I called out to Halona and let her know, before setting off on my own. She was busy with the crowd, and had simply nodded.

For a moment though, I paused to let it sink in; I was now wealthy. I was rich! It still didn’t really feel all that real. And funny enough, I still wanted to travel east for my adventures, or just to sight see and look for…something. I’d know it when I found it.

I hoped.

Still, while the money was nice, and would make things much easier and more comfortable now, my goal was still a lot of travel. A lot of seeking. I didn’t want to get distracted by new riches that God could take away tomorrow just as easily as he had given them to me today.

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So, back to work for the journey! I thought as I shook my head and gently kneed Butterball into movement along the road of the large town we were in. I had supplies to buy.

Oddly, my first stop was unexpected.

The Yonder Old Blade Shop.

I decided to head in, and look into getting some proper steel for Halona. Possibly even for myself as well.

“Ah!” The well dressed shopkeeper said smoothly as soon as I walked up to his counter. “Greetings sir, I am Simon Afelcart, blade master and procurator, at your service. It is most wonderful to meet you! How may I assist you today?”

I blinked at his odd attire.

He had on a nice suit, well made with a dark orange vest and a clearly expensive pocket watch, but he also had on thick gloves, a top hat, and some brass looking eye monocles or goggles as well. The goggles had several eye sized monocles on them, with little handles that he could interchange by hand.

He himself had a long black beard that he had braided down to his chin. I’d seen his like before, during my time in the military, but that was when I’d been transferred back east, and had ridden there on horseback. During the war I hadn’t seen many trains, except from afar, but he looked like a rich conductor of a train. Also a clearly rich businessman. Someone who belonged in the steam and soot covered cities of the East where I was heading. Not out here in the frontier.

Did he move out here to make his niche? I wondered, before internally shrugging; he was here, obviously successful, and had lots of blades to sell.

“Yes, hello, I am Jake Ranger.” I introduced myself to him, nodding back to his respectful bow in my direction. “I would like to get a different sword. My old cavalry saber is good, but I am heading to, slightly more civilized settings, which usually means lots of buildings as I understand it.”

“And a long Union Cavalry sword is not the best call for close quarters combat with lots of walls and narrow tunnels and alleys and the like.” Afelcart finished for me, nodding with understanding. “I can certainly understand your predicament sir. Let us see what we have here.”

He started looking around behind his counter as I glanced around the store. He had a pretty wide taste in blades, with everything from punch blades to great swords. A big variety of deadly, and beautiful blades hung on the walls, very well crafted and ornate, giving the place a strange, but enticing air of excitement.

“If I may ask sir, are you proficient with your saber?” Afelcart asked, slowly looking at his wares behind his counter.

“Not dueling proficient.” I answered, thinking about my instructors, and about how while I was quick to learn, and quick with the hand, I disdained the formalized styles they’d all insisted on. “But I can say that I am fairly battle proficient with it. And experienced with it at this point.”

“And wise enough to understand the difference.” Afelcart nodded with a smile.

“Are you happy with the saber style, or would you be comfortable with a straight edge? I do have a beautiful and battle tested Roman Gladius, if you would like.” He offered, eyeing me with polite and professional curiosity.

“No thanks.” I shook my head decisively. “I am more comfortable with the slash and swipe style than the thrusting style. I can thrust, by I prefer more curve cut than straight stab.”

“Of course sir, I completely understand.” He nodded in agreement and then seemed to make a decision. “In that case, perhaps I can interest you in this?” He held up a relatively short, but beautifully crafted cutlass. “This cutlass is both beautifully made, elegant, and very efficient. It has additional hand protection with its hand guard, and can be wielded easily with one hand. It’s of course vey fast, with speed and precision being its primary strengths.”

The blade and pommel looked almost like silver, with a black leather grip wrapped around the handle, and a solid, widely curved hand guard. Simple, elegant, straight to the point. The cutlass was shorter than my cavalry saber, but the style of the blade was still much the same, so it wouldn’t take much to adapt to it.

“Why don’t you hold it sir, and see if it suits your hand?” Afelcart asked, offering me the blade handle first. Honestly, I doubted that was necessary, since I was basically sold on it already. However, I wasn’t about to tell him that.

Though to be fair, he probably knew that already.

I carefully took the sword from him, and gave it a few experimental twirls, before I carefully took it through some basic sword fighting moves. It’s reach and weight were different from what I was used to, but it still felt good.

Swords had never really gone out of style, even with guns, simply for the sheer number of creatures out there; civilized, savage, feral, or otherwise. So many types that had fangs, claws, often blades of their own, and would routinely close in to close range to use them. Then there were the fantastical stories I’d heard of robots, mobile armor suits, and actual armor that could stop bullets.

Somehow.

I’d never seen it, but I’d heard of it during the war, and after. Special units that battled with specially equipped enemies and the like.

So, swords were still valid options even unto this day.

Things like the Furwraiths were rare, but not exactly unheard of, after all.

All of it thanks to the Shattering, as I understood it. But who knows? Guns and swords were great for killing, and only required you to put in the practice to be good with them. Being amazing was nice, and worth the effort, but on a battlefield, being just good was often good enough to survive.

Survive long enough, and you win, either in overall victory for your side, or living through the defeat on your side, and still be left standing. For regular foot soldiers, that is often considered a victory.

Good tools helped with that, and guns and blades were among the best tools out there.

“I can see from the glint in your eye sir, that she is a good fit.” Afelcart stated with a smile. “Shall we say, ten silver eagles? It of course comes with a solid belt and sheath.”

“Two gold eagles, for the sword, the belt and sheath, and a good knife for my travel companion, complete with a belt and sheath for that one as well.” I stated, taking the money out and offering it to him.

“It would be a pleasure sir!” He stated, taking the gold coins. After all, no matter the knife he offered, I’d still wildly overpaid. But I didn’t mind too much when it came to keeping a weapons merchant, who was selling me tools to keep me alive, happy.

“Am I right in assuming that your travel companion is the Indian Centaur that arrived this morning sir?” He asked, bustling about and assembling some blades behind his counter.

“You are.” I answered calmly. “She says she knows her way around a blade. That all Indians do really.”

“I have certainly found that to be the case myself sir.” Afelcart agreed, as he began going over his wares while he set a belt and sheath for the sword up on the counter for me.

“She also says she was trained in the spear.” I mentioned as took the sheath, put my new cutlass away, and then set about belting it on comfortably.

“It would not surprise me sir, but sadly, I already sold my last spear several days ago, and I have not yet been resupplied.” He sighed sadly. “There have been several delays to the trains of late. Not sure if it’s the usual troubles, or something worse. Still, let us just say that your sword and a good knife for your lovely centaur companion are very wise purchases sir.”

“Thanks for the tip.” I said with a sigh. Really, if it wasn’t one thing it was another!

I just wanted to take a train east! Why was that suddenly so damn hard?!

“A pleasure sir.” He nodded, and proceeded to show me his various knives meant to be wielded for personal protection. In the end, I settled on a simple caribou knife with a smooth wood handle and a long, smooth, sharp edge. Complete with a good brown sheath and belt. Simple, reliable, even beautiful in its own way.

The richly, if slightly oddly dressed merchant and I parted ways on good terms, with him telling me to check out his brothers store out in the east, in the port city of New York.

I told him I would, and then headed out.

I found Halona slowly heading over to me, or rather, to Butterball, smiling as she munched on an apple. The crowd had mostly dispersed, though people still stared at her as she passed them by on the road, right next to all the other horses and carts. I chuckled and then headed over to her.

She was very happy about her new knife, thanking me profusely over it.

“You have armed me so very much!” She said excitedly, practicing pulling the blade out of it is leather sheath and expertly twirling it around. She really did know her way around a knife.

“Well, lately things have been getting more dangerous, or at least more difficult.” I replied as I mounted Butterball and guided him out into the street next to her. “And since you insist on traveling with me, I insist that you be well armed.”

“Now if only I had a spear and rifle.” She muttered as she continued to look over her new blade, occasionally twirling it around quite deftly.

“No spears in this town. They were all sold out already.” I told her with a shrug. “Rifle is easier, and we’ll see about getting you both, and having you practice with them and your pistols. But for now the plan is a long train ride east. Not much call for either weapon on a train.”

“You hope, you mean.” She replied with a smirk. “But thank you, for the knife, but also for the promise of a rifle and spear. You have given me more respect and trust than the Braves of the tribe ever did.”

“You’re welcome.” I answered with a smile.

After that, the rest of the night went by very quietly. I got a room at a good inn, while Halona got to bed down in a very nice set of stables. She assured me she was used to it, and found it comfortable enough to simply have a good roof over her head and a warm room to relax in. It blew my mind, but in practical terms, where else would anyone be able to house her?

For heavens sake, she was half horse!

Getting a train ticket for her was going to be…interesting.

Still, after a good bath, and having all my clothes professionally cleaned, I was happy enough to just lay down on a very good bed and get some sleep. The whole drinking and living it up style of life that many of my fellow soldiers had enjoyed had never appealed to me. There was something to be said for a very good bed, after a very long and hard several days.

Before I laid down for some well earned sleep, I took a look at myself in the mirror. I had no real beard, and I had shaved any whiskers that had tried to grow on my face, leaving my face smooth, minus the scars. I traced a hand on the left side of my face, feeling the old scars.

Two long, neat tracks down the far left side of my face, closer to my ear than to my eye, and fairly easy to miss at most angles. They’d long since healed up and were now just two white lines on my face, but they were a visible reminder of the fights and violence I’d encountered during the long war.

A reminder that not all battles were fought against humans armed with blades and guns.

The rest of me was simple enough; pale white skin, except for the tanned parts that the sun had touched, light brown, almost auburn hair, blue eyes, and a fairly well cut and angular face.

An entirely ordinary man, by all accounts. I thought with a smile. Whose just had the…odd luck of living through some extraordinary circumstances. Thank God.

After that brief self-examination, I finished cleaning up, and then at last laid down on a very good, very comfortable bed. The first real bed I’d been able to enjoy for weeks.

I was out like a light in seconds.