Working the Gurt branch of the Guild was not my favorite job. Freehold was exciting to me, because the whole village was a project that was always improving. It was full of friends, people who had joined me in the goals I had for the future.

Gurt was… fine. It was a walled city, and so it was a bit more like everywhere else in the Kingdom, with only regional differences. We did have a tamer presence here, but most of the business was simple transportation and mercantile exchange.

I had brought the saddled tarands that had been ordered and transferred their ownership, as well as some companion beasts that the city members had bought from the Guild as pets. I did not keep breeding stock in Gurt, but if we had extra young from litters after the people in Freehold had passed on them, I made a trip in for “baby beast day” and usually found homes for them all, now that it was becoming more common for families to have pets.

Outside of those baby days, people could always buy specific beasts that the Guild had in stock, and I kept the inventory as close to accurate as possible between the two branches. Our bird messaging system between branches worked pretty well, given how close Freehold was to Gurt, but might not work if we opened a branch further out, such as in Roko. As it was, Rena would send a tame razoraven from Freehold, and once it arrived in Gurt, whoever was working the branch would receive it, feed it their own tamer treat before the distance from Freehold broke the bond, update the numbers and list the requests, then send it back.

With Freehold’s growth, there were many more people making trips back and forth, especially with the speed of tarand use and the improvements to the road. Usually, someone affiliated with the Guild could manage the transfer of requested beasts. If there was enough interest in terms of quantity of higher rank, someone specific would be sent out. This time, I made the trip, but that business was done, as was my shopping.

Rather than rush back and forth, I had opted to spend a couple of weeks in Gurt. The branch’s receptionist, a lad named Gulin, wanted to make the trip to one of the settlements west of the city to visit family, and since he would be going by personal tarand and bringing his new pet lubarg puppy with him, I figured it was good advertising for the Guild and decided to cover for him. Partly that was because I heard a convoy was due to come to Gurt soon from the south, through Roko, and I wanted to buy some fabric, because as usual, I needed new clothes.

I had made the trip to Roko myself, a couple of years prior, and replenished my wardrobe then, but my lifestyle caused a lot of wear and tear, plus I had grown a bit taller between sixteen and eighteen. Fortunately, the extra height evened out my bulk. I was still muscular, but I was unlikely to grow much wider unless I double-advanced Strength, which was tempting. On that trip, I was able to fulfill my promise to the smith that had made me my draconewt scale armor, and returned to sell him my small set of armor and commission an adult-sized one. I did not need the armor, but it was still something I geeked out about.

He bought a bunch more of the beast materials I had brought, as well, including most of the darkwurm teeth. My home north of Freehold was full of random trophies from my journey, and I had worked with craftspeople in Freehold to make use of some of the materials, but most were doing me no good at all and I had finally decided to let go before I became a proper hoarder. The smith did not buy everything, and I used some of what I had left to decorate the Guild branches with beast parts, which seemed on-brand enough. Maybe some city folk would buy them as keepsakes.

While in Roko, I had tried to seek out Atlessoa. I had promised her I would come back one day, but it had been years and I was not sure she would still want to see me. I scryed her location and headed to the part of the city where she was located, but no one knew her by name when I asked around, and she remained hidden to me. She was either avoiding me or avoiding attention in general. I had hoped she would find a place in the city with the skills I had left her, but she seemed to still be sticking to the shadows, and since I had limited time in town, I could only spend so much time trying to find her before I left. I even reached out to her directly, with telepathy, but she did not respond. I knew she was alive, which I was glad for, even if she did not want to talk to me. It was a bit bittersweet, but that was life.

I was resting on a bench in front of the branch on a quiet day when I saw a trio of young kids accompanied by three gremlines.

“That’s a rare sight,” I murmured to Treepo, who was napping next to me.

Hella had brought back some gremlines from her journey south, as I had requested. I liked the cat-monkey creatures quite a bit, but Hella had also found and returned with durcats, and the rest was history. The durcats were objectively cuter, less smelly, not nearly as much of a nuisance without a bond, and equally good at killing rodents, and they had spread quickly in Freehold. When I asked people about gremlines, most of them confessed that they found them a bit creepy.

When the children and their gremlines were joined by an ashen gremline, I leaned forward and studied them closer.

The ashen gremline watched the kids like a nanny, then turned back and ran to an approaching couple. The wife was helping to keep the man steady as he hobbled on a pegleg. I jumped to my feet and ran over.

“Forn, is that you?”

The sailor’s face had been downcast, but I saw it shed some of the darkness when he recognized me. “Pilus! I hoped I would run into you here,” he said with a grin. “Honey, this is the lad I told you about, the one who showed me how to transform Totter.”

His wife, Lussel, introduced herself, and we started to catch up a bit.

“When rumors made it to the coast about a new group of tamers forming in the east, I had a feeling you might have made it out that way to join up,” he said with a laugh.

“Ah, well,” I said, scratching the stubble that was growing on my chin. “I actually founded the Tamers Guild.”

Forn and his wife looked surprised, but then Forn guffawed. “No shit,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Guess that figures. You aren’t a kid hassling busy sailors on the docks no more. Time sure flies.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes, but opted not to prod him about his new handicap until he was ready, and invited them over to the Guild to sit and have something to eat. Treepo and Totter play-wrestled on the floor while Forn’s three kids watched while squeezing their own gremlines.

“Totter eventually learned how to light a small fire,” Forn was telling me. “He can only do it about twice a day, but it was pretty useful. Much easier than using a firestarter. So when I met Lussel and we had our kids, I taught them how to tame like my gramps taught me, and got them gremlines of their own, hoping they’d one day be able to transform and give the kids an advantage in life.”

Lussel put her hand on Forn’s arm and smiled. “Forn was always doing his best for us, even though he was often away at sea. But he saved every copper he could to bring back for us, and is a great dad to our kids.”

That was a far cry from the perpetually broke sailor I remembered, but love can change a man. I was glad he found someone that helped him grow.

“After my accident,” he said slowly, his eyes growing dark again momentarily. “The work started to dry up. I tried to go back to the farm, but aside from working the oxalire, I just couldn’t keep up with my cousins. When I started seeing those new tarands the merchants were using, I got to talking and learned about this guild out east. Figured I’m a decent tamer, that maybe there’d be work out here I could do. We were able to travel with a convoy this far, then learned that there was a branch in the city, and came to check it out.”

“Why not drive a wagon for a convoy?”

“We thought about it,” Lussel said. “But the pay isn’t any better than what a sailor makes, and it would keep him away from home even more than sailing. We heard the cost of living was lower out east anyway, so we decided to try our luck here, whether or not there was any opportunity with the Tamers Guild.”

“Well,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “That’s some story.” I scratched my chin again, thinking about what I could do. “To be honest, the way most people make money directly through the Guild is through physical work, possibly even more intensive than traditional farming. We pay bounties on beasts, and members of the Guild will travel around collecting them. It’s a bit like being a hunter, except that you’re catching and taming live prey.

“But,” I continued, before Forn could say anything. “While that might not be for you, there are a lot of opportunities growing out of the Guild, and Freehold, where we’re headquartered. And the Guild does hire some salaried employees. Fortunately,” I said with a grin. “I happen to know the boss. I’m sure we can find room for you in our establishment.”

“Thank you,” Lussel said, eyes watery.

I waved my hands absently. “Don’t worry one bit. Everything I built out here, the whole Tamers Guild, might not have even been possible without your husband. Whether he meant to or not, he’s the one who taught me how to tame beasts.” I looked at Forn. “I owe you at least this much.”

Forn met my eyes, then glanced over at Totter. “You paid that back a long time ago… but thank you nonetheless.”

* * *

I was not yet sure where Forn would best fit in with the Guild, given his mobility issues, but I was not worried about finding something that worked for him. Worst case, working reception at the Guild itself was always an option, although Rena and Gulin were already handling that. Rena was a long-haul Guild member, I was sure, and basically ran Freehold’s branch for me, but Gulin was more like hired help. I was happy with his work, but I also would not call him the Gurt branch manager like I considered Rena. Perhaps I could mold Forn for that role, if Gulin one day wanted to pursue other things.

Rena could train Forn on the day-to-day operations of the branch in Freehold while taking a more active role in the projects up on the farm, as well. I did need her around to handle strong beasts that might come in, at least until Forn had gained a level or two and focused that growth towards his taming skill, but she knew the most about the goings-on overall and could probably oversee that while doing more.

That could free me up a bit, maybe let me make a run south and check out those dungeons…

As I mused on that, I made my way through the city towards where the convoy that Forn had rode in on was setting up so I could purchase some fabric and whatever else caught my eye. It was not one of Marshan’s convoys, and he usually got me what I needed, but it was nice to window shop too.

The best part of a convoy was getting all the latest Kingdom-wide gossip. Without a communication network, the only way to learn about what was happening around the Kingdom was from the soldiers, who were too tight-lipped to share much, or the merchants, who were as loose-lipped as your purse-strings allowed.

As I made my way between stalls, buying various niceties and interesting trinkets, I also bought information.

“There’s been a series of assassinations in Roko,” one merchant told me as I bought some beast crystal jewelry. “They say it was all the same guy, but no one has actually laid eyes on him. It’s like he’s a ghost. They’re calling him the Shadowblade of Roko.”

“Rumor is that the late Master Vorel had taken a disciple before he died to the barbarians in the north. A prodigy, and potentially another future master of fire. His student has been training in the capital since,” another merchant told me as I bought some books and parchments.

“Huh. Is the king planning another foray north?” I asked.

“Last I heard, the pass was blockaded and defended by the barbarians. They even constructed a massive steel gate in the middle of the pass. King Tobar lost too much in the last push, so probably not.”

“Tobar’s health is failing,” a third merchant mentioned in a whisper as I bought a new steel longsword. I had all but outgrown my baselard as a primary weapon, as much as I loved it, and steel swords were much more rare in the Kingdom years after losing the north. I grit my teeth as I handed over a small fortune for the blade. Technically, I had steel I could use to smith a sword, but the steel I had brought from the north was mostly earmarked for wagon suspensions, and the craftsmanship of this longsword was exquisite. I would make enough selling the wagons for it to balance out. Probably. If nothing else, the outlay was worth it for the information.

“How long does he have?”

“No one really knows,” he said. “Just that the stress of losing the north and losing his mage aged the man, and he went into partial reclusion. Apparently he hasn’t made a public appearance in a year now.”

“Does he have a successor?”

The merchant nodded. “Sons, who are already working against each other for the throne. The eldest barely survived a poisoning attempt, if the rumors are to be believed.”

After spending far too much coin, I lugged my collection of new possessions back to the Guild to stow until I headed back east, thinking about some of the information I had acquired. It sounded like things could get turbulent in the Kingdom, but at least the Velgeins had held their freedom, and that did not seem immediately threatened.

I would have preferred if the two peoples could learn to trade, as the price of steel had already skyrocketed. Once I ran out, it would seriously hamper that aspect of my business. Simpler, less flexible suspensions could work for the wagons, but at full speed it would cause the contents of the wagons to bounce and potentially damage the axles.

After putting away my shopping, I decided to grab some dinner and an ale at one of the taverns towards the western gate. Maybe I could pick up some more information from the merchants as they drank and got a bit looser-lipped.