Gula POV
The trees gradually shifted to reveal a wall of wood. Crude logs were tied together with thick ropes while figures on the battlements idled about with bows. Most moved to take in our ship save one of the indistinct figures wo almost immediately disappeared below the wall's top, presumably running to tell whoever was in charge. Another minute passed before the wall revealed what it was protecting.
A carpet of grass covered the ground in and around the settlement, reaching up to the two piers jutting out into the river. Feet and carts, however, had crushed the plants through several worn tracks leading to a wide stone disk serving as the center point for the array of wood houses numbering somewhere between town and village.
As we pulled into the first wood finger, I noticed none of the faeries moved to get the plank ready. This inaction didn't apply to tying the ship down or throwing out the anchor over the left, yet the central piece needed for the legendary meeting remained untouched by the railing. I looked around, trying to decide if I should seize the board myself when three figures came from the pallisade on the right.
The figures of leather revealed human shapes and eyes. These features only made the snouts of cats and dogs on their faces more eye-catching. Though their fur undercoats sticking out between leather armor seemed out of place for such a southern land. As they stepped onto the pier, it became clear that the fur undercoat was actually their fur.
No matter how close to humans in form, the general shape of their jaws and cheeks matched the forms of cats and dogs. This applied even to the guard on the left who had not a spot of hair on his dog-like face. Clearly leading the group was a man with a leather vest and a sword at the hip of his black pants. The forehead was human, but the face seemed to have been switched with an orange cat whose fur didn't deign to reach the pink nose or the hairless ears of his animal counterpart sticking out where human ones should be.
Whatever their appearance or features, the mood of the three was clear from the worried looks on the dog guards in the back and the simmering anger radiating from their leader. The way they were looking back and forth between each other made it clear they were arguing in a spirit connection as they walked down the pier. When they came up the side of the ship, the trio stopped dead.
It must have been an intense exchange, but white paint in various shapes dotting the hull seemed to finally penetrate. The cat beastman's green eyes went to me. Then to the kelton's. It was my two guards who made him furrow his eyebrows.
"We followed the signaled request." A singing voice called from the left. I turned to see the fairy captain's yellow cap bob between the crowd towards the beastmen.
"And we thank you for that." The cat man said, finally peeling away from the kelton men. "There are many questions. The first I have to ask is: Did you come from up the river on your first trip here?"
The fairy captain stopped on my left, hairless eyebrows furrowing for only a second before coughing.
"No, we-"
Two loud exhales from the guards with dog faces cut him off. The sudden drop in all three beastmen's shoulders was similarly pronounced.
"Excellent!" The cat man leader exclaimed. "You've saved me a sore shoulder and my men a thorough whipping."
I could see the confused faces of the faeries from this angle. The cause for such discipline was rather plain to me, given this place's location. Still, the cat man gamely cleared his throat.
"We're supposed to gather food from the swamps, fill anything nasty coming from the mushroom fields with arrows, and check any ships coming down the river. Smugglers working with entens and such. That no one reported such an….odd vessel coming down would mean someone was drinking or napping on their shift. Tell me, when did Faeries Pail get the means to construct such a large specimen?"
The captain shook his head, swaying his yellow cap with the motion.
"We came up from the mushroom fields. Through the inner territory of the Thousand Screams Toad."
The two dog guards nodded in appreciation and wonder. Their superior jolted in place like he had been slapped, though his green eyes told of excitement. His gaze then perused the ship for a second time, taking in the crew, us, and the odd shapes.
"That's…. How did you survive? Even with the monster's blessing and the shortcut, it must have been several days in the yellow death."
"Three, to be exact. We…. I have a page explaining everything but it is for a diplomat….Evern, I believe. All needed stamps and signatures accompanying, of course."
A bit lower lip was the beastman's first response.
"Our hawk isn't big enough to carry anything beyond a slip of paper on its foot. If….This is what I think it's about; such news must be delivered immediately. All our boats are currently out fishing. Would it be an inconvenience to have you deliver it upstream to Garver's Field, where the man in question resides? Shouldn't be more than a day with your enchantments pushing water."
A long, silent moment came and went before the captain sighed.
"I suppose our sponsor wouldn't be so petty as to not reimburse us the detour. If that's all."
The whiskers on the cat face bounced with his nod. His mission finished, the beastmen group turned back towards the end of the pier. I found myself taking a step forward, wanting to introduce myself. When two faeries moved in front of me, I skipped to the right. When they blocked me again, Ilet my lips pucker and jaw clench. I was deciding what profanity to use when the captain's yellow cap showed up in the left corner of my eye.
"You want to physically touch them." He stated, wide mouth displaying a questioning frown.
"Listen, I know about the diseases and such." I offered as politely as I could manage.
Pink eyes regarded me with a disbelieving look.
"Such contact entails more pain than just knowing can convey." He sang to me. "I've not heard of anyone dying from it, though that's probably due to no one putting themselves through it. Some precaution would be appropriate. I assure you, however, touch is not required for business among the beastmen."
The nod I gave him was as slight as I could make it, trying to not let the fact that this was more important than business be too obvious.
I looked back at the dock. During our exchange, the trio had made it near the land portion of the dock. Getting that legendary meeting between orc and beastmen, two sibling species officially coming together for the first time, would be too awkward to happen now. There was always tomorrow, of course. The turn back below deck held no less anger in each step despite that fact.
The day passed in the bunk and dining room, surrounded by sounds of rushing water and singing conversation. Lokan was still firmly attached to Penchen's hip, leaving me to stew in impatience until night came and relieved me of the mental anguish.
Betrayal has a lingering sting, leaving my greeting to morning less enthusiastic than the last one. I still got up, washed, dressed, and ate, but the prospect of what was coming didn't push me in every movement. Unlike yesterday, when I leaned over the railing, the view was mostly rolling hills, scant trees, and solid ground under a clear morning sky that I managed to appreciate as I fixed the coin purse around my neck.
It took a tower peaking over one of the hills on the right bank for some of that excitement to return. A solid minute went by before we finally saw the settlement it stood in. The four floors of stone walls were the first thing to be seen, complete with the same indistinct figures around its top now running around to tell some higher up of our coming.
Coming closer revealed four evenly spaced piers of dark wood reaching out into a bay cut from the river proper, the far left two already holding boats around the size of ours. The wooden fingers connected to a grey stone floor, beyond which two large warehouses rested in the middle. On the left side of the leftmost warehouse was a large street leading into the city's guts. I could see wooden houses and stone streets bearing more patchwork and wear than what I had seen in Crasden, but there was just enough care put into their maintenance that I couldn't call them rundown.
A cough from the left drew my gaze away as the first turn to the rightward pier started. A fairy holding long leather gloves and a brown face covering presented his load to me with an expectant air. Right, disease protection. I forced the ill-fitting gloves on before noticing the brown cloth had strings that required bare fingers to work. When I freed my hands and got the threads snugly attached to the back of my skull with firm knots, the leather gloves were put on for hopefully the last time.
I got a sense of someone behind me just as the ship came up to the dock. Lokan came up to stand with me by the railing while the two kelton guards were content to stand a bit further behind and fiddle with their own protections. This time, the plank was drawn out as a single guard in leather armor approached with black cat ears sticking out of the sides of his dark mop of hair.
"Greetings," The cat beastman's rough voice carried from down the pier as he was still a stone's throw away. When he was just beside the plank, the next sound he made was gulping breaths before his chest came down to a mere heave. "Such a ship hasn't been seen in these lands before. Certainly not with such markings."
The captain came from the left, his yellow cap pulling my eye slightly to him.
"We come with a message for diplomat Evern. All signatures and insignia accompanying." The fairy sang to him.
This time, the beastman simply leaned forward and took the scroll without any detour of his amber eyes save a curious look over the ship's markings before stuffing it inside his right leather boot.
"We also have need of some supplies, as this trip has been extended at least two days longer than anticipated."
Black hair swayed with the beastmen's nod, emphasizing a bald spot among the fur on his left cheek.
"There's a lot of taxes and such involved with buying goods, as I'm sure you know." The guard offered in a coarse tone. "But Evern might be willing to waive such things. Depending on the importance of the missive."
Clearly fishing for answers about what this was all about, the captain's first reply was a deep sigh.
"It is of immense importance." The captain reassured. "Perhaps I should come along, have the conversation all in one sitting."
Despite his cat features, the hesitance was easily distinguished on his face.
"Evern is widely known for his disdain of sudden visits. Treats his office like it's his home and doesn't like people assuming they can come in without a previous arrangement. If a meeting happens, it will have to be after he's read the page. While you're waiting, buying a simple meal isn't going to present any problems, and you're free to roam the city." The guard offered.
"Good. We have a passenger who is eager to visit. For an hour or so." The fairy offered with a nod to me.
The cat beastmen turned amber eyes to me. He took in the green skin showing where white shirt and brown pants didn't cover. Again, the beastman took me in and then fixed his gaze on the two keltons. I wouldn't let myself be so petty as to get upset at all the attention of the occasion going to the men.
"Yes," I said, taking a step forward. "Just perusing, seeing what could be here for trade. In the future, mind you."
"A fellow warmblood wants to peruse our city?" He asked incredulously. It took a second of staring at me before he shrugged. "Fine. I must warn you, the trip back will be quite unpleasant."
With that, he turned back towards the end of the pier. Instead of immediately running ahead, I turned to the captain, only to see he was already looking at me.
"I thought these protected," I stated with a hint of accusation.
"It seems like people who use them get sick less. Besides, it protects the hands." He offered noncommittally.
Seems?
Taking a deep breath, some choice words were choked down. I may have only an hour to peruse. Hoisting myself over the plank was easy, waiting for the keltons and Lokan was almost torturous. The second the last foot was on wooden land, I immediately turned left to go down the pier.
Keeping myself to a walk was only possible because the city demanded attention. Their walls didn't quite form a box, as the middle had several corners that expanded outward. Save those sections; the three floors of stone formed a rectangle shielding the inhabitants from whatever lay beyond. For as middling as the two-story buildings of wood and stone were, the fact that we had built so much here put our eager efforts back at the swamps to shame.
We.
Slow down, Gula.
….
No. These were my people. Cast off children of the Bastard.
And having that fact known could get them killed.
That was the bucket of water the fire in my veins needed. I slowed my steps to keep with the trio trying not to run behind me. Whatever happened, I couldn't let my excitement drag eyes to the big secret. Lokan and the keltons were now casually strolling behind me as the wood pier gave way to grey stone, then almost immediately to cobble road that we took a left on.
I felt thoroughly ridiculous. Most of it was the odd, sideways glances I was getting from those leaning against the warehouses or walking beside us. Even if this was standard for visiting a hold of the beastmen, that didn't change the fact that I was having to make a concerted effort to breathe. How Eli could stand to do this every day was beyond me. Or maybe his wasn't as tightly fixed in place. Fortunately, I was distracted from the slow choking by waiting for a large cart to move past. After a few seconds, it did, and I was allowed onto the road just past the leftward warehouse.
Now in the main body of traffic, we brushed shoulders with beastmen going about their day, whether they be sweaty dockworkers, merchants moving goods, or mothers corralling swarms of children. Despite the wide range the word 'beast' could convey, beastmen seemed to only come in cat or dog varieties. What was more odd was their clothing. Body covering robes and sleeved coats were the norm. A bit much for the southern heat, with the only mercy being that the material was not as thick as northern dress.
Beyond the road lay more houses, shops, and a square fort near the center of the city. My initial impression hadn't caught the true scale of this place, as the far wall had a hazy few bits sticking out above the buildings going up and down hills. None of which I'd be seeing up close.
On both sides of the road, just past the warehouses, lay fields of stalls sporting goods of every description being warmed by the bright southern sun. Between each row were lanes for two people of comfortable acquaintance to walk together, which the market goers tolerated well enough as they went about their perusing. Or they were all just that familiar with each other.
Our group moved in a line, past wide tables sporting jewelry, cloth, and metal pieces whose purpose escaped me. Anything made of metal had an accompanying price tag coming in or near silver prices. Properly among the people now, my nose got a stab of something putrid. At first, I wanted to put it down to typical city fragrance: sweat, faint whiffs of sewage, and the waft of fires. Yet, something else still stung past all the usual offerings filtering through the mask.
After a few minutes of aimless wandering, we finally came upon a stall serving food. The trays of bread to my right brought a wave of yeast to push back the competing odors. Further ahead were more stalls bearing meats, fish, and soups.
All of which was being handled by workers covered in cloth. As choking as the face covering was, the head-to-toe wraps with only the smallest slits for the eyes brought a sense of claustrophobia just looking at them. Then I noticed how each was working with long poles of metal tipped with spoons or blades. These were everyday tools given an extra foot or so of length, with the main purpose seemingly being to keep the chefs away from the food.
Perusing the stalls, this idea became more of a fact. The why of such a clumsy scheme escaped me as I perused the offerings. Nothing about the food seemed off, nor were any of the people eating falling over from poison. Peeking into one shop sporting its own baker's oven, seemingly plain water, flour, and eggs were being molded into loaves using long handles, keeping the baker himself away from the ingredients.
The reason behind this practice finally revealed itself when I saw one of the workers leave their companions to walk near a river cutting through a portion of the city. They had a generally feminine physique that was gradually revealed as the protective brown cover was worked off. The first portion was the head section with the enveloping helmet for the head and flaps going down around the shoulders. Out of it came a cat woman with spots of black fur.
She dipped the helmet in the river before working off the rest to reveal a plain brown dress beneath. As she washed off the gloves, the reason for all these measures revealed itself. Along the inside were streaks of white pus. Looking closer, I saw bits of the putrid goo still clinging to the edges of her fur patches. Fearing I might offend, I left her to her cleaning. Going back among the crowd, I paid special attention to those passing by and, sure enough, they all had bits of puss congealing around their fur where robes and coats didn't cover.
Then I remembered how the fairy captain emphasized the protection of the hands.
For the first time, I was grateful for the mask as it hid lips curled in disgust. Something I allowed for only a second longer before forcing the emotion down. They hadn't chosen their birth. Neither of us had.
There was more to explore, stories of their lives to hear, and, given their extensive precautions, foods to taste. My mental time said I had already been here for almost an hour. When we started making our way back to the main road, one of the baker stalls on the right put out a tray of fresh loaves just as I was walking past. In the past, I would have been able to hold off; the me of the here and now hadn't had a proper, fresh bread in days. And it was all handled by the dog woman working the dough at a distance with metal prongs.
My hands reached into the coin purse for the needed copper before I had even decided to buy.
Soon, the four of us were sitting on a long bench by the warehouse by the main road, munching on our portions of yeast-laden bliss mixed with various herbs and tastes that I could only articulate as good. I was in the middle of the two men, forcing some of the bread past the right side of the mask with bare hands, a task the keltons solved by fully removing their masks. The bread just made it in when I noticed a figure in the right corner of my eye, standing still as they seemingly observed us.
I turned with a curious look, some smart words about their lack of manners on my lips. What I found was a small cat beastman, a little boy with green eyes and black fur that covered most of his face, save the tips of his sharp ears and a blank spot around his left cheek. My throat dried and my heart began to pump like I had just sprinted for several minutes.
The boy was painfully thin, with cheekbones sticking out. His clothes were a white cloth shirt and brown pants so ragged and hole-filled, they only rated above rags by their general form. This allowed me a full view of exposed ribs and a lean stomach that didn't reach past them.
For a moment, I saw rivers going by, full of fish and crawdads. Food that I my three-year-old self could never catch, even as my stomach rumbled. An impoverished existence in my past and now in front of me. With as little thought as I had in buying it, I took the bread out of the mask and handed the meager portion out to the child.
Green eyes looked at the bread, to me, then back to the torn piece. He took a tentative step forward, just in front of the brown kelton man watching him intently. The boy approached with another cautious step before snatching the prize. Its placement into his mouth was no less urgent, nor was the savoring chews.
Before he could even ask for more, I raised the rest of the loaf to him without a word. The bread was soon devoured by the lad as he took chunks out of it in bites, not even bothering to tear off smaller bits. If I could be called merely upset over the child's state, his tears falling onto the bread properly broke my heart.
Some stupid question about his mother almost left my lips. He was clearly an orphan. That or screaming at his neglectful matron was going to occupy the rest of my day.
"Thank you, miss." He offered, tears washing away some of the minute puss on his black fur.
"Do you want any more?" I asked as I got up from the bench.
The word 'Yes' screamed in his green eyes. Yet, he looked back along the wall to the right.
"Could- Might I give some to my sister? And the others?"
"Of-"
Words choked in my throat, entirely unrelated to the restrictive mask.
"Sure." I finally managed to get out.
He nodded with an unsure step back.
The two keltons came up behind me, looking neither enthused nor objecting. Lokan stood at my left, smiling in encouragement. Silver is always welcome in markets, leaving us loaded down with at least a dozen loaves each as the boy guided us out of the stalls towards a row of shacks leaning against the grey stone wall on the right side of the city. He had some strength in him now, and his smile when he looked back at our entourage matched those I saw on anyone who had beheld Eli's wonders.
Some faint worry about an ambush came to me. It was still busy midday, and some of the local guards were still ambling near the edge of the market behind us. Yet, when we came within a dozen feet or so of an abandoned-looking hut, one of the keltons coughed behind me.
"If you want the food, they're going to have to come out." His rough voice commanded.
The boy nodded before running ahead.
As I watched him, I tried to collect my thoughts. What was my purpose here? Could I bring them with me? Obviously not. And wasn't I a smuggler? Charity wasn't the reason I-
The door to the shack creaked open to reveal a small dog girl no more than six years old, with a black nose and golden fur reflecting the sun. When amber eyes saw our cargo, she dashed forward, sending waves through her sack dress. By the time others started coming out, the girl was already in front of us, manners fighting the hunger her thin frame advertised.
I lowered my back to allow her access to the top of my bread pile. Unlike the first meeting with the black cat boy, she immediately snatched a loaf and munched down. Others soon followed, swarming us for their share. There were only about a dozen kids or so, but that was enough to draw the eyes of the small slums' other denizens ambling about, if our group's odd appearance wasn't already enough.
Again, I tried to get out some speech or comforting words. Again, I failed, forced to stand there like a tree as the last of the bread was devoured. Taking in the bared bones and thin frames, disbelief was the only emotion coming through. Even in my worst years, it didn't get this bad. Or at least mother gave up her food enough to hide such times.
"Thank you," One of the kids said, the exact source missing in the crowd.
There was no stopping the entire group from walking forward and crowding around us all in hugs. The keltons seemed a tad annoyed, as bits of puss smeared across our pants from the contact. I might have shared the sentiment if I wasn't focused on what was missing.
Feeling their grips around my thighs or shaking my hands, there was a distinct lack of strength behind each hand. A frailty that said wrapping their arms around my leg was all their starved bodies could manage. Yet this weakness cut through cloth, skin, and muscle more cleanly than any blade ever had. Tears finally pushed across my vision.
Most gave Lokan an obligatory 'thank you' or hug, but the goat-headed men got most of the attention, as they had ever since we came to these lands.
"You're a dog type, right?" A small girl's voice called from somewhere in the gaggle of heads now looking at the two men.
"We're kelton." The brown-furred one on the left said, his curled mud-colored horns shaking with his head shake.
"What type of beastmen is that?" One small dog boy with grey fur asked.
"What happened to your eyes? You can still see, right?" An unseen child in the press asked.
"Just fine, little ones," The kelton answered mildly. "And we are not beastmen."
He emphasized the point by leaning downward and pointing his head of curled horns at them.
"From what I've seen, your kind doesn't have these."
Every eye in the crowd lit up in wonder. Several hands went out to caress the bone, running thin fingers over the edges of what I'm sure they previously thought were a decoration. When a small boy moved some of the brown fur to confirm the horns did indeed go into his skull, a wave of oohs filled the air.
The kelton's eyebrows furrowed as his horns were rubbed. He then looked at me. I put up my hand in a stopping motion, bidding him to allow the inspection. After a minute, the last kid pulled back with a satisfied look.
"Ahem."
The voice came from the left, pulling every gaze to its source, mine included.
On the left was the fairy captain, yellow cap and blue robes donned just as they were when I left. To the right was a dog beastman, sporting a face like a wolf with white fur that seemed to be more natural coloring than age. His fine red robes had a few silvery strands sticking out over them from his elongated nose, though the white shirt beneath the robes made it hard to say where his fur started and ended along his chest. Blue eyes stood a few inches above mine, looking rather relaxed. Probably due in no small part to the four towers of steel and swords flanking him.
"Seeing as you are the only orc here, would I be amiss to assume you're the one I want to talk to about the new arrangement?" The wolf man asked with a smile barely pulling his lips below the black nose.
"Yes," I said as the kids pulled away, sensing how important the man before them was.
"While I can't say I've ever seen or heard of you before today, some history must be between us for you to be feeding our urchins. We don't have an official ambassadorship to the orcs, so my station as the diplomat to the fairy people will have to do. Evern Stone, as you please." He announced with a reserved bow of his head.
At first, I thought he was using some innuendo to hint at knowing our people's true connection. Then he gave a disdainful look at the smears of pus along my pants and leather gloves. A face he kept when he took in the small crowd of orphans. If the diplomat was going to be dropping clever words about world-altering secrets, surely he would be focused on the person he was delivering them to.
"Gula," I offered with a slight nod, drawing those blue eyes back to me. "Nor am I any great official for my people. Just someone with trade interests."
The conversation forked on my tongue. Business and decency. Focusing on our future endeavors would be the most profitable. Yet….
"I thought this was a major outlet for the surrounding farms. Seems strange that a place moving so much food would have starving children." I prodded as politely as I could manage.
Evern grinned so widely it bared his white teeth.
"Our great Garver's Field has the largest agricultural project in all of beastkind," He said, pride coming clear through. "A full twenty percent of all grain from our lands is plucked in fields not a mile from here. If there are any doubts about our current stocks, I have the authority to allow a personal inspection of the warehouses."
I stared at him while going over my previous words to find where their true purpose had been misinterpreted. Did he think the important bit was put first?
"And how is none of it going to feed those without?" I asked, making a concentrated effort to not clench my fists.
Those blue eyes lingered on me. Then turned to the dozen or so kids in a clump. Despite the wolf's features, I could still discern the moment he realized the true question.
"Starving children can't pay as much as the human merchants," Evern said with a casual shrug.
There are few moments that have rendered me truly speechless. I don't think meeting Eli in a grass and bone monster costume for the first time even managed it. But this man did.
Back in the swamps, we at least had the excuse that there wasn't much food for anyone. Trying to parse the levels of failure that went into that statement, made right in front of the poor kids in question, left me still. Something that Evern knocked me out of by nodding, his lips popping as he moved to the right towards the children, steel men in tow.
"A cold world we live in," He said with a tired sigh. "The farms, they usually give some of their lower-grade harvests to charitable ends, but even those meager bits have been getting snatched up."
The last word was emphasized by a playful rub of a black cat girl's ears. Rather than giggle or coo, the girl stood rock still. Not so much in terror, rather uncertainty at how to deal with someone in such fine clothes.
"Maybe the kids should be given enough compensation to make up the difference." I offered, watching the wolf-man stalk around the backside of the children. His demeanor was still casual and those blue eyes welcoming. That didn't stop the feeling of something….Malevolent coming from the way he moved. White furred legs and arms held a tension, like a predator before the pounce.
"Such a proposal is outside my ability. It would take years of flicking the right noses to make it happen. To say nothing of potential issues caused by our agreement with the faeries." Evern rebuffed as he stalked further behind the prepubescent crowd.
"And how important is that agreement?"
He stopped, leaving the kids between him and me.
"If there was no agreement, there would be no fertilizers, plant magic crafts, or mana crystals from the faeries. Without those, there would be no farming project. Then…..No starving children, as they would have long died by now."
"What can be done, then?" I asked, feeling patience thin at all this wordplay.
"An exchange." Evern offered, sounding quite pleased as he broke out into a wide smile. "We all have needs, and you apparently have some extensive connections."
Feeling this conversation should involve the reason for our visit, I sent a spirit connection over the crowd of children onto his shoulder.
'Very extensive connections.' I affirmed 'And the means to deliver goods. What, exactly, does this exchange entail?'
'Tell me, Gula, do you have any aversions to….Discrete shipping?' He said, his smile as unmoving as a doll's.
I would like to think I had the social graces to know when someone was suggesting illicit goods and didn't need to rely on my experience as a drug runner. Whichever it was, this circumspect questioning had a familiarity to it that relaxed me in a way the priests back in Crasden would no doubt disapprove of.
Wait, which Gula am I?
Not the quad mage's wife. The smuggler. The smuggler who is only interested in profit, who isn't secretly married to a plant scion. Having established which layer of deception was being played in, I took a deep breath despite the mental conversation.
'Shipping on my boat or the faeries?'
'The faeries. This is a rearrangement of a current network. The captain said he would be fine with it. You, however, apparently have the final say on shipping rights.'
I bobbed my head back and forth in contemplation.
'More like third to final. The other two you probably won't ever meet. Speaking of, the big toad whose spirit connection covers the lands we came from has established an interest in trade. All the goods must be assessed and a portion of their worth taxed.'
'Would such a tax really apply to things….Unseen?'
A small smile forced itself onto my lips.
'The toad sees all. I wouldn't advise trying to slip anything past him. Take the increased profits from the trip being cut into a fraction and be happy with that.'
He nodded, the black nose taking a big whiff with the head motion.
'Happiness requires a foundation. How much of a tax are we talking about?'
'At this time, it has yet to be set. Considering this wasn't supposed to be a shipping voyage at all, I think we could forgo the tax this once. Of course, how does all this charity to you help me?'
For the briefest moment, his blue eyes looked to the kids before returning to me.
'There are a lot of regulations when it comes to transporting goods. If you wanted to set up a route here, one not under the thumbs of the faeries, there would be a lot of hassle. The biggest problem, for your concerns over these fine young ones, is that personal distribution is heavily scrutinized.
As far as the tax dog is concerned, you could be feeding these children in exchange for coin handed off elsewhere. Setting up a shop doesn't usually take much paperwork. Creating an entire charity from nothing is a trickier bit. Something that could take who knows how long, given all the exciting news we'll be having to deal with. I could, given enough incentive, help along such a process.'
I looked into those empathetic sky-blue eyes, down to the kids staring at both of us, then back up.
Is…. Is this fucking wretch using his own people's starving orphans against me?!
….
Our people's orphans.
….
Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my eyes on him, as hard as it was to not see the children in front of me. How much of that was true? Did the taxman really care about some bread being dropped off in the slum? Almost certainly not.
Almost.
That didn't account for Evern's influence. Maybe the officials wouldn't normally bother, but he could make them squeeze me. Considering this was the opening negotiation, letting him get the better of me now would establish him as the true leash holder of this relationship. Possibly for years, depending on how long Eli takes.
'I do hope you aren't under the impression that saving your people is a favor to ME.' I rebuffed as coldly as I could.
'The one getting the favor is me. I assure you, explaining something doesn't mean you like it.' Evern offered with a slight nod, blue eyes no less hungry for his assurances.
For the first time, I was grateful for the mask as it hid my grinding teeth. I was ill-trained to take on a diplomat. Even so, that mountain of frog named me the boss of the trade ships in his domain and that counted for something.
'It is a big favor I'm giving you, isn't it?' I mused with a hidden smile. 'Cutting weeks off sea travel. A lot of trade opportunities here. If the tariffs could be waived when I stopped in port, I think allowing more off-record goods would be fine.' I finally offered.
A white eyebrow raised at the suggestion.
'I do believe it will be the faeries doing the work. And our tax is one of those things that's easy to add to, very hard to slip a copper out of. Unless you want to advertise our arrangement, I'd suggest something not so….Front loaded.' Evern said, patiently explaining as he folded his arms.
What else did I need? Nothing he or anyone else in the city could provide, at least. All I really wanted on this trip was to see a sibling species. Something a smuggler wouldn't waste their time on. A rather light-hearted reason considering the number of people depending on the food that would be following our footsteps. Then what I actually needed hit me along with a good reason to get it.
'I noticed the lack of death threats against me when I came in. Rather nice, not having to go under a city to visit it. Would there be any problems if I set up a trading company?'
Both white eyebrows raised this time.
'Aside from the potential melting of your lungs, no. Humans don't venture into our lands. And if they became aware of your presence, so what? There are many more of your kind they could hunt, ones that will not entail days of sickness. If you're willing to endure the same.'
I then turned to the right at Lokan. She was still looking at the white wolf and gave a slight jump when my spirit connection hit her left shoulder.
'Want to call this place home?'
'Maybe. Perhaps not, if Penchen has a place nearby.' Lokan mused with a hopeful gaze.
I took a deep breath, biting my lower lip as I did so.
'My nephew isn't growing up in whatever mud hole covered in branches Penchen crawled out of. He's getting a proper house.'
Red, slitted eyes looked at me with mirth as Lokan's lips puckered.
'Can the boy's father also have this proper house?' The enten asked innocently enough.
A snort was stopped only by a bit lower lip.
'Why not? He's already gotten you; might as well get a roof with it. I guess God really does have his favorites.'
Blue, scaly eyebrows raised at me while she grimaced.
'Really? You, woman who had an ultimate mage shove her into a marriage, are complaining about undue luck?'
Some particularly biting words played across my tongue, and if not for the entire other conversation waiting, I may have given them life. Instead, I nodded and turned back to the wolf.
'Are Enten's also fine? With a guard?'
In a manner so contrary to all my life's expectations, Evern bit his lip as a dubious look stole over his face. I was so struck by the contrast of our two kinds' acceptance that several seconds of silence passed.
'Your own guards?' He finally asked.
'Of course.'
'And if there should be an incident, would you be paying damages?'
'If she or her kin should go feral….I will pay whatever silver is needed in the destruction.' I offered, my heart getting heavier with each word.
'Excellent! We can set up a special incentive if you use your establishment to feed the local urchins. I feel you'll be quite a boon for our community.' Evern mused as he moved to the left. He gave the fairy captain patiently waiting off to the side a respectful bow. Taking that as being finished, the small, grey-skinned fairy returned the gesture before turning back to the market.
Still feeling the shadow of my previous words, I only nodded to the waiting diplomat. Then I looked down at the kids. Our entire conversation never touched air, leaving them to wait in a small huddle as the adults frowned at each other. Getting on my left knee to come near their height was rather easy; the next words were not.
"Well, guys, I have to get going. For the-"
A wave of small frowns and tears pooling at the corners of their eyes stopped me. Again, I reached for words beyond the sob working its way up.
"Hey, we won't be gone for long. In the meantime, I have a friend here," I emphasized the point with a wave to Lokan. "She wants to pick out a building to set up a shop for ourselves. Once we've got that sorted, there will be some work for you guys."
"If I may," Evern interrupted on the left, looking at the show with a faint smile. "I know of at least several properties that could use a new resident. A proper tour could be in order."
It occurred to me, looking at the white wolf man, that I could leave some coin with him to see the kids taken care of. When I immediately discounted the idea on the grounds that he might simply pocket the money and leave the children to starve, another revelation came. If this man couldn't be trusted not to steal from orphans, then there was practically nothing I could rely on him for. Without so much as a word or movement from him, my respect for the diplomat fell yet further.
"I won't be the one staying. My friend, Lokan, will be overseeing our operations here. Along with some frojan friends. I'll be on the fairy ship if anything else is needed."
A dubious puckering of wolf lips greeted the announcement. Evern didn't push the words clearly working up his throat into the air, instead lightly bowing to the blue snake woman before they and the black kelton guard moved in a tight ball away from the slum towards the main road further to the left.
I then turned around and regarded the group of kids still waiting. They looked a bit more spry, the mixture of food and hope agreeing with them. In the middle of the group were two standing a bit taller than the others and presumably older.
"Come," I commanded a grey cat man and dog girl with golden fur, both about twelve or so going by human years.
They obediently marched forward, trying to not trample the younger ones as they did so. At the same time, I took off my right glove and reached into my purse for the needed metal.
"I'll be gone for a while. Until then, try your best. For everyone." I said before taking them in a hug with my left hand, while my right hand placed four silver coins in the girl's palm.
Both nodded, looking down at the coins like they were an unfathomable treasure before they were squeezed into a closed fist. The two newly appointed guardians of the group gave me one last hug before turning around to their charges.
"All right," The grey cat boy commanded with as much force as a prepubescent voice could muster. "Back to the hut."
Not to let the two older kids have the last bit of affection, each kid insisted on getting their own hug with me in, with a few sporting tears and pleading looks that said they didn't want me to go. The world wanted otherwise and it always got what it wanted. As I gave them one final wave goodbye, their excited waves made my heart ache. When the last of the kids disappeared into the hut, I turned back to the market with the kelton guard walking in front.
Those smells and sights that I had taken in for so long now baked under a sun at its peak with all the attending southern heat. This idle shopping trip lasted only half an hour before the first drops of sweat pooling at my brow made me navigate back to the harbor. Figures were crunched, load capabilities of my ship reviewed, and the speed of our water enchantment crudely guessed. All of which didn't count for much if our crew choked to death on the trip.
When we came down the pier, the yellow-capped fairy captain was standing beside the entry plank, page in hand that he only deigned to look away from when we were a few feet away.
"Ah! We're just waiting on that cargo." He said, smiling widely enough to bare sharp teeth. "Though it appears we need not rush."
A stab of embarrassment hit me. Forgetting that I wasn't here on my schedule was quite a blunder. Worse, even if it was easy to find her in this massive city, it was too important to cut her perusing short.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience. My companion is inspecting several properties for purchase." I offered apologetically.
"Until that cargo is in our hold, there hasn't been an inconvenience on your end. I'll make sure my impatience only starts building once we've got it on board."
I couldn't quite keep a smile off my face, something that tugged at bits of the face covering. Then I looked to the right at the purple ship, with all of its white squares, triangles, and circles.
"I'm interested in bringing my ship here. This is going to be a big spot for trade, legitimate and otherwise. We've got a lot of space to help make it happen. But-"
His lips puckered with a knowing nod that shifted the yellow string between his slit nostrils.
"But that's not the problem. We'll probably dredge some of the river to allow more ships through. As for the wind enchantments, they can only come from one person. Before you ask…. The mage who made this ship ready is a human. A human male."
Dammit!
Getting a female mage would be almost impossible; a male mage willingly coming onto a ship with orcs was well past the line.
"A shame." The fairy captain put in with seemingly genuine empathy. "Anything in this region sporting a sail will be worth its weight in gold soon. But you'll be getting a portion of each one going through. Coin shouldn't be a problem for the likes of you."
I kept a straight smile as best I could.
This fiction of a smuggler's life demanded as much greed as possible, and getting in before the real rush started was too good to pass up. Getting involved with a mage, in an official capacity, was putting a hand a bit too close to the fire for my tastes. At least, that's what I told myself was the sensible path.
"Speaking of, do they have the rates for shipping yet? My backer needs to know what to expect as soon as possible."
A shrug under his blue robe went with his head shake.
"It's the crews," He huffed. "The workers are nervous about going into the death clouds with nothing but protections based on magic they don't understand and can't see. Obviously. Evern said we'll need to bring along enough masks and oils for the first few trips as 'insurance for their sensibilities'. A lot of space taken up for nothing, but these shouldn't be permanent expenses.
There is also the wind mages' share. He's getting his own bit of the goods in coin. The….Accounting of your two portions is beyond my expertise."
I bit my lower lip, looking out past the ambling river behind him and the grass plains beyond sporting a few trees before looking back at him.
"And the trip will still be profitable for the merchants?"
For a moment, the captain bared sharp teeth in a grin before the high-pitched laugh finally broke free. It was a short thing, barely longer than a chuckle, but the sailors on his ship still stopped to take it in.
"Profitable? You've clearly not done business in the Arrow Rivers, or listened to the drunken whinging of those who have. Before now, the only way to move goods out of here was on long stretches of water with patches of hard rock waiting to taste your ship.
That's without the constant fighting. The orcs and the beastmen are always going at it. Coming out of the beast lands makes your throat a very inviting place for arrows shot out of unseen holes and hideaways. And if you want to go upriver, you'll have to be very careful of which ones you traverse for all those reasons and the additional danger of taking a river the elves have claimed."
The lack of explaining the consequences of such trespass left the impression that the punishment was the final one for all living things. One the captain didn't go on to rectify.
"Why not go through the fairy lands?"
"Poison coast covers our entire southern half, and the mushroom bogs cut between us and the humans the food needs to reach. It's actually our waters that they're traveling through. Ones we've not had the means to tame the land before their arrival some time ago, at least that's what the songs sing of. To the north are the elves and the bloody plains beyond, neither of which invites steady trade. Before today, the trip to reach the human's main city….Rashton, I believe, involved escorts and months of slog through hunting grounds for the Mist pirates once you get onto the proper ocean."
I puckered my lips; just the rough figures involved would probably bankrupt my poor means. Then I spent a moment to appreciate how far I had come to call fistfuls of silver 'poor'.
"So, yes," The fairy captain continued. "The merchants will be quite well off. Enough that five or ten percent here or there won't discourage them for each of the people making it happen. Once they and enough of the sailors have been convinced to go through with it, of course."
"S-should be easy with one trip downriver."
I turned around to see Lokan waiting with the other kelton guard. Behind her was a small team of beastmen bearing crates. Feeling a ping of irritation, I sent a spirit connection through the chest of her purple robe.
'Unless there's a house in one of those boxes, I didn't authorize this shopping trip.'
'It's a good thing these are Evern's goods then.'
I took a deep breath and almost nodded to the workers to start loading. A bit of the captain's life creeping in. Instead, manners won out, and I turned around to the ship's actual captain.
"I believe that's what we've been waiting for," I said with a smile.
His head bobbed to the left, pink eyes taking in the group for a second before nodding to no one in particular.
"Boys! Relieve these gentlemen of their burden and fasten it securely below deck." The captain said as he reached into his robe pocket. After a second, he retrieved a sack of coins and placed them in my palm. "Your portion."
A crowd of blue-robed faeries moved over the plank connecting ship to pier and did as they were bidden. After a minute, it was our turn. Torn between wanting to see more and the urge in my lungs to take a proper breath, I crossed the wooden bridge. The instant the last kelton man was on deck, the faeries moved to untie the ropes holding us to the pier and yanked the plank back onto the ship.
We moved to the right towards the doorway leading below deck. However exciting or interesting the beastmen city was, perusing it still involved hours of feet hitting stone. Just before descending, I stopped and took off the leather gloves to lay them beside the entrance for someone to pick up later. When the mask's knot was undone, sweet, unfiltered air hit my lips. I sucked it down greedily, as did the keltons who stopped in front of me to do the same, before adding it to the pile of gloves.
Our group eventually made it below deck to change into new clothes in private corners. I just finished changing in a closet with spears when I heard a shout from above. Even in the bowels of the ship, the captain's yell to shove off could be heard despite the sound of running water outside. Getting back to the bunk in brown pants and a grey shirt, I made myself comfortable on the top bed. Only a second of rest passed before Lokan came up to the side with her snout resting near my head. Red slitted eyes regarded me with a mixture of interest and amusement.
"You'll really let Penchen stay?"
A dull ache formed in the back of my skull as I closed my eyes and took a purposeful breath.
"As long as he acts decent and helps out." I offered as I opened my eyes to see a sly grin steal over her face.
"Then we have a big warehouse near the docks to call home."
"Because it was the best one, or because it let you bring company?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"If it's going to be just me, there was another, smaller, one that might have been worth looking at. You do plan to do a lot of trading, right?"
"A lot. I'm kind of-"
After a few seconds of trying to find the right words, I gave up and sent a spirit connection to her right shoulder.
'My ego can't handle begging Eli again because I really will have absolutely nothing to give him. And when he finishes his AI chips, I want a good case for bringing the beastmen into the group.'
'And if they aren't a fit for us?' She mused as her face rested on the mattress with puckered lips.
I raised an eyebrow at the absurd question.
'We're already taking on garrenspawn. They will be no different.'
Lokan gave me a dubious raise of her scaly eyebrows.
'But for my first point,' I pushed on. 'This is one part of the operation I really don't want anything from Eli. It will be in a spot Cell or an airship will struggle to slip into with the lack of trees. Besides the fact that this entire venture was taken on my own initiative. I swear to god, Lokan, if we mess this up so badly that he has to pull our butts out of the fire again, I will write down the needed crafts then eat my sword.'
Her lips sucked in a laugh clearly fighting to escape.
'I think he'd rather find you prepared for a swallowing of his sword.'
My right index finger, through some unknown means of instant traversal and independent will, suddenly flicked across her blue snout, making the enten's head jolt off the mattress.
'Well, one of us has to think with our brain. Since you've abandoned that role, it now falls to me.'
A huff escaped her chastised snout, yet nothing followed. I took that as permission to continue.
'We're dealing with the southern region now. Going north to pick up goods from the base isn't as viable. This would help fill in that gap in our means. If we can manage it.'
'Can? We managed back in the swamps just fine. Here will be a lazy walk compared to that.'
'We can't steal from our mysterious healing mages' portion of the tax. It's too much of a risk that someone will recognize a coin they sent out. Eli will give the healing toad his craft, then that's it. A hundred plus people depending on us once we've set up the land portion of this venture.'
Her confident expression dimmed. Feeling a little relieved that she was taking this seriously, I coughed for attention.
'I'm sure it'll be fine as long as we're prepared. So, I really hope you picked the location because it made sense and not because you thought it would be a cute place for a family.'
'I did,' Lokan shot back with sufficient defensiveness.
'Good.'
As she retreated to her bunk beneath mine, I looked past my feet where the kelton men were lounging on their respective bunks, though only a leg could be seen of the black one on the lower bed.
"What did you think? Ready for a new life here?" I asked the pair.
The brown kelton on top only grumbled while the black furred one below gave a small laugh.
"Sure," The brown kelton grumbled in his kind's typical rough voice. "I love every eye focusing on me. Give me the humans any day."
"The humans don't stare? I know we do." I asked.
"Not as intently." The brown-furred kelton said.
"It must be our fur," The other kelton put in from his barely seen position on the lower bunk. "That white dog man kept pestering about our hair treatments and such whenever he wasn't concentrating on keeping as much distance from Lokan as manners would allow."
Having seen their jagged lines of fur and inconsistent patches, I could see why that would account for some of the attention, but not all of it.
"You sure they weren't interested in seeing a long-lost cousin?" I only half-teased.
A huff floated up from the lower kelton bunk.
"Cousin? Lady Summer certainly didn't reek of pus from what I remember of the stories."
When the brown kelton nodded and nothing else came forward, it was apparently up to me to get the information.
"Are you going to share the story with the rest of us?" I prodded.
"It's more myth than history. Something to keep the pups entertained when the snow and wind keep us indoors. Not that there's much to tell.
We were wasting away on islands of frozen iron to the north, where not even fish would come, and metal shattered from the cold. Lady Summer, after enduring the cries of our starving babes and grieving mothers for ages untold, finally plucked the first kelton people out of our doom and led us through the wilds to the merely freezing north. Her hair was verdant spring, while her musk smothered every nose with flowers and freshly cut grass. It was said that alone gave our people the strength to follow."
After a few seconds, it became clear there wasn't more to follow.
"That was about five sentences," I stated with no small amount of disappointment.
Both men gave a short laugh, though it was the brown-furred one who answered from atop the bunk.
"Some versions have us leaving lands too hot to survive. But the ones we tell the children usually have more…. Action on the trip. It's a lot more entertaining than the probable truth."
A snort came from the unseen black kelton.
"Humans somehow being only half transformed into demons isn't as endearing to our sensitivities, I suppose."
I couldn't quite keep a grin down at the dry kelton humor.
The rest of the day was spent in the bunk, thinking and resting. When dinner was called for, we all moved up with some eagerness. Bread made for a poor lunch on its own, whereas fish and shrimp could be considered a proper meal. As we came onto the second floor of the ship, I noticed several of the crates stacked to the left of the doorway.
Seeing them under a rough cloth, it occurred to me how perverse their presence was. A trade route that was going to save untold lives with reduced food costs was going to have its first transported cargo be what was almost certainly drugs. A bitter corner of my soul said it was more fitting than perverse. My stomach didn't care either way and grumbled as I turned ahead towards the waiting pot of food surrounded by fairy sailors.
The rest of the day went by as the ship traveled downriver. It was only an hour or so before bed when I felt a bit of a headache, one that had nothing to do with Lokan losing her mind. I thought it might be fatigue or a bit of fish whose spoilage had gone unnoticed before I ate it. That was until the two kelton guards moaned similar complaints. The three of us turned in a bit early while everyone else on board enjoyed the last bits of sunlight before also calling it a day. Despite lying down earlier, it still took a long time before exhaustion finally overtook the dull pain in my skull and oblivion came.