"I want to stay and fight, not run away like a coward!" The boy was fourteen, and just starting to put on the muscle that would turn him from a gangling scarecrow to a younger version of his father. And like his father, he wanted to fight for the clan. Being ordered to ride away seemed like punishment and not duty. Jarl Cragstone the Warrior understood. But as Jarl, he had other responsibilities. It was important that the history of the clan survive."You are not a coward, Gunnar. Anyone here knows that and has seen you fight and nearly die. If Jarl Benjamin hadn't healed you, you would still be wounded from our last battle and you are still recovering. You can't fight yet on foot, but you can ride and do something more important. The clan needs someone to get Gudrun away from here. She holds all of the old stories and history of our clan in her soul. If all perish but the two of you, the clan still lives. And she cannot go alone. You must be her eyes and her protector." Both men looked at the girl of sixteen sitting quietly on her horse. Gudrun had been born blind, her grey eyes marking her as a Seer. She saw things in other ways, and like all Seers, became a historian of the clan, recording in her mind births, deaths, and marriages along with any story she heard and the knowledge of older seers. Those included some incredibly filthy jokes and songs that she would tell when someone gave her a glass of wine at a feast. Cragstone had found her at dawn, packed and saddling her mare. She had already known she was leaving, and who with.She turned to Gunnar. "It is time to go. Embrace your father and catch up with me." She kicked her mare, an older horse that ignored her signal to gallop away and slowly started walking to the west.
Gunnar looked like he was going to argue, but abruptly hugged his Father, then mounted his horse. "Damn her for knowing I'll follow. I'll get her to Gadobhra, Father, as you ask, and then I'll return." "I know you will. But you'll need a good spear. Yours's broke in your last battle. Take mine." Gunnar took the enchanted spear from him father, raised it in the air, and galloped after Gudrun. Cragstone watched him ride off until the rode over the nearest hill and out of sight. In better times, they might have given him Grandchildren. His son was one of the few young men who could see past the girl's blindness and wasn't cowed by her magic. He shrugged. They still might. But he wouldn't be here to see them. Jarl Benjamin had promised to bring allies to aid the clans, but Cragstone had little hope of that happening. Because one man, no matter how skilled or miraculous, couldn't find allies to help his people against the giants of the north and the hordes of ogres that Bronk commanded. They would all die here, but they would take as many of the monsters as they could with them. =============================================================================================================
Far away in Sedgewick, Delbert was surprised by a knock at his outside door. He double-checked his delivery schedule and saw nothing major happening today, so he didn't need to open the large doors. But things were constantly needed from his cold storage, if only a barrel or two at a time. For that, he had smaller entrances to the outside and to the tunnels that led to most of the buildings in the town. Every entrance was set up with double doors to preserve his cold environment and to keep out bugs and dust. Opening the door, he was surprised to see the Baron and Baroness waiting on his front step."Oh..hello. Is something wrong? Or is there something I can do for you? Please, come in. I don't like to leave this outer door open too long. Keeping all the stored food at a constant temperature ensures it won't go bad for decades. And the weather has been so strange lately. I have the humidity just perfect, but some of the little wind spirits are sneaky."That surprised Billy and Layla. They had known Delbert's area had been expanded and had cold storage, but hadn't known they could store things that long. Layla was very curious, "Decades? That means never having to sell surplus goods cheaply just to move them. I've been worried about that, with our increasing harvest size. How much space do we have down here?""Please, come look." Delbert loved giving a tour of his kingdom. "We've been expanding the warehouse space as we map out the catacombs and combine small rooms into larger areas. We just added a storage area I designed specifically for the best barrels of groats from the latest harvest. I'm able to keep the entire room at a constant forty-three degrees with next to zero humidity, and of course, no pests. Even without the preservation spells I can cast, the grain would be fine for years. With a little magic, that extends to decades. Mind you, this is because we are using wooden barrels. If we upgraded to airtight stone or metal containers, there is no limit to how long we can keep grain preserved here. Vegetables are trickier, and it helps that the excess is being pickled in vinegar before storage, and of course, the smoked meat will store indefinitely."Billy stared at the huge space, with row upon row of heavy racks for storing barrels of goods. The air was cool and crisp, and he didn't see so much as a speck of dust on the floor. There was room for several large harvests to be stored in here. "Oh yes, this will do nicely. Great job. I'm always surprised at how hard our crew works. Anything we can do to help you do your job down here? Or hell, a favor or two. A good job deserves a reward."Delbert looked surprised. "Oh, I didn't do it for a reward. It was just the most efficient way to do things based on airflow and minimizing the work needed to keep things properly sorted. Less work is less people and less heat generated that I have to account for. Simple Thermodynamics. But...um...""Yes? Ask away. Worst that happens is I say no."Delbert's cheeks got red and then he looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. "I'm used to living with myself, see, and I haven't really paid much attention to my personal quarters. It's just a closet with a cot and an old pillow I made from the burlap clothes I used to wear. It didn't bother me since I'm only there to sleep now and then, but It became a bit embarrassing when someone else saw it. I was hoping to carve out a piece of the catacombs for a larger living area but really didn't know how to ask."Layla smiled at him, happy to be able to grant a favor that cost her nothing. "Why, certainly. There's so much room down here and the more we sort out the old catacombs the better things will be. Feel free to use some of the space and set up a proper house. Many of the workers are constructing their own places to live in different parts of the barony."Delbert relaxed, he'd been debating going to see the Baron since Signe had seen his sleeping closet. She'd been extremely upset."This?! This is where you live! Completely unacceptable. You are a mighty wizard and useful worker in your clan, and deserve so much better. Did the Baron assign you this tiny hole?""Ah, no, I don't think he's really seen where I live, but..."She stamped her food, causing her oxen to moo loudly. They didn't know what was going on, but they always liked to add their opinions. "No buts. If he values you as he should, you should have a larger place to live. Much larger. There is so much room here in your domain that you aren't using. Your Baron will not be upset with you claiming a large area to make your home. If he does, he and I will have words. A man of your stature must know his worth, and make sure others know it as well. And since you have grown, I would make the rooms much larger than the ones these small folk live in.""That makes sense, I guess. But what would I do with a larger space?"Signe studied him closely. Her Father was known far and wide for his subtle sarcasm and clever words. She'd learned young to look behind what someone said. But as usual, Delbert meant what he said and said what he meant. Luckily, she could help him with some ideas. "A kitchen, for one thing. You need to eat better and I don't mind doing some cooking to keep my skills up. A proper kitchen with a tables and cupboards and placing to hang pots and pans is a sign of wealth and power. You like my cooking?"On that subject, Delbert had no hesitation, "Yes, it's wonderful. But it's not right that you do the work."She stamped her foot again, "None of that. You are taking care of myself and my heard and giving us a home in this hot and humid land. It is the least i can do to repay that. I need to cook for myself, and if I was home I would be cooking for my family. This is settled. The Baron will let you have more room and we will make a large kitchen, a feast hall, and other proper rooms for you. We can talk more, but I think the churn milk is done. I made this batch the way you like it with blueberries and walnuts. Are you hungry?"Delbert was always hungry these days, and the coolness of churn milk was a delightful treat. He'd followed her into the area she lived in with her cattle and began spooning up the frozen meal for him. He looked at the rough pallet where she slept. "I suppose I should ask for room for you as well."She smiled at him, "That is a good thought. A very good thought."
Delbert was happy to have this settled now, and he hadn't had to even leave his home. "Thank you so much. But you must have a reason for coming down here. What can I help you with?"Billy said, "Well, first off, be prepared for people knocking on your door to load up supplies for a trip some of us are taking. They'll be here soon. But the main reason we came down here was to try out this churn milk we've been hearing about and talking a little with Signe. Nothing serious, just a few questions about life in the north we were curious about.""Oh, certainly, right this way. Thank you again." He led them to where Signe was sitting and telling Raul a story before his afternoon nap. The giant's daughter stood when they entered, then curtsied to Billy and Layla."Delbert said, "Signe, this is Baroness Layla and Baron William. They've come to try your churn milk."She stared at Delbert for a moment, cocked her head, then grinned and let out a sigh. "Of course. I will scoop some up. Please, have seats." She handed each one of her smallest bowls of churn milk, and Delbert a much larger one. She'd learned that the amount that both Delbert and the Shepherd could eat was far more than normal small folk.Billy pulled out a large bar of pure gold from his pouch and set it on the table. "My people have a saying that time is money. I'd like to take up some of your time and ask you a few questions about the north and your people."She picked up the gold. "First, this is too much for simple conversation, but you know that. You need information and are willing to pay. But I will not divulge secrets of my clan or betray in any way my father. If that is what you need, I should return this now."Billy looked at Layla and they grinned at each other, "Excellent. A woman of business who cuts to the chase. What I'd like to talk about is business as well. Specifically, how your father does business. I'd like to do business with him, and want to do it correctly."Signe nodded. That she could do. Like all her sisters, she had been trained in negotiation and finance, the better to manage her husbands household and to manage the clan. Men fought, women did everything else. "Then I accept this payment of gold in the spirit it is offered. Let us open tentative negotiations between the Barony of Gadobhra, and the Clan of Jarl Brogthall. What problem do you have that the Jotun can solve for you? But you must excuse me for a moment. I must talk with Wizard Delbert about an important matter. It may have bearing upon our business."She walked from the room, dragging Delbert and his churn milk with her. In the next room, she crossed her arms and stared at him. "You have something you would like to discuss with me.""What? I do?""That was not a question, Wizard Delbert. Please begin, and do it properly.""I don't understand."Her face fell and she sat down and put her back to the wall. A tear rolled down her cheek and froze. "I see. You were just toying with a poor country girl."Delbert was beside himself, desperately trying to think of something. "I did something? Of course I did. What did I do? Please tell me!"She looked at him, exasperated. "First, you told me to offer my churn milk to your Baron and Baroness. My father could do that, or my mother. I would break the arm of my brothers if they were so rude. Only my parents and my husband could walk into my home and tell me to offer food to strangers. And look at how you introduced me! They are nobles. Small nobles, but still nobles, and I am just a visiting commoner. You introduced me as if I was of higher rank, or your wife! Within the space of a moment you insinuated not once, but twice that we are handfasted, then tell me you meant nothing of the sort. It is so embarrassing...and worse...""Um...worse?""Yes, far worse. I will have to leave soon. I cannot stay here, it would dishonor my Father, my Mother, and my clan. That would end badly. The Jotun will march to war to expunge the slight, cities will crumble in their walk, and worse, I will end up a lonely spinster, tending a herd of goats somewhere, with no husband to ever claim me. I will leave today, take care of Raul and my cows please."Delbert was silent for a moment, putting all the pieces together. It was like one of his efficiency equations, but there was a missing variable. He needed to buy time while he figured it out. "But, I don't want you to leave!"She shrugged, "All of us have things we want. If you want something, then find a way to make it yours."He found the last variable. "Signe, would you marry me? I know I'm not much but..." He suddenly had no breath to speak as she hugged him close, more tears running down her face, these staying liquid. "Yes! I will be a good wife, one a powerful wizard deserves, and make you very happy."She set him down and took him by the hand. "We have much to talk about. But first, I must see what it is your Baron wants to negotiate and I need to let him know that I can offer him a "Friends and Family" discount on the contract.