A Soldier's Life-Chapter 272: Caravan Guard Duty

Chapter 272: Caravan Guard Duty

I absent-mindedly poured myself a drink, taking an empty but probably used mug. Benito was excited at the mention of food. “What is for dinner? I bet the elves have some amazing cooks! These sandwiches were pretty good. I bet they spent thousands of years learning how to cook well, right?”

Maveith rumbled a laugh. “Elves can live to a thousand, yes. But few ever complete a second millennium.” Our conversation caught the ears of the elven adventurers seated around us. I thought it best to steer the conversation away from elves.

I looked over my happy companions and dampened their mood a bit. “You can’t wear your armor or weapons to the dinner. We are dining with an elven Regent,” I announced. Maybe I should not have told them about the dinner. I could have shown up only with Maveith and made excuses about their absence.

“Elven Regent? What’s that?” Mateo asked, snacking on breadsticks with a noticeable crunch.

“The elves elect Regents to their cities and large towns. They rule for a period of time before another vote is cast. All the Regents gather here in the capital in the Assembly to discuss policy and enact laws,” Maveith explained to Benito. Hopefully he had simplified it enough.

Benito was thinking really hard and his response wasn’t surprising. “The food should be really good then, right?”

Blaze was more thoughtful and curious. “How do they cast votes? Does everyone get a vote, even the children? How do you know who to vote for?”

An elven adventurer with jet-black hair had been listening in. She leaned her chair back so it was dangerously close to tipping and craned her neck to look at our table before speaking. Her Telhian was decent, but slightly accented. “The towns hold a festival. Those wishing to be Regent give a speech and everyone over twenty summers votes. The top two vote recipients then debate in front of the crowd. At the conclusion, another vote is cast to determine the winner. It takes an entire day, but only happens once every eight years. Larger cities are divided into districts to elect a proxy to cast their vote in the city’s court or petition for Regent.” She went back to her table to resume a game of Go.

Mateo, noticing the elven beauty interested in our table, stood up awkwardly and introduced himself, to our amusement. “I’m Mateo, and I find what you said extremely—fascinating. Could I buy you a drink, and you explain your …?”

The elf turned back slowly, her sharp features studying a grinning Mateo intently. “No,” she said flatly, and turned back to her game. Mateo looked a little hurt, and we held in our laughter at his being shot down.

“Don’t worry, Mateo. There are a lot of fish in the sea,” I said to cheer him up. The elven woman turned and briefly arched her eyebrow at me, but her two male companions had sour looks as they locked threatening gazes on me. I happily returned a challenging stare until they looked away. The elf woman took my measure and turned away last.

Maveith’s face was scrunched in thought as he puzzled over my analogy about fish. Blaze thankfully whispered to him to explain it. I looked at my rough-looking group; they couldn’t go to the Regent’s residence in their armor underclothes. The problem was that clothing was expensive, and my group was poor. I leaned over and tapped the raven-haired elf on the shoulder. She looked over at me questioningly. “Can you escort my companions to a place where they can get some decent clothes?”

“Which Regent are you looking to impress?” She was clearly interested and posed her question with a grin. Her interest in my offer had her male companions staring with disapproval again.

I didn’t know if Regent Maeralya wanted it spread she was associating with Telhians, so I didn’t mention her name. “I am not looking to impress her, just to have my companions in clean clothes that won’t embarrass us. A large silver for an hour of your time to take them?” I offered her a large silver, making it appear with a soft snap of my fingers. The trick didn’t impress her, and she probably thought it was sleight of hand.

“Enyara, don’t help the Telhians,” her companion said testily. He was the one opposite her, playing the board game.

“I can make my own decisions,” she barked back, annoyed. She surprised me, snagging the silver coin like a viper. She nodded at me. “A large silver for being a tour guide for an hour, no longer.”

Mateo was happy, but paled when he realized he didn’t have any coins for the shopping trip. As the emotions played on his face, I saved him again. “Maveith, go with them and pay for their clothes. See what you can get for yourself as well.” His massive hand encompassed mine in unspoken understanding, and I palmed Maveith eight gold coins from my dimensional space. Maveith had additional coin, and I hoped the gold would buy each of them something presentable. Being the leader was getting very expensive.

With my team headed out into the city, I had a chance to look at the jobs on the wall. I got some stares as I walked the length of the postings on the board. What I needed was something that would take us into the Caliphate.

The nearest thing I could find was a merchant escort from Artiria to Khoura. Khoura was an orc city on the border with Esenhem. By fortuitous coincidence, it was also one of the places I was told we could register as adventurers in the Caliphate. I needed to work on my written Elvish, as it took me time to puzzle out the posting, to the amusement of the elves watching me.

Wanted: Mounted Guards for Three Wagons. Minimum six, maximum eight. Two silver pieces per day, per guard. Food and feed included.

The distance was five hundred miles, I estimated, but I was not certain what the merchant’s pace would be. I pulled the tack out of the heavy paper and brought it to the desk. The elven attendant took it and held out his hand patiently. I quickly figured out it was for my medallion.

He was a little surprised that my medallion was silver as he recorded the information. “I actually wanted to ask the merchant a few questions before accepting,” I said before he proceeded further.

The elf appeared moody and went into some files in the back. When he returned, he stated flatly, “The Stumble Inn, down the street to the left. Rolf Sheadings, room six.” I wasn’t sure if my treatment was due to the Guildmaster or just that humans were generally not well liked—or maybe it was my Telhian accent.

The inn was easy to find. A quick inquiry and I found Rolf drinking at a table and reviewing stacks of paper while an elf bard crooned a melody by the hearth. Rolf had a manicured beard halfway to his waist and a thick head of rusty brown hair to match it. I moved to stand across from the dwarf, my adventurer’s medallion displayed outside my armor. “Rolf? I am Eryk Marko, and I am interested in your posting in the Guild Hall.” 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The dwarf looked up, studying me. He nodded slowly, coming to an opinion of my capability by my appearance alone. “Human and silver adventurer to boot. Don’t care about the color of your medallion, the rate is still two silver per guard per day,” he stated firmly.

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“How long will the trip take, and will you be traveling further into the Caliphate?” I asked, helping myself to a seat opposite him. His large, crystal-blue eyes studied me more intently, and he put down his fountain pen. Most of the documents appeared to be ledgers.

His beard swayed as his jaw worked. “We make thirty miles a day and have planned stays in towns every night. Your party will all need to be mounted, no exceptions. Had too many a guard who said they could walk thirty a day, and their feet always failed them. The wagons and horses will be stabled in a barn in town, and I expect at least half your men to sleep in the loft there to watch the wagons. The trip takes twenty days; sometimes bad weather adds a day or three,” Rolf finished, and waited for my response.

“What dangers are typically on the road that you need guards? You also didn’t say if you would venture further into the Caliphate,” I said in consideration.

He clasped his hands. “Most trips, I have had no trouble. But along this road in the last twenty years, the most serious confrontations we have had were with a forest drake, giant spiders, meddlesome sprites, and a banshee.” He watched me as he listed off the dangers, and I didn’t flinch. He nodded approvingly. “I will not venture into orc lands. I will spend a month selling and buying from the orcs in Khoura and then return to Artiria. Usually, we have a train of two other merchants, but this time, it is just me.”

“No bandits? Do you usually have more guards?” I asked, thinking this job was a possibility.

The dwarf laughed at me. “Bandits in Esenhem? Maybe close to one of their borders, but elves don’t tolerate thieves and cutthroats.” He finished his chuckle. “Aye, you are right. We normally have a dozen adventurers guarding the train, but eight is the most I can afford without denting my profits too much. My regulars took off with a caravan to the south,” he added, some bitterness to his words.

“There are five of us, but I am looking for a sixth at the moment. A goliath and four men,” I informed him.

His eyes widened. “Heard there was a goliath walking about. That is him, and he is an adventurer. I can’t wait to see the beast he rides,” he said, slapping the table in amusement.

“Yeah, me too,” I added, thinking it might be hard to find a horse big enough for Maveith. And Maveith didn’t even know how to ride yet. Thinking back on my own riding lessons, I knew Maveith would be in for a rough time of it.

“I think we can accept. If I don’t find a sixth, will five be good enough? And when would we depart?” I asked. There was always the possibility of just riding out on our own, but I wanted the appearance of true adventurers, especially before we headed into the Caliphate.

“Five? Are you the only silver?” I nodded. “With a silver and a goliath I could agree to that. Should charge you extra for how much I hear a goliath can eat.” His smile showed through his beard. If Maveith could keep his ring on, he was going to be surprised. “Three mornings from now. You can meet me here, Eryk.”

We shook wrists on it, and he completed a letter of acceptance to the Adventurers Guild. I returned to the Hall and spent nearly an hour filing the paperwork for accepting the posting. The funds for payment would be held by the Guild and paid in the Khoura Adventurers Hall when we delivered the merchant safely. When I asked what would happen to the funds if we didn’t arrive or failed, the elf scoffed a little and said they would revert to the Guild after a year if neither party claimed them.

The others had not returned, so I left to purchase mounts. After asking around, I was finally directed outside the city. A good mile’s walk brought me to a stable. I had only seen a few horses in Esenhem, so this was either going to be cheap or very expensive. A half dozen corrals had a few horses each, and the stalls in a large building were full. A tall, lean elf woman in tight leather saw me watching the horses and approached. She had a strong scent of horse about her and was almost as tall as me.

“Do you need help?” she asked in a deep, resonant voice with a businesslike tone.

“Do you have a horse big enough for a goliath?” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise at my unusual question.

“A plow horse?” she hedged.

“No, a riding horse for the road” I returned, and her brow furrowed.

“How big of a goliath?” she asked.

“Seven and a half feet and maybe three hundred and fifty pounds—but could be as high as four hundred with gear.” She slowly nodded as she thought about it.

“I only have two that might work for him. A black from the Caliphate. Spirited but listens well. Or a painted-brown from the south. A bit old but still serviceable. If you are not in a rush, I have a few that I can finish breaking over the next two months.”

“We are departing in three days. I will look at the black,” I said, and I followed her into the stables. The black was huge, standing taller than Maveith.

“He has been studded a few times, but none of his progeny have matched his size and temperament,” the woman said unhappily. I walked into the stall. He was spirited and could be dangerous to an untrained rider. But after an apple, he cooperated with my inspection, and I spent a good fifteen minutes checking him out. I was impressed. I was surprised the elf was parting with him.

“He is not battle-trained, but he will do. How much?” I finally asked, satisfied.

“Seventy-five,” she said, causing me to cough. That was the price of a prized warhorse in the Empire. I could see horses were not as common in Esenhem, but that was ridiculous. I had also been told this was the only horse dealer in Artiria. Seeing my consternation, she explained, “He is a good stud when the mare can hold him, and I hate to lose him.”

“How much for a good riding horse for me?” I asked regaining my composure, still stunned by the exorbitant cost.

“Between ten and twenty-five,” she said, undeterred by my shock. Damn, I hated being the leader.

I sighed. “Show me your stock, I need three.” She beamed and her face dimpled. She called in two other stable hands to help as I went through their stock.

I spent three hours looking at over thirty horses. Their scent rubbed off on me as I worked. I was looking primarily for temperament and fitness. I was not able to afford warhorses—not that I saw any in the stables. At least I learned why horses were so costly in Esenhem. The elves did not maintain a cavalry, and horses were considered a foolish investment due to their short life spans of about thirty years.

The three I selected for Benito, Mateo, and Blaze were large and well fitted, but didn’t come close to the black in size and strength. I almost thought about getting Benito a pony as a joke, but then I would have had to buy him another horse later, so I shelved the idea.

Haggling was not part of Esenhem culture, so I wouldn’t be able to lower the cost. Still, I tried to get a little more. “Can I at least get saddles and tack thrown in?”

The horsewoman looked amused, her dimples showing again, but she was looking to close the sale. “Used and refurbished. We even have something that should suit the goliath.” Relieved, I produced the 142 gold. It was painful; the price took a massive bite out of my coin reserves.

It was late in the day and close to sunset, so I needed to get back. I arranged for the mounts to be brought to the Adventurers Hall stables before returning. I found my companions in the common room drinking with the raven-haired elf. Benito was telling the tale of how he became a legionnaire, and she was laughing hysterically. I didn’t know elves had a sense of humor. I scanned the room but didn’t see her original companions.

My men were dressed in suitable, simple, dark-green and brown outfits, and their wet hair indicated they had bathed. Maveith handed me the leftover coins: two gold and a dozen silver. Blaze looked at me questioningly, as I still wore my adventurer’s armor.

“I will go change,” I announced to the table. Back in my room, I changed into my best clothes, donning my manticore cloak. My outfit was mostly black, and looking in the mirror, I thought I appeared more sinister than my companions. Maybe I should have joined them on their shopping trip. It was too late now, as the sun was already on the horizon. I still smelled of the horses, but at least my beard and hair were trimmed.

I returned to the common room to find two city guards in their pressed mustard uniforms standing at my companion’s table. A brief pit of worry opened in me, but it turned out that they were our escort and not here to arrest my companions. It was time to meet the Regent, and I just hoped the men hadn’t drunk too much beforehand.

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