"Fancy miss?"
"Aye, sir. Rich miss rode in on a horse with a fleet of servants paving her way with flowers and shit."
"Truly?"
"Well, no, but that was how it felt. Had her some right fancy robes on as well—not the kind of miss who would usually find her way into the Guild Hall. Many folk watched her while she talked to Guildmaster Pennar but she didn't say what she wanted loud enough for anyone to hear. A second after she was gone, he shouted at me to go off and find you."
Skharr scowled and shook his head. He hadn't been looking for work. The best part of having enough coin to live on was the fact that he could be selective about which jobs he wanted to take.
Of course, he hadn’t taken any since he returned from the dungeon, but he doubted anyone would hold that against him. His back still felt sore from where it had been thrashed with steel and fire, and dull aches lingered across his body despite the healing potions he had taken after the beating he'd received from the lich.
It was enough to make any man want to pause and reassess his life.
His inclinations notwithstanding, it was best to not make the guildmaster wait too long. If it turned out to be work he had no need for, he could simply refuse it.
"All right, boy, I'll go to the hall as directly as possible. I assume you'll earn more if you rush about with those chicken legs of yours, so off with you."
Erron smirked. "Thank you!"
And with that, he raced down the street again and nimbly navigated the crowds that continued to hinder others.
He remembered when he was that small, although there had been no crowds to slip through. His youth had been mountains to climb and caves to explore, both of which were far easier when there were less weight and size to carry around.
It took him longer than he would have liked to negotiate the crowds to the Guild Hall, but he finally moved through the impossibly large doors and rubbed elbows with the other mercenaries. Most were leaving to find their midday meals, but Skharr told himself that he would give the guildmaster time to have his say before he ate.
Sure enough, Pennar was waiting for him when he stopped in front of the stall.
"Took your fucking time," the man noted and an annoyed frown seemed to have been affixed to his face.
"I had business to attend to." The barbarian made a mental note to not involve Erron in his tardiness. "Urgent business that could not wait."
"Well… I suppose that's in order, then. I don't like to hold a contract for a single person for too long, however. I'd appreciate it if you kept that in mind."
"I will. What is it that could not wait?"
"A contract came in—a young woman of means came to the hall in person, asking for you specifically. Said to give you…these," Pennar paused, took two silver coins from his pouch, and placed them on the table, "To reserve your services to call on her. She said she would pay you for work—the same amount the Lady Svana paid you for your services. Oh, and she was most insistent that it was important to tell you it would be the same payment for your services."
Skharr inclined his head thoughtfully. "The coin is only mine should I meet with her."
"Aye. Now, I remember that the payment for the work was a single gold coin that you handed to the guild. I don't suppose you would care to share what other payment would be involved?"
"It was more than one gold coin," he stated, his face expressionless. "The single coin was all that was owed to the guild."
"And nothing else?"
"Nothing of note. I'll take the silver and attend the meeting. Did she mention where I would find her?"
"No, but I know where you can. Lady Tamisen is her name, and I'll make a note of her residence. I assume that if she didn't want to meet anywhere specific, she wants you to meet her at her home."
"Seems reasonable," he agreed.
Pennar handed him a scroll. "It's written into the contract. Have a care, though. You wouldn't want to get in too deep in noble business. They tend to not appreciate it."
Skharr nodded. "Duly noted."
As he turned, the hair on the back of his neck began to prickle. The odd feeling told him that not all was as it seemed.
A hint of movement to his left caught his attention but when he turned, he saw no one who seemed to show any interest in him. It confirmed his instincts that whoever was watching him did not wish to be seen to do so.
If someone was following him, he knew it had something to do with what the Lady Tamisen wanted. There was no other reason for anyone to trail his steps.
Still, it mattered little. If they meant him harm, he would deal with them soon enough. Until then, it was best to give them a show and get himself some lunch.
"I honestly didn't think I would see you in Verenvan."
The mage looked up from his inspection and raised an eyebrow. "I come to the city often to collect supplies and confer with my brothers to acquire or share any recent knowledge. Those who know this also know I am always in need of more coin. Everything in Verenvan is so costly these days."
Skharr shrugged. "There aren’t many mages I trust—or at least know to be worthy of the coin paid to you."
"You wound me to the quick, sir. But yes, it is difficult to find a trustworthy mage outside the guilds, and those work too slowly for it to be worth any coin you might have for them. They never put guild work under any priority. Where did you say you found this?"
The barbarian leaned closer to see what the man was inspecting. "It was at the bottom of the chests I collected from the dungeon. A few jewels were there with them too, and it looked like a charm of some kind. I thought you would know what it was and would likely have a mind to purchase it."
"I didn't think someone like you would have run out of coin so quickly, especially given the amount you were in possession of after your trip through that dungeon near the mountains."
"There are a few expenses that will require most, if not all, of my coin. I would like to have as much as possible on hand. Are you interested?"
The mage nodded slowly. "I'll be honest, I have no idea what this is—although every charm I have tells me there is magic to it, and a great deal too. I would like to study it. I think…thirty gold coins should be enough for it.”
"Forty," Skharr countered smoothly.
"Thirty-three," the man replied, the bartering entirely expected.
"Thirty-five."
"Done." The mage opened his coin purse and counted the coins out in front of him quickly before he took the charm. "A pleasure doing business, as always. And do call on me next time you are near my home."
"Of course."
The warrior had a feeling he had been cheated. The offer had immediately been much higher than any magic-user would entertain for something he knew nothing about.
Then again, there was no way for him to challenge him on it, and in the end, he did need the coin. If he knew the AnvilForges, their price would be well in excess of the coin he had gathered at the dungeon.
Still, the negotiations had left him with something of a foul taste in his mouth. Of course, the only reason why the mage would be interested in buying what he had to sell was if he knew how to turn it into a profit for himself, but the sense that he’d been cheated remained. It would pass, he knew, but it put him in a negative mood as he turned his steps to the Swilling Mermaid.