During the night I must have been dreaming about the food crisis, because I woke up having made two decisions. As soon as I was dressed and sat in the great hall, eating my breakfast, I acted on them. Firstly, I sent a messenger to amend Chancellor Parrin's mission. He was not simply to scout for the enemy dispositions, he was to obtain information about when and how the ripened grain from our former lands was to be transported. Then he was to liaise with Lord Arval in using our light cavalry to intercept it. Assuming we had cleared the enemy from the valley that descended to the farmlands, the way should be open for such a raiding operation. If so, I'd leave the details in Lord Arval's capable hands.355Please respect copyright.PENANAoAqflVIagK
355Please respect copyright.PENANABU1lHeqF3b
Secondly, I would ask the Necromancer for a delivery of food on account. I hated having to beg, but couldn't see an alternative. This was a job for Figus, which was a shame, because I also wanted the charismatic Bard to negotiate for the release of the prisoners. They were a burden and as soon as I could get them off my hands for any kind of recompense, the better.355Please respect copyright.PENANAimPwxpQ0H5
355Please respect copyright.PENANAe7UeZPn6TD
While drinking a mint tea (thinking that I'd give a chest of gold for a bag of coffee), I checked for the new supply of ingots. The menu showed me I had 4 now in the stores. The new picks were making a difference but I was slightly disappointed that the daily yield wasn't 5. I allocated 3 to the smithy, to finish off upgrading all the miners and was glad to put aside 1 towards my first trade with the Necromancer.355Please respect copyright.PENANAWtYWptHP0x
355Please respect copyright.PENANAX6D0t7iGli
Next, I called up my character sheet.355Please respect copyright.PENANAdzJo5pc2xB
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland355Please respect copyright.PENANADQMYn1tTzi
355Please respect copyright.PENANAPnZ3uFr9Hr
Fighter, Level 5 HP 40 AC 0355Please respect copyright.PENANAPtzEEmIa1h
355Please respect copyright.PENANAL1OmkHqWaI
Str 7355Please respect copyright.PENANA0s3kzCPejF
Dex 5355Please respect copyright.PENANAWsgcl9l7Ba
Con 8355Please respect copyright.PENANAKL27HcYEGA
Int 16355Please respect copyright.PENANAuAXo2ls92q
Wis 16355Please respect copyright.PENANAx5uvLLQviY
Cha 5355Please respect copyright.PENANAyCsgAFMvjY
355Please respect copyright.PENANA3mCkhGLI56
Skills355Please respect copyright.PENANAeR0gv4qZuz
Bash 25355Please respect copyright.PENANAkWAupr9w3V
Block 1355Please respect copyright.PENANABDqwKT3wQp
Defensive Stance 1355Please respect copyright.PENANAVgek1CcBzd
Deflect 1355Please respect copyright.PENANAsGWysrp1HN
Dodge 1355Please respect copyright.PENANA3m89hvgIwT
Impale 25355Please respect copyright.PENANAeKGq2Pnhx7
Lunge 5355Please respect copyright.PENANAIBrqtrpo01
Parry 5355Please respect copyright.PENANAspixgjALYz
Wield Rapier 5355Please respect copyright.PENANA14OuwN8usX
Wield Shortbow 3355Please respect copyright.PENANAYEj2Ef6Y7c
355Please respect copyright.PENANA9zJeoUNIVj
Feats355Please respect copyright.PENANAWyeKVIxhdU
Charge! (Wis)355Please respect copyright.PENANAQl8XMwa4C8
355Please respect copyright.PENANAK5rD3Ybmiy
You have 4 attribute points to assign.355Please respect copyright.PENANA3s24nBY2pK
You have 15 skill points to assign.355Please respect copyright.PENANAfmFoN7u6qS
355Please respect copyright.PENANAzwnX4k8Hz0
XP 2,860 (3,200)
355Please respect copyright.PENANAL0ri1k8DAj355Please respect copyright.PENANAnvPDWINe8m
355Please respect copyright.PENANAAiekv5Ur1h
It was heartening to see that my dexterity and charisma had both improved a point. That gave me an insight into the process, in that I'd been exerting myself to the utmost the previous day both to use the Rhino form effectively and to encourage the army. Probably, I'd performed actions that tested them repeatedly or under very great stress. And both were moving from extremely low starting points. There was almost certainly some non-linear progression at work here in that I'd have to do more than one day's activity to increase the higher stats.355Please respect copyright.PENANAzdKRgq867h
355Please respect copyright.PENANAmKjB2V8i0W
While it was probable that weight training was the likely way to improve strength, how could I exert myself enough to trigger a constitution increase?355Please respect copyright.PENANAfniP1skC2u
355Please respect copyright.PENANAaYh3nELeK3
Perhaps Carradock Goblinbane would know. In any event, I wasn't going to spend my four attribute points yet. I still had to understand the system better.355Please respect copyright.PENANAz4lZbsZHle
355Please respect copyright.PENANApz4s6WAGE1
It was time to choose my fifteen new skills and after placing one point in each of the following I felt a real sense of progress: Grapple: action, unarmed attack that restricts opponent if successful; Heavy armour mastery: passive, allows the use of heavy armour; Kick: action, attack enemy with a kick; Medium armour mastery: passive, allows the use of medium armour; Quick draw: action, produce hidden or sheathed weapon; Ride Warhorse: passive, necessary requirement for the use of other skills from horseback; Riposte: action, counter-attack enemy (can only be triggered after a successful Parry); Shield mastery: passive, allows use of all sizes of shield; Wield espadon: passive, allows the use of a double-edged, two-handed sword; Wield longbow: passive, allows the use of longbows; Wield polearm: passive, allows the use of all polearms and spears (not thrown); Wield war axe: passive, allows use of a heavy, two-handed axe.355Please respect copyright.PENANAP2FqDyIH2S
355Please respect copyright.PENANAz61R1BgUIt
Most of the Warlord skills clearly overlapped with other fighter classes as they were all pretty standard, generic ones, but my progression as Warlord had unlocked three eye-catching skills that were likely unique to this path. Battle Cry: action, raises the morale of allies within earshot; Detect Enemy Weakness: action, gain insight as to the extent to which the morale of the target is wavering; Stonewall: action, gain increased AC in proportion to skill level (this skill cannot be higher than Defensive Stance).355Please respect copyright.PENANA2NC4RSfR1e
355Please respect copyright.PENANAsY9RyizfXN
Of course I unlocked these with a point in each. Someday on the battlefield, they could make all the difference.355Please respect copyright.PENANAtc7dIWszzF
355Please respect copyright.PENANA7LY9UTMWs3
I noticed too that (Wis) had appeared beside my first Feat, and I opened that sub-menu.355Please respect copyright.PENANA7sE1Rlvnvf
Charge! All friendly units in the vicinity get a 20% increase to base movement and a temporary 5 hit point increase. Charge! is a wisdom based feat and each point of wisdom above 15 increases the buff by an additional 1 hit point and 1% move. A wisdom of 18 therefore leads to a Charge! with the effect of +8 temporary hit points and +23% movement for all those who hear the call.
355Please respect copyright.PENANA2lmFR39P7n
Now that was interesting and gave me pause for a long thought. The attribute points I'd been storing up could make this a powerful area-of-effect buff. If I put all four in Wisdom and hit 20, that would be plus 25% movement and plus 10 hit points to my nearby troops. Considering the basic, level 0 archer had only 5 hit points, that was very appealing. Before I committed myself to this idea though, I needed to test the Feat to see what the reset timer was and how many soldiers it could affect.355Please respect copyright.PENANATDOVc1baE7
355Please respect copyright.PENANA7IWXcSdrR1
Very pleased indeed with these set of skills, that reminded me of my Storm Wars days when I had the skills and feats to tank major bosses, I made my way over to the barracks. There was something odd about the behaviour of the people that I passed. A quick check on the people menu told me that an increased happiness score – now up to 21 – might have had something to do with it. But there was something else going on. Furtive smiles. Little whispers to each other and looks at me that were almost sniggers. It felt like I was in fancy dress.355Please respect copyright.PENANA7dNYr0sNEk
355Please respect copyright.PENANAOCbkDDwYAb
Carradock Goblinbane was alone at the barracks and on my arrival he saluted me eagerly and said, 'well done sire! Very well done.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAYBsmTwQg7R
355Please respect copyright.PENANANUJB6sX19q
'Thank you.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAVtUAJRCLkX
355Please respect copyright.PENANAfLDpRa516C
'And sire. I may only have one arm, but next time I hope you'll take me with you. I can haul on a rope, or help the soldiers get into formation.' His look was earnest, almost pleading.355Please respect copyright.PENANA0cTbpXYxC9
355Please respect copyright.PENANAfHkvdSpK3U
'Consider yourself so instructed, Carradock. You can be my aide-de-camp when we are in battle.'355Please respect copyright.PENANANjj7mk6MqO
355Please respect copyright.PENANAfRNhitl6FV
'Thank you sire.' His words were heartfelt and the tears in his eyes sincere. Good man.355Please respect copyright.PENANA8wDgNb13US
355Please respect copyright.PENANAvHieMLSl7M
'Now, let's continue with my personal training. I want to get stronger,' I said, 'and I also want my constitution to increase.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAXVuULRU9rB
355Please respect copyright.PENANAKDhX4M8H1I
'The first I can help with. The second too, but not so much.' He glanced at me and must have seen a query in my expression, because he continued, 'if you assign soldiers to survival training, it takes three months for them to become hardier.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAMEv7SfICTL
355Please respect copyright.PENANAxPTAVa6h3P
'Three months.' I sighed.355Please respect copyright.PENANA2trKsMZzR1
355Please respect copyright.PENANAz6XgXbeVxV
'In your case, it might go quicker; you can dedicate yourself to it. As much as your duties allow.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAoKqgKKKWCv
355Please respect copyright.PENANABjDP6PlxpQ
'What does survival training involve?'355Please respect copyright.PENANAFMta6rJnFd
355Please respect copyright.PENANASwvanp54eT
'We go into the mountains and live off the land, building a lean-to, hunting and climbing every day.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAUidtL9oqXp
355Please respect copyright.PENANAErK7f0TkRc
'Living off the land you say?' It occurred to me I might make a small saving in food requirements to assign some soldiers to this training. And I would end up with better troops. But with the army so tiny, I could hardly afford this measure, could I?355Please respect copyright.PENANA7nwxumn8b9
355Please respect copyright.PENANAa5HQ5s3Bnl
'Yes sire, it's not the comfortable life a king is used to, no, not by a long way. We'll be hungry most nights. But I believe I see in you a determination that will meet the challenge.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAwcN6CSP1S5
355Please respect copyright.PENANAjaWiCHoSnA
I caught Carradock's eye and nodded. All the same, there was so much to do here.355Please respect copyright.PENANAbts7enN0E8
355Please respect copyright.PENANAn9I7Xphzft
'What about the strength training?'355Please respect copyright.PENANAk5Ll2n7QPG
355Please respect copyright.PENANAS1n2z0yT2P
'Much more straightforward, sire. I'll teach you the lifts and you practice them over and over until you are at your limit.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAUenEnAox38
355Please respect copyright.PENANAeOnTU4taqs
'Let's begin with that then.' I literally rolled up my sleeves.355Please respect copyright.PENANAovagffmKhP
355Please respect copyright.PENANAAAzXoh3sYu
Soon, I was performing a variety of exercises, aimed at strengthening my arms and shoulders mostly, but Carradock also had me work on my legs with simple squats that very quickly became a challenge.355Please respect copyright.PENANAYkuG7fjf2m
355Please respect copyright.PENANAVBPtbNXSZy
When I took a break for water, I noticed again the presence of onlooking townspeople, who still had the furtive smiles and almost expectant expressions. Before driving them away to get on with their tasks, I leaned in towards Carradock.355Please respect copyright.PENANARt6A6OnjI7
355Please respect copyright.PENANA6ChvMBj7C6
'What's with the smirks?'355Please respect copyright.PENANAJqa4sHD90F
355Please respect copyright.PENANADMPCiWuqAw
'Oh,' Carradock had a thin, weasel-like face, more used to scowling than smiling to judge from the lines on it. But now it broke into a broad grin. 'Why sire, it's our new flag.' He pointed with his one hand.355Please respect copyright.PENANAum4k4B4PEr
355Please respect copyright.PENANAWWDztak0CK
The flagpole at the corner of the barracks had a green flag that I'd thought I'd seen previously. When the wind picked up enough to lift it fully open, however, I could see that it had indeed changed. The previous symbol had been a white circle of some sort. That was gone. Instead, it showed a galloping white rhino.355Please respect copyright.PENANAXiXAPsdruK
355Please respect copyright.PENANAHDQUuwygTB
It was probably out of character as King Carlos but I couldn't help smile. I looked around the square and shared the moment with the people who were there, letting them see I was pleased. Then called out, trying to sound gruff. 'All right, I've seen it. I approve. Now get about your tasks.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAPZ4UySxqap
355Please respect copyright.PENANA518z4sWHfU
***
355Please respect copyright.PENANAIgjtA1lIKX
355Please respect copyright.PENANAPiGE3FlEBQ
A couple of hours later, when I was panting from the weight training and sweat was pouring from my body, despite the cool autumn day, a messenger came hurrying to find me. It was a gangly teenage boy who I'd seen around the keep. 'Sire, sire! A ship is making for our harbour.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAGOqkTQWZdR
355Please respect copyright.PENANAOYCokq7qSl
'What kind of ship?'355Please respect copyright.PENANAPCPmoWmsdV
355Please respect copyright.PENANAjBjCHAgkVh
'A Viking ship!' His eyes were wide with alarm. And my heart lurched too. We had no troops at all in Carrick. Well, a one-armed sergeant, a level three Bard, an over-weight Fighter who couldn't fit into any of the town's armour, and a Sorceress. At least we had Carlena, I hoped her mana was fully restored.355Please respect copyright.PENANA5tI1rZf5L8
355Please respect copyright.PENANAoeAffWuMJu
'Go fetch the Sorceress. Tell her to meet me at the quays. Get someone else to find Figus, the ambassador.'355Please respect copyright.PENANATG81PeG0rC
355Please respect copyright.PENANANGv3N8BZgP
'Yes sire.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAzu1FLYOi7b
355Please respect copyright.PENANAMXJxllwTVD
'Carradock, come with me and bring your sword.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAJHiiY9k7FU
355Please respect copyright.PENANA0bZ5YwNoL6
'Spear, sire. I can still stick 'em with it.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAThT3uQXHJq
355Please respect copyright.PENANAIPKy2ed2G4
'Right so.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAafFmGCQjBv
355Please respect copyright.PENANAHzrqvZ7W0Y
The quayside of the town of Carrick was a simple affair. One pier of stone stretched out into a grey sea for about thirty yards. In the protection of the lee of the wall bobbed two rowboats that were moored to buoys. It really needed a tower here, to help against invasion. At least we were outside the town walls and could fall back through a portcullis.355Please respect copyright.PENANARKYjZ108PR
355Please respect copyright.PENANA7uuZNKIeoh
Shading my hand from the reddish sun, I could see the ship clearly enough. A bank of oars on each side; a large, square-rigged sail with a black and white stripe; and the ominous dragon head, facing us, rising up and down as they worked their oars and drove their ship towards us.355Please respect copyright.PENANAtBq7aERUje
355Please respect copyright.PENANA30Dn9HTly5
'What do you know of these people, Carradock?'355Please respect copyright.PENANA8nork2CJCW
355Please respect copyright.PENANAphyf65DiHU
'Dangerous, sire. Fierce fighters. Robbers. Their land – Jomskar – is north, beyond the Kingdom of Lost Souls. We have a saying, "never turn your back on a Jomsviking", because they'd do you sire. Give you a knock on the head and you'd wake up a slave of theirs.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAAp41BKDCCS
355Please respect copyright.PENANAPHLV6f2sSF
A clatter of boots on cobbles heralded the arrival of Carlena, the boy with her. The Sorceress was in her fighting outfit of trousers and tunic and as she gave me a nod of greeting, she tied her hair up tightly into a bun.355Please respect copyright.PENANARWjgepl922
355Please respect copyright.PENANAtxyB33GgHo
I addressed the lad, 'get everyone you can from the town and take whatever helmets and shields we have in the armoury in the keep and hurry to the walls. Try to make it seem like we have plenty of soldiers in the town. And get some people to the portcullis.'355Please respect copyright.PENANA3Z4ASUuILy
355Please respect copyright.PENANAU3QWZ7N38J
The boy's large Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed heavily. Then he was off, almost slipping on the cobbles as he scrambled over-eagerly back towards town. This really was a lesson for me. Never to leave the town completely without troops. Hopefully, the infantry that Lord Arval was sending on leave would arrive before nightfall but for now, we were desperately weak. Even this one ship posed a significant threat.355Please respect copyright.PENANA8apMk3aTaE
355Please respect copyright.PENANAfZZmzUGhQ3
'How's the mana?' I asked Carlena.355Please respect copyright.PENANACpFGAyBHYD
355Please respect copyright.PENANAI5SlcLI9Pl
'Full.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAI1HvSqUJzj
355Please respect copyright.PENANAxduOp9jWDc
'You're all we've got.'355Please respect copyright.PENANA2z8xVpYmkL
355Please respect copyright.PENANAIFD7TVLEUS
'This I can see.'355Please respect copyright.PENANA86Wfopvjz5
355Please respect copyright.PENANADq5kIRNW51
I was hoping she'd add something reassuring to that comment. She didn't.355Please respect copyright.PENANAE6R8MsEuuL
355Please respect copyright.PENANAhEEvqHZuac
In contrast to the tension of Carlena's stance, the arrival of Figus was almost nonchalant in the confidence of his stride. He was well-dressed in good quality cloth, which was embroidered with intricate patterns based on the interweaving of wild flowers.355Please respect copyright.PENANA7l447wJI63
355Please respect copyright.PENANAakw8Gy2W1c
'Sire.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAt6ITFrrKCE
355Please respect copyright.PENANAvnASCSaT9n
'Ambassador.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAeHz5mBpBeI
355Please respect copyright.PENANAgLAzW99q7f
The four of us moved part way along the pier and stood in silence as the ship drew closer and closer. Seagulls swooped and squabbled and the scent of the ocean was as salty as on Earth. There was an extraordinary difference with my experience of the sea back home though. Here, on the horizon was a line of white mist that sparkled under the midday sun. The edge of the word, presumably.355Please respect copyright.PENANAJiXoR1mAPr
355Please respect copyright.PENANAAPW0cU8HYr
As the ship came around the head of the pier, I could see the men – and women – aboard. They were long-haired, tall and sturdy. How I envied them their fitness. And to my great relief, they were not brandishing weapons and helmeted up. At the front of the ship, one arm on the fabulously carved prow, was a red-haired woman whose dark green cloak fluttered around her. She caught my eye and gave a shout. 'Hail King Carlos, permission to enter your lands?'355Please respect copyright.PENANAVtwryXyt84
355Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5uSvj5pPk
'Just you.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAbiqe7GvYaH
355Please respect copyright.PENANAZWRngyfLFL
With that their spokeswoman threw out a coiled rope with considerable dexterity and it was Carradock, despite only having one arm, who caught it and tied it off on a bollard. With an impressively uniform response to a command barked from the man at the tiller, the oars came in and the ship lay easy just a few yards from the pier. The crew were looking at us frankly, with curiosity, and were clearly unafraid.355Please respect copyright.PENANAsZrHWKAoXW
355Please respect copyright.PENANACB0C8ZPeNy
Two planks were found to bridge the gap to us and without hesitation the woman ran across. She was in her thirties; had a wide, attractive face; and brown eyes that shone with amusement, or was it cunning?355Please respect copyright.PENANAR6xzbJN5C0
355Please respect copyright.PENANA4ryDAZuIeG
'I am Jarl Injeborg the Red, here to speak to you on behalf of King Olgrim Beartooth of Jomskar.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAnIbEQg1eFp
355Please respect copyright.PENANATcjJrreUaR
'Go on.'355Please respect copyright.PENANASuUNEZoTQ4
355Please respect copyright.PENANAJazW3QU1bX
She laughed. 'In my land, we greet ambassadors with generous hospitality. No wonder this place is called Greyland. Will we not go to your castle? A room? Some wine? Or mead if you like.' She turned to her crew. 'Ragnald, throw over a bottle of mead.'355Please respect copyright.PENANADgaL20hJoh
355Please respect copyright.PENANAitb37a5ULp
One of the Vikings rummaged up a bottle, threw it accurately and Injeborg caught it effortlessly. Again it was an impressive display of skill and the whole crew knew it too, there were grins on all their faces.355Please respect copyright.PENANAAhsxtI4VKB
355Please respect copyright.PENANA1hugnSKjIo
'Here's just fine.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAIYhiAvGIm1
355Please respect copyright.PENANAxgADIqxNFw
'Suspicious?' She opened her arms wide, throwing back her cloak to show that the only weapon on her was a small knife in a decorated leather scabbard on her belt. Then she dropped the smile. 'If we wanted to, we could cut you down right now.'355Please respect copyright.PENANADPq2o2PuDO
355Please respect copyright.PENANABRDDxmeN9N
'Perhaps, if you and your ship could survive a level eleven Fireball.' My heart was beating fast, but my voice was steady.355Please respect copyright.PENANADI4Uc8K4l0
355Please respect copyright.PENANAhZ0Z6G3yfF
A quick flick of her eyes towards Carlena. 'We are here in peace and I am to offer you an alliance.' She paused, expecting perhaps that I would now bring her to a room in the keep for our negotiations.355Please respect copyright.PENANAGXuN05zerx
355Please respect copyright.PENANAhIKVFhZe98
'I'm listening.' And I really was.355Please respect copyright.PENANA5TeOjwgof7
355Please respect copyright.PENANAAM3DOegh7Y
'Very well, we'll talk out here, in the wind.' Injeborg's long, red hair had several braids, but even so often streamed across her face. 'Recently, King Olgrim had a meeting with King Cillian mac Gille Coemgáin of Rockguard and it did not go well. Knowing he has the stronger army, mac Gille Coemgáin tried to impose tribute on us. And due to adversity and the recent loss of our mines to the frost giants, our king would have agreed. Except that when it came to shaking hands on the agreement, mac Gille Coemgáin instead demanded King Olgrim kiss his foot.355Please respect copyright.PENANACS6qLmG9mg
355Please respect copyright.PENANAQ50ohedEjX
'This was in front of the courts of both realms. I was there. And our king said, "are you sure?" Mac Gille Coemgáin just laughed and said, "kiss it", holding his foot out. "Well," said King Olgrim, "it was your request." And with that he grabbed the royal foot and being a big, strong bear of a man, turned Mac Gille Coemgáin upside down. While the ruler of Rockguard wriggled like a frog, King Olgrim kissed his foot, then dropped him on his head.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAgB3dK7lLoc
355Please respect copyright.PENANAdPxLqGb1xa
'As you can imagine, their courtiers did not take this well. And, to be brief, we are at war.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAb6ZsMUu2VX
355Please respect copyright.PENANAFVhBLTduL0
I laughed. 'I like the sound of King Olgrim. Very well. What do you want from us?'355Please respect copyright.PENANApZt3EYlQEf
355Please respect copyright.PENANArZzKj9KgR5
'Iron. We know you have mines.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAUeRLuI56JM
355Please respect copyright.PENANAAKro9Wv8oP
Iron again. I had been ramping production up as quickly as I could but perhaps I could do more. It clearly was a vital resource. Should I reassign people from other jobs? I'd ask Carlena about this later. It seemed that the power of the menus, whether divine or magic, gave the workers the appropriate skills in response to my decisions. But perhaps there would be a cost to reassigning someone, rather than using someone who was currently without a task.355Please respect copyright.PENANAAFc7npFB72
355Please respect copyright.PENANAjQsoGE3vgC
'And in return?'355Please respect copyright.PENANAgUJHMZNA26
355Please respect copyright.PENANAv4csMSY9fX
'Fish. Salted fish. Five units for each ingot of iron.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAQu53jE7I9e
355Please respect copyright.PENANAVfgQyYWP7Z
Not as good an offer as from the necromancer but, still, food was food and I wanted it badly. Deliberately slowing down my heart, looking into the distance and the slow movements of the sea, I tried to make my next words as unconcerned as possible.355Please respect copyright.PENANAS7egs3Qh3C
355Please respect copyright.PENANANBSRmz0qRQ
'Using your own trading vessels?'355Please respect copyright.PENANAmefBL4inkG
355Please respect copyright.PENANA01HTeaczEv
'Yes.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAXhf0Xeyu9Y
355Please respect copyright.PENANAPP9K8JjNws
'I'll speak directly and to the point. For every seven units of fish, I'll send you an ingot of iron. Right now, however, I'm very short of iron myself. In two weeks, though, I promise I'll give you twenty if you return with a hundred and forty barrels of fish.'355Please respect copyright.PENANASLaj9heDMn
355Please respect copyright.PENANAn8Qr75LcYO
She looked thoughtful. 'I can shake hands with you now at six for one. Seven would need me to sail back to King Olgrim. And have you any iron to hand at all? We have barrels of fish with us now. Thirty of them.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAcTMwykkQyq
355Please respect copyright.PENANAZJSn3QIu18
'You use slaves up in Jomskar?'355Please respect copyright.PENANA4a7tKtPhh1
355Please respect copyright.PENANAmPVfnLqwxE
'We do.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAhPy2m6p1DZ
355Please respect copyright.PENANApNZCq01xdS
'Then I can give you two iron ingots and about fifteen slaves for those thirty barrels.' I was thinking of the four new iron ingots (possibly five) that I would have at dawn but even better of the chance to rid myself of some of the unwanted prisoners. The ones from Southway. I was still hoping to achieve peace with Trolland and their prisoners might be useful.355Please respect copyright.PENANAKg015dOIQT
355Please respect copyright.PENANAlEW4p68H2H
For a moment, there was a silence but for the waves, the seagulls and the creaking of their ship. I tried not to let my tension show, nor stare at the holds of their ship. We really needed those fish.355Please respect copyright.PENANA0XyypWaKhB
355Please respect copyright.PENANA4gms3YAfEn
'I will agree if our agreement is six units of fish for each iron ingot after this.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAaMao7tb3eu
355Please respect copyright.PENANAt4asMFJpIP
I held out my hand and the jarl shook it with a very firm grip. Then she gave me a fierce look. 'This trade is only the start. I can see you are a man who despite appearances is strong at heart. Soon, we will be comrades on the battlefield.'355Please respect copyright.PENANA1PRitTTszH
355Please respect copyright.PENANAB9FRNZi3VO
'Perhaps. I am already at war with two kingdoms, however, I make no promises about fighting Rockguard.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAwEWEwYocBy
355Please respect copyright.PENANAruKCbuONR4
'I understand. Let's drink all the same, to the trade agreement.' Injeborg drew her knife and cut away the wax seal on the bottle. Then she offered the drink to me.355Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1Iqi5Tf5l
355Please respect copyright.PENANA3P5rtWG2RC
'After you.'355Please respect copyright.PENANAqkgdTy5hTB
355Please respect copyright.PENANAbUkHPNa705
With a laugh she took a large swig from the bottle, making sure I saw her swallow it. After which I did the same. It was fiery and sweet. Delicious. 'Put one of those bottles into the trade will you,' I said, passing it to Figus who held it for a moment distastefully, then took a modest mouthful and passed it on to Carlena.355Please respect copyright.PENANAt5g1Lh1rXd
355Please respect copyright.PENANAGiUp1f9Kpt
Injeborg laughed again, white teeth flashing. She laughed easily and while aware that I might have been affected by her obviously high charisma, I had the thought that these people might indeed make good allies.