My first order of business when I exited the Town Hall with Rita in tow, was to find someone who could act as a runner. I had five gold and three bronze coins in my pocket, one gold and three bronze of that courtesy of the man who had most recently tried to kill me. May he rot in whatever punishment the goddesses cooked up for him. A glance around showed me multiple people, though only one of them didn’t appear occupied.

  He was a middle-aged man, with antlers and a stubby but fluffy tail. His limbs were thin, and his face was long. A cigarette dangled from his lips, and when our eyes met, I could see how bored he looked. It didn’t surprise me that such a thing would be a common problem out here. With a smile, I reached into my pocket and collected the three bronze. Out here, it would be enough of a bribe.

  “Sir,” I said, as I walked over to him, the coins bunched into my palm. “May I have a word?”

  His eyes moved from me, to Rita, and then to the two guards who remained trailing after us like worried parents. I ignored them, my focus on him. When he once again met my eyes, he gave a shallow nod.

  “What’s the problem?”

  I held out my hand with the coins and smiled. “Chad Burling. A pleasure.”

  He took my hand, and with a simple move, I palmed the bronze over to him. He didn’t glance down at the coins, and instead simply rested his hand against the pocket of his dark blue pants. A twitch of his head scraped his antlers against the wall behind him, a trick to hide the sound of clinking metal, no doubt.

  “Pleasures all mine. Anton Bloom. Handyman. What do you need?” He asked me.

  “I’m heading over to Healer Anna’s to check on a friend.” I paused. “Reeds, you know him?”

  Anton snorted. “Everyone in this town knows Reeds. Why tell me?”

  “Because I need to speak to whomever runs the lumber camp. I’ve heard some troubling rumours about the place, and I have to leave sooner than I like. Perhaps you could direct them my way?”

  His nod caused his horns to scrap again, and he lightly patted his pocket. “Reckon, that’s not impossible. How long will you be at Healer Anna’s?”

  “A while, I would think.”

  “Alright.” With that, he reached out and clutched my shoulder. “You ever need someone to do some minor fixes? I hope you’ll come find me.”

  “Of course, good help is near impossible to find. I’m always on the lookout for reliable people.” My words were light, but I didn’t flinch at his touch or look away from his steady gaze.

  “That’s me.”

  He let me go and walked away. Behind me, Rita watched me, a small frown on her face. When I glanced back at her, she gestured to Anton’s retreating back. The guards had similar looks of confusion. I simply smiled and nodded in the opposite direction.

  “We really should check on Reeds.” I made to move, but Rita nudged my arm. “Yes?”

  “Why did you ask him to find Callahan for you?”

  I continued walking, and she fell in beside me, her hand on her sword, as her eyes scanned the crowd. “Because The Mayor says I have until sunset to leave, and I want to hear more about your entanglement with The Howlers.”

  “You don’t believe me?” She didn’t frown again, but I could hear the disapproval in her voice.

  “It’s not that.” I paused, unsure how to explain it. “The Mayor isn’t happy with what you did, but I believe that you, at least in your version, did the correct thing. You fulfilled the contract, which is always better than someone telling you not to fulfill it.”

  “Wasn’t that something you did frequently?”

  Her words washed over as I continued. “My goal with this is to talk to someone else who was there. A third party. The owner will have a differing opinion, though I would bet the gold in my pocket he’ll be thankful to you. That seems to be a running theme. People don’t like The Howlers, despite the Mayor’s attempts to make sure they’re left alone.”

  “Speaking of The Howlers, they’re following us,” Rita said, her hand never once leaving her weapon. “Three of them. Though they aren’t approaching.”

  A shiver of fear ran through me, but having Rita at my side helped. “Will they go into Anna’s store?”

  “No.” She didn’t shake her head, but I could hear the disdain in her throat. “Out here, healers, even simply alchemical ones, are sacred. Auntie Anna is all we have. No one is going to risk her wrath.”

  “That explains her attitude,” I thought before asking. “Auntie Anna? I can’t picture the family resemblance.”

  “She’s not my real aunt. But she adopted me in her own way. I would rather not get into it.”

  Her tone had gone back to the semi-formal one I had heard in the coach, and I let it drop. Her family history wasn’t my business. Though I was glad to hear that the healers were considered neutral ground. It made sense. Aside from the church, there had to be somewhere else people felt comfortable meeting if they weren’t particularly religious.

  We changed topics and chatted about small things until we reached our destination. It hadn’t changed, though I saw Sheryl and Anna chatting through the window. Once more with a tea set before them. What I didn’t expect was the reaction Anna displayed when she caught sight of Rita.

  In moments, the woman’s walking stick was in her hand and she was hobbling out of the store with the type of speed one expected from someone trying to dodge the law. Her wide smile was only matched by the sheer enthusiasm of her shout.

  “Stray Cat!” she shouted, as she embraced Rita in a hug. “You’ve returned! I knew that idiot couldn’t ban you forever.”

  As they had their reunion, I glanced around. The two guards remained nearby, and I spotted the small group of our other followers. All wore three headbands, and the way they stood made me curious. As I studied it, I realised where I had seen it before. They waited in almost the same posture as the guards, professional and standing at attention. That seemed wrong for a group that so far had seemed to be made of thugs and posers.

  When they caught me looking, one, a rather athletic woman, sneered and relaxed into a slouch. I turned away just in time to step back from Anna, who tried to swat me with her staff.

  “Why didn’t you get her ban revoked, city boy? Isn’t that why you’re here?” She demanded, as she slowly brought the staff back up.

  “No, Ma’am.”

  “Healer Anna,” she barked at me.

  “No, Healer Anna.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “My purpose here is to assist Miss. Thrumlin—”

  I paused as Rita narrowed her eyes, and her tail flicked, causing me to remember our deal. “To assist Rita here in building up her business.”

  “Hmpf, a foolish endeavor. She doesn’t need to grow. We offer everything she needs right here.” Anna clung to her staff, her displeased gaze focused on me.

  From the store, Sheryl wandered out, her fox ears twitching as her tail swished behind her. She moved beside Healer Anna and placed a hand on her shoulder. The other woman leaned into the touch somewhat, though more for physical support than any kind of comfort. Not that she appeared displeased by the touch.

  “Anna dear, I think it’s remarkable that Rita wants to grow her little group,” Sheryl said, her words gentle. “You know as well as I do the protection a name can grant. If she wants to make sure she’s safe, I think we should support her and Chad here.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Her eyes met mine, and I could see the threat there. “Who will do his best to assist her, I’m sure? Especially after so valiantly helping my husband.”

  “Of course.”

  There was nothing else I could say, and she seemed to know it by the small, but rather predatory smile that graced her face. With a gentle nudge against Anna’s side, she led the older woman, and by extension, Rita and I, back inside. Soon I found myself standing around the counter, with a cup of tea in my hand.

  “How’s Reeds?” I asked when everyone was served.

  “Asleep.” Sheryl rolled her eyes and sounded exasperated in a loving way. “He wanted to get up to check the horses, because of course he did. Refused to sit still until Anna gave him something to make him sleep. I swear, he’ll be working as the reaper comes to take him away.”

  “He never will stop trying to provide for you, will he?” Healer Anna asked.

  Sheryl sounded almost wistful as she answered. “No, I suppose he won’t.”

  “What about you, Stray Cat?” Healer Anna put her teacup down, and looked at Rita. “When are you going to find someone like that? You’re not getting any younger.”

  “Auntie, no. I have my work, and my…” she trailed off and glanced at me.

  “Perhaps this is a conversation that I’m best not here for?”

  It wouldn’t be the first time my employer had needed me out of the room for a conversation, and I made it a habit to vanish when it came to discussing personal lives. Such things didn’t concern me, and I didn’t want to be involved.

  Before they could stop me, I finished my tea and moved outside. Both of our guards were still there, and The Howlers remained in their spot as well. I didn’t look at them, instead leaning against the outside wall of the store. As I did, I let my eyes close and focused on my breathing. The way she had trailed off meant she was hiding something. Annoying, but not uncommon, or particularly surprising if I was being honest.

  I could still hear their hushed voices, and though I couldn’t make out the words, I could hear the irritation in Rita’s tone. My fingers tapped against the wall, feeling the wooden texture behind me. Time moved, and soon I heard a familiar voice.

  “This is him.”

  My eyes opened to find Anton standing there next to a new man. He had wolf ears and a tail, similar to Mulvinia, though the grey in his fur appeared to be signs of age. His physique was one of someone who worked hard though, big and broad, with obvious muscles. A smile crossed his face, and he held out a hand.

  “You’re Burling right? Heard you were looking for me,” he said in a voice that was tinged with a slight growl.

  “That’s right.” I took his hand and tried to ignore the way his shake felt, like he was about to tear my arm off. “You’re, Mr. Callahan?”

  “Callahan Dillions. Owner, foreman, and worker of the Lumber Camp. Or I was until those damn monsters moved in. Mayor keeps telling me that The Howlers will fix it, but those layabouts don’t do anything!”

  His voice rose and I could see him glancing at the three loitering nearby. One raised a hand and flipped him off. The other two laughed, and I heard him growl as his tail lay limply behind him. There was hatred in his eyes, pure and true. Good. That meant there would be little resistance to my questions.

  “They don’t seem useful,” I agreed. “That would be one reason Rita drove them off, no doubt?”

  “Sure, as the goddess’s flowers bloom in spring. Useless shits were causing trouble. If it wasn’t for those girls, we wouldn’t have the stock pile we have. Not that we have much of that left. You mark my words, Burling. We don’t have the suppliers you fancy city folk do. Me and my boys don’t cut the trees down? No wood, you see?” He spat the last words.

  As he spoke, I gave a small nod. “I do. If I may be bold, I assume the Mayor told you that hiring Rita’s crew to deal with your, well, issues, isn’t allowed?”

  “Not directly.” His eyes narrowed. “Why, he say something to you? He just keeps telling me that The Howlers would do it for free.”

  “But they won’t. Let’s be honest with ourselves.”

  “Course not,” he growled.

  I nodded again. “Tell me, how much were you paying The Blackrock mercenaries to guard your camp?”

  As I asked, I tried to think about how much something like that would cost. I knew merchants often talked about spending silver to gold on guards when making runs. If Rita and her crew were as good as she implied, perhaps seven to eight silver each? This man could probably afford it if he was supplying the entire town with lumber.

  So all up, that would be two gold, and four silver. Depending on how long the contract ran, that might need to be bumped a bit. I would have to see what the local economy could bear. I couldn’t charge more than the market could afford.

  “Paying?” He looked at me like I had asked what color the sky was. “You got some fancy ideas. No, they walked off with all the lumber and firewood they needed. Was never much, but it seemed to make them happy.”

  My stomach sank, and I could feel my hands shake. His words bounced around my skull, and I tried to make sense of them. I understood the barter system. It wasn’t complicated. But no one bothered with it anymore. Maybe for small favors among friends. But for a mercenary contract? To fight monsters? That was insane.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

  “How.” I paused and tried to force my words back to something close to normalcy. “How normal is such a trade around here? Are the trees in this region special, perhaps? Magical Properties? There’s, well, I assume there’s no way they had to fight monsters. Maybe drive away the occasional big dog or something?”

  Callahan watched me, his head cocked to the side as though he were confused. “Trades like ours? Well, not common really, but Rita never really put a price on her work. Never needed to. They have other ways to get food, and repairs and the like.”

  “And the trees?”

  My voice hitched, and I had to hope. There would be something special about them. That had to be it. She was collecting lumber and things to stockpile to sell as a trade good at a later date. As he shook his head, my hope died.

  “Nope.” He chuckled. “Bog standard wood. But good enough for what we need around here. Oh, and they drive away the occasional monsters, yeah. Timberaines, Nesting Spiders, Voltspikers. You know, typical stuff. Been a boon for me and my crew. Let me tell you, at least when they were allowed nearby to do the work.”

  “I… I think I need to sit down?”

  The ground was hard as I dropped onto it, and my hands came to rest on my knees. His words didn’t make sense. Couldn’t be right. She promised that if I came out here, I would get to work on my class advancement. Not that I had the Monster Cores or the Legendary Item for such a thing right now, but that wasn’t the point.

  Rita’s company wasn’t making money. None. Clearly she had deals with everyone, but not a single bronze coin was making its way into her coffers. Was the contract I worked on in Ophilim the first time she had made any kind of profit?

  Callahan was talking, but I couldn’t really hear him. My head was pounding and everything felt wrong. This wasn’t how things worked. Not at all. It had to be a trick. There had to be something I was missing. Had to be. Rita’s face appeared before mine, and I looked into her green eyes. I snarled at her.

  “Tell me it’s a lie.”

  “What’s a lie?” She asked, as she looked between me and Callahan. “What did you tell him?”

  “He asked about our contract and how much we paid you. I told him we paid you in firewood, and he freaked out,” Callahan said.

  Guilt flashed as she looked back at me, and I spoke slowly. “Part of our agreement, however tangentially, was getting your business to a million gold. How am I meant to do that if you’re giving away your services?”

  “I’m not giving them away—”

  “How are you not?” I interrupted her. “You’re risking your life for firewood? Are you insane? That’s… no.”

  “Are you reneging on our deal?” she watched me, expression careful.

  Around us, people shifted and spoke, but my focus was on her. “No, but I want to renegotiate. This type of thing stops. Now. I also want your body guard services for life. Free of charge in exchange for the work I’m going to have to do.”

  “We... people won’t pay me for things I’ve been doing for cheap.”

  “Perhaps.” My breathing was coming easier now that we were discussing something that made sense. “But we have to try. I’m not running a charity.”

  “Barter isn’t charity.”

  “It’s the next best thing.”

  She took a deep breath. “Fine. What do you suggest?”

  “I’m in charge of your contracts, your hiring and firing. How much we charge and where we go? You let me do everything but run the business in name.” My words were hard, a proclamation that I wasn’t going to budge from this.

  “Even if I wanted to agree with that, I couldn’t.” She stepped back, and I craned my neck to look up at her. “Sasha and Penny would have to agree.”

  “Where are they then?”

  “Leyloon. Back at the office.” She glanced at the ground before adding. “At my father’s house, I mean.”

  With shaking legs, I pushed my way up and brushed myself down. “Fine. Mr. Dillions wasn’t it?”

  “Are you ok, Burling?” He asked.

  “No. The next contract will require payment. Eight silver per person. You mentioned monsters? We can be back in, say, a week. Once I get the paperwork organized.”

  He met my gaze and then held out a hand. We shook, and then I turned and gave a curt bow to Sheryl. She returned the gesture, then moved over to wrap her arms around me. I stiffened, but didn’t push her away from me.

  “I know you’re somewhere new,” she whispered. “But you’ll get used to it. Before you leave, come and have tea with me? There’s a payment waiting for what you did for my husband.”

  “That debt was paid in full,” I said.

  “Not to me.” When she let me go, I could see the hardness in her haze. “I still owe you, even if he doesn’t. You aren’t a man who enjoys being indebted, are you? Do not do the same to me.”

  A part of me wanted to argue, but I knew there was no point. With a more formal bow, I held out my arm. “Then will you at least allow me the honor of escorting you home?”

  “Of course, Mr. Burling. Then, on the way, we can discuss your new transport options.”

  With Sheryl on my arm, and a quiet Rita stalking behind me, I left Anna’s without a word, my head full of numbers as I tried to figure out how to get myself out of this mess.