MERCHANT ADVENTURER

You Want to Follow Me?

I hurried to find my fellow travelers. They were standing in front of the tavern from the night before.

"Sorry for my late arrival," I told them.

Jonas didn't seem too upset. He simply answered, "We just got here ourselves."

Then his sight fell behind me. "Who is this little friend?"

Huh? I turned around to see the beggar boy in my shadow. "What are you doing here?" I asked him.

The beggar boy held his closed fist out. He wanted to give me something? I held out an open palm and the child dropped the hot silver coins into my palm.

"Go with you," the boy announced quietly.

"You can't go with me," I refused. "It's too dangerous."

I tried to give him back the silver coins, but the boy refused to take it.

The boy pursed his lips and remained quiet. He had a stubborn gaze in his big round eyes. I was left with an indescribable feeling of not knowing how to proceed. What do I do now?

I couldn't ask Midas for help with so many people surrounding me.

Jonas kindly stepped in and delicately advised, "I don't mean to step into your conversation, but for the sake of saving time, I have an idea, if you'd like to hear it."

"I would like to hear it," I replied humbly.

"There are plenty of monasteries on the way. We can drop the child off at one of them if the journey proves to difficult," Jonas explained. Then he added, "In addition, so many people have seen the silver coins. I'm afraid if you leave this little friend behind, he'll meet with mishap."

I looked around and saw several unsavory individuals staring at the boy like he was a free meal ticket. I was grateful there was someone who could think rationally in this situation. "Thank you, Jonas. I'll listen to you."

I looked at the boy, who now had a grand smile on his face. "Come here," I told him, as I grabbed to hold his hand.

Holding onto his hand firmly with one hand and using my other hand to steady the pack resting on my shoulders, we moved towards the town gates. The area around the town gates were rather dense and polluted with chatter. On the side entering the town, a long line formed. I learned from the tutor that in order to enter cities, everyone had to pay a fee. The fee varied from town to town. Some places charged a few copper coins, while the more affluent towns and cities would charge a gold coin.

On the side leaving town, the line was much shorter. For the most part, the gate guards only looked at the exiting person's face to see if they were wanted fugitives with bounties on their heads. Our group safely passed through the town gate. Out in the open air, I gazed into the distance. The never ending road laid out before us. The little boy also appeared happy I had not left him behind.

We moved forward, taking our first step on our adventure.