The Sword Maiden

Time's Tale

The first town we traveled toward was Time's Tale.  I had never been this far up into the country of Thathia and so all the towns we were going to be seeing from now on would be new to me.  Valeria had traveled much more than me, and so had Redwar, but none of our party had been there.  

We rode into Time's Tale on the 3rd day of our journey.  My first impressions were that it was a nice little town.  A typical, quiet place where everybody knew everybody. 

"Let's split up," Redwar said.  We were stopped at the square of the town, where most of the meetings, celebrations, weddings, etc.  were held.

"Ravine, you go with Daxton.  Derrek, pair up with Valeria."  He pointed over to where a tavern was.  "I'll check to see about rooms over there, and we'll meet back here."  

I raised my eyebrows when I heard that I was paired with Daxton.  I thought I'd go with Derrek, or Valeria, or even Redwar, but Daxton?  

Daxon didn't seem entirely comfortable with the idea either, but we weren't given a chance to protest.  

"Daxton, Ravine, search out the market, blacksmith, and just explore a bit to the north.  Valeria, Derrek, see what other shops are available, where the sheriff and court buildings are located, then go to the south a ways."  

We nodded and voiced our agreement.  Suddenly Redwar looked up and pointed.  "Well, won't you look at that."  

I looked up along his finger.  My eyes went up a tower that lead up to a... clock?  I blinked twice.  Yep, sure enough, it was a clock.  I'd only seen clocks a couple of times in my life, as they were rare in Thathia.  It was how you determined just how profitable a town was, if it had a clock in it's town hall or square.   

"Does that actually... work?"  Valeria voiced our thoughts.   

Redwar squinted up at the sun, then back at the clock.  "I think so, although it's a little tricky to tell...  Oh yeah, it is.  The hand is moving." 

"Well, now we know why it's called Time's Tale," Derrek commented. 

"I'd like to know what the tale behind that is," Redwar murmured thoughtfully.  "This is the only town I've seen with a clock that big or that high." 

Only three days into our journey and we'd already hit upon a discovery.

We paired off as Redwar ordered.  Daxton and I were silent.  I didn't know what to say to him.  Throughout the last few days, he'd been broodingly silent and glowering.  Although at first it'd made us uncomfortable, we'd grown used to it.  

However, I knew better than to mistake that look for complacency.  He was alert, taking in every detail, calculating any potential risks or hazards.  And I was doing the same, although I didn't have as much experience as he did.  

The market wasn't far from the square.  It was a normal weekday, and since we'd come in before noon, the housewives were bustling about with their children to fetch what was needed for dinner or supper. 

I noted nothing out of the ordinary for a small town.  The people chatted with one another in friendly, and perhaps gossipy, tones of voice.  

We stopped at the edge of the market and took it all in silence.  I spotted two wheat and grain sellers, a fruit stand overflowing with...  Say, what was that?  I squinted at the green shapes but couldn't make them out.  

There was the typical butcher, but his shop area was small compared to other towns.  Meat was a special thing, and expensive, so he was probably the only one in town.  

I noted there was another rare treat in this town:  a bakery, which was letting out wafting smells of deliciousness.  Bakeries weren't typical because to a Thathian town, because most women knew how to at least bake bread and biscuits.  Most also knew how to make several delicious treats.  Thus, there seemed to be no need for a bakery.  

"What do you see?"  Daxton's voice broke my concentration.

"I see one small butcher, one bakery, two wheat sellers, a fruit stand with a fruit I've never seen before, and a lot of housewives."  I rattled off my findings.  

He snorted.  "Could you please be a little more serious?"  

I wrinkled my brow, but refrained from snapping back too harshly.  "I am serious, that's what I see."    

Daxton looked heavenward as if I was an irritating gnat he had to keep alive.  "That's all?" 

"No.  I didn't think you wanted the detailed version."

He let out a growl.  "No, I don't.  But I want something just a little more relevant than that." 

"Like what?" 

He pointed out. "Those 'housewives' you so casually referred to are currently sneaking glances our way and gossiping.  However, there are too many of them.  For the number of trades in this town, as far as I've seen, there are not enough jobs to support that many men who would be married to all those women."

I nodded as I tracked along with his reasoning.  

"Since there are no farms surrounding the town, we must conclude there is another main source of income this town has.  The bakery is an indication that it has some monetary value.  What would your guess be?"  

While he'd been talking, I'd been looking over the market, and realized that the blacksmith was farther up from it.  I gestured to it.  "Mining of some kind."  My guess was fueled by the number of pick-axes and shovels which lined the smithy wall for sale, instead of the usual farming equipment.  

He nodded.  "A good choice."

We dismounted from our horses, tying them to a nearby rail.  I started to rest my hand on Bound's pommel, but realized that looked a little threatening.  

As we walked into the market area, disdain radiated from Daxton.  He seemed to shrink into himself and put up a shield.  

"Let's go to the blacksmith first," he gruffly demanded.  

The bakery was calling to me, but on the other hand, having an argument in the middle of the street was not ideal.  

As we passed the fruit stand, I took a closer look at the odd, bell shaped, green fruit.  It let off a faint sweet smell.

"Three for the price of bread, and twice as fillin'," said the seller to me.  His charming smile dried up a little at the sight of Daxton's glare. 

"No, thank you, but I'd like to know, what're these called?  I've never seen them before."  

"You're not from around here, are you."  He stated it as fact.  "They're called Pearlots.  They're slightly sweet, 'n' like I  said, they're fillin'.  Miners eat 'em for lunch all the time."  

I nodded.  "Thank you."  

He tipped his chin politely at me, cast another uneasy glance at Daxton, and turned to help a customer.  

"You're scaring people with your dank stares," I hissed to Daxton as we went on.  

"So?" 

I rolled my eyes.  "Getting people to dislike you on purpose is not a good idea."  

"They'd kill me if they knew who I was."  His voice was point blank and flat.  

"No, they'd hate you, not kill you.  But they just might if they disliked you beforehand," I countered.  

He didn't reply to that.  

The sound of banging metal grew louder.  Pickaxes of various sizes, along with shovels, lined the back wall of the smithy.  The blacksmith himself was hammering out another pickaxe.    

"Between this, and the Pearlots seller, we can safely conclude there's at least one mine around here."  

Daxton grunted in acknowledgement.