Drumwe Isles

chapter eleven

"Two hundred and fifty damned galleons!"

"It's hardly a start, you've got that right."

Enid, Kieran, and Cael had taken it upon themselves to spend the first twelve on some pints down at Dillac's DarkMoone Inn while they pondered their predicament. It was an old wooden lot, a bit of a shithole if they were honest, but to people who slept in cots on the ground... Safe to say it sufficed well enough for now. The place was lit by lanterns and bore a fireplace amidst the centre, which doubled as a way to keep warm in the harsh winter of Dillac. It held within its walls the gentle buzz of conversation and made for a decent enough place as any to ponder a less than fortunate situation.

"I might have a way we can get supplies without dipping into our reward money."

"Is it going to get us lynched?"

Cael's mouth dropped at the suggestion.

"Woman, I'm not the sort of man to dabble in the illegal."

Enid rolled her eyes and took a swig. Kieran smirked.

"What are you proposing then?"

"Well my brother's a merchant."

Kieran arched his brow.

"So you get on my arse for not mentioning my family, all the while you've had a brother? What shite! How come you never mentioned him?"

Cael raised his hands in surrender.

"We have a... complex relationship."

Kieran scoffed,

"Unbelievable."

"Truly, we do."

"Then what makes you think he'll give us a discount? The lad might charge double for all you know, seeing as your connection is so complex."

"Ahh, but Niall's not the type to dash his own brother."

"You say that now."

Enid chuckled at their banter.

"Boys, for now, Niall might be our best bet. Whereabouts does he stay?"

"Taudor."

"Taudor? The merchant city? That's a three days journey away!"

Kieran was losing his patience with Cael now.

"Boys, relax. Worst case, Niall screws us and we use my contact in Taudor instead."

Kieran and Cael turned their heads to the woman.

"What contact have you got in Taudor."

"Not one I'm willing to see unless this thing doesn't pan out. Anyhow, what difference does it make so long as we get what we need?"

The boys shrugged in agreement.

"Alright then, let's get to Taudor."

They finished off their pints promptly and gathered the travelsacks onto their backs. It was growing dark out so they found a halfway sheltered shed at the back of one of the resident's homes and huddled together on its floor. The floor was wooden and the door drew shut nicely, making for a fine spot thank-you-very-much. They figured, so long as they didn't take or ruin anything, the resident would hardly mind their sleeping there. Perhaps they could have invested in spots at the inn but the prices would be ungodly this time of year and they hardly had the resources for that.

Morning drew in early, with Kieran being the first to wake. When he thought he saw an old man moving in their direction he quickly woke his friends, covering their mouths to keep from being discovered. He very lowly and calmly explained what was happening, his companions nodding and falling silent. They all listened for the noise of shuffling about outside the shed and begged their own respective gods that they wouldn't be discovered.

As luck would have it, the old man found the tool he was searching for just outside the door and shuffled away contentedly, leaving the trio of warriors to their own devices. They made quick work of gathering their things and even quicker work of getting away from the borrowed shed. Now in the early morning, some of the frigid night air had worn off leaving a crisp, still sort of cold. The three of them made down the roads with a swiftness. This part of the journey was little more than a chore the way they saw it and they'd have little to no coin to pad their supplies. The only saving grace there was that they still had a halfway decent amount of supplies from their short rest in Dillac city.

A ways into their travels, Kieran grew restless, and frankly, curious enough to start a dialogue.

"What exactly happened between you and your brother?"

Cael ran a hand across one eye tiredly.

"That, my friend, is a very long story."

"Tell it. It's not as though we lack the time."

Cael conceded, at that.

"Alright, but listen closely, I'll not say it twice."

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