Chapter 49: Sundry Goods and Miscellany

  An eager knocking on the door woke Chastity the next morning.

  “Chastity, are you in there?” It was Charlie’s voice. “They said you crossed the river last night! Hello? Are you awake?”

  Chastity groaned and stretched. I am now…

  Kobelt obliged and opened the door, letting the young halfling burst in. He was obviously enthused about something.

  “Morning…” Chastity grunted.

  “I’m so glad you’re back! And you’re safe! Did you single-handedly smite the goblin horde and rescue the prisoners?”

  Chastity quickly filled Charlie in on the particulars of her adventure in the abandoned cave, skipping over some of the more harrowing aspects. Charlie listened intently, but his good mood was not diminished.

  “Well, I’ve got some news for you too. The merchant arrived! He set up his wagon across the river like he always does. The whole village is going out to see him. Look here, I got a letter from my dad!” Charlie proudly held up a tan envelope as if it were a trophy.

  “Oh, that’s great, Charlie. I’m happy for you,” she answered, pulling on her boots.

  Charlie tore open the envelope and pulled out the folded letter.

  “I wanted to read it right there in the glade, but I knew I ought to come check on you first!” Charlie said. He cleared his throat, his eyes scanning the words written in a cramped hand. He began to read aloud,

  “Charlie,

  I’ve made it all the way to Crown City. The winter is hard up here too, but they say you can see the dancing lights in the night sky. There is very little work to be found for our kind right now. I’m sorry but I’m not able to send any money this time. Stay in Goldenberry. Give my regards to your aunt and uncle.

  Dad”

  Charlie was silent. He held the letter for a long time in his small hands and said nothing.

  Crown City, thought Chastity. That’s where the Order of Paladins are gathering to mount a resistance against the Dark One!

  “Oh…” Charlie said at last, his countenance fallen. “A short letter…”

  “Charlie, are you okay?”

  “It… it’s not about the money. I don’t care that he didn’t send any money, if that’s what you’re thinking! But this is the first I’ve heard from him in months and he barely says a thing.”

  Charlie’s shoulders slumped, the letter hanging limping between his fingers. Chastity got up and gave him a firm side-hug.

  “I’m sorry. That must be disappointing.” She didn’t know what else to say. After a few moments, Charlie perked up, although Chastity felt he was trying a little too hard to disguise his true feelings.

  “Oh well! Hard times all over, I reckon. Say, Kobelt, what is that strange contraption you’re holding?” Charlie said, changing the subject.

  Kobelt was holding the spherical lump of metal and wood scraps he had been working on the previous night.

  “A toy for village children. They can play ‘ball kick.’ Good game.” Kobelt explained in his usual terse manner.

  Ball kick?

  Chastity and Charlie both raised an eyebrow, eyeing the ball uncertainly.

  “Come outside. Kobelt will show you.”

  Chastity donned her cloak and the gnome led them into the street. There were no other halflings in sight, most having already gone across the river. Kobelt set the ‘ball’ down in the middle of the snow-crusted dirt lane.

  “Ball kick,” he said again, gesturing to the ball. “Good game to play.”

  Charlie shrugged, winding up and giving the ball a solid kick.

  “Owww!!!” the halfling yelped, collapsing to the ground. He grabbed his throbbing foot, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Oww, oww, oww!”

  Chastity glanced at Kobelt. The scrap sphere appeared as solid as a bowling ball. “This is meant to be a game for children, right?”

  “Maybe ‘ball kick’ is not a game for over-gnomes,” Kobelt mumbled, taking his ball and going back inside the shack.

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  Chastity looked at the writhing figure of Charlie.

  “Well… I guess I’ll go pay a visit to the merchant,” she said. “Are you… going to be okay?”

  “Go ahead,” he whimpered. “I don’t think I can walk… just let me lie here for awhile…”

  Across the river, a garishly painted wagon (an oversized box on wheels, really) stood splayed open. The large wooden side was split horizontally; the lower half hung from heavy chains until it lay flat, flush with the wagon’s floor, the upper half was supported by slender struts, creating an awning. A trove of colorful glass bottles filled the cubbyholes of custom-built cabinetry, while piles of various materials, wares, and trinkets covered the interior floor.

  Standing on the makeshift stage, Honeytongue held court with his jovial demeanor and equally colorful attire. Villagers fanned across the glade, enjoying ‘exotic’ goods bought or bartered from the traveling merchant. Some read letters from distant loved ones. Others stood in a line, waiting for their turn. The two ponies were hitched to a post further off, digging in the snow with their muzzles in search of grazing.

  Chastity remembered her uncomfortable previous encounter with the merchant and a bit of blush came to her cheeks.

  Maybe I’d better not… she thought. But it was too late, the gregarious Honeytongue spotted her and called out in a loud voice, waving her over.

  “The Lady from Far Away! It IS you! Ha ha!” he said. “Don’t be a stranger now!”

  Chastity tramped forward and soon they were face to face, the merchant temporarily excusing himself from his waiting halfling audience.

  “I was expecting you to show up days ago,” Chastity said.

  “Oh now? So I suppose it would seem, since our last meeting between the trees.” Honeytongue then launched into a bit of verse, “Wandering stars, wandering stars, where dost thou go, hither and yon?”

  Chastity wrinkled her nose.

  “As a merchant, I must follow my instincts. Sometimes they lead me here, sometimes there, but always to return to my roundabout way through these lands. I wouldn’t dream of missing my Goldenberry friends for too long! And how fare you, Fair Lady?”

  “I fare better than some, I’m afraid,” she answered. “Since our last meeting I’ve discovered that a group of goblins have been running a nearby mining operation on slave labor. Most had cleared out by the time I got there, but we did take in a wounded gnome who was their prisoner.”

  The merchant’s eyes went wide.

  “Goblins! You know, the other human I met said the same thing… but I thought surely he was mistaken! And here I thought these Silfurfast woods were safe! Just me and my poor ponies alone on the road, oh my. Can you imagine? Did you say a gnome? How fascinating!”

  Chastity was about to speak, but Honeytongue plowed ahead–

  “That reminds me! The last time we met I suggested upgrading your equipment. With my help of course. If your talk of goblins is true, and I certainly am not calling you a liar, then arming yourself for the good of these villagers is of utmost importance! Here, go to the back of my wagon. You’ll find a wooden box there. It’s a sword! And you shall have it. For free!”

  Chastity was about to object but–

  “Oh, no need to stand on ceremony. Go, go! Off with you. The sword is yours. I picked it up specially with you in mind. Consider it an apology for our earlier… miscommunication.”

  He said this final thing with a theatrical wink, then turned back to engage with his eager customers.

  A stout halfling came up, hat in hand. “Good sir, mister merchant sir. If you ‘appen to ‘ave a letter from my dear brother, I surely would appreciate it. Last name is Fiddlebrook, sir.”

  Chastity stepped away from the crowd and circled around to the back of the wagon, which also lay open, with little foldable wooden steps leading up. She peered into the cluttered interior. It was organized chaos–an antique shop meets a thrift store, but make it fantasy. The scents of camphor, alcohol, peppermint, and cheap musk pricked her nostrils. A velvet curtain concealed an entire section on the opposite side, possibly the merchant’s sleeping quarters.

  Where on earth is…

  Aha. On the floor of the wagon, right near the top of steps lay a rectangular wooden box with bronze hinges. It was certainly the right shape and size to hold a sword. Chastity slowly opened the lid.

  A sword would certainly come in handy, she thought. Not that I am looking forward to shedding any more blood. I wonder if he has a shield, too?

  The lid opened, revealing a standard looking iron sword, but with some interesting decorative work on the handle. It wasn’t very big, but it looked sharp.

  “Identify,” she said. The sword glowed with a faint outline.

  This was followed by the notification that her Identify proficiency had increased. Then, remembering her plan to spam her Detect Evil II ability to increase its proficiency,

  “Detect Evil.” Why not?

  Chastity did not expect what happened next.

  What?! Chastity’s mind raced. She froze in place, her hand resting just above the sword. No, she dare not touch it.

  “Identify,” she said again, very quietly. This time there was no cost to her Focus Points. A new text box appeared, clarifying her original identification.