Merchant

As it was quite early, he encountered barely a soul, only occasionally a merchant that took his wares towards the street, housewives that took out junk or other waste and sometimes a vendor that opened early.

Mikael wanted to look around a bit, knowing what kind of shops there where. Yesterday he couldn't as he was busy finding his work place.

This time he took the main road, a wide street that was scarred by the use of many carriages and horses over time, making the once firm dirt road uneven. The sides tho were made of cobblestone, smooth and uniform, already loaded by different stalls that already had a reserved place.

Some prepared food, peeling fruits and fillet meat. Others were already on skewers, roasting over a fire, the oil smell making on salivate.

'Is there a shop that sells equipment for hunters?' he searched left and right, for a sign that would answer his question.

'That could be it.' Not a sign, but a street vendor with many bags, shoes, flasks and similar kind of goods had a large stall, stretching over many meters.

From the looks of it he sold many kinds of wares, as he still had a carriage that had furs and fruits on it.

"Welcome, young customer. Pretty early, but anyway, take your time."

A middle aged man said, controlling his wares and sorting through them.

"Many things you have there. Wouldn't a merchant only sell goods of the same kind?" Mikael noticed.

'Maybe he isn't a good Merchant.'

"You're right, but another trader had a accident, so he had to sell his wares cheap to afford a new carriage. Just started his business, and on top of his loan that was the best course of action. And seeing how this village got a good location and in addition to the Guild branch I thought to try my luck."

'So a opportunistic person.' he nodded, not digging any deeper.

He drifted his sight over the goods that hang there on a portable wire frame shelf, backpacks one of the things hanging there.

'Seeing how Robert always had one and Diana having so many different things in it, I should get one, too. After all I don't forever work in the smithy, and maybe I have to go hunting for real.'

"Owner, what does a backpack cost?!" he asked loudly, as the Chef was a bit away."Which one?!" came the reply flying.

Mikael held up a rather small leather backpack, with thick straps. It may couldn't contain many big items, but enough for the essentials.

"8 ½ big copper, as this are second hand wares."

'Holy!' he quickly put that back on its stand, afraid to damage it and having to pay.

"Haha, guessed so." The merchant came over, glancing at the carriage. Mikael also looked there, but could see nothing out the ordinary.

"How about this, I remain here for some time, always setting up my stall here. I could put that back, reserving it for you."

"I would appreciate that. I'm a bit short of money right now, and might need it in the future."

"No worry, does happen sometimes. But be sure to come back, or I might be gone when you saved up enough."

He picked up the backpack, storing it away in the carriage. Mikael also left, noticing he still had not enough money to really afford anything essential right now.

He walked up the street, seeing some money traders, one shadier than the next, barbers, alchemist selling mixtures in different colors he could not associate to its effect, Furs and hides in different sizes and colors, clothing shops and more food stalls. And these were only those already opening.

When he came over to the smithy, the hell pit was not heated up yet, but smoke rose up from the chimney, and the smell of burning wood drifted outwards.

"Boss, it's me!" he knocked.

"Aye, come just in!"

The black bearded big man sat before a fire place, holding a pipe, stuffing it with some kind of tobacco.

"Quite early, aren't ya. Can't say I don't like it." He lit his pipe up by casually taking out a burning piece of wood, then throwing it back in, taking a deep breath, as if savoring the smoke filling his lungs.

"Haaaaaa, nothing else to start the day with. I see your arm's better. So how was it. Did Jenny thoroughly check ya."

He smiled, as if already guessing how painful her treatment was.

"As good as new, but that really surprised me. I thought she would give me some kind of tincture, and oh wonder. But magic was the last of what I expected." He did not want to think back to her invoking it.

He moved the arm in different directions, showing of how much better it was to the day before.

"The feeling of fluid metal running through my bones tho, no thanks."

"Hehehe, yeah that quite hurts, but her prices and looks make up for it. Be negligent with her, she is improving. When I got healed by her a block of raw metal fell on my foot, I considered cutting it straight off rather letting her do something."

He patted his right foot, lifting his long wide pants. His nerves running down to his foot were black, as if dead, and some scars were deep, like a chunk of flesh underneath is missing.

Seeing Mikaels shocked look, he laughed again. "Looks bad, aye. But walking is no problem, and that time I could only rely on her, and I don't regret it."

He took another lung full of smoke, closing his tired eyes a bit. "Between us, she always says she is incapable, but I rarely saw another healer working as efficient as her."

"What does that mean?" 'What can other make worse?'

Roàn smiled bitterly, remembering something unpleasant. "Ya'll see. So, quit standing there like a bag of potatoes, and fire up hell pit. We have work to do."

He tossed him a leather apron fitting his small build, as well some simple shoes with leather on top.

Mikael nodded, confused by his evasion, but began working, putting on the safety gear.

Roàn also stood up, tipping out the leftover ash into a bucket, closing his left hand and opening again, the three fingers moving the chair back to the table.

He wore his heavy apron, putting a wet towel around his neck, cooling his muscles before switching to soaking up his sweat.

The day was much more taxing than before, not letting Mikael even worry what kind of figure he made for the onlookers.

He helped Roàn processing metal, hammering out impurities and quenching it in water. He bend and twisted the metal, stretching and folding it, and at the end of the day, when it was soon time for dinner and the bell rang, signaling the end of the afternoon.

The hell pit fire was still burning hot, and some stones Roàn tossed in to boil water later were already fiery red.

Mikael also took of his heavy apron, his neck cracking and back bending to the sides to loosen it up.

His hair was messy, and gray ash recolored his brown hair. His newly bought clothes had on the sleeves small holes, burnt in by the flying sparks when hitting metal.

"Ya should get some thicker clothes, these ones are no better than fire starter." Roàn told, taking a wet towel and wringing it out on Mikaels head, staining the floor wet. A bit of smoke rose from his body, cooling him and removing the ash from his hair.

"If I have the money, sure." Mikael tiredly responded, laying down on the floor, stretching his tired body, producing even more cracking.

"Are ya a cat? Anyway lad, consider me impressed."

"Impressed? Why? I just did as you told me, Boss."

"And that's it." Roàn said, pointing a empty cup at him, laying there on the floor. Mikael just looked back, confused and waiting for an explanation.

"What we did today was not easy, even with my usual assistant. And with your ten years of age, processing metal over this long time span and to this extend... honestly, wouldn't I already have promised my friend to take his son as a disciple, I would take you in."

He filled the cup with luke-warm water, putting it on the table.

"Sit up, lad. Don't wanna talk down to ya."

"Anyway," Mikael said, gulping it down in one shot, but a slight burning made him cough," What's in the water?"

"Shot of Whiskey, so ya don't catch a cold when going back. Here." He put 5 big copper on the table. "Take that, today ya saved me a lot of work. First thought ya might make a carver or cord the handles of some wares, make leather like before. But today proved ya worth."

"O...kay, wait, Whiskey?" he looked to his cup and back, already wondering how grownups could drink that regulary.

"Don't sweat it, such a small amount just warms ya."

'If this continues like that, I can soon get that goods from the Merchant.'

Still with a burning throat, he left Roàn, wishing a good night and pocketing his money.

'But I also should invest in some good clothes, or these will disintegrate over the following days.

But not from such a strange street vendor again. But well, beggars can't be choosers.'

He walked down the street, taking the main road again, also to check the Merchants stall, but to this time of the day he likes to avoid the shady shortcuts he could make out.

The Merchant still stood there, already packing up his goods, folding his racks and fitting all into his carriage that was already filled to the brim.

'Hm? Who's that?' He noticed a woman standing by the carriage, fastening straps to the cart to secure the cargo, wearing clothes in a beautiful dark blue with black, but not hindering her movements.

She turned around, yelling something over to the merchant. She saw also Mikael when their eyes met, and her smile made him feel like he looked into the eyes of a predator, but felt no ill will or threatened.

`Weird.' he thought, smiling back and nodding to greet her.

Then he came to the Inn, already looking forward to the meal, as he did not eat the whole midday.