Hissy fit

As expected the streets are filled with snow. The sun has just come out so there are no people walking around this area yet therefore the snow is undisturbed.

I take the lead and step out onto the street only for my foot to sink down till about halfway my calf. This will not do. turning around I tell my guards to go first.

They assent and start walking towards our destination, the workshop. I can't help but be envious of their size especially in situations like this, the snow does not seem to bother them at all.

The guards also act as a sort of snowplow that moves the snow away and forms a path for me to follow. Very useful indeed.

We walk in silence, enjoying the early morning air and the sound of crunching snow under our feet. The moment does not last long sadly as we soon reach the main street, packed with people, here the snow has been cleared by the heavy traffic, it is also no longer white but shades of brown and yellow.

We keep heading towards the workshop unimpeded as people were getting out of our way, well not ours but their way, I'm just tagging along at this point.

Halfway to our destination, something catches my eye, a small hill formed in the snow by the side of the road, in a small alley. Its presence itself was ordinary, it was not the first one I saw, I just did not know what they were until a woman opened a window right above the mound and spilled a bucket of water over it only to reveal a human body.

My stomach churns as I take my eyes off the frozen remains. I expected it to happen, but it is much worse than I imagined, assuming most of the mounds in the snow were bodies there were at least a dozen only on the way here.

I wonder how many died in one night, so much wasted potential. I should stop looking at the alleyways at this point, it will just be filled with more of the same.

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When the gate comes in sight we reach the entrance to the workshop, it is the same way I remember it, a wide yard filled with snow and two buildings, one small shed to store the tools, and a larger one that looks like an oversized barn, most likely used to transfer the wood onto carriages or something like that.

''Head towards the small building first''. I want to see if there is anything left inside. The workers left in a hurry so they should have left some stuff.

When we reach the door my guards make way for me to open it so I stretch my hand and grab the freezing iron handle and pull, nothing happens, then I push, and nothing happens.

Annoyed I grab the handle with both hands and rattle the door a bit, it does not even make a sound. It is totally blocked.

How bad can a day even start, I get eaten by a monster, freeze my way through the streets filled with dead bodies and now I can't even open the door to my own building?

''Vun break it down!'' I don't know why I feel so annoyed, I should calm down, but I feel like there are butterflies in my stomach. Am I so impatient to end this trap business already?

I get out of the way and Vun steps forward, he does not go for the metal handle. He places a hand on the door and pushes, the wooden structure lets out a strained creaking noise.

Still, it does not open. Vun does not seem to mind as he steps back, lifts his leg, and kicks the door. The loud bang alerts the passerby's who stop to take a look at what's happening. The door remains closed.

Now unhappy, the giant takes a couple of steps back before charging shoulder first at the door, another loud bang sounds, only this time it is followed by a crash and shouts of surprise from the spectators.

The door broke down as Vun crashed into it, his method was a bit excessive but it will do. I will just buy another stupid door later. The giant walks out of the now open hole in the wall carrying with him what remains of the door, namely several pieces that seem to kind of fit together.

He drops them down and says. ''it is open sir Caspian, there is also no one inside''. Great, at least there are no frozen bodies in my huts.

Under the gaze of the crowd I walk in the shed, as expected it was used to store tools, some of them seem to be gone, but there are more than enough for me to accomplish what I set up to do.

While inspecting the items I find it quite odd that the old owners did not take the tools with them, they were probably too heavy to carry out during winter. I bet that I could easily sell them all for a nice profit. At least now I know that even if the whole wood workshop thing fails I will not lose any coin.

When I get out and prepare to address the crowd there is a loud ''HALT'' in the distance. Everyone looks over only to see a group of what seem to be guards walking over here.

What do they want?

They shortly reach and surround us, we make no move to defend ourselves because we did not do anything wrong.

The man who seems to be in charge says in a loud voice. ''Step back you thieves you are to be taken into custody, how dare you break into a building right next to the city gate!'' Thieves? I own the place, literally.

I try to speak and explain myself. ''Sir, you misunderstand..'' He swiftly interrupts me.''Silence! I do not speak with rabble like you!'' He is getting on my nerves.

''Listen to me sir, I...'' ''I said silence, do not force my hand, now start walking, we will make sure you lose those thieving hands of yours''. Listening to his words a dull headache takes over. I am done with mister nice guy for today.

I grab the magical contract, unfurl it inside my coat and push it in his face before yelling back at him. ''I own this place you imbecile, how can I even steal from myself!''

The man looks at the contract then at me, his expression now looks as if he swallowed something sour. He then says in a much milder voice. ''Then you are not a thief but the owner of the workshop?''

I can feel my tension rising. ''Of course I am the owner, can you not even read!'' I swing the contract in his face. ''What even made you think I am breaking in!''

The guard, now being to one shouted at, steps back and replies. ''Then what were you even doing here so early in the morning, breaking open a door like that''.

''The door was stuck, stuck I tell you, from the snow!''

''So you decide to break it down?'' Can you not see the hole in the wall, what do you think.

''No, of course not, it just fell down on its own!'' I know he's only doing his job but at this point, he's lucky I did not throw an axe at him.

Now 'convinced' the guard just says. ''Is that so? If there are no problems we will take our leave'' Good, and don't come back.

With that, they break their encirclement and follow their leader back to wherever they came from. The crowd is still there, staring at what was going on, it seems to have increased since the last time I looked over.

At least they gathered on their own.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down I raise my voice and announce. ''I am hiring workers for one day, the pay is 5 coins each, the job is to dig a hole outside the city, I will provide both guards and tools, we will leave when the gate opens, all who are interested go wait over there!''

Time to be done with this.