Scene 1 first draft
The gentle strumming of the raindrops on the roof of the Majestic Yew was the perfect percussion for my humming as I fidgeted to get a comfortable position on a table and chair made for children. Actually, it was made for the folks around here, the owner of this place barely came to my waist, and I had to wiggle myself to sooth my discomfort. But I continued to hum as I would be going home tomorrow morning once this rain passes over the Berryglen and I would be homebound with the goods I have traded here, it’s not much but it’ll be far more than what I have expected to get from this far away place. I took a moment of pause and looked at the itiniary and a small sketch of the road alongside the list. I could not help but to smile with how lucky I was to come to this place and able to trade rather mundane goods at a premium.
Berryglen is a remote place up in north far from strife between wood elves, humans, lizardfolks and other undelightful beings. The folks here are stout, very stout but not as broad as the gold loving dwarves. They call themselves heartfolks but we call them halflings. This remote place seem like has yet seen any sort of conflict despite there’s a small human fort settlement about a week’s travel my horse. They don’t have a concept of coins and uses bartering to trade goods and services as if everyone here would keep their honest words. Naivety. I was once like them but not anymore. I came here to trade some of the tools that would fit their hands better than standard tools and due to their demand for tools I was able to get a discount on getting some of the things they didn’t need, honey and wax. the quality here is great compared to the ones I have seen in my hometown and I basically traded for free for the things I traded. I was in luck.
What I did not realize my luck ran out the night the rain gently strummed the roof of the Majectic Yew.
The serenity broke when a halfling drenched in rain barged in. Two halflings, a female and a male, entered and took off their soaked hooded cape and hung behind their chairs. “Jerena something warm and room for five would you?” The female halfling waved her hand with a gruff tone. He had a rough expression looked like she was looking for trouble, especially if they deny her request. Meanwhile the male halfling slouched back on the chair with an audible sigh of relief.
I wondered who the other three are, and they answered.
The door was left open and the other two entered, two tall figures about my height also drenched in rain. One of them took off and it was a young human girl. Her expression was bright as summer day and approached the fireplace and was kindly engaging with the elder by the fireplace. She was talking to them and hung her cape and gestured at the elder by placing her right hand on her left collar bone. Her braided auburn hair and olive eyes indicated she might be from the same area as I am. But her gesture and the braided hair disturbed me, those are elven gestures and humans shouldn’t do such things. Her companion took off his hood and my body tensed up, he was a wood elf.
The elf had the same braided jet black hair and cold gray gaze surveyed the establishment. His eyes stopped at me, the only other human and out eyes met. His gaze was like a predator’s, assessing me like his prey. Then he turned his attention to the girl.
She must be his… I subconsciously placed my right hand on my waist where my dagger is.
“Izzy, let me get your cape, finally somewhere warm!” the girl waltzed over and took his cape before the elf gave her a response. She hung his cape beside hers and our eyes met.
“How many times have I told you not to call me that,” the elf scowled and replied with his soft low voice, not what I was expecting from a predator. the girl didn’t ignored his words and joined the other two halflings on the table next to me. our eyes met and the girl brightly smiled and sat beside the slouched halfling and the elf sat against the wall beside the rough halfling.
As they sat down I noticed the human and the elf had matching quiver on their side with strange wooden belt around their waist. My eyes started to observe the girl to see if she has some sort of mark of slave or sort. My search was in vain and had to focus on looking down as I felt the cold gaze from the elf.
“Dae’s blood, cursed I’d say,” the female halfling spat her words.
“At least we made out alive sister,” the male halfling whimpered while staring up at the ceiling.
“Yes we are alive and broke, left all behind because we couldn’t carry any of them with us in such a short notice.”
“None of us knew the goblins would raid the port like that and my goods weren’t”
“No, but you traded all your gems for what, some stupid seaweed and now they’re all back in the port!”
“Thimble, calm down I still have some left in my pocket…” the male halfling pulled out his deflated pouch with a cut at the bottom.
“I’m going to strangle you Higs…” Thimble stood up to reach her fingers for Hig’s throat, only to be stopped by the girl.
“Well I’m sure Domalin has some idea.” the girl interjected with an awkward smile looking over at the elf in the corner for some help but the elf merely watched.
But hold on, they just escaped from goblins, from the port. The nearest port I know is Ringbay. It could be another port, they have not mentioned the name. The last time I was there, there was no mention of potential raid.
“Excuse me, did you say goblins raided a port?” I glanced over the elf, he was eyeing on me, before raising the question at the table.
“Yup, what’s it to you?” Thimble barked, relenting her half hearted pursuit of Hig’s throat.
“I plan on traveling up there,”
“Not happening, nope. "
“Care to exchange some details?” I leaned towards the the halfling, and noticed the elf and the girl had their hands on their sword hilt and I relaxed my hand from my knife. They mirrored their hand motion.
“After you.” Thimble rolled her hands.
‘I’m clearly in the disadvantage here. I’m sure as a halfling she may know more about these areas better than I would. I already procured the goods and I could sell that information since I collected them all. But I might risk being robbed by them should they find out. Perhaps I should trade some of my Distance coins instead?’
“How about a coin from Port Distance, it has fair share of silver.”
“I thought we’re exchanging details not selling details,” Higs jumped in on the conversation and Thimbles leaned back on her chair with a grin.
‘I’m clearly out numbered and out witted, I have to keep an upper hand somehow,’ I concluded and started to inspect Higs. He was playing with a small pebble in his grimy fingers. My eyes darted around, no visible armor, layers of cloth, loose cuffs and flannels and sash with no discernable pouches. No trinkets, rings nor jewelry whatso ever. Either he’s hiding himself or he is dirt poor and I think it’s the former since they talked about gems earlier. Higs arched his brows and wrinkles over his forehead showed at least he’s seasoned but his slack-jawed made it look he hasn’t really accumulated the wisdom.
“How much do you know about apiary?”
“Is it a place, like library?”
“Somewhat, it’s a place where you keep bees to collect honey and wax.” I smirked at his response.
“Oh a bee hive, why didn’t you say so.” He lightly chuckled.
“It’s been a good year for crops in these areas and the bee hives are full of honey and wax. If you can get your hands on some of those, the human settlements would trade you hefty sum of goods for them to survive the coming winter.” Higs kept his intrigued look and nodded.
“Great, too bad the Ringbay burned about a week ago.” Higs yawned and leaned back on the chair.
“Interesting information, what would you like to know in return?” A new voice joined in and I gawked at the dwarf with an ornate chest in his hands.
“Thank you Jerena, some hearty meal please bread with honey and some goat cheese have them. And room…”
“I’ve asked already.” Thimble cut in.
“Could count on you Thimble.” the dwarf chuckled and joined the table.
“Wish I could say the same for you.” Thimble scoffed and the dwarf frowned at her response.
“That stings, after all that travel and surviving with just skin on our backs I thought you and I have finally come to an understanding.”
“My understanding is that you now owe me fifty five silver pieces and more for getting you of burning town.”
“Sharp as ever, but I believe we owe our lives to these two fine hunters who protected us more than your fist and chain could have.” the dwarf pointed at the elf and the girl.
The dwarf carried some weight to his presence, his receding rustic hair and fiery beard was contained with some bronze tubes with anvil engravings. He wasn’t all that tall, about a head taller than the halflings but seemed heavier, and the chair definitely confirmed with its loud creek when he sat on one. What caught my attention was his right hand. He was wearing a leather glove that went up to his elbow and looked lot bulkier than his left arm.
“Domalin, pleasure meeting you.” He reached out and out of habit I shook his hand.
They say a hand shake speaks about the person. First to reach out and firmness of the hand shake talks about how assertive the person is. The gripping strength and turning talks about whether he wants to intimidate or diplomatic. But I get something more from a handshake time to time, a tingling sensation around my fingertips. So far such sensations have been a bad ones.
Domalin’s hand felt like a statue and made my fingertips tingle. I don’t like dwarves.
“Ben,” I answered back.