"We'll need some supplies. Food and water to last for a few days. And a map and compass in case we ever lose our way."
That's
what Wilhelm had said. The finality of his words irked Mirrah more so
than the fact that she was going to to purchase these supplies. The fact
that Wilhelm was so suckered into accepting the trade was beyond her.
What Lorena produced looked nothing more than a hunk of rock. And even
if it were authentic, then why in the world would he accept that as
payment? Wouldn't he take something that had more monetary value in it
than some broken horn from a creature that no one has seen with their
bare eyes? That hardly anyone even believes exists? Wilhelm was a
merchant for god's sake. He should've been more concerned about making
money (to pay for his bodyguards) than some mythical item. Mirrah was
hoping to catch a glimpse of her own pay in that transaction, in any of
Wilhelm's transactions actually, but the boy had taken more verbal abuse
than coins and she was beginning to wonder if Wilhelm even had any
money on his person. She wasn't exactly thrilled to take a sliver of
that horn as payment.
At first Wilhelm had suggested to take the a
trip through the mountains. To go straight through the Gongor Ranges
via a foot path he had taken on his trip here. Then arrive at Pelta
Lunata which sat right besides the Vanathul Ranges. Of course even if
they left now night would fall while they were deep in the Gongor
Ranges. Those mountains were festering with bandits and animals as she
heard and the vast majority of them attacked at night. The idea of being
stuck in the mountains at night with thin air and a horde of bandits
and wolves and mountain goats or whatever it was that dwelled in the
rocky area chasing them through the foot path hardly seemed tempting.
Mirrah had suggested taking a boat instead. There were a myriad of ports
around them and, the best part, no mountains with bandits and
man-eating goats at sea. She somehow managed to convince Wilhelm to take
the longer sea route in favor of safety. However she was forced to go
shopping instead.
Even after she told him she was done being his
errand boy. He gave Mirrah an empty knapsack and an equally empty
canteen and finally his own coins (almost as if proving to Mirrah that
he had money, the concept!). Although she was fixed at thirty gold
coins, it was just enough to buy just what she was told to buy, even if
she protested vehemently at leaving her charge's side a second time. But
he uttered something about equal exchange and that he had backed down
with the footpath and she was obliged to something something whatever.
So here she was. Shopping while her charge went off with his client to
bargain for a ship and do whatever else it was a merchant and his
customer did.
Mirrah silently promised herself to be more
stubborn with her decisions or end up having to rummage through
Wilhelm's dead body for her pay. Or she could just run off with these
thirty gold coins, still slightly less than her promised fee but close
enough, and not have to bother with the boy again, but that seemed like a
terribly underhanded trick and Mirrah didn't want to stain her
reputation as a bodyguard so early in her career.
Thankfully
Johenburg was a center of trade which meant plenty of stores with plenty
of bargaining prices. Plus crime rate seemed lower this year than the
norm so maybe there wasn't anything to worry about after all. Mirrah was
never good at bargaining anyway so she simply picked the stores with
cheap prices and went in. A map of the Gongor where it focused
specifically on Griswold and Pelta Lunata as well the mountain ranges as
well as a compass left her at nineteen coins. She wasn't quite sure if
she needed to feed Wilhelm's client as the woman had politely refused
when asked. Maybe she had her own stash of supplies somewhere or had a
small appetite and planned to fast the entire ride there, but the
thought of Lorena collapsing during the ride there wasn't pleasant.
Wilhelm would find someway to blame her for it and then proceed to take a
chunk out of her pay. Again. Best to buy something for the woman. At
least it wasn't coming out of her own pocket.
Of course having
to buy an extra portion of dried meat and an extra loaf of cracker bread
as well as an extra canteen, as the woman neglected to give Mirrah her
own, left her far over the amount of coins she had. In the end she put
back the extra canteen, thinking she would just give the woman her own
canteen and asked the clerk to fill the other canteens with water from
the tap. Hopefully Wilhelm won't notice. She left the store with no
coins left from Wilhelm's pouch and three less in her own.
Mirrah
shouldered the now full knapsack and the clacking canteens at her
waist. It must've been three or four now. She maneuvered the streets
towards the dock where Wilhelm told her to meet them.
Hopefully there won't be any pirates at sea tonight.