bright golden light appeared in thin air.
“Come with me. Business should be done in private and comfort,” the lady whispered as she led him to the large coach. The coach turned out to be a rolling room of sorts with soft fur covering its floor and walls, a small bed in the corner and a short table in the center. The lady motioned for him to take a seat on the floor across from her at the table.
From one of the chests in the small room, the young lady pulled a small jar along with two crystal glasses. “Before we begin our negotiations, there are a few things you must know. First, this room is soundproof. Anything said or done in here is forbidden to be spoken of outside. Just for future information, merchants from Rane take this very seriously.
“Second, it is customary to first have a drink and converse. Where I’m from we believe that whenever you do business with someone, in a way, they are become part of your family. Anyone caught stealing or misrepresenting their goods is executed. Now, I won’t cheat you but if in the rare occurrence you are ever cheated by a merchant from Rane, get proof to another Rane merchant and it will be taken care of. Do you have any questions my young friend?”
“I never head of Merchants doing anything like that before,” Mark said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the nervousness out of his voice.
The young lady let out a short laugh, “I would be surprised if you had! Merchants in your land have no honor in their trade….. it’s deplorable. There’s good money in moving goods from Rane to Farlen. Now, first introductions. I’m Monique of the Rose Trading Company.”
“I’m….,” he knew he couldn’t use his real name. He needed a new one but he hadn’t figured out what to call himself. “Well, honestly I don’t have a name. I know I need one. If you would like to give me one, I would be more th an happy to take it as my own.”
Monique gave him a questioning glance then softly rubbed her chin. “I shall give you a name but if I ever hear you going by another, I shall consider it misrepresentation and I’ve already explained the penalties for such an action. Is that agreeable?”
He thought about her statement and decided he would have to tell her the truth or risk making an enemy. "Yes, if you were to tell me you robbed and killed another Rane merchant for your goods. I would kill you but no one would ever know the reason. As I said before anything said in here is private.... though I can't say it doesn't have consequence."
Mark took a deep breath and hoped for the best. “My birth name is Mark. I was a member of the slave academy. In transport to my master’s home we were attacked and I escaped. While lost in the woods, I came across a magic tome and taught myself the art of magic. The goods you will be buying were not found, but were made by me. I need a new name for fear that my original masters might try and find me. I’m not all that pleased at the idea of become a slave after finally gaining a scent of freedom.” Mark rushed his words, tangling them with each other. After he finished, he stared at the ground, waiting for Monique’s response.
Monique was quiet for a long time. When Mark looked up he noticed that she was rubbing her chin again, looking at him closely as if she were probing the very depths of his soul. “Well, that is quite the story. I have no reason to doubt you. If it’s the truth, I will very much want to keep your secret as you could provide a profitable source of income for me. First off, your name. I think Thaddeus Torin will suit you well.”
Monique brought out a small box and withdrew a silver ring with a gold face that was designed to look like a small wagon wheel with a rose where the hub should be. “Now let me explain. Torin is my family name. It is a rare gift to allow someone the use of one’s family name but if you’re telling the truth, I think you may become a valuable asset to me and my family. Now, if you
“Come with me. Business should be done in private and comfort,” the lady whispered as she led him to the large coach. The coach turned out to be a rolling room of sorts with soft fur covering its floor and walls, a small bed in the corner and a short table in the center. The lady motioned for him to take a seat on the floor across from her at the table.
From one of the chests in the small room, the young lady pulled a small jar along with two crystal glasses. “Before we begin our negotiations, there are a few things you must know. First, this room is soundproof. Anything said or done in here is forbidden to be spoken of outside. Just for future information, merchants from Rane take this very seriously.
“Second, it is customary to first have a drink and converse. Where I’m from we believe that whenever you do business with someone, in a way, they are become part of your family. Anyone caught stealing or misrepresenting their goods is executed. Now, I won’t cheat you but if in the rare occurrence you are ever cheated by a merchant from Rane, get proof to another Rane merchant and it will be taken care of. Do you have any questions my young friend?”
“I never head of Merchants doing anything like that before,” Mark said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the nervousness out of his voice.
The young lady let out a short laugh, “I would be surprised if you had! Merchants in your land have no honor in their trade….. it’s deplorable. There’s good money in moving goods from Rane to Farlen. Now, first introductions. I’m Monique of the Rose Trading Company.”
“I’m….,” he knew he couldn’t use his real name. He needed a new one but he hadn’t figured out what to call himself. “Well, honestly I don’t have a name. I know I need one. If you would like to give me one, I would be more th an happy to take it as my own.”
Monique gave him a questioning glance then softly rubbed her chin. “I shall give you a name but if I ever hear you going by another, I shall consider it misrepresentation and I’ve already explained the penalties for such an action. Is that agreeable?”
He thought about her statement and decided he would have to tell her the truth or risk making an enemy. "Yes, if you were to tell me you robbed and killed another Rane merchant for your goods. I would kill you but no one would ever know the reason. As I said before anything said in here is private.... though I can't say it doesn't have consequence."
Mark took a deep breath and hoped for the best. “My birth name is Mark. I was a member of the slave academy. In transport to my master’s home we were attacked and I escaped. While lost in the woods, I came across a magic tome and taught myself the art of magic. The goods you will be buying were not found, but were made by me. I need a new name for fear that my original masters might try and find me. I’m not all that pleased at the idea of become a slave after finally gaining a scent of freedom.” Mark rushed his words, tangling them with each other. After he finished, he stared at the ground, waiting for Monique’s response.
Monique was quiet for a long time. When Mark looked up he noticed that she was rubbing her chin again, looking at him closely as if she were probing the very depths of his soul. “Well, that is quite the story. I have no reason to doubt you. If it’s the truth, I will very much want to keep your secret as you could provide a profitable source of income for me. First off, your name. I think Thaddeus Torin will suit you well.”
Monique brought out a small box and withdrew a silver ring with a gold face that was designed to look like a small wagon wheel with a rose where the hub should be. “Now let me explain. Torin is my family name. It is a rare gift to allow someone the use of one’s family name but if you’re telling the truth, I think you may become a valuable asset to me and my family. Now, if you
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