face had turned pale, and he had stopped smiling.
"You can go, Bert." Lutz waved him away and then
turned to me. "If you insist on wanting to be a guard, then I'll have to
match you with either Ricci or Sammie. If you win, we'll be without a cook.
I've talked to Merchant Raigosa, and if you'll agree to cook, he'll pay you the
same wages as the guards."
"How much?" I asked. According to Aaron, pay was
negotiable, and although this was the perfect opportunity and I was going
regardless, he didn't know that and I needed the practice.
He grinned. "You’re not quite the savage the rumors
make you out to be. One silver per day plus food and rooms when we stay overnight
in a town. And a ten-silver bonus if you stay until Calle." It sounded
reasonable, but ... I had to assume he hadn’t made his best offer.
"Two silvers a day and a gold if I stay until Calle.
I'll be doing two jobs, and my experience may prove useful." Hopefully, he
wouldn't just dismiss me as being unreasonable.
He laughed. "Did you really live among the ... tribes in
the Black Mountains?"
"The Ojaza," I said, pulling my collar away from
my neck to show the wolf's-head tattoo. He leaned closer and then nodded.
"I think I can talk Merchant Raigosa into one and a
half silver per day and a gold if you stay until Calle. Your knowledge may well
be worth it, since we'll be traveling along the Black Mountain range most of
the way to Calle."
I nodded, but it took all my considerable self-control not
to smile or laugh. I had successfully negotiated my first contract. Of course,
that could be a poor salary for a guard, I chided myself. Not that it mattered,
since I would have accepted the one silver offer to go, but according to the
soldiers, I thought it a good wage. Lutz walked over to Raigosa and talked for
several minutes before returning.
"You’re hired. I hope you can cook," he said with
a grin. "Calle is months away. I'll arrange for a room at the Inn. We
leave the day after tomorrow."
Over the next two days, I learned the merchant's caravan had
ten mules, two wagons, six guards, and was introduced to the Raigosa party: a
female companion, Shelia, his two sons, Cesar and Filipe, and two assistants,
Agron and Osher.
Two guards were on duty night and day. Lutz was the senior
guard. Three others—Dimas, Goyo, and Juan—had been with Raigosa
since they left Calle, and Ricci and Sammie were new. I stood guard twice with Sammie
and liked him, but I knew Ricci would be trouble. Savages and people of Aesona
weren't that much different under the skin.
* * *
I was glad for my time at the Manola community helping the
women prepare meals. As a result, I had a good idea on the amount of food it
took to feed thirteen people and could cook a variety of basic meals. The time
there had served me well. The first night after dinner, Raigosa approached.
"That was a good meal, Zara. I had my doubts about you,
but as usual, Lutz's instincts are good. Any thoughts about the tribes?"
he asked, sitting down next to me.
"I doubt they’ll be a problem. First, this is a long
way from where they live, so it's not a yearly occurrence. Second, they’re
after cattle, grain, and slaves—not the kind of merchandise you carry. Gold
and silver mean nothing to them. I'd think you have more to fear from
bandits."
"They don't
care about gold and silver?" He laughed.
"No. If they did attack, they would take the mules and
little else. Of course, that wouldn't matter since they would kill us all,"
I said.
Raigosa's face turned pale. "Why?"
"So you couldn't sound an alarm. Raiding parties are
comprised of warriors. Killing is what they are trained to do, and they are
very good at it."
"I have six ... seven guards."
"A raiding party would have at least fifteen warriors.
I haven't seen everyone fight, but I suspect most would do poorly against a
warrior one-on-one, and they would have you out numbered two-to-one and have
the element of surprise."
"What about you?"
"They would
"You can go, Bert." Lutz waved him away and then
turned to me. "If you insist on wanting to be a guard, then I'll have to
match you with either Ricci or Sammie. If you win, we'll be without a cook.
I've talked to Merchant Raigosa, and if you'll agree to cook, he'll pay you the
same wages as the guards."
"How much?" I asked. According to Aaron, pay was
negotiable, and although this was the perfect opportunity and I was going
regardless, he didn't know that and I needed the practice.
He grinned. "You’re not quite the savage the rumors
make you out to be. One silver per day plus food and rooms when we stay overnight
in a town. And a ten-silver bonus if you stay until Calle." It sounded
reasonable, but ... I had to assume he hadn’t made his best offer.
"Two silvers a day and a gold if I stay until Calle.
I'll be doing two jobs, and my experience may prove useful." Hopefully, he
wouldn't just dismiss me as being unreasonable.
He laughed. "Did you really live among the ... tribes in
the Black Mountains?"
"The Ojaza," I said, pulling my collar away from
my neck to show the wolf's-head tattoo. He leaned closer and then nodded.
"I think I can talk Merchant Raigosa into one and a
half silver per day and a gold if you stay until Calle. Your knowledge may well
be worth it, since we'll be traveling along the Black Mountain range most of
the way to Calle."
I nodded, but it took all my considerable self-control not
to smile or laugh. I had successfully negotiated my first contract. Of course,
that could be a poor salary for a guard, I chided myself. Not that it mattered,
since I would have accepted the one silver offer to go, but according to the
soldiers, I thought it a good wage. Lutz walked over to Raigosa and talked for
several minutes before returning.
"You’re hired. I hope you can cook," he said with
a grin. "Calle is months away. I'll arrange for a room at the Inn. We
leave the day after tomorrow."
Over the next two days, I learned the merchant's caravan had
ten mules, two wagons, six guards, and was introduced to the Raigosa party: a
female companion, Shelia, his two sons, Cesar and Filipe, and two assistants,
Agron and Osher.
Two guards were on duty night and day. Lutz was the senior
guard. Three others—Dimas, Goyo, and Juan—had been with Raigosa
since they left Calle, and Ricci and Sammie were new. I stood guard twice with Sammie
and liked him, but I knew Ricci would be trouble. Savages and people of Aesona
weren't that much different under the skin.
* * *
I was glad for my time at the Manola community helping the
women prepare meals. As a result, I had a good idea on the amount of food it
took to feed thirteen people and could cook a variety of basic meals. The time
there had served me well. The first night after dinner, Raigosa approached.
"That was a good meal, Zara. I had my doubts about you,
but as usual, Lutz's instincts are good. Any thoughts about the tribes?"
he asked, sitting down next to me.
"I doubt they’ll be a problem. First, this is a long
way from where they live, so it's not a yearly occurrence. Second, they’re
after cattle, grain, and slaves—not the kind of merchandise you carry. Gold
and silver mean nothing to them. I'd think you have more to fear from
bandits."
"They don't
care about gold and silver?" He laughed.
"No. If they did attack, they would take the mules and
little else. Of course, that wouldn't matter since they would kill us all,"
I said.
Raigosa's face turned pale. "Why?"
"So you couldn't sound an alarm. Raiding parties are
comprised of warriors. Killing is what they are trained to do, and they are
very good at it."
"I have six ... seven guards."
"A raiding party would have at least fifteen warriors.
I haven't seen everyone fight, but I suspect most would do poorly against a
warrior one-on-one, and they would have you out numbered two-to-one and have
the element of surprise."
"What about you?"
"They would
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