Dev recovered his cloak, after wiping the blood off his sword, with a cloth he had brought just for that purpose. He sheathed his sword, and put his cloak back on. He turned to find Lord Benaldin talking with the strange man who had accompanied them.
Dev approached them, and caught part of their conversation.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I had not seen it, my lord. I knew of Hara Paskle and his skill with a sword. To have a relative unknown defeat him, and so handily, is astounding," the man was saying.
"Then you acknowledge that Devlin Cantor defeated Paskle in the duel, in a fair and unmagicked manner?" Lord Benaldin asked the man.
"Of course. I detected no magic. It was a magnificent display of swordsmanship, on both their parts. Here are your winnings," the man said, and drew forth two parchments, which he handed to Lord Benaldin.
Lord Benaldin read them both quickly, and then nodded. The two shook hands, and the strange man that had been part of their group mounted his horse and rode off.
"What was that all about?" Dev asked Lord Benaldin.
"I took the liberty of placing a couple bets for us, on the outcome of your duel. Since I had confidence in your ability, I bet on you to win, which you did, handily. By the way, I placed a small bet for you, and this is yours," Lord Benaldin stated, passing a parchment to Dev.
Dev was astonished. First that Lord Benaldin would bet on him, and then that he had placed a bet for him. Dev read the parchment and was astonished to find it was a note allowing the bearer to withdraw up to one hundred gold from a specific merchant.
"You bet on me?" Dev asked stunned.
"Of course. Remember, I have seen you with a sword. You're very good, young man, probably one of the best I have ever seen. I doubt there are more than half a dozen people in the land that could match you! I knew that Hara Paskle was not one of them. So why not take advantage and place a little bet on the outcome?" Lord Benaldin asked as if it were the most reasonable thing to do.
Dev looked at Lord Benaldin then started laughing! He couldn't help it, and he laughed until his sides ached. Lord Benaldin looked at him with mild interest.
"Feel better, now?" Lord Benaldin asked.
"Yes, my lord. What say we go get lunch?" Dev asked.
"Certainly. You buy, as I know you can afford it," Lord Benaldin said jovially.
Days went by and Dev noticed the glances and whisperings from the people in the palace. It was embarrassing at first, and then he started getting a bit angry over the entire thing. Ok, so he had killed someone in a duel, but so had lots of people! What was the problem?
He took his concerns to Lord Benaldin one day, angry over the latest whisperings and silences when he was noticed.
"Devlin, these people are impressed or awed at what you did. Let them whisper and talk. It harms no one, and it enhances your reputation," Lord Benaldin stated matter of factly.
"But, I don't want a reputation," Dev said in a bewildered tone voice.
"Face it, you have been getting a reputation ever since you arrived here. This is just a new page in 'the book of Devlin Cantor'. Now, if we can move on, I want to discuss the Ralm embassy with you," Lord Benaldin said, completely changing the subject.
Dev was walking towards the outer door of the palace to go home for the day when he was stopped. Apparently the king's wizard wanted to see him. Frowning he wondered what the wizard wanted. He had had nothing to do with him since he had arrived, months ago.
Although he had never been there, he knew where the wizard stayed. He had rooms on the second floor. Dev made his way to the stairs and went up them two at a time. He frowned when he noticed that his muscles ached a little from that little bit of exertion.
As he turned to the right, he decided he had to get a bit more exercise. This palace life was not allowing him enough time to get out and work outside. He had been used to long hard work, first on the farm, and then in the army.
He got to the wizards door and knocked. It was opened by a slim man in his forties, with a pointy beard.
"Ah, Sir Cantor, do come in. I have been expecting you," the wizard said pleasantly, opening the door wide for Dev.
Dev entered and looked around. He was in a receiving room that had several comfortable chairs in it, as well as a desk. Two doors were located at opposite sides of the room, leading to other rooms.
"Sit down, please. Would you like some tea? A brandy? Wine?" The wizard asked.
"I would like to try some tea. My old captain in troop D swore by it," Dev replied.
"Excellent. Sit down, and I will only be a moment," wizard Wonacky said and went through one of the doors.
Dev sat on one of the stuffed chairs and noted it was much more comfortable than the chair he had in his room at the inn. He would have to see about buying one of these. While he was waiting, Dev looked out the window, and saw his inn from it. He had not considered people at the palace being able to see his place of residence before.
The wizard came in carrying a large silver tray upon which was two cups and a small steaming pot. He set it down and Dev noticed that a small jar of honey and a spoon was also on the tray.
"I have noted that if you sweeten the tea with a bit of honey, it tastes better. However, that's just me. Feel free to drink it with or without the tea," the wizard offered.
Dev watched as the wizard poured the tea through a small cheesecloth, capturing leaves. Dev noted that the wizard returned the leaves back to the pot. The wizard did this for both cups.
"Steeping the leaves continually makes the subsequent cups a bit stronger. Personally, I like that," the wizard explained.
Dev nodded and took a sip of the hot liquid. Actually, it wasn't bad at all. Dev took a second sip and decided he would have to find a shop that sold this tea, and buy some for himself. He mentioned that to the wizard.
"This tea is not sold here in the north. It is shipped via trade caravan and is my own personal acquisition. I will be glad to give you some to take home with you, or send some to your residence," the wizard stated.
"Oh no, I couldn't. I will experiment with what is sold here in the markets," Dev replied firmly.
"As you like. Now, the reason I have asked you here. The king has informed me that you can read a book purported to be from Telgar the mage. Is this true?" The wizard asked with interest.
"Yes, I can read that book. It had two spells listed in it," Dev answered slowly.
"Excellent! I want you to copy the two spells, and give them to me when you have finished," the wizard said in an almost commanding tone of voice.
Dev bristled at the way the wizard had told him to copy the spells for him.
"Why don't you just copy them yourself?" Dev asked.
"Because, I can't read the script it is written in," the wizard replied.
"Why not? I mean, it is written pretty plain, to me," Dev asked curiously.
"It is a long story. Now, if you will just write the two spells out as written, the guild and I would appreciate it," the wizard almost ordered.
"Wizard Wonacky, while I respect your position, you are not someone I report to. I am not a member of the guild, nor am I subordinate to you," Dev replied, standing as he did so.
Wonacky also stood.
"Please, I did not mean to offend you. Of course you are not subordinate to me. I fear I am becoming an old man who is used to getting his way," Wonacky said by way of apology.
"I doubt we have anymore to discuss, then. Good day, Wizard Wonacky," Dev said with a small bow, and went out the door.
Dev had almost gotten himself back into a good mood by the time he got back to the inn. He checked to see what the inn was serving and was pleased to note that it was lamb. Dev liked lamb almost more than anything else.
He told the innkeeper he wanted a plate of lamb and an ale sent to his table. The innkeeper nodded and Dev made his way to a free table. The Eagle's Claw had a good crowd during meals and seemed to have a good crowd most of the day.
The Eagle's Claw was an inn where you could get something to eat at anytime during the day as well as having a good selection of drink. That was why the inn seemed to be crowded from around one hour before noon until closing.
When the steaming plate of lamb and potatoes arrived, his mouth watered. He dug into the lamb, and it was juicy and cooked just the way he liked it... rare. The Eagle's Claw inn had a very good cook, and Dev hoped she was paid well.
While Dev ate, he considered a few things. He now had more than enough money to buy a house in the city, even at the prices that houses went for here! He was also considering investing in trade caravans. He had some money now, no reason not to put it to work for him.
He sat back, stuffed from his meal. He held up his tankard and a serving girl nodded and came to refill it. As he sat sipping his second ale for the night, he noticed a palace guard come in, carrying a large jar.
He went to the innkeeper who gestured in Dev's direction. The guard saw him and made his way to Dev's table.
"Sir Cantor. I bring you a gift from the Wizard Wonacky, as well as his apology for his seeming rudeness and abruptness. He asks you accept this jar of tea as a gift, free and clear of any obligation," the guard recited.
Dev gestured for the guard to set it on the table. The guard also pulled out a folded parchment with instructions on how best to make the tea. Dev thanked the guard and told him to tell the Wizard that he bore no hard feelings.
This brought the meeting with the wizard back to Dev's immediate attention. Why was it that no one could read the spells in that book? Dev had never had any problems with reading the book he had bought from that peddler down south, or the book in the library.
Shaking his head, he got up, picking up his jar of tea. It was a nice present, and since it had no strings attached to it, he saw no reason not to keep it. Besides, he liked tea. He didn't sweeten it like he had seen others do. He thought it tasted fine as it was served, straight from the pot.
He went upstairs and checked the spell on his door. It was in place as usual. He canceled it and went in. He set the large jar on the table, and thought it might be time to fire up the stove. It was downright chilly in the room.
He had been reading his spell book for spells that would warm rooms, but had not found one as yet. Still, he had found some rather interesting spells and had memorized them as useful to have in reserve.
He looked at flasks that were lining the shelf on the far wall. He had slowly been making potion, and now had five bottles of the stuff on hand. That did not include the flask of potion he carried about with him.
If he were to sell the potion to an apothecary, he could get at least 8 to 10 gold per flask. So he had about fifty gold worth of potion sitting on his shelf. Cost to make the five flasks of potion was less than four silvers. Just what he bought from the herbalist and the spells he cast was all that was expended.
So why did the potion that the mage guild sell, cost so much? Dev had been able to make it for some time now, and it was nowhere near even one gold let alone the ten gold that the guild charged. Who knows, perhaps they did use rare and expensive ingredients.
Dev looked at his firewood supply, and decided he needed to buy more. He wanted to fill the bin that was close to the stove to store the wood. He went out his door, casting the protection spell absentmindedly almost, and went down the hall and then down the stairs.
He found the innkeeper and asked him to order extra firewood for his room tomorrow.
The innkeeper told him no problem and asked if he needed a bit for tonight. Dev told him no, he would be able to get by with what he had on hand, but would need to refill his bin tomorrow.
He paid the innkeeper in advance for the wood and went back upstairs to his room. He removed the spell of protection and went in, locking the door behind him. He cast the spell of protection on the door again and then cast his light spell. After that, he settled down and read and memorized his spell book, until he got tired enough to sleep.
The next morning frost was on the window and his breath could be seen in the air of his room. He grabbed his cloak, putting it on, and put his feet in the bedroom slippers he had bought for himself a couple weeks ago.
He went to the stove and put some kindling in and cast a small fire spell to get it going.
'Being able to do magic is a handy thing indeed, ' Dev thought to himself.
He then finished loading the stove and closed the door to it. Slowly, the chill was taken out of the air, and warmth replaced it as the stove gave out a gentle heat.
Today was a free day for Dev and he wanted to look at houses. While the inn was fine for now, he liked Taslon and decided he wanted a home here. He would not be going back to Saychon; at least he didn't think so.
He hated leaving the room without spelled protection, but he did protect his shelf of flasks with a spell. After getting dressed in his civilian finery, he grabbed his cloak, and went out the door, locking it behind him with just a key. The innkeeper would bring the wood up later, and have someone keep the fire going in his stove for him.
To find the place he wanted, he first decided to check on the houses seized by the crown. This would be a good way to get descriptions and addresses of where they were located. He headed to city hall, and dug into the task at hand.
After he went in, he was directed to the proper office. He was soon working with a clerk on what he wanted. The clerk listened to what Dev wanted in a house and led him to a wooden stand with many cubicles built into it.
He started to pull out parchments and unrolled about an inch of parchment and would set one to one side, and put the others back into the cubicle. There was finally a selection of five parchments on the table in front of Dev.
"These represent what you have in mind Sir Devlin. I think you will find them satisfactory. They are in locations you specified and meet your requirements for size. I will have a runner take you to each of the houses," the clerk said briskly.
A short time later Dev and the runner, both mounted, were on their way to the first house on the list. It took them twenty minutes to get there, and Dev knew immediately he did not want it. It was old, and falling in on itself. The city clerk must have misunderstood what Dev had said.
The second house was more like what Dev wanted. While it was a single story place, it sat on a large plot of land. Still, after Dev went in and looked it over, he decided against it. They moved onto the third house.
The third house was on the edge of the south side of the city, but close to the city center. It would be about a fifteen-minute ride to the palace from this house. It was a small two-story house surrounded by a five-foot high wall.
It too sat on a large plot of land. It had a small carriage shed, a small livery stable large enough for four horses, and plenty of space. Bushes lined the back wall that Dev knew would bloom with purple flowers in the spring and early summer months. There were also two apple trees and one cherry tree on the property.
Dev asked how much the city wanted for this place, and was told twenty-two gold. It had belonged to the city for almost two years now. Dev went inside the house and looked around.
He could see a bit of water damage on one corner of the ceiling on the second floor. This would require a bit of work, but overall the house was what he wanted. It had room enough, he could hire people to keep house for him and provide room and board as part of their pay.
He decided on this house and they returned to city hall. Dev dickered with the clerk a bit, and got the price down to nineteen gold for the property. They shook hands, and Dev told the clerk he would have the payment for the property no later than tomorrow morning.
After that, Dev decided that he needed to find some good repairmen to do the repairs needed on his house, so he started for the builder's guild. After he got there, he dismounted and was about to enter the guild when someone called his name.
He turned and saw someone who was familiar, but he could not place him.
"Sir Devlin, I want to thank you again for that potion. I am good as new and able to work my job again. Thank you, Sir!" The man gushed.
"Ralph, isn't it? Well, I am pleased you are recovered enough to work," Dev responded with a smile.
"But what brings you down here to the builders guild?" Ralph asked with interest.
"I bought a house that needs a bit of work. It has sat idle a bit too long, and the roof is leaking, and I don't know what else is wrong, so I need to hire some work done," Dev explained.
"Sir Devlin, I want to say that the builders guild is good, and will fix whatever is wrong with your house, but they will overcharge you something fierce. I know, because I work for them.
"Why don't you let me and a couple friends of mine look your place over. We can give you an idea of everything that is wrong, and we can even get it fixed for about what it should cost," Ralph said eagerly.
"Now why would you want to cut out your guild?" Dev asked curiously.
"Sir Devlin, you saved my life. I can't let you be cheated by the guild masters... and cheat you they will. Especially you being a knight and all. That will at least double actual cost to you. They over charge the gentry and lords outrageously," Ralph said earnestly.
Dev talked to Ralph a few minutes and he decided to go ahead with Ralph and his friends. Dev didn't think that Ralph would try to cheat him. Dev explained how to get to his new house and Ralph said he would meet him there in a couple hours, that he needed to get his friends first.
By this time it was getting close to lunch so Dev found an inn and got something to eat. The inn served chicken and a bowl of soup. Dev washed it down with a brand of ale that was new to him, but tasted pretty good.
Having still an hour before he needed to be at the house, he went to the merchant holding his money, and withdrew thirty gold, leaving him seventy gold on deposit. City hall was just a short distance from the merchant and he stopped in and paid for the house, including his first year's taxes, which he nearly choked on, seeing as he hadn't lived in the house for a year yet!
He went back out and mounted his horse and rode to his new house. As he pulled into the gate, he saw Ralph and two other men sitting on a wagon drawn by a team of horses.
Dev rode up and dismounted close to the men.
"Sir Devlin! We have already checked the outer area and it is not in too bad of a shape. The roof of the root cellar is starting to bow. You need to brace it or replace the beam or it will fall surely. As for the roof, you're right. From what Nigel saw, you need to replace the back quarter section, and we won't know about the beams under it till we take off the bad section," Ralph said.
"Root cellar? I didn't know I had one. It's not listed as part of the property," Dev said bemused.
"That is not surprising. The door to it was covered by a bunch of hay. We saw the edge of a wood frame sticking out from the edge of the pile of hay. We moved the hay for you. The door will have to be replaced, of course. It is rotted out.
"The two outer buildings are in need of white washing, but other than that, they are in good shape. Marco here does a bit of gardening, and he looked over your bushes and such. He says that they are in good shape, and will bloom nicely next spring," Ralph explained.
"Well, can you three handle the repairs? There is some damage to the ceiling on the second floor from the leak," Dev asked them.
"Plastering will be no problem. That is most likely all that is needed. We all do what job has to be done in the guild," Ralph spoke with pride.
"How much do you think it will cost to fix everything?" Dev asked.
"Well Sir Dev, I can't rightly say. It could cost anywhere from three to five gold. The roofing materials will be the most expensive, followed by the beam of the root cellar," Ralph answered slowly.
Dev considered briefly, then untied his pouch and withdrew four gold.
"This should get you started, and pay for most of the repairs. I want everything accounted for, you hear?" Dev stated sternly.
"Yes, Sir! We won't let you down!" Ralph said excitedly.
Edited by TeNderLoin
Volentrin