Rise of The Runelords - David Drake's Saga

by Raulfur

This is the Rise of the Runelords series as told by of David Drake, an American pagan who got tricked into the adventure. This series shows how he comes to understand the world and his journeys through it. The first three posts detail his companions, Faunra: a time displaced elven Magus, Dame Rebekah: a child of crusaders, and Jonathan: a skinwalker monk/kineticist. Still ongoing.

11. Day 7: The Boars of Tickwood

Day 7: On the Trail of the Boars of Tickwood Toilday the 25th Rova, 4707

I woke up feeling great, which must mean that I was really drunk that night. I've never seemed to have a hangover after getting drunk. I guess a blessing of my Irish heritage? I got dressed and went down to the common room. I could tell that the rest of the group were still suffering from the liquid abuse the night before. I had long ago decided that it was a dick move to abuse my lack of hangovers to fuck with other people, so I just kept it quiet. Ameiko was up and about, already working to make sure that a suitable breakfast was there for the "saviors of Sandpoint". Yep, there was more than a hint of sarcasm there. I didn't mind a little dressing down. From the outside, it was probably looking like we were taking advantage of the people of this town and that we were just going to split once we got our fill.

I tried to get Ameiko alone at one point to tell her that this wasn't the case, but I think that she was preoccupied. Then I realized that Jonathan wasn't in the kitchen. I had expected him to be there because he was always there in the morning. He wasn't at the table with Dame Rebekah and Faunra. I rushed up to his room and knocked. He didn't answer so I went in. He was reading and looked up at me and asked what an atomic bomb was. Shit, I had hoped to never have that discussion, especially with someone from another world. I asked him how far in depth he wanted me to go with the explanation.

He didn't say at first so I told him what my world had discovered in regards to splitting atoms. We had first discovered that some atoms (stopping to explain what atoms are) split naturally while others can be induced to split. When the reaction is controlled, you can use it to provide power or even transmute one material into another, all without magic. When this is done in a specifically designed manner, this can result in a large explosion, causing widespread devastation, with destruction more than a mile in diameter. I told him that the only times those bombs had been used, they had killed more than thirty thousand people each. I told him that the people involved in the decision had suffered great moral pangs afterword and that after those two times the bombs had never in combat again. They existed more as a strategic deterrence to prevent others from using them against the countries, and that the countries that did not possess them were generally protected by the countries that did possess them.

He handed me back my tablet and walked downstairs in silence. Great, my only near ally in this world now hates me because of something that the people of my home-world did. Granted that much death is a large thing to come to grips with, but I just hope that he doesn't blame me personally for this. I didn't even think to talk about the fact that I was previously involved with the power generation aspects of it. Or that I was involved with the Military after those events had occurred. I don't think that he could understand that people had moved on from these events, and that the two countries had even become allies in the decades since this happened.

When I came back down to the common area, everyone was eating their meals in quiet. I realized that there were things about me and my people's history that would obviously be thought of as evil. I could try to stress that it was a necessity, but I don't think that a culture based around honor would understand the fact that a group of people were saved because of the overwhelming show of strength that had been those two bombs. Two bombs that had destroyed miles of landscape and killed more people than any of them had ever met. In two blinks of an eye. I don't know that I can properly explain how war has changed since that point, I don't think that they will think it any less than evil and barbarism.

I sat down at the table in silence and finished my breakfast. No one was talking. Everyone was eating in silence, whether due to hangovers or processing the gravity of learning something as grave as what Jonathan had. It was a perfectly awkward event, that I had thought could not be made more awkward. I was wrong. It was at this perfect moment, this perfect awkwardness, that Aldern Foxglove had decided to come up and remind us of the early morning hunt. We looked at him and remembered what Ameiko had warned us about with upsetting the Nobility in this society. Great, now we were going to have to go out into the wilderness when we were not talking to each other. We all finished our meals, I dropped some coins on the table for Ameiko, and walked to the Goblin Squash Stables next door.

Dame Rebekah was so out of it that she didn't even remember her own horse or donkey, and just took the heavy horse that was provided for her. We all set out to the Tickwood, a journey that would have taken less than fifteen minutes, were it not for the unhorsed manservants that Aldern indicated were coming with us. At one time during the ride, Jonathan asked me if I thought that it was right that the places were bombed. I told him that the first place was definitely not as clear cut as the second. The second was a place where the Japanese, the people of that area, were manufacturing the vehicles of war that were used to bomb civilian and military bases that were not in direct conflict them. The problem, I told him, is that they went for the more damaging place first. I told him that historians came down on both sides of the argument, and that some felt that there were much more casualties to be expected on both sides of the conflict if the war persisted.

He listened to what I said and rode off to talk to Faunra in that foreign tongue. I hope that Jonathan or Dame Rebekah will help me learn to speak that tongue. I don't want to be left out of conversations and I don't want things to be any more difficult between the group than they have to. Dame Rebekah was busy at the moment, with Aldern flirting and asking her questions about all manner of things. I'm sure he would have been called a letch or a beta back home, but since he was nobility, he was above such things here. We were about half way to where Aldern had wanted to set up to start the hunt when something happened. One of Aldern's footmen was batting the brush ahead of us, to make sure that there wasn't a boar on our way that we would just wander in to. They were split up, one ahead and one off to either side. Only Jonathan and myself noticed the thing before it attacked.

Jonathan wasn't quick enough to intercept the beast before it launched itself at one of the Footmen. I could only take the shot while it was in mid-air. It was a Firepelt Cougar that was pouncing to attack. I am very glad that the footman took the reaction that he did to me firing at him, because it was only due to him dropping back and to the ground away from me pointing the rifle in his direction that the firepelt overshot him. Jonathan, now being next to the great cat, pummeled it twice in its head with his punishing kicks. It responded by savaging him with a pair of claw attacks after missing with a bit. It missed on its attempt at a rake, as Jonathan scrambled back a little bit. I took aim at it again, and I guess Jonathan must have broken up the skull some, as my pellet went into the firepelt's brain and the cat passed out.

Rebekah rushed over to Jonathan and started to bandage up his wounds, showing a proficiency that I had never guessed that she had possessed. I rushed over to help Jonathan tend to himself as best I could. He was bandaged up, but it was likely that he wouldn't want to get into another melee anytime soon. Not twelve seconds after the great cat had passed out was I on it. I whipped out one of my Coldsteel knives and slit its throat. I was remembering back when I helped process a deer that my father had slain when I was a teen. It helped that I had a YouTube video downloaded and playing while I was doing the field-dressing.

I can't say that I did it perfectly, but I can say that we are now the owners of a Firepelt skin and a dressed body of a firepelt cougar. I had heard that they taste like pork, so I guess we can try to get Ameiko or Jonathan to cook it up when we get back. If he is willing, that is. I don't know if any of the progress that I had made with him or the rest of the group will still be here after him reading that. We got everything packed up and I went over to the guy who dropped. Something had bothered me about it. I didn't recognize him from anywhere that I had been, but he reacted to my rifle like he knew exactly what it would do. I asked permission from Aldern to question his footman about something, and he acceded absentmindedly. He was too infatuated with Dame Rebekah to even acknowledge that something dangerous had just happened. I really think that this man might be the death of us in the future.

The older man, by the name of Victor Matei, was a little secretive about why he panicked, until I let him know that I wouldn't be telling anyone about this. I swore to him that I was confused and needed to know why he knew what my weapon would do. He told me he wasn't originally from Varisia; he was originally from a country called Ustalav. He didn't talk much about it because he left there with his family when he was just a teen. Apparently there was some strife with the nobility there being overthrown, and his family were noble sympathizers. But he recalled that there was a man with some kind of item like mine that fire light that burned the wood that it was pointed at. The light was red. He remembered something about the man belonging to "tech" something and that people were not supposed to talk about it. He remembered that they were said to be evil. That was why he worried when I pointed the weapon his way.

I tried to comfort the man that I would never attack him, that I was not associated with these tech people that he had heard of. Where I was from had a similar name, but we were dedicated to making things and fixing them when they broke. He seemed a bit worried, but I told him that we can keep this just between us, and if he ever needed to talk to someone, to come seek me out. I would be glad to help him if I could. I think that he was completely convinced and I'm sure that nothing bad will ever happen to him.

We got started after that, and it wasn't long before Aldern wanted to stop for a brief meal. I implored him that the firepelt that we got would start to go bad if we didn't keep hunting, but he told me that it would be fine. I didn't want to spend any more time out here than I needed to. Especially in a place called the Tickwood. I'm hopeful that Lyme disease didn't cross over with me, but who knows what kind of pathogens the bloodsuckers might have in this place. His footmen, including the Victor, set out a fine blanket and unpacked a fine meal included wine, cheese, fruits, and light meats. He insisted we partake while his footmen go and bring the boar to us. I thought that this was lunacy, but it probably wasn't wise to dismiss and denigrate the decisions of nobility, even one such as him. If he was from Magnimar, he might be able to cause me problems when and if I make it there and try to find my way home.

I excused myself to go to the bushes, did my business, and looked around for any signs of a boar. I found the signs of one a good distance away and hinted the location of where I found the sign to Victor. He checked it out and said that he agreed that it would be best if we went towards it. I brought up to Aldern that his men had found sign not far from here. If we leave them to break down the camp while we go get the boar, we can be back to the Rusty Dragon before noon. It would give Ameiko ample time to roast it and we could have it for the evening meal. Dame Rebekah picked up on it and agreed with me, saying that she wanted this beast slain.

Aldern was apparently backed into a corner. He didn't want to leave this comfy place, but now that Dame Rebekah had shown some interest in this activity, he had to continue with it or lose any chance of her favor. He acquiesced to us continuing on to get this boar instead of just waiting for one to wander up on us effectively. Our horses were a bit loud, and when we encountered the boar, it knew we were coming. The boar was still a little shocked, and was even more so when Dame Rebekah spurred her horse into action and struck true with her lance. Faunra, being prepared, cast a spell and her arrow was infused with telekinetic power. The Boar was struck deeply inside. It almost seemed like Faunra had no difficulty at all in firing between the legs of Dame Rebekah's mount. Jonathan came up next, repeating what he did at the archery contest, using a mock bow and a real arrow to hit the boar. The arrow shattered when it hit the Boar. I can only imagine that the boar took a fair amount of damage as well. So it was that not being confident about being able to shoot between a horse's legs, I spurred my horse forward, not at a charge but fast enough to cover the distance, and hit it once, on the base of the skull with my hatchet. The boar dropped! I'm pretty sure that the thing was dead after Dame Rebekah's hit, but didn't realize it until I thumped it on the back of the head.

Aldern was ecstatic. His object of affection had done a telling blow to this beast. I'm sure that he will spend the next day or so talking up Dame Rebekah's contributions. I hope that it doesn't annoy her too much. I got to work processing the boar for field dressing. I had checked to see if I needed to slit its throat, but it was already dead. Despite the damage that was done, there was a fair amount of undamaged material, and most of the damage was either piercing or bludgeoning. My puny axe hit was basically a love tap compared to any of the other's hits. I'm sure that I will be able to tan this leather and maybe make someone a nice pair of boots or maybe a few things for people in the group. It isn't buying them off, it is showing them that I do care about them enough to think about them. I'll work on it later. AFTER we get back and give a presentation to the orphanage. We can do that after we get the food back to Ameiko. I hope she doesn't do a turducken thing where the boar has the cougar in it. Granted, she could just roast the cougar's meat inside the boar, but I think that she will do something more imaginative than that. I've heard rumors about some things that she made that were quite inventive. Some turned out well, others not so much.

By the time that we had gotten back to the location of the camp, Victor and the others had packed everything up beautifully and were ready to go. So we started back, as victorious hunters. The boar was on the back of Faunra's mount, while the cougar was on the back of Jonathan's. We made okay time, especially after I suggested that our horses could bear the load better and the we could get back quicker to allow Ameiko time to truly perfect this magnificent specimen. He seemed to perk up whenever things related to him in some way were praised or embellished. Good to know. We made it back into town in an hour, and headed back across the Tanner Bridge.

At my request, we stop off at Rovanky Tannery to talk to Larz Rovanky. He is busy at first when we get there but comes out to see what we have. We show him the Boar skin and ask him if he could make a high quality sheath for Dame Rebekah's Sword. as she made the best hit. We also asked if he could make a Boar Skin quiver for Faunra and a pair of boar skin boots for Jonathan. He took measurements and gave us a price. I gladly paid for it, and asked if he could also do up a hooded vest out of the Firepelt Cougar skin that I pulled out to show him, for Jonathan. He acknowledged that he could, and remarked that there was precious little damage to the hide, a rare thing. I told him that Jonathan had managed to do most of the damage to it with his mighty kicks. He gave me the price for that and I paid it as well.

We continued on to the Rusty Dragon where Ameiko met us outside. We showed her the boar and asked if she would be willing to prepare it. She saw that it was already skinned and decided that she couldn't do a roast boar, but she could think of something. I sheepishly asked if she could also do something with this, showing her the firepelt cougar. She was sure that she could think of something. I told her that if it helped, it would probably be able to be prepared similar to pork. She asks if we could have them both butchered by Chod Bevuk, at the Sandpoint Butchery just down the way. Aldern and his men retire off to the Inn to recuperate from the day's excitement and for Aldern to change into a fresh set of clothing, since his was soiled from the travel.

We continued riding our horses to the Meat Market. I don't know if they were rentals or purchase, but we might as well get a good day's use out of them. We dropped off the two corpses and asked if he could butcher them for Ameiko. Chod asked if what he was hearing was true, that Ven had beaten Jonathan until Jonathan had promised to marry Shayliss. I told him that there wasn't a physical alteration, and that Shayliss was infatuated with Jonathan. We were going to have the mayor write up the documents later this day. He kind of grunted at that and went to work. As we were leaving, he told us that the meat would be ready soon, and that he would deliver it directly to Ameiko. He asked who was paying, and I told him Aldern Foxglove, but that the food was for the Rusty Dragon. He smiled at that and probably figured that he could upcharge the noble.

Realizing what how late in the day it was, we headed to the Turandarok Academy, to give our presentations for the students and orphans there. I politely requested that the other three go first, before we headed in. There was a large amount of children there, and I was always nervous around things much smaller than me that I had to keep safe. Especially when those things are trying to harass or annoy me. I wasn't surprised by the level of rancor that was present from the throng of children. The rest of the group was slightly taken aback by all of this. To me it wasn't much different than the experience that was the school bus at the end of a school day.

Dame Rebekah was the sacrificial presenter. And had decided to go first to show her bravery. She did a very nice presentation, with a good display of her abilities and her divinely gifted powers. Jonathan was next, and did a fair job showing off his martial prowess. After the children got bored with that he let loose with some of his psychic powers. The kids appreciated that a bit more. Faunra was up next, and after a brief bit of translating back and forth, she cast something was now able to change different things in many different ways. Dame Rebekah acted as translator, as she had rested and recovered a bit from her harrowing experience. Faunra finished off with a display of accuracy and the combination of magic and archery.

That only left me. I didn't really know if I had anything flashy that I could really do to show the kids and keep their interest. I started out with telling them a little about my home-world, who we had carriages that ran without horses or magic, how we had lights that worked without fire or magic, and how we had made great buildings that reached higher than any that I had seen so far in my time here. Including however tall the tower was when it was created. That I had been in buildings that were taller than Sandpoint is from the docks to the north gate. I have sailed in ships made of metal that were that long. And that all of this was done without magic.

To punctuate this, because I was feeling a little bit evil, I started to pull out my phone. After the morning that I had had, I had no compunctions with infecting this world with an ear-worm. I finished off my speech with telling them that my home-world had done all of this without magic because we didn't know how to harness it, or that it even truly existed. Yet we created something like this, and pushed play on my phone to play a song. My fate is truly sealed. I am no less a monster than the ones that Jonathan was disturbed by. I played "Never gonna give you up" and I don't feel bad about it in the least. The headmaster cast a spell, I guess that it was likely a spell to detect magic, and was a bit taken aback when he saw none. The kids were fascinated by this and as we left, I told them that if they wanted to seek science, the lore of my people, to ask the headmaster politely, and I would see if I couldn't work something out.

The rest of the group were a bit puzzled by me playing that. No one in the group had heard that song before. Jonathan asked why it was that I had never played that song before. I told them that it was known as something called an ear worm. Big mistake, apparently there actually are monsters called ear worms here. Just one more reason to be afraid at night. I tried to explain the difference, that this song and a few others like it are so well designed that you can't get it out of your head. Days later after hearing it, it will pop up and run through itself without stopping. It can be very distracting. Especially if someone starts it and stops it after the person listening has heard it all the way through at least once. I told them that there was a remedy, which was another song that I had on my phone, and that I would play it for them later. When asked why I wouldn't play it for the kids, I told them that kids are less susceptible to my kind of ear worms because their brains are still growing and changing. Things are harder to take hold. If they need me to counteract it, I'll be glad to play the cure for the students.

They looked at me with a bit of uncertainty and Dame Rebekah asked some follow-up questions about whether this did actual damage to people's minds or if it could be used for torture. I told her that most music if played in an incorrect manner might be called torture by my people, but that mostly it had to actually be played on repeat, rather than just remembering it. Just like the bard's songs that get well liked here. It just already has the instruments included into it. I added that I had to tell them some things that Jonathan had learned earlier. This was of vital importance. After that, we could discuss who we might need to tell, if anyone.

It was early afternoon by the time that we were done, so I asked if anyone had anything more to do in town. No one could really think of anything. I reminded them that the Theater was in two days, and that if they needed to get better garments, we should probably see if Vernah's Fine Clothing has anything available that could be properly tailored for them in the amount of time that they needed. Jonathan had inquired why, and I told him that it would be a proper thing for him to invite both his fiancée and his fiancée's parents to go to the event that we have been invited to. I can neither confirm nor deny that there was a slight smile on my face when I told him that. I can also neither confirm nor deny that Dame Rebekah was smiling as well.

We got on our horses and rode down Water Street to the Sandpoint Market. We cut across the mostly empty market to head up Festival Street to the Grocer's Hall. Olmur Danvakus, the kindly halfling guild master was ensuring his wares were up to standard. He thanked us for our service to Sandpoint, and we were suitably grateful for his thanks. He told us that if we needed something produce or farming related to come talk to him and he could probably find it. I told him that I would keep that in mind for my future plans. He had customers, so he had to rush off, but we wished him a good day as he did.

Our next stop was Vernah's Fine Clothing, a fine establishment run by the daughter of Vernah, Rynshinn Povalli. Her shop was immaculate, and her wares impressive. She saw what I was wearing and was intrigued by the many pockets and the obvious quality of the stitchery, as the seams were perfectly straight. I thanked her profusely, and asked her if she had some things that could be tailored by tomorrow for my friends. She looked them over and asked what was the type of function that the needed to have another set of clothing. I broke down the details to her, how we were all invited to the Fireday showing of The Harpy's Curse by Cyrdak and how Jonathan was going to be inviting his fiancée Shayliss and her parents. She was a bit wide eyed by that, but looked calculatingly at them. She asked if I was going to need something as well. I told her that if I had somewhere to change, I could show her what I was intending on wearing, and that she could advise me.

She pointed me to a room where I could change, and I took off my armor and clothes and put on my George Bride Tuxedo and all of the other dress clothes that brought with me. When I came out, Rynshinn had selected a nice black and gold courtier's outfit for Jonathan, a red and white stylish dress for Dame Rebekah, and a silver and gold gown for Faunra. I asked her if I looked out of place with them, and Rynshinn said that what I was wearing was a bit odd but it looked high end enough to not be considered street clothes. She asked if she could study them, and I left my second set with her. She told us that the clothes would be ready for the tomorrow evening's event. We paid a pretty penny for those items, but I hoped that with everything that we needed to do, that they would stop immediate faux pass. While everyone was getting measurements made, I spied one of Jasper's messengers outside the door. I told the child that I would give him a silver if he could deliver a bag and a note to Cyrdak and bring me back a response. The kid accepted, and I wrote Cyrdak that we would need an additional eight seats, five for the Vinder clan, one for Ameiko, and two for guests to be named later. I sent the bag with eight gold in it and ended the letter with thanks. The kid took off like a shot.

I had changed back into my work clothes and armor by the time the kid arrived. He still had the bag with him, but had a new letter. Cyrdak wrote that he understood the kind of mischief I was up to. He told me that the Vinders were invited, but that it would be a tough time getting them there. Ameiko had a permanent seat there, as part of her nobility and that I should not worry about any other guests. I could just tell the mischief that I was wreaking on this town amused him greatly. I thanked the kid and asked if he wanted to make another two silver. I told him that this might take a bit more, but that I didn't need return journeys for these after the first one. I needed him to go to the Sandpoint Boutique and get Hayliss to write a brief message on eight pieces of stationary. The only thing different between them was that the name had to change for each one, and for two of them it was blank for the name. I gave him the approximate verbiage and the bag of eight gold. I gave him the first silver and told him that he would get the other when he got back.

Most of the rest of the group were changed back by the time that the young runner got back. I looked over them and pressed my ring into each with a bit of ink to be the equivalent of a signet impression. I told him that he needed to take these invitations to each of the six people that were already known invitees. He ran off like a bolt of lightning. If I make those kids bicycles, they will be the fastest runners in any town. That isn't too advanced. I'm pretty sure they have rubber of some kind here. If not, natural rubber is somewhere on this planet. I mused to myself and doodled a picture of a bike. Jonathan asked me what it was and I told him. He was intrigued by this for some reason.

I told the group after they had all changed back that we should probably head back to the Rusty Dragon for the feast. We got back in time to see Ameiko working feverishly to get everything created in time. She sees Jonathan and pulls him into the kitchen to help before he can say a word. I grab the other two and head to a private booth. I ask them to sit down and ask if Rebekah could translate back and forth for me to Faunra. I told them a decently in depth history of my world. I continued on past where Jonathan had stopped, and added in descriptors and clarified when asked. I could tell that they were a bit shocked by all of this. I told them that I felt that they should know since I didn't think about this before, but since Jonathan knew, I didn't want to keep secrets from the group.

Faunra asked through Rebekah if there was anything in my world that could allow a village to disappear with no trace of damage to anything else. I told them that even the most damaging attacks that my people had repercussions on the surrounding area. Even when the attacks kill without physically destroying the surrounding areas, they leave the bodies of the victims. I could not think of anything that would physically age the surrounding area. Especially not in a short span.

Dame Rebekah translated this back to Faunra, and she nodded in understanding. Dame Rebekah asked if any of these weapons might do damage to demons. I told her that honestly, I had no idea. I could look into that, but there was no real way to know without knowing the true nature of demons. I confided in them that I had heard that there were apparently people who had come here who had greater technology than my home-world that had made it here. They might have the answers. Dame Rebekah nodded to that and accepted that answer. I asked if they had any other questions, but I knew that they had to process all of that information, and it was a hell of a large dump.

Our conversation took such a long time to accomplish with the translating that the food was almost completely done. Jonathan was kind of in a daze, bringing all kinds of glazed ham products out into the central tavern area. There were a few tables that were brought in from who knows where to allow all of the food to be spread out like a banquet. Lots of locals were streaming in to participate in the feast. I saw a runner from Jasper's crew, and asked him pass back to Jasper that Ameiko was holding an impromptu boar and firepelt banquet. I saw that the table was almost entirely covered with meat products. There wasn't a lot of breads or even produce. I saw another runner and asked him to go to Olmur's and give him this bag of ten gold and tell him about the feast and to pick what product would be best, using his own judgement. If possible, we would need it here quickly, as the food is being prepared quickly. There was another runner lining up, and I gave him a silver and another bag of ten gold with a mission to go to Alma's and have her use her best judgement to get our banquet filled up with breads and savories. I told both of them before they left that if it helps, tell them that it is the "Saviors of Sandpoint" that are trying to throw a banquet for the town to make everyone feel better. I told the runners that this is their "banquest". I'll probably cringe about this later. The runners ran off.

Ameiko must have overheard me, because she came over and asked me if I thought that her cooking wasn't good enough. I told her that I thought her cooking was divine, but that I didn't think that there would be enough for all of the people might come here. Her gaze was a bit angry and intense for a minute, and then softened. She told me that it might be good to get some kind of drink for everyone too if I was intent on this. We'd also have to move everything outside when it was all said and done. I told her that I would be glad to help. She turned to go back into the kitchen and told me that if I wanted to help, that I should convince Aldern that this was a good idea. I told her that I would work this out with him. First I caught up with Dame Rebekah, who was a bit off put by all of the cash that I was dishing out from the party pool. I told her that I'm doing this all for the people of this town, not to make myself aggrandized. I told her that we had one more thing to get, and that I would really appreciate if she and Faunra could pick out some drinks for the banquet. I told them that we should limit it to twenty gold to get as much as cider and stout to we can for it and come back.

They went off to the Goblin Squash Stables to get the donkey and the cart and went to get the potables from Two Knight Brewery. I felt that I was actually doing something good for the community for once, and it felt really good. I hope that we get a good crowd for this impromptu banquet. It wasn't too long before Olmur came back with the child messenger, bearing a load of one hundred pounds each of potatoes, beans, turnips, and cheese. There was also fifty pounds of assorted fruits and nuts, and ten pounds of assorted sugar sweets. I thanked him greatly and asked him how the money sent had covered it all. He smiled when he told me that he had not given me any discounts, but if he had known it was us throwing this, that he would have. Good to know that ten gold can buy enough food for months here on this world. There have been nights when I made enough to keep a family in food for over a year. Granted, none of that included meats or drink, but by the time I am done, I'll get potable water being a thing here.

It wasn't too long after we had gotten Olmur's goods set for being finished and/or arranged on the tables that Alma showed up with a heaping cart filled with breads and sweets. Probably at least four gross of bread loaves, forty dozen cookies of various kinds, two dozen pies of different sorts, and various other things to go with it. It certainly was a bounty of baked goods. Alma and her daughters were a bit surprised by the fact that it was indeed a banquet being thrown for the town. By now, Ameiko was looking at all of this and came to the realization that there would probably not be enough space for everything, even with it all in front of the Rusty Dragon. She told me that it would probably be better to set up everything in the Sandpoint Market square. I got to work putting everything on the two carts and getting all of the food taken over to the market. It was on the second trip back to gather everything that Dame Rebekah and Faunra had gotten the drinks. Instead of everything being in bottles, there were kegs. Gaven had come with them, proud as can be that his wares were being bought by the saviors of Sandpoint for a banquet in the town's honor.

Lots of people ended up coming out, businesses bringing whatever they could to add to the growing mounds of food. By the time that Ameiko and Jonathan we done tag-teaming the growing piles of meats, sides, fruits and other things, Mayor Deverin and Sheriff Hemlock had been warned of the situation. I apologized to both the Mayor and the Sheriff for doing this, but I only thought it the proper thing to do. I told them that I would explain why I had come to this after it was done, and that I hoped that I had not violated any laws. They looked at me, but just shook their heads. Next I had to talk to Dame Rebekah before Aldern could get to her. Luckily she was still offloading kegs of cider and stout. I motioned her to come over quick after the last barrel was placed. She did and asked what I wanted. I told her that the reason I thought this up was because she seemed uncomfortable with Aldern, and if I spent the reward that he gave on the people, it would definitely be a good thing. She told me that she and Faunra had figured that out on the drive over. They discussed it between themselves and decided that it was a good use of the money.

When she had gotten back she was cornered by Aldern about how this was a travesty to the honor that she had attained with the kill. She told me that she relayed to him that giving this meat to the people that had lost so much in the raid would be a goodly act, and that it was her idea. That took a large weight off of my mind, and I was glad that it came from her. Dame Rebekah clearly wasn't comfortable with something as devious as the way that I normally think, but when the outcome was for a good deed, she can adapt. The meal was about ready for everyone and all of the food was laid out on the service tables when an elderly Asian man came forward and said something in his native tongue at Ameiko. Everyone got silent. She responded back to him, clearly annoyed in the same tongue. He sputters and looks around, noticing us sitting at a nearby table.

He marches over in front of us and begins to berate us in what is known here as the Common Tongue (or English for those reading this). He yells that our antics put the town in danger and that we should have left the defense of the town to city guard. Dame Rebekah is furious, and about to rise up to tell this person off. I tell her quietly that I've got this, and rise up. I told him that we were indeed professionals. I looked at Sheriff Hemlock and he nodded. I continued with telling him that we were deputized members of the City Guard, tasked with routing out any leftover goblin menace in the town. I continued that we had already discovered a goblin hiding in the town yesterday and ended the terror it was causing. I told him that we had taken care of an undead menace that could have attacked normal people if it had not been discovered and dealt with. I told him that there were menaces that we had been hired to deal with that haven't been released to the public yet, but that we can get others to verify any of the ones I had spoken of.

Lonjiku Kaijitsu, as I later learned he was named, tried to further denigrate us by calling us a filthy band of vagrants that would just bring more trouble to Sandpoint. Ven Vinder and his family were seated a few tables away from us. Ven of all people stood up and told Lonjiku Kaijitsu that he would not hear anyone calling his future son-in-law and future chef a filthy vagrant. The Baretts were seated at another table close by ours. Alergast stood up and said on his own that these "filthy vagrants" saved his family from a goblin that had hidden in his house. If it hadn't been for these "filthy vagrants" helping out the rest of the guard, who knows what would have happened. Lonjiku was not pleased with the townsfolk stepping up to support us, so he went back to Ameiko and grabbed her by the hair. Ameiko pulled away and reflexively hit him in the head with a soup ladle. He apparently wasn't happy with that and yelled to her that she was as dead to him as her whore mother, before he left.

Ameiko looked to the group and muttered that jackass stew wasn't part of the banquet, and that she needed a new ladle. There were some laughs and she smiled at that. The banquet was a great success, with Ameiko, Cyrdak, and myself all took turns performing for the crowd, either comedy or acting from Cyrdak, Ameiko singing or performing, and myself telling stories from my home-world. All in all, everyone that wasn't an asshole was enjoying themselves. Just about everyone in the town managed to make their way through the banquet and enjoy some food and drink. Those who were the worst off even ended up getting plates to go home with. It was an event that was enjoyed by all. At the end of the day, Dame Rebekah, Faunra, Jonathan, and myself all waited until the end to get everything packed up and brought back to the Rusty Dragon. It was late at night and Ameiko had already retired for the night. Before we got done moving everything back to the Rusty Dragon, the Sheriff and the Mayor came to ask us what all of this was about.

Dame Rebekah told them about Aldern, and how we were not really comfortable with accepting his reward for saving him from the goblins we slew, so we used it to feed the people of this town. The Mayor and the Sheriff nodded at that. A little while later, the good Sheriff pulled me aside and asked me what was the secondary purpose to why this event occurred. I told him that he knew me too well already, and that I figured that if there was someone who was trying to do damage to the town, that they might either take pains to avoid being there or if they do end up being there, will end up being infuriated by the fact that the town survived. He nodded and smiled a bit and asked if I figured that Lonjiku was the suspect for the cemetery thing. I told him no, but it doesn't mean he wasn't involved in some way. He was missing from the festival after all. The Sheriff asked me if I had told my teammates or Ameiko this. I told him that I only worked it out when Lonjiku had taken the action that he had at the Banquet. He took this in stride and thanked me for my insights. I told him that I would try to make sure that we were there early to meet up with Shalelu tomorrow.

After everything was put up, we sat down in the same private booth that we had been using this whole time and I brought up my home-world's past and asked if everyone could continue working with me knowing this. Everyone was okay with is to some level, and I figured that if there were issues, that the people would bring it up to me later, individually. We all split up and went upstairs to our rooms. We all had notes thanking us for standing up against her father, and extending our free stay for an extra week. Jonathan didn't come to ask me about borrowing my phone. I guess it will be a new day tomorrow.