Chapter 2
Horse Business
As we entered the city, we saw a stable to our right with stable boys and soldiers walking in and out of it. This caught Adamis' eye and he began walking over. He stopped in front of a stable boy who was leaning on a dung covered pitchfork. The boy was twelve years old, tall and scrawny, and very human. He looked up and up, until he met the Paladin's face.
Malgoreal Vlacus said, "I would like to buy a horse."
The stable boy replied in a voice which suggested he was dim-witted, "I do not own these horses, I only work here. Would you like me to get the man who does own some of these horses?"
"No, I would like a war horse." Adamis said, as if the boy had just made him an offer for a different type of horse.
"Well sir, I do not own these horses, and the war horses belong to the soldiers. Would you like me to get the man who owns some of the horses housed here?"
Adamis opened his mouth, but I interrupted him and said, "Forgive his idiocy. Yes, please go get the man who owns some of these horses." I looked into the open stable door and saw a good horse. It was too dark to tell what color, or anything else, but it was a high horse. "Specifically that one." I pointed to the horse I had just seen.
"Yes sir." The stable boy ran off.
"Which one did you point to Mr. Elf?" Adamis asked.
"If you wish to call me Mister, then call me Mr. Dagel. To answer your question, I pointed to an okay looking horse, he looked strong enough and high enough for you to ride, Mr. Human." I smiled at the comment.
The stable boy came back with the owner, who was tall, six feet tall. He was also large in the belly, and he wore orange embroidered clothing. He was fifty years old and he was completely bold. His shiny head would have been too shiny to look at had a cloud not passed over the sun at that moment. He stared at us with green eyes. He first looked at me, he checked me out, then Cynwyd and then Adamis.
He spoke to Adamis, "I understand you are interested in Alabaster the horse. He is a fine steed. You have a good eye as far as horses go."
"It was my eyes who picked him." I said.
"I see, so you are the one interested in buying?"
"No, this boy was simply being the Malgoreal Vlacus he is."
"Malgoreal Vlacus?" The man asked.
"It is a name I gave him. It is Cloud Giant for," I mouthed the words, 'Blessed Idiot.' The man immediately understood and turned to the stable boy.
"Go get Alabaster please." He ordered the boy. A minute later the boy came out with a hand on the horse's reins. The horse was fourteen or fifteen hands high, it looked strong, it looked like it could run fast for a few hours at a time. It also looked like it could hold his weight. It was a chestnut colored horse. "Alabaster's price is 150 gold pieces."
I did a quick calculation; I estimated the amount Cynwyd would have and the amount Adamis would have and combined it with the amount I had- 52 gold pieces- and deemed that even if we were to combine all our money, we could not have enough to buy him even for 100 gold pieces. But 150 gold pieces for the horse was far too much. I had to correct him, "Sir, you are scamming us. That horse is 125 gold pieces."
"Well, good eye. So, are you going to buy it?"
"Oh no! I do not have the money."
"How much do you have?"
"Forty gold pieces," I lied.
The man lead Alabaster back into the stables and pulled out a donkey. It was a good donkey, it was obvious it had a strong kick.
Adamis looked displeased with the nine hand high donkey, but he asked, "Does it have a good kick?"
The bald man answered, "Yes. Bessie is a fine donkey. Good for carrying your supplies. She is forty gold pieces."
"I am not using up all my money for a donkey! Besides, I hardly know this boy. Why would I get him a donkey, let alone a horse." I crossed my arms and huffed.
Adamis checked his purse, which was obviously full of ten coins, what metals I knew not. He looked to Cynwyd and she said, "I don't have much either."
Adamis said, "Would you take four gold pieces for the donkey?"
The Bald Man laughed heartily, as if he had just heard a good joke. "A Paladin who cannot even afford a donkey? Do you really give that much to your god? How do you eat? How do you get a drink?" Then he said in a high pitched voice, mocking Adamis, " 'Please sir, could you please give me a donkey for 4 gold coins?'" He laughed again.
At that point I was tired of listening to this. I uncrossed my arms, tapped my staff hard on the stone street and said, "I'm going find a tavern to stay in."
Behind us I could hear the Paladin and the Bald man arguing. Cynwyd said, "Come on Adamis, we can find a horse somewhere else."
I turned around. My reasons were not to watch this argument unfold, but for something else. I looked for a large brown and grey house cat, unusually large, but not fat, just large. I looked to the stable and there was the cat. He was lying on a window sill, his sky blue eyes looking at me. I turned around and began walking away.
Behind me I heard Adamis agreeing with Cynwyd and they walked away, though faster than I so they could catch up to me. Once they caught up I looked behind me, and the cat was following thirty feet away. I turned my head back in front of me and smiled.
We kept walking for a while until we came to an intersection.
"Why did you say any of that! Besides, I need a horse of some kind!" Adamis yelled at me.
"I don't care." I said. "I do not buy people horses unless I have known them for a while or they are old friends."
"What friends do you have elf?" Adamis crossed his arms.
"The few I have are in Oxentor, Osilon, Taggerdy and the rest are spread out all across the world, although, I suspect many of them, aside from the elves, are now dead, or about to die. Tell me Paladin, why do you ask complete strangers to go on an adventure with you? Are you so desperate as to accept anyone who comes by you on that road?" I interrogated him.
"Well wizard, what is your business in this town?"
"My business is my business. I am going to the castle because it is my business to go to the castle. I'll be back by tomorrow afternoon most likely." I stood up, grabbed my staff, and walked out.
"You two just met as well, didn't you?" I heard Adamis ask Cynwyd.
"Yes, but from what he has told me, he has the right not to buy you anything if he doesn't want to. He has lived a hard life for one so young."
"How old is he?"
"I'd say 213, 214."
"He is incredibly old! And you call him young?"
"You really are a Malgoreal Vlacus. Ooh! I learned some Cloud Giant today!"
I was about to leave the tavern when I heard Adamis' chainmail armor clink behind me. He was following me.
I thought, He has the right to follow me. I am a suspicious individual. But seriously, as a paladin he should know that many scrolls about ancient times are in the castle library and the city library.
