Snow
Chapter 6
They put as much distance as they could between themselves and the Orcs. It was dark when they set up the tent, which was all right with them. They didn't have much to say to each other, save for eating dinner that was a bar of trail rations and drinking. They slept in each other's arms. It was their favorite thing to do, to sleep like that. It felt safe and comfortable.
Come morning, they went outside to do their business, and that was it.
They came across a trail that went south and one that went southeast. "Fireshear is a coastal city, so I'm guessing we go south," Rick told her. Kate shrugged; she thought it was as good a way as any, so she began walking in that direction.
When it was close to nightfall, they stopped to set up the tent and ate, drank, and slept.
The following morning they came across the town of Fireshear, which turned out to be a walled city sitting on a large island. There was a single bridge to reach it, and the gate was closed and guarded day and night by soldiers in uniform who carried weapons.
They paid one silver piece per person to get in. They even had to pay a silver for Bear before they would let him in. Once inside, they found the city was colder than they thought it would be. All the buildings were single-level and made of stone. Kate thought they all looked like igloos because they were round at the top.
The city sat above cliffs carved with ramps that allowed access to a shallow bay. The people that lived there were mostly Dwarves. Kate found that being surrounded by Dwarves was very interesting. They were short and stocky, and every one of them had long beards, even the women.
They found a restaurant to visit. It was called The Green Garden. "FOOD!" Kate was in love already. Bear stayed outside and didn't move while Rick and Kate went inside.
They quickly learned that the meal consisted of the catch of the day as well as potatoes and greens. But it was a small amount of greens. Mostly it was fish and potatoes.
They finished their meal and went back outside to join Bear. They walked about the city and noticed that the residents kept their eyes on them. There was one other thing about this city. There were a lot of banks everywhere.
That gave Rick an idea, so he took them to the docks. Once there, he found someone willing to purchase some of his Mithral, amounting to one hundred thousand in gold.
He was beginning to have a problem: the gold took up more space than the Mithral ore did. He had no choice except to use Kate's Bag of Holding to hold it all.
They went outside the city to set up their tent and spend the night. Come morning, they went into the city again and paid another silver piece for each of them. They returned to The Green Garden to have breakfast.
"FOOD!" Kate loved it so very much. It was much better than trail rations, though they bought some of that as well.
They found a place filled with little shops that all had handmade items. Kate borrowed a bit of money from Rick and purchased a necklace, earrings, and a ring. They were all made of silver from the mine.
Kate was happy; she finally had something that was hers and hers alone. "Thank you." Kate kissed Rick and fingered her necklace. Rick was beaming, pleased that he had made her happy.
But it was time to leave, so back outside the city they went. They went north to the fork in the road that took them southeast.
It was two days to the fork in the road and another six days to Luskan.
It turned out that Luskan was an immense walled city divided by bridges in the north and south sections. Residences and shops were a large part of the southern section, while the northern part was merchants and predominantly docks on the seaward side.
They had to pay a copper piece per person, including Bear, that they gave the once-over. They didn't trust that he wasn't hiding something in all that fur. Since he wasn't, he was permitted to enter so long as Rick understood he was responsible for him.
They were in the northern end, where Rick found a merchant willing to purchase some of his Mithral for one hundred thousand gold. He had no choice but to buy another Bag of Holding to hold all the gold.
They also found a magical merchant willing to sell a few things. So Rick bought ten +1 arrows and two arrows for slaying Trolls. And he purchased a Ring of Protection +3 for Kate. Rick slipped it on the ring finger of her right hand. "It works like armor save that it is magical. I have a +5 ring and Bracers of Defense +5 for protection. It frees me from having to wear any armor."
"Thanks." Kate kissed him for thinking of her safety.
They ate dinner at a restaurant and had real FOOD for a change. It beat having to eat trail rations, hands down.
They went outside the city a ways to set up their tent. It was good that they did since Rick having Mithral had attracted the attention of the local Thieves Guild.
It was also a warmer city. They no longer needed to wear their Rings of Warmth, but they did anyway.
"I noticed that there are mostly humans in the city," Kate commented. "I wonder why that is? Where are the Dwarves?"
"Or Elves, half-Elves, half-Orcs, Gnomes, and Halflings," Rick added.
"There are elves, real elves? With pointy ears and everything?" Kate hadn't seen one of them before.
Rick chuckled softly. "Yes, real Elves, pointy ears and all."
"Are there a lot of them?" Kate asked.
"Apparently, not in this city, but if we make it as far as Neverwinter or Waterdeep, then yes, you will see a lot of Elves," Rick confirmed.
"We're going to Neverwinter, right? Please?" She wanted to see a large city and really wanted to see Elves.
"Neverwinter is next in line for us to visit. It'll take us over ten days, perhaps as many as fourteen, to reach it. If we continue to walk it," Rick said.
"You mean riding horses." Kate made a face. "I'm not sure my butt can withstand riding that long, but I'm willing to try. I can always get off and walk my horse.
"Won't we need to carry feed for the horses? I know they eat grass, but they'll need more than that," Kate said.
"All true, but we can purchase a magic feeding bag. As for water, the horses will need that too, and we can share ours. We might need another waterskin," Rick mentioned.
Kate gave up and caved. "Fine, I'll give it a try." If it worked out, it would definitely speed things up.
~oo0oo~
Kate found out she needed more than just a horse. She needed a blanket, saddle, and tack. She walked her horse which she learned was a Paint Horse. It was mostly brown with a large spot of white filled with brown spots. Rick's horse was all black save for the tip of the tail, which was white.
Then along with Bear, they walked their horses down to purchase a magic feed bag.
Together they walked their horses through the gate and outside. Kate tried to put her foot in the stirrup and raise herself high enough to mount her horse. "Give me a hand, please." She couldn't do it alone.
"All right, now that you're up, I want to see you walk your horse around." Rick watched her closely. "Release the reins a little. More relaxed," he told her. "Better." He mounted his horse in one go.
"Show off," Kate grumbled.
"So, the trick is to ride with your legs and feet. Stand up in the saddle," Rick told her. "It will place less strain on your thighs and your butt."
"Got it," Kate said, getting her horse to walk next to Rick's.
~oo0oo~
Kate wasn't having any trouble at all. "This isn't so bad."
"We're walking them. Just wait until we get up to a gallop. And it's only the first day," Rick reminded her.
"You could have kept that to yourself." Kate really wasn't looking forward to that. Let alone running the horse.
~oo0oo~
On their first day, they ran across a pair of humans on horseback who were going in the opposite direction. They gave Rick and Kate a wide berth, thanks to Bear being close.
"Way to go, Bear!" Kate was happy to have him.
Then later in the day, they ran across three humans on horses going in the opposite direction. They, too, gave them a wide berth thanks to Bear.
They were walking their horses when they decided to stop. They hobbled them and let them graze while they set up the tent, which promptly blended into the landscape.
Bear was close by, guarding the tent and the horses. They ate trail rations, wishing it was fresh fish. Then they slept in each other's arms. Kate thought she could get used to this.
They delayed their departure that morning while Rick gave one of their horses oats in a feed bag, and then, the pair needed water. The other horse would have the oat-filled feed bag tomorrow morning.
"Give me a hand?" Kate asked Rick since she still couldn't get on her horse. She sighed, watching Rick mount his horse with ease.
If bad guys were looking for an easy mark, they didn't dare mess with them, thanks to Bear being close.
They ran across a large caravan going the other way, and they sat off to one side and let them go through. The caravan's guards watched them closely, but no one said anything.
"What do you think they were carrying?" Kate asked Rick after they passed by.
"Probably a multitude of things. I'm thinking fresh fruit, some meats, weapons, and armor. Did you see the way the mules had bowed backs? They were carrying weapons and armor," Rick said.
"And that's legal?" Kate didn't see how it could be.
Rick gave a nod. "Yes."
Kate looked at him, not knowing what to think. She did trust him though. So, if he said it was, then it must be true. But it still felt wrong to her.
~oo0oo~
They saw more people on this trip than they did on any other. But Kate had a problem. "My thighs feel like they've been rubbed raw." She spread her legs to show him.
She watched Rick reach into his backpack and pluck out a small jar. He opened it and smeared it on her thighs. It felt cool to the touch. She was able to relax since it didn't hurt as much. "You did this for me?"
"You said you'd never before ridden a horse, so I planned ahead. It's not magic, just a simple salve, but it should help." Rick finished and looked at his work, wishing he could eat her pussy, but she still had her woman's time.
"Thanks." Kate kissed him, wishing her period was over.
~oo0oo~
They camped just outside Neverwinter. It would only take them a couple of hours to reach it. Kate had just one thing to say to Rick.
"Make love to me." Her time with her period was over, and she so wanted him to make love to her.
~oo0oo~
It cost them a copper piece per person to gain entrance. Rick had to explain that Bear was him Companion. That seemed enough to get him inside the city.
"Wow, this place is big really big." Kate was amazed. "Not as big as New York City, but big."
They found a livery stable first thing. It cost them three silver for both horses. Extra if they wanted them washed and brushed. Rick chose the extra.
Kate looked around. "Now what? This is an enormous city."
Rick chuckled. "That's easy enough, we ask someone."
They were told to head for the castle, go around it, and through the Hall of Justice. Then they had to find the Tarmalune Trading House.
Rick thanked him and headed that way.
"Wow, now that's a castle if ever I saw one." Kate was impressed. Its height was far beyond the four or five floors Rick told her about.
"As I said, only a castle or a palace is anywhere near as tall as your New York City," Rick told her.
There was a river that ran through the center of the city. They took a bridge across it to reach the Hall of Justice. "Now we just need to find this Tarmalune Trading House."
~oo0oo~
They located the Tarmalune Trading House and a man there was willing to purchase most of Rick's Mithral, amounting to five hundred thousand of it. That left Rick with two hundred thousand yet to go.
It also meant he needed to purchase two additional Bags of Holding to hold all the gold.
Kate looked up at him. "What do we do now?"
"I have just two hundred thousand in Mithral left. So now we talk. We'll have to find an inn somewhere and get a room."
Moonstone Mask was the inn of choice. At six gold pieces, it was a great place. It even had room for Bear, and after finding out he was Rick's Companion, he was allowed to stay.
The room had two beds, a desk, and a table with two chairs, and the door actually locked.
With Bear sitting by the door, they sat down at the table. Rick looked over at Kate. "Now what?"
"I think that's my question, but all right. I… I think I'm falling in love with you." That was as far as Kate got before he began kissing her.
"I'm falling in love with you too," Rick admitted. Kate relaxed a little. Sorenson had been the last person she had said that to, and he had run out on her.
"There's something you should know. I dated a man once, and told him I loved him. His answer was to take a job outside New York City...without telling me. Then he asked me to come with him. To quit my job and follow him. I didn't, of course. We dated for six months, and he left me, he left me!" Kate told herself she wouldn't cry over it, and there she was, crying.
Rick got up, gently wiped her tears away, and put his arms around her. "But that's not what I'm going to do, Kate. I couldn't.
"Look, I'm giving you a chance to tell me what you want. Here, now, in this Realm. I want to know what you want to do. I have eight hundred thousand in gold, and that's an incredible amount. If anyone knew how much I had, I would be attacked, with or without Bear."
"I don't know what I want, I really don't. Maybe let me sleep on it?" Kate asked, then hiccuped from crying.
"I can do that. But let me tell you what I'm thinking. With eight hundred thousand in gold and another two hundred thousand in Mithral, I'm considering retiring from being a Ranger. I know I told you 29 was old for a Ranger, and it is.
"I was thinking of using that gold to build a place. Either in Lonelywood, Bryn Shander, or maybe Easthaven. It's cold, and Bear likes the cold, don't you pal?" As Rick was saying that, he got a roar out of Bear.
"See, what did I tell you? Now, what I'm thinking is this. It's an inn with a restaurant, with an apartment on the floor above. I sell food and rent rooms, or maybe just an inn where I rent rooms. I haven't figured that out just yet.
"If it's in Bryn Shander, it would be high-end. Like really nice. In Lonelywood, it would need to be for the average person. If it's in Easthaven, then I'm back to thinking it would be nice. Meaning I charge more.
"Does any of this sound good to you? I know it means settling down. I don't know if the action has gotten to you. If you're interested in that."
Kate sighed. "I don't know. I'm sorry, but I don't. I need to sleep on it."
"All right. But, just so you know, I want you there." Rick got back up and kissed her.
"Ten Towns is the place for me," Rick declared. "It's cold all year round and it's good for Bear. Granted, if I have a restaurant, I'll have logistics issues. Where do I get the food? Where do I get the ale? But how hard can it be if it's only an inn and I just rent rooms?"
Rick tried to think this through. "Who do I hire to help me? It'll have to be someone local. Some kid, no doubt."
"Can you think of something? Something different, maybe."
Kate sighed and tried to think. "Open a bank, perhaps. Open a store that sells something no one else has. Of course, that takes you back to the logistics issue. Except for the bank. Can you do both? An inn and a bank?"
"That's a thought. Now I have something to sleep on." Rick smiled at her and got her to smile back.
~oo0oo~
Kate didn't feel right making love to Rick with Bear in the room. It felt like someone was watching her and judging her. So she just curled up next to Rick and went to sleep.
Come morning, she hadn't yet decided on anything and wondered what else was she going to do. Where else was she going to go?
"You'll need to make sure the bank is secure. Like really secure, or you risk being robbed. Maybe hire a guard during the day," Kate suggested. "As for the inn, take a look at this one. Is it something you want to duplicate?"
Rick shrugged. "We can look around. Maybe there's a better one somewhere. Maybe."
"Then let's look," Kate said, taking his hand. "Perhaps look at a bank too."