054 – Go To Market, Buy An Outfit

They walked into the square with the flow of customers and merchants going about their daily business. A line of wagons stood off to the side, demarcating the road; behind and within the wagons was a small stock yard.  Booths lined the road side of the wagon line.

Steven briefly glanced around, both looking for damage and checking for familiar territory, as he looked at the upper stories of the structures, and above to the super structure of the city. Most all of the damage had been elsewhere or already cleaned up.

Abey approached a wagon and asked for the local group leader, then asked him where the cloth and leather workers and traders were. The group leader reported that that part of the caravan was down a level, closer to this district's warehouses.

Thus informed, Abey led the four into an alley, and to a stairwell that descended to the city level below, circling one of the support columns. As they descended it was apparent that this column marked the corner of a light well, and that the group they were looking for were in the square below them. Abey looked over the square as they descended, and headed out directly once on the ground.

Caspian did not bother to be impressed, being wrapped up in his own thoughts, and mostly just coming along to ‘hold the bag.’ His previous experience in shopping with Steven in the various villages and towns they had passed through had assured Caspian of the Caplan’s capability and adaptability. As for Abey, he felt that he had vaguely similar immediate background, and so had little about her to be impressed by.

Rox was mildly impressed at Abey’s ability to navigate so confidently for being so new to the city.

Steven had dealt enough with Abey to not be overly impressed with her being a quick study. As well he figured that she had probably come this way earlier, when she had not been in company at the palace.

Abby stepped up to a specific booth, with the company flag over it. “Mildred.”

A middle-aged woman who was helping a customer glanced when her name was called, she nodded in recognition then went back to her customer. As soon as the customer left, the plump mother of some came over to the group.

“Abey, welcome back; are you here to stay?”

Abey shook her head. “Not yet. But I am working on it. You remember Steven,” Abey gestured. “This is his Wife, Roxanne. She needs to be outfitted for the road.”

Mildred looked Roxanne over top to bottom, front to back, in her palace drape and chains. She went back to Rox’s feet, and started.

“Boots: tall or short, my lady?”

Rox paused, “Um, what’s the difference, so that I may answer correctly?”

Mildred looked at Abey, then at the others here; then hitching her own skirts up she placed her left heel on the nearby table. “These are short; a little past the ankle.”

She put her leg down and pointed at Abey. “Those are long, or medium if you prefer, below the knee. Very long would come above the knee.”

Rox nodded. “Medium. Below the knee, relatively close fitting on the legs.”

Mildred nodded. “Trousers or skirts?”

“Trousers. But I would not be adverse to a skirt or two.”

“Waist coat? Apron? Something else?” Mildred gestured to her own apron with its assorted pockets and pouches, and toward Caspian’s vest, and Abey’s belt with its pouches.

“A belt with pouches, maybe a kind of shorter apron, or a longer one matched to a skirt.”

“Sleeves?”

“Varying with environment. I usually wear short sleeves, but detachable long ones might also work.”

Mildred had been mentally forming a list and picture in her mind as she went, and was pleased to find that Rox appeared to have a very flexible mindset, while still knowing what limitations she wanted to impose, fashion not being one of them.

“Weapons?” Mildred motioned briefly to her own knife in her apron, and Abey’s at her belt.

Roxanne had given this thought over the weeks, and checked her skills against the available things. She had visited the Palace Guard training grounds, and tried the spears and staves. She found the bows were almost uncomfortably small, simply due to the stature difference between herself and the average person.

“A bow and arrows, if I can find one that fits; a walking stick, or stave; a knife or two for defense and domestic use. Maybe a pair of smaller clubs, or sticks.”

Mildred took this all in, and let it work itself though, as she continued to appraise Rox’s physicality. “I can comprehend your problems. You can get boots and gloves, and even belts easily enough, being careful to instruct that they be long enough. Covering your limbs is the challenge. Come with me. Abey: you stay here, Holly will run the booth, and you will help her.”

Holly, a younger, slimmer version of Mildred had been aside keeping busy. She now stood to and took Mildred’s place at the table, as Mildred stepped out, taking Rox in hand.

Caspian took the moment to wander away as the Caplan’s were ushered to another stall. Here Mildred helped them select two overlarge tunics, one skirt and a pair of trousers. The man and woman running this booth then had Rox put these on in succession, and with chalk and pinned gathers sized the garments. The trousers and skirt were obviously too short in height, and too generous around. As these were fitted, notations were chalked on for how much more material in what direction to use. The tunics were both generous around and marked for Rox's size accordingly. One had sleeves deliberately overlong, the other deliberately short. The one with long sleeves was marked for Rox's wrists,  the other for how to attach to her shoulder and for a round neck.

Following Mildred’s advice, Steven and Rox went to a local canvas merchant and had a rucksack and water bag put together. This same merchant was able to quickly put a hooded cloak with a few pockets on the inside with matching lighter cape, and a bedroll together. The water bag and bedroll hung to Rox’s left side, if not secured elsewhere. The pieces would not be finished this day, so she would have to come back for them the next afternoon.

Coupled with Mildred’s advice the merchant sent them to a local leather worker; he was able to skillfully measure Roxanne’s feet, hands, and waist for boots, gloves, and a belt respectively. Upon learning of her weapon preference he was able to quickly design a set of Archers Bracers to protect her wrists and fingers, and work with the gloves. He added his recommendations for an Arrow Maker who made quality arrows, and recommended a man who could make a good bow quickly. Once they had the weapons, they were to return and he could put a quiver together and attach any other equipment they wanted.

The bow carver started by seeing if there was anything already made that might be cut down, to save time. He quickly found a recurved war-bow in his inventory that was initially consigned for The King’s Archers. This was tall enough, and recurved; it was large enough for Rox’s stature. With the bow and four strings paid for, they went back to the Arrow Maker, who had to dig around for blank stock long enough. Shortly he had enough for two dozen shafts. Taking an arrow that was completed, The Caplan’s went back to the leather merchant.

They gave him the completed arrow, and Rox reported on her preference for a hip quiver. Leaving him to his work, they went back to the various knife sellers and looked these over. Caspian, Cyrril on his shoulder, joined them at one of the sellers. They soon found a good belt knife that would do duty as a combat and utility knife, and a smaller domestic knife.

The leather merchant attached the larger knife to the belt, in front of her left hip. The smaller one was put in an underhand wrist sheath on her right bracer, so as not to interfere with her archery. The quiver was hung by a shoulder strap across her torso, and secured with a belt loop to her belt on her right side. The finished belt and quiver would be available the next morning. The gloves and bracers by the afternoon. The boots would take another day, mainly in getting the hard leather to shape, and the wool liners in.

This afternoon done, they picked up Abey. She was caring for her mule, Miri. As they talked about the day’s doings, Abey led the conversation to other camp equipment and how to carry it. By the time the conversation was done, Abey had all but convinced the Caplan’s to get a mule, a tent and some cast-iron cookware. What Abey did not realize until later was that Steven did not need convincing, that had already been done by her example over the prior weeks. Roxanne simply needed to be convinced to spend the money and that these could be used and worth the investment of time and treasure. That Steven had always been the animal person in the family was beside the point.

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 49

It is inexpressible the joy of having Roxanne back at my side.

The plan now is to head to the coast, then south by boat. Right now, we are getting shopping done.

Looking back through this, I have so many full pages that I need to get a new notebook to write in.

The next day they went back to the Wolves. Holly took them in tow, and between her and Abey they got two mules. Holly mentioned a relationship to the Mountain Wolves, and the merchant gave them a mild reduction in price, essentially cutting his profits by two thirds. Then they went to one of the local outfitters who also displayed a Mountain Wolves pennant over his establishment. Here the girls got the Caplan’s equipped, for essentially wholesale prices.

The mules had their tack already; halters and leads, pack saddles, and feed bags. To this was added a tent, with space to attach the Caplan’s bedrolls; a smaller single occupant tent was attached for balance and in case Caspian decided he wanted to use it. Several cooking tools were added, all approved by Rox as they were purchased; a fry pan, a pot, a dutch oven, all of which nested together; a cooking/serving spoon, a comparable fork, two good sized cooking knives, some metal bowls for eating or meal prep, and a spit and frame that could also hang the pot or dutch oven. Some other things were suggested, but were down checked by Rox or Steven. Most of this was secured to the first mule.

Holly and Abey quickly got more shopping done in the nearby market. Again, this section of the city catered to travelers, instead of locals, so things were packaged differently. Rox and Steven bought food that they would eat, and in portions and forms that Abey and Holly recommended. They finished with a sack of flour, several days worth of vegetables, dried meat and other portable food stuffs. Water sacks, some cooking oil, some spices, and even some eggs.

On a final market stop, Rox purchased a handful of domestic things; some towels, soap, some cord, and the first of her clothes. Of the two tunics, one was ready, the other still being used as a pattern to adjust a third. The skirt and trousers were in pieces, and being used as patterns for new ones. The trousers were being made from a soft canvas; the skirt from a thick linen, the same as the third tunic. The leather merchant just had the boots to finish. The Arrow Maker had several of the arrows done and the bow ready.

That afternoon Steven made a loaf of dutch oven bread to demonstrate he knew how to do so. Abey approved it, after critiquing the loaf. They spent the rest of the time with Rox chatting with a committee of the women from the Wolves about food on the road. Steven returned to the Palace, retrieved his crossbow and went to the practice field with it. Rox soon showed up with her bow and the half dozen arrows for it, and joined the practice.

As she practiced with the new bow and compared it to the others being practiced with by the Guards, Rox quickly realized that her bow was essentially one of the war-bows of the army, for use in cross-battlefield archery. This led her to wonder that the arrow maker needed to make new ones, as opposed to just raiding the army’s extras. Asking about this later, she learned that the army’s stores were kept elsewhere, and that the Palace Guard was not privy to it. So at this moment it was just as well she get new ones, these would be less likely to be aged out of usefulness anyway, and marked with her own fletchings.

055 – Things Start Moving Again

Two more days was the Sabbath. Steven was a bit uptight over not being able to get the shopping finished, but the majority of the city went to worship. Rox had attended worship as part of her activities in the palace. This day, she took Steven with.

Steven was not overly impressed with the services, having rejected most religious organizations in his youth. But he did enjoy the message; giving credit to the speaker’s enthusiasm for the subject matter.

Rox had been quietly amused at the service's simplicity over the several weeks of attending. Some of the messages were interesting, but Rox enjoyed the socializing after the initial meeting of the services more than the sermonizing.

For his part, Caspian was relieved to attend a worship service. It was not his specific denomination, but he was not as concerned about that as just taking time to acknowledge and honor God. He and Steven had blazed their way across the country to get to here, not stopping for worship. That was a break from his normal pattern. So he drank in the worship as a thirsty man finding a bubbling spring.

The next morning Steven went out with Abey and picked up all the remaining equipment. Roxanne had been able to get the Sorceress to give a final magic lesson, with Caspian in quiet attendance observing what and how Rox understood. At the end of this, Roxanne removed and handed the Sorceress the gold chains she had been wearing up to that point.

For her part once done with the shipping, Abey moved out of the Palace Guest Quarters, and into a berth with the Mountain Wolves. Steven went to see her after dinner, upon noticing that she was not accounted for in what he had come to think of as the Palace Cafeteria.

Abey was tending to Miri, who had been previously moved out of the Palace Stables into a Wolves paddock, when Steven approached.

“There you are.” Steven spoke to announce himself as the people here were attentive to their own business.

Abey forked some fodder into the feeder of the pen and then turned to Steven, leaning on the handle of the fork. “Here I am.”

“The Palace Steward said you had come here.”

“You come here looking for payment?”

Steven looked around, noting that four of the six Wolves wagons here were from the front of the train as it had rolled the few days he had been with it. This meant that the Wagon Master was nearby.

“No, not really. More just a formal goodbye.”

“And if I gave you payment?” Abey felt bound to the custom, even if Steven did not.

“Well, your time and expertise have been very helpful, both on the road, and here, equipping my wife. The Wolves have been very generous; as a merchant on my own world, I understand what profits mean. Seeing you go safely with them, that they are willing to take you in and let you make a life with them, that is payment enough. But if you insist on payment, you recall that I am letting you set the price, since I do not really know what that would be by your custom.” Steven shifted on his feet, almost leaning on the rope that defined the paddock, before seeing it would not support his weight.

Abey nodded. “My price. All right. Now?”

Steven looked around. “How soon do you leave?”

“We have been here most of two weeks. They are loading the outbound freight now, and will acquire a bit more for the next leg over the next day. Probably the day after tomorrow, I think.” Abey turned to take the fork back.

Steven followed. “I recall that they will be going north east, along the lake shore, and up the river valley to the north of the Jemed Highlands, and Gulco Mountains.”

“Yes.” Abey already knew this. It was close to where she came from, but not very. “The Duchies in that direction are profitable in the fall. Then we head south to the Wintering Ground for the animals of this train. Also we will meet with the Black Wolf Company and trade up in training the militia and army of that kingdom.”

They walked past the freight wagon loaded with fodder for the animals in the pen. Abey left the pitchfork by the rear wheel, and walked on behind the wagons, into the camp area of the square. This area was off-limits to locals while a wagon train was parked here. Steven was let through by virtue of being in company of Abey. Steven noticed that all the members of the company, even the children, wore a wooden disk on a sleeve or around the neck. The disk had the company seal/insignia on it.

Abey led Steven along between several tents, into a common area between tents with tables and benches laid out. Looking around Steven realized that all the tents enclosed this area. On one side was the cook line and dish washing line. On the opposite side sat a handful of people working on ledgers, and counting money. Abey walked to these people. The Wagon Master’s Wife was working a master ledger, recording the totals reported from the individuals, and taking bags of money.

“Master Lisel, Do you have a moment?” Abey asked as she stood before the woman writing in her ledger.

The woman finished her sums mumbling to herself, put her pen aside, blotted the fresh ink with a blotter, and then closed the book on a marker. She looked up at Abey, then at Steven.

“Abey. What can we do for you?” Lisel, the Wagon Master’s Wife, and Master of the Books, clasped her hands on the book and waited.

Abey had been taking lessons of some kind somewhere, Steven noted. She stood up straight, almost to attention. “It is time I clear my obligations to Steven. Then I can join you with free conscience.”

“I see. And how much does he ask?” Lisel replied.

Steven almost answered, as Abey paused. Then she spoke.

“He is allowing me to set the price, beyond my labor in the time spent with him. That price shall be Two Thousand.” Abey said this as though a bit rehearsed.

Steven had seen how much Rox had saved from her time here. It was a bit more than two thousand, but not a lot more. This was effectively six weeks to two months wages, depending on the pay scale. He wondered how Abey might have been able to squirrel that much away. Because Caspian had held the bag, and only given Steven as much as was needed at the time, Steven had not kept track of how much he had earned, traded for, or spent. In equipping Rox, they had spent nearing two thirds of her savings.

The Wagon Master approached from Steven’s left, apparently having heard Abey. He spoke as he approached and stood to Abey’s left. “That much. You want us to forward this to you? I know you don’t have that directly in savings.”

Abey turned to look at him. Steven realized again how much bigger he was than the average, as he towered head and shoulders over Abey, and a head taller than the Wagon Master. He suddenly felt like he was looming; or maybe just shielding this conversation from the rest of the tent.

“I wish it, Wagon Master. I have decided to commit myself to the Mountain Wolf Company, this will secure the commitment. I realize that I have less than that as rightfully my own, but in selling to the company as much of my property as I can, I can make up part of that difference. The rest can be taken from my wages for the remainder of the season.”

Abey looked slightly imploring. The Wagon Master looked at his wife. She shrugged and inclined her head. He looked back past Abey and up to Steven.

“Is that good enough for you?”

Steven hesitated briefly, but only for the show of the transaction. “Yes. It is good. I have no quibble with it.”

Steven made sure there was a bench behind him, and sat down on it.

The Wagon Master turned back to his Wife. “Give her the money and a receipt, and log it. Abey, get a receipt from Steven, acknowledging your freedom. Then you can join us fully and formally.”

The money and receipts were passed around. Steven could not read the writing, but signed where he was bidden to. Then Steven was shown aside to a table where Abey and Lisel counted two thousand silver coins into a medium sized bag. Steven had learned in the last several days of shopping that as gold was comparatively scarce, silver was the preferred coin and less likely to draw attention.

Once the bag was in Steven’s hands the Wagon Master stood Abey up and swore her into the company. A few looked briefly scandalized at this being done before Steven, but let it go. Abey was then given a wood disk of her own to wear.

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 53

Abey is on her way. God’s blessings go with her.

Now it is time for us to get on our way. Diana and Alex are waiting for us.

They were packing to leave. Roxanne was going to keep two of her more modest drapes that she had worn around the palace. All the clothes were picked up, as were the leather things, weapons, and other things. Roxanne dressed in her linen shirt and trousers, her belt with its pouches and things around her waist, her trousers tucked into her boot tops. Her gloves and bracers were tucked into her belt. They had everything else laid out on the bed and table, and Steven decided that it was finally time. He pulled the loop that he had Roxanne’s wedding rings on out of his coin purse, and dropped them on one of Roxanne’s piles.

Roxanne went right over them and then pounced back on them in mounting excitement.

“Are these?” Rox was almost hyperventilating, the rings clenched within her hand.

Steven smiled widely. “Yes, they are.”

“How?”

“Well, we crossed paths with the man that was evidently the one who bought and sold you. He had not yet been able to sell these. So we bought them.”

“Why did you wait to give them back?”

“I needed the right moment. Don’t put them on or you are sure to have them stolen.”

Roxanne took one of her necklaces that Steven had brought with. “How about this?”

“So long as I don’t have to kill anybody to get them back.”

They quickly had the rings woven into the necklace.

They finally finished packing, and Steven took the bags and things down to the stables where their mules were, to pack them. Roxanne looked around the room that had been her home for the last months. She wanted to get after her children, but was not quite content to leave. She had not been able to find a good pair of hardwood sticks. So she figured she would find some along the way. They were going to pass through a hardwood forest, so she figured she could find a good pair of limbs to make into sticks. Then the Sorceress surprised her.

“Roxanne.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

The Sorceress walked in to the bedroom, and handed Rox the gold chains, with their leather bands, and belt. “Keep the chains. Wear them.”

“Why? They are slave chains. I’m no longer a slave.”

“After I ran those magic probes on you, I decided to give you this specific set. They were once mine, so I had to have them lengthened. But as you noticed at one point, they are different than any other set in the palace and city. The gems in these new bands act as amplifiers for magic, the chains as conductors. Wear these, and your innate latent magic capacity will be increased. They will not put you at the same level as me, or The Mage. But it will make you more formidable. And I dare say the elves may do a bit more to these.”

“So they have a practical use. Why didn’t you address this before?” Roxanne stood straight, looking down to the Sorceress.

“You weren’t ready. My focus was to teach you the baby steps. You know those now. The Mage can teach you the next steps, and how to draw upon these tools.”

Roxanne, took the wad of gold chains, and set them aside.

“Also, take this.” She handed Roxanne the short staff. “I don’t use it enough. But I think you will.”

“You’ve given me so much already.”

“Don’t say no. It’s your preferred weapon. And it will be very useful in your magic.”

Roxanne took the proffered staff. “Thank you.”

Roxanne stepped forward, and the women embraced. The Sorceress was a bit uncomfortable, but relaxed quickly. They separated, and Roxanne turned to finish packing. The Sorceress turned and left, catching Linell at the door, and leading her away, talking to her about getting the chores done.