I lay down sleepy, stroking my distended belly. My thoughts, as usual in such times, were coming one after the next, like a rope of different colored kerchiefs. The kind a magician pulls from his pocket one after the next with a big grin.
The most memorable moments of the day were flying past my eyes. Without a doubt, the most vivid was Frodi’s betrayal. Weirdly I didn’t feel particular hate or bitterness when I thought about him. It was more the opposite. I was happy that Frodi had shown his true colors. It would have been worse if I only learned it after spending some time with him. My friendly feelings for the rapscallion weren’t able to dig too deep.
Mom used to say everything that happens is for the best. I can’t say for sure if I agree with her overall but, in this particular case, her expression was on the money.
“Rick, you asleep?” Crum asked, muffled.
“Not yet,” I answered, weary.
“Let me ask you a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“How much do you owe master?”
“Aw, Crum, I can’t answer that question...”
“I got it. Don’t say. You gave an oath,” he easily guessed.
“How much do you owe?” I asked. “Or did you swear an oath too?”
“No,” the kid shook his head. “No oaths here. Or debt.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, not getting it.
“Just what I said. I’m a free man.”
I didn’t fully understand what I’d heard. But when it finally reached me, my sleepiness was snatched away in an instant. Getting up on an elbow, I stared at him in surprise.
“You’re just full of surprises tonight!”
Crum chuckled and gave a satisfied burp.
“Yeah, that’s the kinda guy I am. I like to surprise people.”
Seeing my state, he started to explain.
“Ten years ago, before I was ever born, my father and mother came here with a big caravan. My dad, like yours, was a miner. Like many others, he fell for one of Bardan’s tall tales. He was saying there’s a rich copper vein here. To be fair, there was a copper vein, but it wasn’t as rich as they said. Father made decent money the first year, even got a little house in the village. Mother did some farming. I was already on the way. In a nutshell, a happy family.”
Crum spent a bit of time in silence, staring at his trunk. I didn’t bother him, knowing firsthand what it was like to divulge such deep emotions.
“When I was two, my father ended up in a cave-in,” he continued quietly. “Passed just like yours. Mom was constantly sick after I was born, and she only outlived him by two years. After mother died, I was taken in by one of my dad’s friends named Grip. Some might say I got lucky to have any adult watching over me given I was only four. But I wouldn’t say so... In the end, Grip and his girlfriend only kept me for one month. That was enough time for them to sell my parents’ home and farm along with all their property. Then one fine morning they packed up and got the heck out of Dodge. And as I’m sure you already guessed, no one invited me along on that fine little trip...”
“Jeeze, how’d you survive?”
“Oh, Eric! That is a different and much longer story!” Crum said, smiling. “I’ll tell you later some time.”
Silence hung over the attic for a while. Crum was first to break it.
“What are you gonna do?” he asked.
“Sleep,” I answered shortly.
“Yeah, I figured that... But what about tomorrow?”
“I’ll figure something out...”
“I mean, you do realize now that those lowlifes aren’t gonna leave you alone now, right? Tomorrow morning, Livid is gonna stick a guy to you and he’ll shepherd you around all the way until dark. After that, everything you make is gonna go into the boss’s pocket.”
I pursed my lips in anger. Bastards! After all, I also have to make my quota. And pay back the debt. Plus I’ll need money for food, clothes and a place to live. I can’t count on Crum letting me stay here in the attic forever. Today sure. It was part of our deal, but tomorrow I’ll have to find a new corner.
“So why does Knud let him get away with it?” I asked.
“Why would he wanna fight convicts?” Crum answered. “Plus there are rumors that he and Livid have a secret arrangement for ‘sheep’ like you.”
“What do you mean ‘sheep?’“
“Don’t you get it?”
“Are you saying I’m a sheep to them?”
“No more and no less,” he nodded without a hint of a smile. “When your wool grows out, they’ll give you a shear. Knud gets his, Livid gets his.”
“What about Skorx?”
“Oh!” Crum exclaimed and raised a pointer finger. “He’s head honcho of this whole criminal enterprise. He gets a cut from everybody. Knud, Livid, the innkeeper, the baker... Everybody...”
Seeing a new question about to tear itself from my lips, he got out ahead:
“And don’t even ask about Bardan. It’s been working this way for decades. Believe you me, he’s no fool. He can’t be played so easily. He knows perfectly well what is happening in his domain.”
“Is he wetting his beak too?”
“Yep,” the kid nodded. “Just like our baron. And if you start unraveling the ball, it’ll lead all the way to the king himself... Basically, he’s top of the whole criminal heap. And that includes the priests, marshals, generals, ministers. There’s lots of them...”
I looked at Crum in surprise. Where would an eight year old boy get such ideas? As if guessing what I was thinking, he smiled and said:
“I heard all that from an old convict laborer. He died last year of consumption. But he used to work a high post in the capital. Then he was cast out to the mines for his sins, whatever they were.”
“Not surprised. Anyone who talks like that is liable to get exiled. And by the way, you should be more careful. The wrong person might hear what you’re saying.”
“Don’t worry,” Crum waved it off. “Everyone talks like that here. There’s nowhere to exile any of us to. This is the edge of the world. Hehe.”
“What about death?”
“Oh! Believe you me, Eric! The king does not benefit from his sheep dying. You only get executed when you stop growing wool. Hehe!”
I just shook my head. One of these days, he’d stick his neck out too far. All that said, talk like this cropped up fairly often in our kitchen back home. Especially when Dalia came to visit. The healer shared the latest news in the kingdom, then she and father and mother would discuss it for a long time. Knowing that I had a habit of listening in, father strictly forbid me from repeating even one word. And responsible son that I was, I kept my mouth shut tight.
“For example, let’s take me,” Crum continued. “I’ll be level five soon. I was unlucky when I was born. Random was not feeling generous and only gave me nine tablets. But it was like my mom could sense she was close to the end. So not wanting to leave me with no characteristics, she spent her last years trying to earn as many tablets and essences as possible to give to me.”
When he remembered his mother, the boy took a heavy sigh. I kept silent a bit and continued:
“In the last four years, I managed to level up twice. Honestly, I did have to sell most of the tablets and esses. There was nothing else to live on.”
“And why do you live here?”
“Where else can I go?”
“Orchus, for example.”
“Yeah sure. If a little urchin like me goes to Orchus, they’d put me into peonage faster than you can blink. Then I can kiss my freedom goodbye. But here I can say what I like. If I don’t go looking for a fight, nobody will touch me. And I’m making some cash on the sly, getting stronger. When I’m older, then we can see.”
“So where do you work? In the mine?”
“No,” Crum shook his head. “It’s too early for me to go there. The mine is level six.”
“Got it.”
“Yeah and I don’t want to be slaving away
for Bardan.”
“What do you mean? You’re free. It’s against the law to take esses and tablets from free people. If you do that, you get sent straight into peonage.”
“That’s true in theory, but there are a couple pratfalls. The second I sign a contract, Skorx will get me in debt.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you see, the mine here is a field day for levels six and seven. They get showered in essences and tablets. But starting at level eight, the only people who get bonuses are the ones who leveled their skills. Well, you already know...”
I just nodded in silence. My father was fifteen, but his mining skill was a few points above his overall level. Thanks to those high numbers, he was able to mine faster. And they gave him a chance of bonus drops.
“As for low level workers like me and you,” Crum continued. “Skorx has a little job I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. No-ope, you can count me out of that one.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my heart pounding.
Crum stared at me and a moment later a fire of understanding lit in his eyes.
“Bug tear them to shreds!” he exclaimed. “Bardan’s steward sent you here on Skorx’s request?!”
“Yes,” I answered in a near whisper.
I felt my throat parch.
“Crum, don’t make me wait... Explain what’s so bad...”
“Everything!” he spat out in a fury. “The Marked One is a beast from hell! He puts out an innocent request like, ‘we need quick workers with a small frame to scout out new ore veins.’ But in reality he’s looking for something else... You’re actually lucky he isn’t in the village yet. But he will be before long. Skorx is coming back in a week.”
“What is he looking for?”
“No one knows. And anyone who finds anything disappears without a trace. but I...”
Crum started talking, but then sharply fell silent. He looked at me. I saw mistrust in his eyes, which were so friendly before.
“Forget it, Rick,” he waved it off and turned his back to me. “It’s just stupid rumors spread by people with nothing better to do.”
My new friend is afraid. Doesn’t trust me. And rightly so. Who am I to him? He’s saying things you shouldn’t tell anyone. What if I accidentally let something slip tomorrow? That would be it...
“Listen, Crum,” after a bit of silence I started. “I understand why you’re afraid. We’ve known each other a bit more than one day and there’s no reason for you to risk your own hide for some poor fool. But understand me, too. For the last few days, the only thing anyone has done is scare me with talk about Skorx and his mine. And no one has given me any specific explanations. Just old man Burdoc, the kind soul, warned me to stay away from the northern tunnels. And I can see, Crum, that you know something but are afraid to say...”
“I’ve already said too much,” he cut me off.
“So let’s try something else...”
“Are you talking about an oath?” Crum asked, turning in my direction.
“Yes. I’ll swear to you that I won’t talk, and you tell me what you know. Shake on it?”
“No,” the kid shook his head.
“Why not?” I asked in surprise.
“What’s in it for me?” he asked matter-of-factly. “An oath is all well and good, but what do I get in return? The information I possess is actually very valuable. In fact, let me take it one further. I don’t think even Skorx suspects what he’s really looking for...”
What a big-mouth! I mean one day this will bite him in the ass. In the best case, he’ll get his tongue cut out. In the worst, it could be his head.
“Let me guess. You heard this from the same old man prisoner from before?”
His frightened face told me that my words had hit their mark. He started to realize what a trap he’d been caught in...
“Listen, Crum,” I decided to strike while the iron was hot. “I can see that you already know you’ve said too much. If I was a scumbag like Livid or Frodi, I already would have started blackmailing you without a hint of conscience.”
It felt bad to look at the kid. He was instantly looking peaky. His face pale. His lips quavering. Tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes. Like a little animal backed into a corner, he was all tensed up, clutching his knees with his hands.
“But I am not a scumbag, and not a traitor! I swear that I will never use what you said against you! And let the Great System bear witness!”
Crum must have received a system message and gave a slight shudder of surprise. Smiling, I watched his wide-open eyes run over some invisible text. After he finished reading, his eyes shot up at me in disbelief.
“But...” he started in a quavering voice. “Why? After all, you could have...”
“I could have,” I answered seriously. “But only if I was a real bastard.”
“So you aren’t asking for anything in return? My secret, for example?”
“No,” I answered. “I won’t ask. But I will make a different offer.”
“What?”
“A trade.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. We trade secrets. You tell me yours, I tell you mine. And naturally we seal our trade with an oath of secrecy.”
“And you’re sure that your secret is as important as mine?”
By the looks of things, Crum had snapped out of it. He has trading in his blood, no bones about it. Just the way his eyes lit up when it came time to negotiate.
“Absolutely,” I smiled. “Might even be more important.”
Crum looked at my knapsack despite himself. I had some of the leftover food in it. By my calculations, it would only be enough for the next day. I had another seventy-five copper in my pocket, which I wanted to spend on other things. I need stronger clothes and footwear. To match my situation.
A metal flask, fire-starter, pot, spoon... And another couple little things I never considered when leaving my family home. But in this state, I couldn’t think too clearly... Too much had fallen on my shoulders in the last few days...
Crum, looking at my bag, understood without a doubt that our previous agreement did not apply to this food or my money. In the morning, he would have no way to get breakfast.
And as for me, I understood that despite his age and poverty, Crum felt at home here. And I need his help.
“Listen, Crum. I have an idea.”
He tore his eyes from my bag and turned to me, intrigued:
“Oh yeah?”
“I say we go into business together.”
Crum chuckled.
“And what do you suggest we do? Catch fleas? Haha! Or work for Livid and his flunkies?”
He is clearly taunting me. Trying to throw me off balance. Might as well spill the beans. But he’s clearly intrigued. Hehe, nice move. Most importantly, he was smart beyond his years. Just the kind of partner I need.
“Nice try,” I smiled. “But I’ll only go into the details after we swear before the gods and trade our secrets. Then I will explain how we could maybe work together.”
The boy, shrugging his shoulders, laughed.
“Well you’re not quite as simple as I first thought.”
“Make up your mind, Crum,” I egged him on. “I promise you won’t regret it.”
The kid got to his feet. He paced a few circles around the little room and finally sat down on his trunk.
“I agree. But on one condition.”
“Tell me.”
“I won’t play any games that could get me killed.”
“Do I look like I wanna die?”
“No, I just wanted to warn you.”
“I hear you. Believe me, you won’t lose anything. If you don’t like my offer, you can say no and we can forget it. So, swear on it?”
“Yes.”
After almost an hour hammering out the details, we struck hands and the Great System confirmed the purity of our intentions.
“Well, what now?” I asked when I
finished reading the system message. “Who’s first?”
“I’ll go,” Crum answered. “So, as I said, Skorx is not looking for new ore veins.”
“Then what is he looking for?”
“That’s the beauty of the situation. Hehe. He doesn’t even know.”
Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains Page 9