Despite Caleb’s rough exterior, the fact that he had a family like this suggested that he was a good, caring father.
“There’s a war in the Amazon for control of the south. We didn’t start it, but we have to finish it. The ancients engineered creatures to work for them. At least one of the original Lizard Men is still around, at least one anyway, and he’s giving the orders, making them fight, telling them to kill humans. They tried to kill us, but we had the companions to help and protect us. Aadi, here, is some kind of legend to them. He’s helped us out of quite a few scrapes with the hostile Lizard Men.” Aadi bowed his head slightly and blinked slowly.
“To help us fight this war, we need to strengthen trade with Dwyer and McCullough. We have a couple hundred refugees and they need to eat. Anything you could supply would be greatly appreciated. If you had a few warriors, that would be a great help, too,” Braden said.
“If we spare the men, we won’t be able to catch extra fish. No, we have no one to spare, but this year’s harvest is more than we need and we’ll keep fishing. You can never have too much. We’ve traded with some of the people from the hills, but we never know how that will go. So, how does free trade work?”
Braden brightened and went into a long explanation, including the history of the Caravan Guild including the establishment of the Free Traders. Micah’s eyes glazed over. Had they only arrived that morning? She didn’t realize how tired she was and yawned. Braden saw her and smiled. He wrapped up his lecture and wished Mattie and Caleb a good evening. They went outside where their companions were relaxing in the open air. Mattie had offered a bed within the hut, but the twins wanted to sleep wherever the Rabbits were. They threw out their blankets beneath a tree behind the chief’s hut, and they all settled in for the evening.
Braden heard a crash from within the hut and more thumping as if furniture was being thrown around.
“Are they fighting again?” he asked.
“Oh no, that is something completely different. Just cover your ears and go to sleep,” she said and nestled into his shoulder with a big smile on her face.
It was easier to sleep when one’s mind was at peace. Both Braden and Micah slept well that night.
Next Stop, Cornwall
The agreement to provide dried fish in a quantity to fill the wagon was made. Deer hides and woven material would be greatly appreciated. And if they could swing new metal tridents, then those alone would be worth a wagon load of fish.
Braden said that they would try to return in one cycle of the moon with what Caleb asked for. In the meantime, they had to go south to Cornwall and have the same conversation with them. “They aren’t friendly like us,” Caleb quipped.
“I think we may have to strong-arm them a bit, but we’re not afraid to use as much force as necessary, even if it breaks an arm or two,” Braden stated conspiratorially. He shook hands with Micah’s father as they climbed into the wagon. Brandt leaned forward to tighten the harness and pulled away from the ocean toward the hills where the terrain was better for the wagon’s wheels.
This was one of the new wagons rolling with Holly’s hubs on the axle. It turned as smoothly as they could hope, but it did nothing to soften the ride over rough ground. Skirill and Zyena scouted a route ahead and soon, they turned south. Less than a turn away stood Micah’s nemesis, but she felt no fear, no trepidation. They had a mission to set up trade. If the village chief didn’t like it, then too bad. If they stayed off the trade route, that would be their loss.
Braden had given Caleb half their small stock of the Amazonian rope, saving the other half to show Cornwall what was out there. Caleb said he’d seen nothing finer and would put it to the test when they sailed that day.
The rope was the only item they had for trade, unless they were able to kill a deer on the way. Venison helped people be more open to conversation.
The Wolfoids ran into the hills, scouring them for any sign of wildlife. Besides ground squirrels and wild rabbits, they saw and sniffed nothing else. There would be no deer. In the late afternoon, they topped a small hill to see Cornwall before them. They intended to wait, but their sudden appearance was seen and people started running around. The boats were stowed on the beach, so all the men were there. This wasn’t what Braden wanted.
Braden was hoping to make a more subtle entrance. “Well, I guess we go in now, huh?” he said. Zyena was closest of the two Hawkoids and flew over the village, giving them a view of men with weapons getting into position.
“Maybe we’ll have to fight our way in,” Micah said in a dangerous tone, her hand on her sword. Patrice and Delavigne held the children in the back of the wagon while Braden and Micah rode the horses.
“I didn’t see any blasters or bows, only spears. We’ll unhook Brandt, close the distance, and see if they’ll be willing to talk,” Braden told them as he climbed off Max to help Brandt out of his harness.
Once ready, he returned to the saddle, made sure the rope was held tightly in Aadi’s beak-like mouth, and they headed downhill. G-War and the Wolfoids walked to the sides. They stopped when Micah thought they were beyond the range of a Cornwall attack. The Wolfoids had their spears leveled, ready to fire lightning into the village if they had to. Aadi floated to the side, ready to deliver a thunderclap if warranted. Micah held her blaster in her left hand and had her right hand on the pommel of her sheathed sword.
Braden was the only one who didn’t seem ready to fight. He carried his bow across his back and his blaster was in its holster on his hip. He held both reins as he leaned forward. “I’m Free Trader Braden, and I’ve come to talk about trading with your village! Who speaks for you?” He watched people shuffle uncomfortably, but no one came forward.
Braden climbed down and walked forward a few paces. A spear sailed from beyond a hastily erected barricade. It flew fast and much farther than Braden thought possible. He rotated his torso, twisting to let the spear pass a mere finger’s-breadth from his chest. It thudded into the ground and stuck. He crouched as he looked back.
He pulled his blaster and took aim, then thought better of it, holstering it.
“My blaster!” a man yelled and stepped forward. He appeared to be about the same age as Micah’s father. “They don’t have the recharger. They can’t shoot us,” he said as he continued forward. Three men joined him, carrying their spears at the ready.
‘I wonder how his broken arm healed,’ Braden told Micah using his thought voice.
‘I don’t know, but let’s see how his legs work,’ Micah answered. She aimed and pulled the trigger, tracing a line of fire in front of the men and instantly stopping their advance. Two turned and ran. The old man and one other stood their ground.
“So you figured out how to charge it,” the chief said flatly. “I didn’t think we’d ever see you again. You know your life is forfeit, so come on down here and let’s take care of that. We have some rope…”
Aadi swam forward. They looked at him oddly, but didn’t understand what they were seeing. When the Tortoid got as close as he dared, he delivered his focused thunderclap on the two men. They staggered, and the old man fell. The younger man held his hands over his bleeding ears.
The Wolfoids dropped to all fours and started to run, parallel to the hasty barricade behind which the villagers crouched. They circled wide and turned to run into the village from the undefended side. Brandt pawed the ground and shook his head, showing his great horns. G-War was nowhere to be seen, but Braden expected he’d be wreaking havoc shortly.
Micah jumped down from her horse and put her blaster away. She drew her sword and held it before her as she advanced toward the man on the ground. As she approached him, another spear whistled from the launching contraption of a man behind the barrier. She parried it with her blade, and the spear ricocheted harmlessly to the side.
Braden jogged forward with his blaster out so he could cover Micah while she did what she had to.
“I should have killed you, too, old man. But this is where we can
fix the mistakes of our past.” She kicked him in the chest with a great deal of pent-up rage. He curled in a ball and started whimpering. She put her sword tip against his throat. A man, holding a spear with a thin block of wood in his hand, stood up to throw. Braden tried to aim, but there were other people in the way. The man reared back to throw, and a large gray-furred streak crashed into him. He fell to the ground and rolled to his back. He tried to sit up but Bounder straddled him, fangs bared.
Two other men stood from behind their barricade and rushed toward the Wolfoid. Gray Strider jumped between them, aiming her spear. The first man thrust at her, and she fired a lightning bolt into his chest, then aimed at the second man. He threw his spear down and put his hands up. The other men behind the barricade put their weapons down and hands up.
“Looks like your men have abandoned you,” Micah said as she slowly pushed the tip of her sword harder against his throat. The second man, still standing and holding his ears, dropped to his knees and pleaded for Micah not to take the old man’s life.
“Now why would you beg for his life? He’s scum,” Micah responded, lessening the pressure from her sword point.
“He hasn’t been the same since you killed his son, I mean, since his son died. He still wanted the best for us, that’s why he wanted the marriage in the first place. Cornwall and Trent need to merge so that we can grow. As it is, we’re both barely surviving,” the man said from his knees, bowing his head in deference to Micah. Braden looked back and forth between his partner and the two men on the ground.
“And that’s why we’re here, to talk about trade. But craphole here wanted to fight. That’s not how you establish relations, set up trade. I tell you what I’m going to do. You can talk to us like adults who want something better for your village, or I kill him and we’ll find another adult to talk with. We’re going to talk with someone and establish trade between here and Trent, to Dwyer, McCullough and all the way to the Western Ocean. You can be a part of it, or you can get run over by it.” Micah finished on a strong note as the old man started to nod, but the sword tip made him turn it into an agreement that he was willing to talk.
‘G-War, if you’d be so kind. Is he telling the truth?’ Braden asked.
‘Yes, yes, you shouldn’t have any more trouble with him. Oh, look at you, my pretty, come say ‘hi’ to your Prince…’ Braden and Micah both bolted upright as the Golden Warrior started his mating ritual with a village cat.
The Three Laws of Trade
Braden and Micah helped the old man to his feet and held him between them. The companions corralled his people in the town square around the village well. Braden climbed on the rocks and held on to the well’s roof.
“All we wanted to do was talk,” Braden said in his Free Trader voice. He didn’t want to come across as commanding them or angry at them. Braden wasn’t happy that they had to use force, although things could have been a lot worse. “We’re sorry someone had to die to prove that all we wanted to do was talk. Here,” he said as he tossed the remaining length of Amazonian rope to the chief.
While all eyes were on Braden, Micah and Brandt went for the wagon where the Rabbits waited with the twins.
“This is an example of what we can provide in trade, along with a special mushroom that can sustain you when you’re at sea for a long time, or you have no other food. We can provide venison and more. How, you ask?” Braden was in full trader mode, using his hand with the missing fingers to gesture, while holding on with the other. He looked at the crowd and worked them, more an actor than the leader of an ongoing war.
“Because we’ve set up a trade route from here all the way to the Western Ocean! Maybe one day you’ll get to see it, because you could travel in one of the Free Trader wagons, like this one!” he emphasized, pointing as Brandt pulled the wagon toward the village. The people responded with “oohs” and “ahs” of wonder.
“That’s right! There are more wagons just like this, pulled by our friends the Aurochs, intelligent creatures who advise us in how best to move throughout the south. They are our equals, just like the Wolfoids, the Hillcat, the Tortoid, the Hawkoids, and the Rabbits. Planet Vii is blessed with a variety of intelligent creatures, including humans. We have to work together if we are to survive. Look at yourselves. Are your numbers greater or fewer than a generation ago? What if you met people from other villages and shared lives with them? You tried that, two cycles ago, but more as a form of slavery and not a real partnership. When you try to force something, it doesn’t work, does it?” Braden yelled, glaring at the village chief. The man looked at his feet, refusing to meet Braden’s gaze.
Braden looked from face to face. Some nodded, no one shook their heads. He’d set the hook. He continued in a lower tone, still projecting as only a Trader could. “Do you enjoy living in fear? We don’t either, but we were able to do something about it. When the Free Trader enters a village now, people gather to see what goods are in the wagon, what there is to trade. They run to their huts and bring out their crafts, their homemade goods – a tanned deer hide, leather laces, woven armor, those things that they like to make. If you don’t like to farm, hunt, or fish, then all you have to do is trade with the people who do!” Braden hesitated as G-War’s romantic flashes briefly overwhelmed him. Micah almost fell from the wagon. She hadn’t been exposed to G-War’s interludes before. Braden recovered quicker than she did, stifling a laugh with a cough before continuing.
“That’s all we’re offering. A regular stop on the trade route where people and goods can come and go in peace.” Braden climbed down and offered his hand to the old man, who took it without looking up.
“What do you think of that rope?” Braden asked, giving the man something to do that didn’t involve admitting that he’d been wrong for most of his adult life.
“It’s good. Strong and light. Where’d you get it?” he asked with renewed spark in his eyes.
“That was made by the people who live in the rainforest, the Lizard Men who call themselves the Amazonians.” The chief called over a couple other weathered fishermen, judging by their clothes and calloused hands. They each examined the rope carefully before giving their nod of approval.
“We could use more of your rope, mister. A lot more. We’d break fewer lines when hauling in a big catch if we had something like this,” he lisped through the gaps in his missing teeth.
“Exactly, my friend. That’s what trade is all about. We have three laws of trade: negotiate, agree, and deliver. It’s as simple as that. Nothing is taken, nothing is given. The trade is paramount.” Braden wanted to leave the influential men before him with one last thought, so he continued.
“Keep your spears sharp for hunting and fishing, but don’t use them to make war. There aren’t enough intelligent creatures for us to kill each other.” Braden shook each of their hands and walked away to let the elder members of the village talk. No one else left the square.
‘G, are you there?’ Braden asked.
Even Braden could feel the ‘cat’s sense of satisfaction over the mindlink. Micah giggled. ‘Maybe that’s what we’ve been doing to him,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘Now you do, humans. And I have no doubt, mine was better. Two cycles it’s been! If you can’t make regular stops here, I’ll slash you while you sleep,’ G-War said with some sincerity.
‘Just tell me, oh, Prince, can we let the villagers go? No plots of our destruction in their minds? I’d rather not have to watch my back more than we do already.’
‘No threats. It seems that a number of men who support the chief aren’t well-liked. The loss of one has emboldened the others. I think your speech swayed them more than usual. I wouldn’t sleep in the village, but outside that, we’ll be safe.’ G-War finished and closed their mindlink. Braden wanted to get more insight into the chief, but the ‘cat had more important things to do. Braden suspected that his orange friend would take a nap in the sun on one of the hut’s roofs.
Braden climbed back up the
rock and addressed all the villagers. “We’ve said what we came to say. You are free to go about your business. We won’t hold you here or hurt you, but please don’t try to attack us again.” He felt like adding a threat, but thought better of it. He wanted the people to join the trade route because it made sense, not because they were afraid. He wanted to be welcomed to the village each time they arrived, as Free Traders should.
Seal the Deal
Braden and the others enjoyed a sparse, but good meal with the chief and a few of the people from the village. Compared to what Trent had on hand, Cornwall was clearly in decline. Trade couldn’t come soon enough.
The Hawkoids searched extensively for wildlife and vegetables that could be found nearby. They were successful, but the closest was a turn’s walk into the hills. Taking the horses, Braden and Micah could be there and back during the same daylight. They shared this information with the chief and to show that they were serious, with G-War and the Wolfoids, they’d go hunting and foraging to bring back food to help the village. Plus, they’d break a trail to the area for the villagers to follow after the caravan had gone.
Braden and Micah were perfectly comfortable leaving the twins in the paws of the Rabbits and under the watchful eyes of the King of the Aurochs and the First Master of the Tortoise Consortium. Aadi and Brandt made excellent babysitters, because they taught the children as they watched. Their conversations were long and involved for children of any age.
At first light, the horses trotted out of the village.
The Wolfoids jogged easily alongside. They’d gotten stronger since arriving on the planet. Even with its heavier gravity, they were no longer affected. If they returned to the Traveler, they’d find that they were far different from the Wolfoids they left behind. Which only convinced them to bring all their people to Vii where they could find a home, join the trade route themselves as ranchers, running herds of wild boars and domestic pigs.
Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas Page 6