Audrey of Farmerton

by M. Gregg Roe

Your kitchen—that sounded nice. “Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I’ve looked around.”

  Audrey went inside and immediately smelled fresh bread. The floors, interior walls, and ceiling were all made of polished wood planks, and there were thick log beams across the ceiling. On the wall to the left were a line of wood pegs beneath a long shelf, with a door just past them. She dropped her backpack by the wall and hung up her cloak. There was a door opposite standing open, and she could see a bathroom behind it. Next to that was the entrance to the kitchen. To the right was a sitting area with a fireplace that included a stone hearth. There was a single round dark green rug, two wood chairs, and a low wood table between them with a glow-cube on it. She saw that the fireplace could also be used for cooking.

  She went first into the bathroom, noting that it was somewhat cramped. It had a small tub, a sink, and a separate toilet stall. There was a mirror mounted on the back of the door. The truly incredible thing was that there was hot and cold water, which she verified by using to wash her face. She had never expected that and wondered how they had managed it.

  She went back out and found the door now to her right opened into the bedroom. It had one small bed, a nightstand with a glow-cube, a small dressing table, and a decent-sized wardrobe. She opened the wardrobe and saw that all of her clothes were neatly stored inside. A door on the far right led her to a room with a desk, a chair, a large table, and a storage cabinet with shelves. Her sewing supplies were in the cabinet and the table was covered by a large pile of clothing that had obviously arrived from Desires in her absence. She felt tired just looking at them.

  She went back into the main room where Almera was now sitting in one of the chairs and smiling. “Will this do?” she asked.

  Audrey made a pouty face, put one hand on her hip, and pretended to be disappointed. “I suppose, but there’s no library. Is there a hidden practice area below with an escape tunnel? That’s a necessity. And what about a trophy room?”

  “I’ve missed these little talks of ours, Audrey. I’m afraid you will have to make do with what you see. Let’s have breakfast. I took the liberty of putting a few things in your pantry.”

  The kitchen was small, but it had a stove with an oven, a pantry, a preparation area, and numerous shelves and drawers to hold dishes, cups, and cookware. There was a door leading outside on the far wall, and a small dining nook to the right in the corner. It had a small round table with two simple chairs. Two small windows looked out both to the rear and the side.

  As they began to eat, Audrey noticed that everything that Almera had cooked was something that had been part of the very first meal that she had eaten in the mansion. That had certainly been deliberate, and she appreciated the gesture. As they ate, she told her about Violet and about Alessandra’s unexpected appearance. “That is welcome news,” stated Almera. “It sounds as if Violet will be just fine. I hope she and her husband do decide to move here. I would really like to meet her.”

  “You could always travel to Farmerton,” Audrey pointed out.

  “Perhaps, but I would prefer she come here. You know how much I love my luxury. My adventuring days are long past.”

  “Okay. How much is my rent going to be?” That really was worrying her.

  Almera smiled in a secretive fashion. “Go ahead and spend the rest of the morning cleaning up and getting settled. You are invited to dine with me at the mansion for lunch. We will discuss your financial situation then.”

  It sounded odd to be invited there. Audrey bowed deeply. “Very well, Lady Almera. Your tenant will be most happy to dine with you.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  After cleaning up her kitchen, Audrey went out and walked around her cottage. She found a large pile of firewood next to the chimney, and she realized that one thing her cottage didn’t have was a heating system. When it was cold, she would have to make use of the fireplace. That didn’t bother her. In fact, it reminded her of the house in which she had grown up.

  Much of the landscaping around the cottage was obviously recent, and she was certain that Almera had planned it all out. Behind the cottage was a small wooden bin for compost, and a plot of bare soil around three yards square. It was clearly intended to be used as an herb and vegetable garden, and it looked like it had already been planted.

  She went back inside and took a bath. The tub wasn’t as large as her old one, but it sufficed. She put on clean clothing and then laid down on her bed, finding it just as comfortable as the one she was accustomed to.

  When noon arrived, she walked to the mansion. It took her about four minutes, but that was because there was no direct route. She entered through the kitchen and Almera looked up from her cooking and said, “Welcome! Lunch is nearly ready. Take a seat.”

  Audrey sat down at the table and watched as Almera finished making lunch. Almera told her about the recent happenings in the Witch’s City as the two of them dined. After they finished, Audrey helped her to clean up.

  “Thank you, Audrey,” she said when they were done. “Come with me. I have some things to show you.”

  Audrey followed her into the library. On one of the tables was a stack of papers and a small cloth sack that looked like it contained coins. Almera was smiling secretively as she walked around to the far side of the table and gestured for her to sit. Audrey sat down opposite her, wondering if this was going to be their financial discussion. Almera picked up the top sheet of paper, turned it over, and slid it across to her. It was covered with text and numbers, and she had barely begun to read it when Almera said, “That is a list of every time you helped me in the greenhouse, the gardens, or at the market.”

  She looked it over and could see from it that Almera had been keeping track since she had first arrived. Each item listed the date, the activity, and the length of time. One of the final items was labeled “restore greenhouse”, and that made her feel sad. She looked up at Almera and said, “I don’t understand.”

  Almera simply smiled and pushed over another sheet of paper. “This is a list of every time that you helped me to cook, or to buy food.” It was also covered with text and was similarly thorough. Audrey was confused and just stared at her. Another piece of paper. “This is how much it costs to rent a room per month in this area.” Another. “That is a list of small house and cottage rental rates in this area.”

  “Almera, what is the point of all this?” She was getting impatient.

  Almera rested her arms on the table, still smiling. “Audrey, I have done a detailed calculation involving you. I calculated how much you would owe us if you had been renting a room from us all this time. I calculated how much I should have paid you to assist me cooking. I calculated how much I should have paid you to assist me with my gardening, but subtracted what I had already paid you after selling at the market.” She sat back and then pushed the sack across the table. From the noise it made, it was definitely full of coins. “And this is what we owe you. Take it.”

  Audrey stared at her in astonishment. “What about all the money you spent on my tutoring and tuition?” she countered.

  “Those are educational. I promised your mother that I would see to your education. You are not going to repay those, Audrey. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she replied simply.

  Audrey looked inside the sack. There were two gold coins, but it was mostly silver. It didn’t look that unreasonable. There was also a small piece of paper that listed her rent and what Almera would be paying her. She waved her hands, saying, “Fine. I give up.”

  Almera slapped the table with both hands. “Finally! From now on I will pay you properly and you will pay monthly rent. I suspect that most months you will earn enough to completely cover your rent. If you object to us paying your tuition, then you can start teaching for Grasapa to offset it.”

  There certainly wasn’t any point in trying to argue with Almera. “Okay. I accept.”

  Almera stood. “I think it’s fair. The cottage really didn’t cost us that much. Most of the b
uilding materials and all of the furniture were left over from the old servant’s quarters. The stove and tub as well. I have other plans for it in the future. When my father eventually retires from the council I may move him there, or to another similar cottage. We have enough materials to build at least two more.”

  Audrey went around the table and hugged Almera tightly. “Thank you so much. I’ll hug Draymund too when he gets back.”

  Almera nodded and then asked an unexpected question. “Saxloc seems to think that everything is fine between you two now. Is that true?”

  Audrey hesitated. “Not completely, but we made a lot of progress during our trip.”

  “Good. At least you two have some separation now. That will make it easier if you do break up. I’m having dinner with Ermizad tonight. Why don’t you invite Saxloc over? You wouldn’t want him to starve, would you?”

  Audrey laughed. “Okay. I think I will. My first dinner guest.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Back in her cottage, Audrey counted the money that Almera had given her and put it away in a desk drawer. With what she already had, it should be enough to last her for at least three or four months—more if she continued to help Almera regularly. It gave her a good feeling to have a degree of financial security.

  She began to work on her sewing backlog, finding the relatively mindless work to be both comforting and relaxing. After two hours, she took a break and fixed herself some tea. There was just enough room in the front area to practice her Slow Form, and she did it twice. She went back to her sewing but was soon interrupted by a knock on the door.

  Audrey opened her door and saw Saxloc smiling at her. She stepped back and gestured dramatically. “Please to enter my humble abode, Master Saxloc. I am but a poor tenant now.”

  “So now I’m the master?” he asked as walked inside.

  She crossed her arms and stared at him. “That was outside. Here, I rule. Sit down, slave.”

  He laughed as he went over and sat down by the fireplace. “So how do you like it?” he asked.

  Audrey rolled her eyes. “It will do for now,” she said in an exasperated tone. Then she smiled and uncrossed her arms. “I absolutely love it! Would you like to be my first dinner guest?” She adopted a sultry expression. “If you’re good, I’ll even let you help me break in my new bed.”

  “Both of those things sound good,” he replied. “Casual dress, I assume?”

  She thought for a moment. “No. Dress up.”

  “All right. I’ll be back around dark.”

  “Okay. Let yourself out. I need to get back to my sewing.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “All right, Audrey. I’ll see you this evening.”

  An hour later, she was actually annoyed when there was another knock on her door. Cinda was standing outside, smiling primly with her satchel over her shoulder. Audrey had forgotten it was a class day and felt slightly guilty as she invited her friend in.

  Cinda entered, dropped her satchel by the door, and hung up her cloak. Then she walked up and hugged Audrey tightly before saying, “I have missed you greatly. I am most pleased by your safe return. How fares your friend Violet?”

  “She’s doing fine. Would you like a tour of my cottage?”

  “There is no need,” Cinda explained. “I visited Lady Almera frequently while you were away. It was I that supervised the transfer of your clothing and possessions to this fine abode.”

  “Thank you for that. Have a seat. I want to ask you about that dress that Desires sent over.”

  “Which dress, pray tell?” she asked as she seated herself.

  Audrey sat down in the other chair. “The one that’s in pieces. I can’t fix that!”

  Cinda had a look of understanding. “Ah. That one. That should not have been sent. I have a new client who greatly enjoys cutting off my dresses. Worry not. He is billed for the cost and I am reimbursed if it should be one of my own.”

  Audrey was curious now, but she decided not to ask for more details. There was something else that she had decided to ask Cinda no matter how embarrassing it would probably be. “Cinda, I want to talk to you about copulation. I need advice.” She was hoping to surprise Saxloc with something new.

  Cinda leaned toward her and smiled lasciviously. “It is about time you asked. I am most expert at copulation now. I would be pleased to offer my assistance.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey built a fire in the fireplace using wood from the woodpile outside. She used the fire to burn the list that she had been keeping of money that she owed to Saxloc and his parents. Then she burned her offer papers from Desires. Those were all part of her past now, not her future, and burning them was both cathartic and final.

  She made a simple vegetable stew using the food and spices Almera had given her. She was going to serve it with bread and fruit. After working on her hair, she donned her gold dress and the new necklace. Saxloc was welcome to stare at her cleavage as much as he liked.

  He showed up just after dark, well-groomed and smartly-dressed all in black. He had brought wine with him—Alessandra’s wine, of course. It began to rain while they were eating dinner in the dining nook, and she liked the sound it made on the cottage’s tile roof.

  After dinner was over, the two of them went to the sitting area and began to kiss and stroke one another. After a while, she slowly undressed him, and then he slowly undressed her. They continued their foreplay for some time before moving into the bedroom. It lasted longer than she was expecting, and they laid side-by-side on the bed afterward.

  “Explain yourself!” she demanded. It had been their best time yet by far. They had utilized a new position that Cinda had suggested, but Saxloc had also displayed improved skills. Suspiciously improved.

  “Explain what?” he asked while trying unsuccessfully to look innocent.

  “You know exactly what I mean. Explain!”

  He sighed and laid his head back down. “I spoke to Isadora while we were at the temple. It was that last afternoon when you were doing sewing with Aliva. I asked her for advice on how I could better satisfy you during copulation.”

  That he had done such a thing was both surprising and flattering. “That was some advice. Remind me to thank her. I am completely satisfied. Thank you.”

  “You are welcome. That was an interesting new position. I liked it.”

  “So did I. Cinda suggested it.”

  “Then I will thank Cinda the next time I see her. I’m fully satisfied as well. I love you, Audrey.” He was gazing at her adoringly.

  Audrey raised herself up and smiled sweetly at him. “And I love you, Saxloc. Now get dressed and get out.”

  “What?” He raised himself up abruptly, looking completely baffled.

  Audrey made a sweeping motion. “This bed is too small. Get thee back to thy ludicrous mansion, Master Saxloc. Your poor peasant tenant is most tired and would rest now.”

  Saxloc smiled and chuckled. “As you wish, Mistress Audrey.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey laid in her new bed, in her new cottage, in the marvelous city that she now called home. She still had concerns, but she felt very optimistic. She had come so far, learned so much, done so many things. She had made new friends and traveled to interesting places. Not everything was perfect, and there would probably be more troubles ahead. But for now, lying in her bed, in her home, in her city, she felt truly at peace.

  Acknowledgements

  This novel, my first, is based on a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign that I created. So in a sense, it has been in progress since the fall of 1979, when I ran the very first adventure for a group of my friends (and Danj famously slew a lion single-handedly). I hadn’t expected it to run more than a year or two before abandoning it for something new, but it has somehow lasted for over three decades. I will likely never start another campaign, because the players are simply too attached to the characters that they have created and developed. And truth be told, so am I.

  The adventures have
occurred in three phases so far. The original player characters (PCs) included Adrian, Albert, Asria, Birchbark, Danj, Grasapa, Hagen, Medea, and Roho; with Dulls, Mardan, Oljot, Sabrina, and Xlee as notable non-player characters (NPCs). All of those adventures took place on or near the continents of Kaldir and Yunn.

  A new set of adventures began in the fall of 1984, set a century later on the continent of Thren. The new PCs were Branwyn, Celebern, Draymund, and Milric; with a much larger cast of NPCs that included, Almera, Carlinda, Daragrim, Ermizad, Preston, and Wilawin. In time, the frozen bodies of many of the older characters were recovered and restored to life, linking this phase to the previous one.

  The third phase of adventures began in early 2006, and is dominated by the children and wards of the older PCs: Ariel, Aliva, Gabriel, Hankin, Saxloc, and Siljan. It is their adventures that have inspired me to write this book. Specifically, this book incorporates substantial portions of two adventures: “As the Realm Turns” (December 2014), and “Morton’s End” (April 2015). Many older adventures are referenced as well.

  The adventures that I created had been gradually growing longer and more complex, with numerous NPCs and more storytelling. I had also begun to generate a great deal of material about what occurs between the adventures. When I began to seriously consider writing a fantasy novel based on the adventures, I was uncertain where or how to begin. It finally dawned on me that Audrey—the poor peasant girl from Farmerton—was the perfect means by which to gradually unveil my world to the reader.

  Audrey was originally created simply to add color to the adventure where Saxloc and his friends stop at Farmerton and battle the giant crocodiles that are plaguing the villagers. I had no plans for her to return, and it could just as well have been Siljan that healed her. (That would have led to a very different book.) But Audrey did return, to thank Saxloc, seduce him, and finally end up living in his house, much to his dismay.

  I created many of the characters in this book, but others I simply worked to bring to life. A number of other people contributed to this book by creating characters that are portrayed within it.