by Eric Vall
Annalíse ignored Carmedy’s questions as she opened the heavy wooden door to the trade shop. The shopkeeper behind the counter was already with two other customers, but he nodded to us in greeting. Annalíse returned the gesture, and while I cordially raised a hand in reply, Carmedy and Rana didn’t take their eyes off of Annalíse for even a second.
“That’s it isn’t it?” Carmedy breathed as we entered the building. “He left you? Oh, you poor thing.” She patted the swordswoman’s back sympathetically. “No wonder you wanted to hide from him. If you had run into him, it would have been so awkward.” Carmedy shook her head sadly. “Wait, you don’t still have feelings for him do you?” She raised a hand to her mouth. Annalíse groaned and rubbed at her temples in frustration. “Oh no, I’m so sorry Annalíse,” the feline wailed as she threw her arms around the freckled woman who seemed uncomfortable with the compassionate gesture. “I know it hurts,” Carmedy added as she squeezed. “But you’ve got to let him go. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“What a jerk,” Rana grimaced. “Carmedy is right, forget about him. Whoever he is, you can do way better.”
“That’s right,” Carmedy said with a soft smile. “And we’re here for you if you want to talk about it.”
“I’d rather not,” Annalíse said under her breath. For some reason, she didn’t seem comforted by her friends’ words. Her expression was rather agitated.
“That’s alright,” Carmedy said kindly. “We understand, don’t we, Rana?” The fox nodded in affirmation.
“It’s not your fault that men are pigs,” Rana said with an angry glance in my direction before she turned back to Annalíse. I looked at the fox woman in confusion. Why had she given me such a look? I had done nothing wrong. I was not the cause of Annalíse’s distress. In fact, I had offered to help her.
As we waited for the shopkeeper to conclude his business with the two men already at the counter, I pondered what Annalíse had said while the other women continued to console her. It was possible that she had actually been hiding from a former lover and didn’t wish to cross paths with him. Carmedy was right, it would have been an awkward encounter. Anyone would have wanted to avoid such an unpleasant meeting.
And yet, I still felt that something was wrong about her story. Though my knowledge was vast, I would never claim to understand the ins and outs of women. Even as a god, I still found females baffling. Isolda’s actions had confused me on more than one occasion. I recalled a few times when she had been upset and told me she didn’t wish to be bothered. And then when I had obliged her, she had gotten even more upset though I had done as she asked.
Women were indeed an enigma.
Somehow, I felt that Annalíse would not have had such a dramatic reaction to a man who had jilted her. She seemed the type to confront her problems head-on, and hiding seemed out of character for her. There had to be another reason for her odd behavior, but what could it possibly be?
The proprietor finally shook hands with each of the men whom he had been dealing with and handed them two sacks that bulged with coins. He motioned for us to approach the counter as the two male patrons turned to go. The two men walked a few steps and then abruptly stopped as their eyes rested on the three women. They glanced at the large sacks they carried, and their faces twisted into dubious expressions.
“What you got there?” the taller of the two men asked Annalíse suspiciously. Each of the men had short black hair, hawk-like noses, and cold dark eyes.
“What’s it look like? A bag of rocks?” Rana snorted. “We have stuff to sell just like you.”
“I wasn’t talking to you, half-breed,” the man sneered as he looked Rana up and down disapprovingly. “Knowing your kind, you probably stole it.” The short round man beside him began to snicker.
“Excuse me?” Rana said angrily. “My kind?”
“You heard me,” the tall, lanky man said. “Anything found in a fox’s possession was most likely stolen from someone else. Everyone knows that. You simply can’t keep your dirty little paws to yourself, can you?” The thin man spat on the ground right in front of Rana’s fox feet. Rana looked furiously at the puddle of spit that lay before her. She scowled and opened her mouth to retort, but Annalíse held up a hand to stop her.
“We’re simply trying to sell our belongings.” Annalíse’s voice was calm, but she had a fierce look in her eye. “Please step aside.”
“You’re actually going to defend this filthy thieving fox?” the slim man snorted.
The fox woman’s eyes narrowed, and she clenched her paws tightly. “Why you bony little--”
“She didn’t steal it,” Carmedy said politely as she put her hand out to stop Rana from moving toward the man. “We earned it fair and square. We conquered one of the nearby dungeons, and this is what we took from it.” The cat gestured to the bags.
“You really expect us to believe that?” the fat man said with a haughty laugh. “A bunch of women conquering a dungeon? Impossible.”
“We did, honest.” Carmedy nodded her head. “See, there was this illusion goddess, and she--”
“Look, we’re not interested in your little stories,” the tall man said sharply. Carmedy snapped her mouth shut and released a small whimper. “I don’t believe you any more than I believe that other animal.” He gestured to Rana. The red-headed woman’s tail thrashed at the air, and she gritted her teeth. “Like I said,” he pointed to the fuming fox, “you stole it.” He turned his finger toward a droopy-eared Carmedy. “And you probably helped her.” The skinny man then shook his head angrily at Annalíse. “And you, you should be should be ashamed of yourself, associating with the likes of them.”
“They did not steal anything,” I said simply as I stepped forward.
These men had no right to speak to my minions this way. The shopkeeper nervously glanced back and forth between the two men and me. It was clear that he didn’t want a fight to break out in his place of business.
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion, mister,” the tall man snarled. “Why don’t you go about your trading and stay out of this? This has nothing to do with you.”
“That’s telling him, Philip.” The stout man sniggered, and his chubby red cheeks wobbled. “You don’t know who you’re messing with.”
“It is you who doesn’t know with whom they are dealing,” I said firmly. “Apologize to them this instant and be on your way.”
“You’re joking right?” The bony man gaped at me in disbelief. “You don’t know who we are, do you?”
“I do not care who you are,” I snapped. “Apologize to these women and leave here at once.”
“You must be new around here, mister,” the lanky man said with a smug grin. “You look like some sort of religious man.” He eyed the robe I wore. “I suggest you get out of here and go find some people to pray over before you get yourself into trouble.”
“I’d listen to him if I were you,” the pudgy man jeered. “We wouldn’t want you to get hurt now would we?”
“Now that would be a shame now wouldn’t it?” the slim man beside him chuckled wickedly. “Especially since you’re new to our lovely little town. We wouldn’t want you to get a bad impression.”
I had heard enough of their foolish banter. My frustration began to rise, and my blood boiled. I could strike these two insignificant imbeciles down with a wave of my hand, but I didn’t need to resort to my godly strength to deal with the likes of them. I cleared the distance between myself and the tall man in a single step, and before he could react, I punched him square in the jaw. The man flew backward and crashed into the wooden floor. The plump man looked at his companion in shock and then turned back to face me.
“Who do you think you are?” the round man shouted at me. “You can’t--” his words caught in his fleshy throat as my fist connected with his fat cheek. Given his girth, he didn’t fly off his feet as the other man had, but he still staggered back and fell to the floor with a mighty thud. The two men shook their heads in an e
ffort to shoo away the pain, and they glared at me as they rubbed at their sore faces.
“Get out, now,” I demanded angrily. The two men clumsily rose to their feet and tripped over each other’s limbs in the process. They scowled as they finally picked themselves up and brushed past us.
“You’re gonna regret this, mister.” The thin man pointed a bony finger at me when he was halfway out the door. The flabby man who was already outside glowered at me from behind his companion. “You’ll see. The next time we meet, things are gonna be different.” The tall man whined as though he were a defiant child who had just been disciplined. “You’ll wish you’d never laid eyes on the Barden brothers!” He slammed the heavy door behind them. I heard their retreating footsteps as they walked away from the shop and before long the noise of their steps was swallowed by the sounds of the busy town.
The proprietor who had waited nervously from behind the counter now breathed a sigh of relief. Annalíse nodded her thanks to me and proceeded to hand her bag over to the shopkeeper.
“Thank you for stepping in,” Carmedy said softly as Rana and I placed our bags on the counter. “Those men weren’t very nice.”
“That’s an understatement,” Rana muttered. “You didn’t need to get involved though.” She frowned at me. “I could have handled those two idiots on my own. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”
“Yes, I’m sure you could have dealt with them,” I said patiently. “But they were being disrespectful. You are my minions. If someone insults you, they are insulting me as well. I will not tolerate it.”
“Oh… okay,” Rana said slowly. She seemed surprised by my words.
“Aren’t you going to say thank you, Rana?” Carmedy smiled as she lightly elbowed the fox’s ribs. “He defended our honor, oh, like the knights in the storybooks! How chivalrous,” the cat said with a giggle.
Rana glanced at me awkwardly. Was she actually going thank me? She opened her mouth slightly for a moment and then she closed it. She gave me a small nod and then mumbled something to herself before she began to speak with the shopkeeper.
“Sorry,” Carmedy whispered to me. “That’s just her way. I’m sure she’s grateful to you though.” The cat nodded to the red-headed woman. I wondered if Rana had heard what Carmedy said. If she had, she didn’t let on, and the fox-tailed woman continued to negotiate with the proprietor.
I gave the cat an understanding smile. I didn’t mind that Rana hadn’t thanked me verbally. I understood her desire to handle things on her own. She didn’t like having to depend on others, but she had at least acknowledged what I had done for them, and she had thanked me in her own way. This was a step in the right direction. For once, our interaction hadn’t ended in her glaring at me.
Satisfied with the progress that I had made, I watched intently as Rana expertly haggled her way through our loot. This was the second time that I had seen her bargaining in action, and I was as impressed as I had been before. She rattled off prices without hesitation, and I imagined that the fox’s mind was filled with jumbles of numbers. I didn’t know how she managed to keep track of the constantly changing value of so many kinds of items. I watched her carefully this time around and began to understand the general monetary value of a few types of jewels and items crafted from precious metals.
Rana’s negotiations didn’t take up too much of our time. Unlike the greasy proprietor we had dealt with in the last town, this one seemed to be a more honorable man. The fox and the shopkeeper did disagree on the value of a handful of items, but each time they were quickly able to determine a middle ground. This time she didn’t have to resort to threats, and we soon left the shop with a sack filled to the brim with coins.
“Well done, Rana,” I congratulated the fox as walked down the street. “Your skills in negotiation are quite proficient.”
“Oh, uh, thanks,” Rana said uneasily. She looked off to the side as she awkwardly scratched one of her fox ears.
“Perhaps, later on, you could explain to me the finer points of bartering,” I said kindly. “I would like to understand more about the process and the current value of various goods. The worth of gold and jewels has changed much in the centuries that I have been asleep you see.”
“Uh… y-yeah, I guess,” Rana stammered. “It’s not that hard, but I guess I can explain how it works some time.”
“I look forward to it,” I said with a friendly nod. The fox woman gave me a curious look and then turned her attention to the street before us. I was sure that Rana was feeling confused at the moment, but she would work through this, and in time, she would see that I was a trustworthy master. Then, if I hadn’t already figured it out, she would share with me her secret.
We soon rejoined Morrigan at the spot where we had left her with our riding animals.
“I believe that it would be best if we remain in town for the evening,” Morrigan said simply. “We have yet to purchase additional supplies and doing so will take time. I suggest that we find a suitable inn and depart tomorrow morning.”
“Well, I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.” Annalíse frowned at the sun that had begun to set. “But you’re right. It would take a little while to buy what we need, and we’d end up having to travel at night. I guess we’ll be sleeping in beds tonight everyone.” The freckled woman sighed happily. “It’s been a while since I’ve slept in a bed.”
“Yay!” Carmedy clapped her hands excitedly. “Let’s stay somewhere pretty with golden chandeliers and fancy desserts,” she purred with delight.
“That sounds wonderful to me,” Annalíse mumbled dreamily and stared off into space for a moment. “But I don’t think there are any places like that here. Did anyone see an inn on this street?” She looked at the buildings on the other side of the road. “There has to be at least a few in a town this big.”
“I believe that I saw a tavern that offered lodgings across the street from the trade shop.” I pointed toward one of the far buildings on the opposite side.
“We’ll try there then.” Annalíse nodded. “Now the only problem is our riding animals. I don’t want to leave them unattended while we’re in there.”
“What are we going to do then?” Carmedy cocked her head to one side.
“Well, it’s not fair to have one of us stay out here all night,” Annalíse mused. “We’ll have to take turns keeping watch like we do when we camp. Who wants to take the first watch?” the tall woman asked as she looked around the group. I expected Carmedy to volunteer so that she could go off on another one of her unauthorized adventures, but she made no such offer. Instead, she stood silently, as did Rana and Morrigan. None of the three women seemed particularly eager to undertake the task. Rana and Carmedy grimaced in response to Annalíse’s proposition, and even Morrigan gave a dissatisfied expression.
“It is my opinion that since I stayed behind today to guard our possessions, I should not take the first watch,” Morrigan said plainly.
“Alright.” Annalíse nodded. “Fair enough. Rana?” The human warrior turned to the fox.
“Oh no, don’t look at me.” Rana held her paws in the air. “The rest of you will be in there having a merry old time, and I’ll be out here twiddling my thumbs missing all the fun.”
“But you don’t have thumbs,” Carmedy pointed out.
“You know what I mean.” Rana rolled her eyes. “Besides, I pretty much always take the first watch, voluntarily I might add. You guys owe me, and I’m cashing in right now.” The fox crossed her arms. “Now then, I think we all can agree that Carmedy shouldn’t be left out here at all.” The fox gestured to the small cat.
“Heyy, yeah, that’s right,” Carmedy said cheerfully. “Hooray, fancy desserts here I come!” She clasped her hands excitedly.
“Annalíse, how about you go first?” Rana said with a sly grin.
“Oh… well, I…” the chestnut-haired woman replied with a bemused expression. Evidently, she hadn’t expected to be nominated for first watch. �
�To be honest, I don’t want to go first either,” Annalíse said with slight embarrassment. “I’m really looking forward to those beds.”
“Well, then who’s going to--”
“I have a suggestion,” I interrupted Carmedy. The four women turned to me expectantly. “I could leave my shadow slaves here to stand watch throughout the night. I can communicate with them regardless of where they are, and they are swift. If something occurs at any point during the evening, I will know almost immediately. This way, we can all enjoy the tavern’s offerings without interruption and sleep soundly.” Each of the women blinked at me in surprise
“I like the sound of that,” Carmedy said cheerfully.
“Indeed, this is an agreeable alternative.” Morrigan nodded once.
“Hold on now.” Rana raised a red eyebrow. “I like the idea of not having to stay out here at all, but why didn’t you bring this up sooner? We could have used them back in the other town when Carmedy decided to go dessert hunting.” She gestured to the cat.
“At the time, I didn’t find it necessary.” I shrugged. “I figured that Morrigan was capable of handling the situation. I was unaware of Carmedy’s… escapades.” The fox stared at me, but it wasn’t a look of anger or disgust. It was one of curiosity.
“Alright then, it’s settled,” Annalíse said happily.
“Ooh, I can’t wait to see what yummy things they have.” Carmedy licked her lips in anticipation. “Minions hoo!” The petite cat-girl pumped her fist in the air. Then she grabbed Annalíse’s hand and jogged down the street. The freckled woman hadn’t expected Carmedy’s sudden movement and stumbled for a few steps as the green-eyed woman pulled her along.