Journey's Middle

by B. K. Parent

  “Don’t know what is happening in Sommerhjem,” he stated. “Seems every time you turn around there are the Regent’s folks lurking about. Never used to see them this far north, or in the small villages, but now they’re everywhere, and that’s not all. Used to be you just came into a town or village, did your trading, and moved on. Now you get stopped and have to get papers to set up in some towns. It’s worse the closer you get to the capitol. Have to sign in, tell who you are traveling with, what your business is, and some even ask how long you are going to stay. And the attitude of some of these so called ‘folks in charge’ is down right insulting. Treat you like you’re some kind of low class drifter instead of someone who is just trying to make an honest living. We’ve been on this route for years and have always been treated with respect, still are by the villagers and merchants we deal with, but these Regent’s folks act pretty high and mighty.”

  Trader Jalcones paused to catch a breath and I tried to slip my question in real offhandedly. “What was all that fuss about last night?”

  “Don’t know who this Thorval Pedersen is, but they’re mighty interested in finding him. Been asked several times about him by different Regent’s folks in a couple of different villages. Won’t say why they are looking for him, and I didn’t want to ask. These folks are not the kind you cozy up to and have a friendly chat with, I can tell you that. Sure wouldn’t like to be sought after by the likes of them.”

  “Now dear,” Mistress Jalcones interrupted, “enough of this uncomfortable talk. Let’s change the subject. Is this your first year on the road on your own?”

  “Yes ma’am,” I answered somewhat distractedly, still thinking over what her husband had just said. “I’m hoping to meet up with my relations farther south but wanted to try the smaller markets first. Sort of like a trial run before the bigger towns and midsummer fairs.”

  “A very good idea. Just the way to get your feet wet without being very overwhelmed. Where are you headed next?” she asked.

  “I thought I would head south on this road and see what the market might be like in Hexley,” I replied.

  “Don’t know if you’ve heard, but a big fire swept that way last fall and near burnt out the village. One of those grass fires that occasionally sweep through the land hereabouts when it gets too dry. They must be thanking their lucky stars for the abundance of rain this spring, but it came too late last fall to help. Most folk are fine, got to the big lake near there in time, but they are just now rebuilding,” Trader Jalcones stated. “We’re going to head a bit more east. Know a glassmaker we want to trade with. Why don’t you travel with us? I saw some of those beautiful boxes you make. If you made some with an open top, the glassmaker might be interested. ’Tis the fancy of some of the wealthier ladies to store trinkets in fine glass-topped boxes. You might be able to expand your wares.”

  His suggestion was a good one, and I was still not far enough from my home village to head too close to the coast. Besides, traveling with others added a measure of security and another layer to my disguise. I felt the Jalcones were good folk, and I needed to trust someone even if only for travel advice, so I agreed it was a good idea. Soon our conversation died like the fire we were sitting by, and we went to our separate quarters. It was the first really warm evening of the spring, which made me reluctant to head in, so Carz and I just sat on the driver’s bench looking at the night sky for a few minutes longer. With a soft sigh, I retired to the homewagon but left the upper half of the front door open to let in the cool night air. It would be a good sleeping night, if I were able to turn my mind off. What Trader Jalcones had talked about this evening had given me much to think about. Why was Da being sought by the Regent’s agents, and for what? This was my Da they were looking for. If I had not been worried enough when he had disappeared, I was now just plain scared for him. In a strange way, the Regent’s agents looking for Da was almost comforting, for maybe that meant he was still alive. With that thought, I began to drift off to sleep when suddenly I remembered the Neebings. This grassland did not look like the land Neebings were known to frequent. Tales suggested they preferred to live in woods and near water, but I was not taking any chances. I put a small bolt of tan cloth I had found in a small box above Da’s bed in the little room and cranked it down. While I did not suspect I was in Neebing territory, I did not want to displease them. They were said to be mischievous, especially when neglected, so I was not about to chance that.

  It was nice not to travel alone. Trader Jalcones said if we traveled at an average pace, the village of the glassmaker was about a three day ride from where we were camped. They wanted to rest their horses for a long noon hour and then quit early each day. Said they had been traveling hard the last few weeks and wanted to give their horses a bit of a rest. That was not a bad plan and suited Flick and Clover. Their days of pulling a homewagon full days had been several years past and this would let them get in condition gradually. I had no idea how Da would find me, or if he had been found by the Regent’s agents, but I needed to establish an identity and a credible reputation if I were to be successful heading towards the capitol in hopes of connecting with my Da.

  Each day we stopped and set up camp by mid-afternoon. I spent most of the hours of good light building inlaid boxes that had a lid that would accommodate a glass top. If the glassmaker did not like what I had made, I could later modify the lid using a wood top with some type of attractive design. It occurred to me as I worked that I was quite enjoying the rover life so far. I did not realize I had missed the travel, meeting new folk, and seeing new places before now. I am only sad that learning this had been forced upon me by less than desirable circumstances, but then maybe I would never have left my village had Da not disappeared. Sometimes good opportunities can arise out of misfortune.

  Chapter Eleven

  The Jalcones and I arrived at the glassmaker’s village early afternoon and were directed by the town’s headmaster to a small glen near the edge of the village to set up camp. Since there was not a market in this village, I would need to spread the word that I was open for business. The best way to let villagers know is to go to the local pub for a drink and talk with the folk there. However, once we were settled in, Trader Jalcones suggested I pack up a few of my boxes and go with him to talk with the glassmaker.

  On our walk through the village and out a small lane to the glassmaker’s place, Trader Jalcones told me that the master glassmaker liked to bargain and dicker, and he would try to drive a very hard bargain. I would need to stick to what I thought my boxes were worth and try not to appear too eager. I asked why a master glassmaker of such fine glasswork and colored glass lived in this small village rather than in one of the larger towns or in the capitol.

  “Why the sand, my dear, the sand,” he replied. He must have read the look of complete confusion on my face for he went on. “Glass as you know is made of melted sand and the sand in some of these small hills is of a type that creates some fantastic colors in the glass. Must be something besides sand mixed in, but nowhere else in Sommerhjem has this particular sand been found. Master Nadag, the glassmaker, prefers living here close to the source. He doesn’t much care for most folk I suspect, other than his apprentices, and is not much for small talk, unless it is about glass. I have a special place built in my wagon to carry his glasswork, and we get along well. I bring him minerals and powders from all over the land that are fairly rare and he particularly likes. Brings profit for both of us. In this case, I am the long distant hauler of his goods rather than the seller. He pays me to transport the goods and for what he wants of the minerals and powders. In addition, I purchase a few of his smaller items to sell in the larger markets. I can afford little of what he makes. It all works out well.”

  When we reached the glassmaker’s place, I was struck with a pang of homesickness for the layout was so very much like home. Granted, the cottage was larger than ours, but the outbuildings were similar and the
glassworks itself looked very much like Da’s smithy. Built of native stone, the glassworks was open on all sides to let the heat out. Several domed furnaces could be seen, and the glow of the fires flickered through their open doors. Upon our arrival, a woman came out of the glassworks to ask us our business. She wore a leather apron over her sturdy work clothes and introduced herself as Journeywoman Clarisse.

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  Journeywoman Clarisse was a tall woman, perhaps six to eight years older than me, if I were any judge of age. She had a presence that did not quite fit with the rough spun material of her clothing, but I could not quite put my finger on what it was about her that did not quite match.

  “We are here to speak with Master Nadag,” said Trader Jalcones, interrupting my train of thought.

  “Oh, of course, I remember you, Trader Jacob Jalcones isn’t it? Be welcome. The Master was just remarking at dinner the other night that you were due any day now, if you kept to your usual schedule. The Master is up at the cottage. Please follow me.”

  I do not know what I had expected a master glassmaker to look like, but Master Nadag’s appearance surprised me. A quite small, barrel-chested, totally bald man came out of the door of the cottage and greeted Trader Jalcones with enthusiasm. After much back pounding, the two men ambled over to benches set in front of the cottage and sat down to discuss business.

  “This might take some time,” suggested Journeywoman Clarisse. “Would you like some tea or cold water?”

  “Water would be nice,” I replied.

  After settling down in the shade of a large maple tree not too far from the two men who were now earnestly haggling, Journeywoman Clarisse said, “You are a rover, aren’t you? What brings you here?”

  “Trader Jalcones thought your Master might be interested in some of my boxes. He thought his glass set into the lids of my boxes might be profitable for both of us.”

  “May I see one of your boxes?”

  I reached into the rucksack I carried and pulled out one of the small inlaid boxes I had brought with me. I handed it to Journeywoman Clarisse. She spent some time carefully examining the box, turning it this way and that, and finally exclaimed, “This is exquisite. Are there others?”

  At that point I let out the breath I had not even realized I was holding and found myself amazed that Journeywoman Clarisse’s opinion would matter, but then she was a journeywoman crafter and I was a simple rover. I pulled out the rest of the boxes I had brought and set them before her.

  “I am not sure Master Nadag will be interested, but I am. Those two will be at this for at least an hour. Would you mind if I took one of your boxes and worked with it for a short while? I have something in mind. Come with me. Just leave the rest of your stuff here. No one will touch it.”

  Without waiting for my consent, Journeywoman Clarisse signaled to Master Nadag and Trader Jalcones that we were leaving and headed towards a building beyond the glassworks. This building was open to the air as well and held a number of work benches and some stations for glass cutting. One man was cutting intricate patterns into a goblet, while another was just finishing up putting leaves on a delicate rose cut into a glass vase. The crystal cuts caught the light, sparkling with each turn in the cutter’s hands. I had never seen anything like it. On another table, a huge pattern was laid out and colored glass was being fitted carefully together to create a picture. I could have stood there for hours just watching all of the activity, but Journeywoman Clarisse tapped my shoulder and indicated I should follow her to a nearby work bench.

  “As you can see, we make a variety of items and use glass in a variety of ways. Your Trader Jalcones transports items of a more practical nature to smaller markets for us. That piece you saw on the table back there is a commission for Lord Blackstone of Raven Hills for his library. The cut crystal stemware is for a merchant in Hallsfield, but none of that is what I have in mind for your boxes. Let me get the measurements for the top of that bigger box you brought.”

  Once that was done, Journeywoman Clarisse set about picking out various pieces of colored glass which she cut and shaped all the while humming a quiet tune. She then set about putting those small pieces of colored glass into very fine lead channel. In the end she had created a beautiful small square of glass that fit snuggly into the top of the lid I had built. The pattern in the glass in a general way matched the pattern I had inlaid in the box. The combination of both of our work created a little gem of a box.

  “Let’s head back and see if the two great negotiators are finished yet,” Journeywoman Clarisse said with a twinkle in her eye. “I want to show Master Nadag this box. He has first rights to negotiate with you, but I am hoping he will let me do that instead. I would like to work something out with you myself.”

  In the end, I worked out a deal with Journeywoman Clarisse. We struck what I thought was a good bargain. I spent three days there and by the end of the third day, we had twenty boxes between us, ten for each. It was an item that would probably sell well in the bigger markets and I would need coin along the way, so I was feeling relieved knowing I had some saleable goods that might bring a high price. At least that was the prediction of both Master Nadag and Trader Jalcones.

  While I was at the glassworks, I noticed that sometimes bits of molten glass would drop or be cut off and form small oddly-shaped pieces of smooth glass. I asked what they did with these small bits and was informed that they were usually re-melted. I asked if I could barter for a few. In the end, one of the journeymen gave me a large leather pouch filled with the small colorful bits in exchange for a new knife handle I made for him out of a piece of rather exotic wood. I was not sure what I would do with the bits of glass, but I had some ideas. If nothing else, perhaps the Neebings would like them.

  On the fourth day, it was time to begin journeying once again. Carz looked at me as I was hitching up the horses with a look that seemed to signal it was about time. I do not know what he was complaining about. Hunting had been good here, and he certainly had not missed any of his naps. I was also secretly glad the Jalcones had not left before this day because it meant we would be traveling on together. There was the reality of safety in numbers. One evening, when we had gone to the local pub, there was a general feeling of unease that could not be missed. Something was happening in Sommerhjem that had reached even this far out into the countryside. Nothing specific was mentioned. Just a vague feeling that something was changing, and not for the better.

  Just as I had finished checking the harnesses on the horses and was preparing to walk about the site to make sure I had packed everything, I heard the sounds of a horse and wagon pulling into the glen. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a small wagon being pulled by a single horse. Driving the wagon was Journeywoman Clarisse. When she saw me looking her direction, she raised her hand in a wave and pulled her wagon alongside mine. Trader Jalcones walked over just as she pulled her horse to a stop.

  “Hello,” she called in greeting. “I have need to head out on Master Nadag’s business and my own. When he and I talked last night, we decided it would be safer if I traveled with others rather than starting out on my own. I had intended to head out next week but had been mostly packed already. Hope it is alright with you kind folks. I thought I heard you mention you were aiming to make it to the Tverdal fair in two weeks time, and that is where I am heading also.”

  Trader Jalcones assured her that one more in our small caravan would be most welcome and went back to finishing up getting ready to move out. I agreed it would be fine for her to join us. I had grown to like the journeywoman while working with her. There was something that did not quite fit about her, but I still had not figured it out. I looked over at my homewagon and noticed that Carz was looking at her intently. He did not get down from the driver’s bench to greet her as if he were reserving judgment.

  During the days that followed, we began to develop a rout
ine. We left early morning and traveled until noon. We would stop for a long lunch to rest the horses and then travel on until late afternoon when we would begin to look for a place to stay for the night. Sometimes we would stay on a farmer’s land. The Jalcones asked me the first time we stayed on a farmer’s land why I had helped the farmer muck out the cow barn. I told him about the rover tradition of exchanging services for a place to stay. He looked a bit embarrassed. I think the thought had never occurred to him that he might need to offer some type of payment for the use of the land. I noticed after that, he often helped me with small farm chores when we stayed on a farmer’s land, as did Journeywoman Clarisse.

  I managed to get some repair work in the villages we visited, but rarely sold anything new. Fortunately hunting was good, and Carz brought in a contribution to the communal evening meal often enough that I felt at ease eating with the others. My contributions of herbs and spices to the meals were also a welcome addition. The routine of each passing day should have begun to set me at ease, but the closer we got to Tverdal the more anxious I became. I had a number of concerns. First and foremost, was Da’s fate and whether he would contact me. If not, what would a smith named Casper be able to tell me? What would I do if I could not find him or Mistress Fern? The other worry I had was in meeting other rovers. Would one of them recognize me and give me away? In his short note, Da had not provided me with a story to use when other rovers asked who my folk were. I was going to need to think long and hard on this so as to be ready.