Intrepid Heroes : 4
by Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
parte the fourth
How to Hire an Expert
"Down here," she answered letting the irritation creep into her voice. The teller had the decency to be apologetic and she got an 'account' at the bank. She kept out 10 silver for expenses and left the building at the same time as a pair of dwarves. They seemed to be deep in discussion. Too bad she didn't speak cough'n'spit, er... Dwarven.
The, well, the respectable-looking one handed the other one a handful of gold. They spit at one another in a friendly-sounding exchange of words, and then went separate directions.
The one that had just been handed gold was trying to make his way through the humans and cursing. One need not know the language to recognize cursing. So she thought she'd get her good deed for the week done.
Lily cut through the crowd as only a halfling can do, opening a path in front of him with a wink thrown over her shoulder.
"Where am I taking you, hairyface?" she asked. You gotta know how to talk to people and be able to compliment anyone you meet just in case.
Danged if he didn't actually smile. Dwarves can do that? "Jobs board. I've got ta hire meself some experts fer a trip."
"What kind of trip would that be, that needs an expert? I mean, a trip's a trip. Do you need someone that knows how to hunt along the way? I know this guy..." she nattered on automatically making conversation and not really either listening or thinking about what she was saying and in a few moments had led him to the Job Square where the jobs board was pretty much the only feature besides folk looking for, well, a job.
The dwarf looked at her oddly and stuck out his hand to her. "M'name's Agnar. Agnar Axehaft, and I thank yeh again fer yer help there... yeh wouldn't know anythin' about *ahem* discerning urban threats to cargo, now would yeh?"
She blinked and took the hand, pumping it lightly before releasing and thinking about what he just said. "Oh, I'm Lily. Just Lily, and exactly what is that supposed to mean?"
"Yer a li'l thief, aren'cha? No, don't bolt on me now, I jes' have a way of knowin' things when I shakes meself some hands. Yeh'd be perfect fer the job. 5 gold up front, travel is about 10 weeks, a full weight of gold dust plus two percent of what our cargo's worth when we get there. Yer job would be to keep us awares of thievin' types in the towns an' cities we pass through. Expenses along the way like beds at inns and meals paid fer."
Lily stared at him, all the while trying to extricate her hand from his. He looked down and let her go... but curiosity got the better of her. "Say I accept... when would we be leaving and what would I have to do that's NOT covered in your little speech?"
Agnar grinned again and fluffed his beard before answering, "We leave tomorrow about a candle after first light, assumin' I can find me another expert before then. I've already got all the kit and outfittin' we need... I'd just have to get yeh to get the cargo cart while I'm recruitin' my other expert. I'll take yeh to meet Björnen, an' he'll get yeh started and have yeh get the cargo to me in time. That's it."
She looked around the Job Square and realized she'd pretty much milked this town so much it would be dry a bit longer than she'd like, anyway, "Alright, Agnar, I'm in. On two conditions. First, I do all the cooking, you provide whatever food I require for the task -- I've had dwarven cooking before and let's just say I don't ponder over the famous dwarven physical constitution. Second, you never contradict me in front of someone not on the team. If I say it when someone not with us is around, it's the truth as all the gods know it, agreed?" Agnar's eyes danced as he nodded to the little woman before she continued, "Let's go meet boss-guy."
