Chapter 5
On the road going east to Montibus, the three travelers drew near to their destination a little before the sun started setting. They had gathered pelts from animals as well as the meat they could save for a short amount of time. This was how they earned money for their constant journeying from one place to another. They were quite skilled at bartering in towns at this point, not to mention their hunting skills were unrivaled. They knew the blacksmiths and butchers would pay decently for these items. Lux in particular quite enjoyed visiting new towns, as he was interested in different cultures and lifestyles. Ignis was more or less oblivious to such things, but he was always overjoyed to see new foods and visit all of the local food stands to see what brilliant recipes there were in each new location. Telu was fine with anything as long as she went with Lux, although, she certainly would never turn down an opportunity to buy a new outfit. It was also a personal passion of hers to see the architecture of new cities. She thought they were quite beautiful and enjoyed seeing the magnificence of large trade towns such as Montibus.
As the three neared the town coming down from a mountain road, she was able to view it in its entirety. She stopped walking and marveled at the great stone wall stretching completely around the city. A few moments later, Lux noticed that Telu had halted so he turned back as he knew exactly what she was doing. He reached down to hold her hand as she took a moment to commit the structures to memory. The protective wall surrounding this particular town was actually quite rare because such a feature would not be feasible with the smaller work forces of other towns. They could see the main road extend directly through the middle of the city with the largest stone buildings standing next to it. Those are surely the businesses and official buildings of Montibus, she thought to herself. Then she glanced over to see small wooden buildings covering the outer areas of the town which seemed to be the residential areas.
"This may be one of the most remarkable towns that I have witnessed." She commented softly to Lux as she touched his shoulder.
Smiling, he responded, "I believe I would agree." They continued on the road until they entered the town through the main gate.
"Ignis, I would like you to visit all taverns and community gathering areas and gain information that pertains to our goal." Lux ordered, "Telu and I will barter with the local shopkeepers and acquire necessary tools and equipment for the upcoming tasks."
"I will go, Tempestas. I do have one request, however, I am sure no one would object to new clothing garments. These we fashioned ourselves in the wilderness are becoming excessively worn." Ignis responded.
"You are insistent on naming me Tempestas prior to my time," Lux joked, "I am quite certain Telu will find everyone something suitable." Telu's face lit up with her new assignment. They parted ways, each going to their respective destinations to accomplish their roles in the large commercial center of Montibus.
The couple searched until they found the most well-respected blacksmith in the area. "We have arrived to sell hides." Lux informed the blacksmith relaxing next to his fireplace. It was almost nighttime at this point as Lux and Telu had already met with the town butcher. They also explored the area looking for a shop that could provide them with sturdier clothes than they could make for themselves. As they had feared, the clothing shops specialized more in formal wear. So they hoped the blacksmith was well-acquainted with leather working as well as metal.
"Ah, that'll sure be a help, I've started runnin' low 'cause I've been suh busy forgin'. The name's Sigurdur by the way. Welcome to meh shop." The blacksmith responded as he made his way over to the hides that Lux had laid on his table. "Let meh see whatcha got there." He mumbled as he looked over the couples' materials they had presented. With a look of shock, he exclaimed, "Well, these sure are incredible! Youngsters like you managed to git these? I'm awful mighty impressed. I can't believe ye managed to save so much of the animal's coats. Not only that but these are sure rare. Although, I find it strange that I'm not seein' any wolf pelts. They're everywhere up here, haven't you seen any?" He questioned with an inquisitive look.
"We have indeed," Telu responded, "However, our people do not hunt wolves. We have provided ulfudyr pelts in their stead."
The old man seemed interested, but he didn't push the issue. After all, he had heard of stranger customs. "Very well! Anyway, I'm impressed with these. What would ye like in exchange?" He asked while motioning for them to take a seat at the table.
Lux respected Sigurdur already, he enjoyed his direct attitude. So Lux spoke directly as well, "We require clothing that is resistant to wear and ideally quite comfortable. A clothing which resists extreme weather and temperatures. Full body attire would be preferable. In total, we would require seven sets."
"Do you think it would be possible to render each one in a different color, sir?" Telu interjected.
The old man appeared excited to meet the challenge, "Of course, and which colors do ye need?"
She smiled politely, "Dark blue, Light blue, red, orange, yellow, dark purple, and the last could simply be gray." Then, Lux provided the size and description of each person for the respective color.
"Are the hides payment enough for this? Also, we have only one whole day available to us. Is this sufficient time?" Lux inquired.
Laughing, the old man responded, "Ye sure are a funny one. The hides themselves are more than payment fer the clothes. But..." The old blacksmith stopped there and looked serious, "If I'm gonna get this done in one day, I'll hafta git help from the other 'smiths in town. We're all gonna hafta put a day of business on hold, an' there's only one way that will be possible in this town."
Lux had a feeling he knew what was about to be asked of him, but he didn't want to insult the old man. So he asked politely, "What is it that we may do to ease the process, master blacksmith?"
"Well, myself and the other 'smiths in town have been robbed on many occasions. We and the town guard think there is a bandit camp somewhere in the forest outside the walls. The only problem is the guards are stretched too thin to do anything about it. So, when I saw you travelin' youngsters I thought you might know of some ways to help our situation." He stopped there to help insinuate his point. "We need them taken care of, then we'll help ya."
"I understand what it is you are asking of me," Lux explained. "However, I will not kill them."
"I see," Sigurdur responded solemnly, "But, what if it was yer only chance of receiving yer much needed clothes?"
"It would indeed be helpful," Lux started, "to possess more durable clothing. It is in no sense necessary. Living as an honorable and respectable person however, that is necessary. There is no circumstance which justifies murder. I do not believe you are a murderer, but I do understand your desperation. The desire to have justice done and to have the knowledge that those you love dwell in safety. However," Lux paused there and stared intensely at the man, "I refuse to let my honor be lost in the process." The blacksmith was unsure of how to react, Lux had really taken him by surprise. Before he could decide on what to say, Lux was already out of his seat and headed for the door. "We will settle the issue of the thieves on your behalf." He stated as he and Telu exited the old man's shop.