"Alright m'lord. Most industries have settled in the north o' town. In the west, you'll find the bigger shops and more well-known artisans. The better, or well, more expensive shops, have set up shop along the main roads. The further you get into the district the fewer shops you'll find. People who're a little better off have settled in the east of town. The best properties can be found along the canals." Barn introduced the layout of the city. Though, by all rights, it was the size of a town.
"Where do most people live?" Theodore asked.
"Common folk will mingle in the districts, wherever it's affordable. We're honest folks ya know. We work hard to afford our livin' round here. It's not like there's a housing district or anything. The houses near the north are cheapest because they're closest to the industries. You'll see yourself why m'lord."
Miss Waverly her shop was located in the west. She couldn't afford a place on the main road. Her costumers demographic wouldn't net her enough money to make ends meet there.
They moved from her shop through a few streets before arriving on the main road. Theodore had imagined a grand road, enough space to have four carriages move past each other, canals, greenery and a bustling public wandering around the various shops.
His image was cruelly disturbed. The road was only as wide as (- maybe ) two carriages. The shops were made of stone, unlike the wooden establishments he had seen near miss Waverly's shop. There were, however, little decorations. The various signs and displays made for listless decor, very few people could be found moving around the main street.
Noticing Theodore's dazed look and disappointed posture, Barn quickly spoke to appease his lord.
"It might not look like much m' lord. But all vendors have plenty of good stuff. Most of the people that can afford to shop here send their servants to complete their orders. You'll find few of them visiting. Only when they're looking for something specific do they visit here in person. Since it's winter' coming in a month or so, most people are well stocked up. They won't have much business now. Come spring, it'll be bustling here." He explained.
"Alright. It's still rather disappointing to see these streets so empty." Theodore commented lightly.
"We'll walk down the main street to the intersection and head north from there. You'll find the industries to be a busier sight. We have only three smithies, but we have plenty of carpenters. Woodcutting is one of our main exploits. You see, we need a lot of wood to burn to get through the winter. With the forests 'round here we can continue to log for decades. Therefore carpenters have been settling in here nicely. Good wood, plenty of stock, and merchants buy their commodities when they pass by the river." Barn said.
"Why are there so few smithies?" Theodore asked.
"Well, we have to import ore. As Mr.Ferris mentioned, we don't have any mines in our territory. The price of imported ore is actually quite high. The smithies are vital for producing much-needed supplies like tools and nails. But the truth is, they don't make much. To compete with finished products for sale by merchants, their margins are paper-thin. People 'round here know it and therefore support them by buying their essentials there." Barn explained. "They've taken their shops from their father - have been for generations. They stay because they love it here. But they don't live an easy life m' lord."
"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind. Where are you taking us exactly?"
"First I'll take you to Wesley. He's our only master blacksmith. Probably the best in the 'ole region. We'll then visit Trevor. He's an acquaintance of mine, good carpenter, too. He'll be able to tell you lots 'bout the local industries."
"Since we pass by many shops. We can enter a few after meeting with Wesley and Trevor. Since m' lord also wants to visit the farms we'll have to get a move on though. They're a bit out' of town and we dun' wanna be out in the dark these times."
"Why's that Barn?"
"Wolves m' lord. They're getting peskier and peskier. They've killed an ox some time ago. Scared quite some folks'. They usually don't get this close. The woods are their homes, ya know. Don't know what's up with them. But it's best to net get caught out' in the dark by em pests." Barn answered whilst leading them to a smithy with a big sign of an anvil hanging in front of the shop. Beneath the anvil, the name of the shop could be read 'Wesley's Hammering".
The shop was divided into two parts. One was a 'shop' with various stands and displays. The other was the smithy. A gentle heat pervaded the shop and loud hammering could be heard as they entered.
"Wesley! I got business for ya!" Barn yelled.
The hammering stopped. A grunt was heard.
"Aye, if it ain' Barn. What's got you here?" A hoarse, raspy voice was heard bellowing from the smithy followed by heavy footsteps and a door swinging open seconds later.
"Business Wesley, it's business." Barn smiled at the six feet ten muscled blacksmith.
On the road, Theodore and Barn had discussed how to go around their snooping business. Staying incognito was still firmly on Theodore's mind. However, how to stay incognito whilst inquiring about the local circumstances? Business. The answer was business. Theodore had plenty of money on him and could make some small transactions whilst carefully asking around.
With they're plan in place, Barn had confidently moved into the shop and announced their visit. Nobody could be mad about someone bringing in business, right?
"Alright, thanks for recommending me Barn. I'll buy you a brew later. What can I do for you, customer?" Wesley quickly adopted a professional attitude as he addressed Theodore.
"My lord would like to order various tools, on short notice." Theodore said confidently.
"No problem."