Sometimes it was best to just… play the part.
I sat on the large wagon's front bench, with one leg crossed under the other. I was alone on the wagon, with only the two large stocky horses for company. But they weren't much company. They were busy nibbling on the weeds and grass at their feet.
"Ho! Another!" the older man hollered in joy as Vim pushed another large rock over the ledge, clearing way to allow the two younger men to go at the pile of debris with their shovels.
Vim stepped back and sighed, staring at the two young men as they shoveled with gusto, shouting in unison as they worked.
Smiling softly at them, and Vim who was glaring at them, I glanced over to the mountainside that had collapsed over the path.
It was all dirt. Dirt mixed with large boulders. In fact the black soil looked… rather healthy. The type that I'd not be surprised to see getting used to grow crops in. Yet in this mountainous forest, it was probably not viable.
"Another!" one of the boy's shouted. He huffed loudly as he stepped away, allowing Vim to step forward. I watched as Vim disappeared for a moment, hidden by the final layer of dirt and rocks separating this wagon and them on the other side. Vim re-appeared, with a smaller boulder in his arms. He stepped a few feet away and with a small throw sent the rock over the large drop. I heard it crash into trees and other rocks below, loudly breaking tree limbs as it fell down the mountainside.
A part of me thought it was… silly, to toss the rocks so flippantly over the ledge. But I knew Vim wouldn't be doing it if it was too dangerous.
"What a marvel…" the older man, the employer of the two younger men with shovels, said as he watched Vim wipe his hands and step back. To let the boys go back to work shoveling the dirt.
"I was a boulder in my previous life," Vim jokingly said. The two boys glanced at each other as the old man bellowed a happy laugh.
And happy he was… They weren't too far from being done now. The large pile of dirt and rocks that been blocking the path was now almost gone. I knew in not much more time, only piles of dirt would be blocking the wagon. There were only a few more visible rocks of any real size amongst the dirt.
Which meant the merchant and his crew would be able to continue on their way, delivering their cargo.
Glancing behind me, into the canopy covered wagon… I wondered what was in the boxes.
I knew what was in them, technically. I could tell by the smell. There were things made of copper. Refined copper too, not the pure stuff.
The entire wagon was full of the boxes. Enough to make the two horses actually struggle when they were forced to pull the wagon. All the boxes were enclosed, so I couldn't see their contents… but honestly I couldn't think of very many things that could be in them. The boxes were too thin for certain tools. Too small in height for others. Yet I could tell by the sounds they made when moved or jostled, that whatever was in them wasn't a singular piece of copper but many pieces. Dozens maybe.
Whatever was in them was probably something mundane. These men seemed poor, and more laborers than merchants. The two employees shoveling in fact were uneducated. Neither could read… which I had found out thanks to neither being able to read the painted names on the horse's saddles.
Looking back at the shoveling men, my eyes narrowed when both of them went to working harder. They had noticed my eyes had returned to them.
I smiled softly as Vim noticed too, and he glared at them even harder.
"Still this was greatly fortuitous. Your young companion can help herself to the bottles of drink if she'd like! They're right behind where you're sitting! First box on the right!" the older man shouted at me, to get my attention.
Blinking at his offer of payment, I frowned and glanced at Vim. He shrugged at me, telling me it was my choice. He didn't care if I did or not.
Well…
Turning around a little, I found the box he spoke of. It was the same as all the rest, but unlike the others this one wasn't nailed down. The lid lifted easily, revealing wrapped food… water skins and…
Pushing one of the glass bottles aside, I noticed the swirling dark liquid within. It was wrapped carefully in a cloth, like the three other bottles.
Some kind of wine.
I lowered the lid, and sighed. I wasn't in the mood to drink wine out here. Stuck on a smelly wagon of copper, while two young men stared at me with obvious gazes.
The older merchant didn't notice I had rebuffed his offer, for he was now talking in depth with Vim about the guild he had purchased from a few days ago. Something to do with a new levy of taxes on his goods that just wasn't fair at all… at least in his opinion.
He wasn't necessarily… off-putting, but there was something about the man I didn't like. Maybe it was the lack of aid he was giving the two men shoveling, or Vim. He hadn't done a single thing since Vim and the two men had gone to clearing the blocked road.
Granted he was old… and did have a limp while he walked… maybe he was just incapable, and knew better than to strain himself. So maybe I shouldn't hate him so readily just because of that. Or because he seemed way too happy over Vim and I's sudden arrival, and Vim's willingness to help him clear the road so his wagon could get through.
"To be fair, my friend, I doubt highly you're a mere guard! I know my metals, you see, and the metal upon you and your companion is far from paltry, I say!" the old man happily boasted of himself, and his new friend Vim, and I couldn't help but find myself hating him again.
Maybe I could hate him, and it was okay. I mean… he hadn't done anything yet. He also wasn't rude… he had already paid Vim in coins for his help… he had offered me food and drink too, which probably weren't cheap… and he let me sit on his wagon while Vim worked…
I groaned softly and looked away from him as Vim and him talked. I was tired of listening into their conversation, even though I still heard it clearly. He kept asking which company or band Vim worked under, or ruled. I wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but I assumed he thought Vim and I were mercenaries of some kind.
Glancing at the weapons resting against the side of the wagon's bench, I knew exactly why he thought so.
I had told Vim we'd look like brigands.
Though… maybe that wasn't so bad.
Maybe it'd keep suspicious people away from us as we traveled.
Looking back towards Vim, I watched as he lifted one more rock. This one was barely big enough to justify him having to lift it, but I knew the two younger men were exhausted. Both were panting and working much slower than they had earlier.
They had tried to show off to me far too much in the beginning, and were now paying the price.
At least, so Vim had said a few minutes ago.
Smiling softly at the two men, I watched as the younger one with longer hair blushed. He stepped forward with his friend, to continue shoveling, but skidded a little on the dirt. He didn't fall or hurt himself, but his blush became much deeper as he tried to hide his face beneath the dirt… which didn't work. The dirt was no longer high enough to hide them. It was only up to their knees now.
"Don't go falling down now, lads. Look! Nearly done!" the older man shouted at them.
The boy's blushing immediately ended, and I knew it wasn't because he got excited over the older man's shout. He had simply gotten angry.
While they finished up clearing the path, Vim reached out and shook the old man's hand. I focused on their light conversation, and heard that Vim was saying goodbye. His job was over. The boulders were cleared, and all that remained were small rocks and dirt. Both things the young men could handle.
I smiled at the prospect of finally getting to leave and continue on our journey. I hurriedly hopped off the wagon's bench.
Landing onto the dirty ground, one of the horses neighed at me as if offended. I ignored it as I went to pick up my sword and spear, and to grab Vim's too.
"Come on Renn," Vim called for me, which honestly he hadn't needed to do… but…
Glancing at him, I noticed the smirk he had on his face as both of the men paused in their shoveling. To stare at me.
They looked like young boys. Their faces were frozen in shock, as if they had just been told their mother was leaving them.
Shaking my head at Vim, and his weird teasing of the boys, I picked up his sword and spear and headed for him.
I stepped up over the dirt, stepping in-between the two men as I did so. They both went completely still, and one even gulped. "Good bye, ma'am!" the one who had blushed earlier said.
"Goodbye! Keep it up, you're almost done!" I gave them a small bit of encouragement as I hurried over to Vim.
Handing Vim his sword first, while he went to securing it onto his back I accepted the hearty and happy handshake from the older man. "Thank you so much! Please, if you ever stop by my farm in Trivati, please visit me. I'll repay this many times over, I swear it!" he beamed a joyous smile as we shook hands.
"Sure thing," I told him as I let go of his hand and went to hand Vim his spear.
He gripped it solidly as he took it. Tightly enough that the sound of his skin and knuckles loudly protested, causing the old man and even the younger men to stop for a moment and stare at him. Then Vim easily slid the spear onto his back, hooking it to the same leather scabbard that held his sword.
Vim then nodded one last time. "Farewell. Safe travels, and may your wine taste strong all through the night," Vim said to the old man.
Stepping away alongside Vim, the old man laughed as he waved goodbye.
Leaving them alone, the sound of shoveling and small talk filled the air for some time as Vim and I continued down the path.
"How much did he pay you?" I asked once we were far enough that I could hear their voices, but knew they couldn't hear mine.
"Hm?" Vim reached into one of his pockets and pulled out the small satchel. He handed it to me without hesitation.
Peering into the small coin purse, I frowned at the sight of dozens of silver coins. "Silver?" I pulled one out. I didn't recognize the design, but I could read the language. "Twenty Prim," I read.
"Similar to Penk. He actually paid a hefty sum, surprisingly," Vim said.
Tying the little pouch up, I reached around to pull aside my backpack. Thanks to the new leather hooks and latches, I was able to simply undo one hook on one shoulder and was able to bring the backpack around to my front. It rested against my chest as I flipped the backpack open to put the bag into it.
"He seemed very happy," I said as I finished putting the coins away.
"Well… he should. The wagon was carrying coins. Probably all the wages he'd be paying his farmhands and guards throughout the year. There were dozens of those pouches he had just given me in that wagon alone," Vim said.
"Oh? Wait…" I paused and glanced back at the wagon. It looked like the men were still digging, and now the man was sitting on the wagon's bench where I had been.
"Exactly. He had paid me not just for help, Renn… but to not rob him," Vim said.
Stopping myself from tying my backpack back into position on my back, I groaned and grimaced. "You're kidding me…"
"Not really?"
"So we just robbed them!" I shouted.
"No we didn't? In fact we got paid to not do so," Vim frowned at me, as if I was making no sense at all.
"Aww Vim… Now I feel horrible," I groaned.
He smirked and reached out and grabbed my backpack. He shifted it, and went to tying it back into place for me. "Don't feel bad. What I had said hadn't been entirely a joke, but it was one. If you must know Prim currency has four levels. Bronze, copper, silver, and gold. There's ten silver coins in that pouch, which is honestly just a month's wage for a common worker in this nation," Vim explained.
"That doesn't make me feel better Vim. You just said he gave it to us because he worried we'd take more if he didn't," I said.
"Part in parcel, Renn. This is the wilderness. It's honestly his fault for only having two guards… and having them be so…" Vim paused a moment as he finished with my backpack. His hand lingered on my shoulder, making me a little conscious of his touch.
Did he even realize what he was saying? What he was feeling? What he had done and acted?
"So young and handsome?" I finished for him.
Vim blinked and then focused on me. His hand twitched on my shoulder, and I smirked at him.
He didn't even realize it. Vim honestly didn't realize he had gotten upset over their ogling of me.
"Which one was handsome?" he asked.
Stepping away from him, I smiled as I shrugged. "Boulders look good from the right angles sometimes, you know," I said.
"Boulders…?" Vim didn't follow right away, but the man stepped forward after a moment. After the third step, he realized what I meant and sighed. At himself.
Giggling, I glanced back at him, and had to quickly look away… since he had a weird smile on his face that made me suddenly very conscious of what I had just said aloud.
"You being slobbered over I understand… but how do you think I feel when I'm being sleazed over too, but by an old man? At least yours were understandable," Vim complained.
Heading around a bend, I burst out laughing as I finally realized exactly why the old man had been so happy.
"He had been infatuated!" I agreed and admitted, realizing it clearly now. That made perfect sense! Same with the coins!
"He had been. I bet it was the rock throwing," Vim said with a smirk.
Laughing at him, I came to a sudden stop upon realizing it.
Vim tilted his head at me, wondering what was wrong.
"So… those boys…" I whispered.
Vim's smirk slowly died, and he sighed softly with a nod. "Well, you had said young and handsome," he said.
I groaned, no longer amused at all.