Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 19

Eldar nodded to him, "As a veteran, I know you will understand this better than most." He described the threat assessment from the attack on Rambling Rock in detail. "We're getting no intelligence of what is going on in that area. No warning. Our armies are not within that area right now. Once this area is established travel can be shortened and the area actively patrolled.

No mercenary group will be providing protection, except us. They can travel with your caravan at your expense but they will be passengers in this area. This reduces your costs as you will only have to pay for protection on a much shorter route. After they leave our area.

Now before anyone asks about the Wood Elves and the other village. The 2 villages that controlled the land we now protect turned it over to us. They will be working on setting up designated campsites that will be stocked with firewood. The only ones authorized to go off-trail to hunt are our mercenaries.

All others will be detained or if they fight, killed. The Wood Elves now have a much smaller area to watch over so expect every caravan to be monitored. As the Wood Elves will be collecting and stocking the campsites with firewood there will be a small fee. The fee is 100 gold pieces for every 6 people.

Yes, the fee is based on people to help discourage people from traveling as a group of less than 6. It is easier to protect a group than an individual. That will be split between the 2 villages handling this collection work. Every caravan will initially have 2 of our officers riding with the recruits we are getting over the next few days."

Another voice shouts out from the back, "How long did it take you to do all this?"

Eldar looked back at his group, "About a week right, give or take a day?"

He had a bunch of mumbling and shocked faces. "Most of this was spelled out in existing treaties but never used. The reason being is that a mercenary company has to have a sponsoring village. Nobody on either side of the border wanted a multi-racial company established in their village or town.

We got them to turn over the land to us. We got the village charter and mercenary charter from the Queen and King shortly after we arrived in the city. The same day I believe?"

He looked behind him and his people's heads nodded away.

Another shouted, "How did you get them to do this that fast?"

Eldar bowed his head for a second. "That is a long answer but if you want it, then send representatives to the Academy gathering this afternoon where we will be going into great detail on those aspects. We are hoping to recruit some Academy talent into this group. We will also be talking with members of the people doing your existing protection. Then we will be hitting up some Dwarven and more Human talent into the mix.

My officers will be within the market today talking with your existing protection companies. We will be available to answer any more questions you might have. Commander Charlemagne Silvertree will be here if any tough questions come up. I have to go for a bit and I will be back to join them. You will find me out at the stables when I return. I hope I got your big questions answered."

Nobody yelled or stopped them as they left the meeting though there were a few murmured conversations in the crowd. He got outside, "I have to leave one Commander here."

He looked at Charlemagne. She smiled and kissed him, "You are sounding like yourself, I like that."

Annette not to be left out of the action came up and kissed him too, "Thanks for saddling up the horses. We were hoping to ride you this morning."

He smiled, "Hoping we have better luck tonight. Hunter, can you, Keyno, and Eagle-eye meet me over at the stables quickly. Annette, Doc, and Guard New Moon with me please."

He got back onto his horse. "T'suras Biana." They stroll over to the stables. "Guard New Moon, want to see a trick?"

He smiles and nodded, "T'suras, find us the next 6 mares."

They pulled up to the pen and 6 mares approached the fence, one white and brown, one solid gray, two black with white in different spots around the hoofs, another sold brown, and a solid black one.

"Hunter, Eagle-eye, you want to check these 6 out. Annette, grab the stable master."

He looked over at Guard New Moon, "Well?" He chuckled and shook his head. "The other two are pregnant now."

Hunter looked at Eldar, "You planning to breed them?"

Eldar nodded, "We will not need riding horses for much longer. They will not work in the coming years. We will need intelligent War Horses who will all be trainable. Keyno and Tiger should work to learn elven. It will help with your children and these horses. They will never be broken or trained individually."

Keyno nodded, "I was planning to anyway but why elven?"

Eldar smiled, "Our enemy understands common, not all of them understand elven. War Horses will tend to imprint to the rider so each rider will have two when the time comes. They can take a new rider in time but it takes some re-education and trust. The other reason is they will start picking up commands from the elders.

They will listen to what we are telling the parents. All existing commands are in Elven and these kinds of horses respond to one language best." Annette came back with the stable master. "How much for these six?"

He looks over, "With discount 650 each?"

Eldar looked over at him, "I will give 3,600 for all 6. They all check Hunter and Eagle-eye?" They both nodded. The stable master looks at him, "Agreed."

Eldar gave him his account number and looked at Hunter, "Now we have a hundred." Eagle-eye laughed and Hunter just shook his head.

Eldar looked at Keyno as she asked, "Will help but how will we know they are all intelligent?"

Eldar smiled, "Because the father and mothers are all intelligent. The two we picked up last night are now carrying, and I just had T'suras pick out another 6."

Keyno looked at Eldar strangely. Then Annette got her attention, "Some strange stuff started happening last night remember. Be glad you were not there, but everything happened."

He nodded, "T'suras Biana. We need to go back to the enchanter's district." They rode back to the enchanter's shop. "T'suras Veta" They walked into the shop, "Doc, just jump ahead and check for pregnancy. They have twins."

He looked to the lady, "Is my order ready after Doc is done?"

Doc casts his spells nodded to the first, and he could see it was a girl and boy. Both wizards. She beamed with pride as she ran to the back.

She returned with the enchanter, "Here is your order, we did up an extra second-tier cloak but because of the exclusive on the symbols we cannot sell it, so thank you very much."

Eldar nodded, "Thank you and to many more children in the future. I need 260 of the non-magical cloaks with the seals and 40 of the heraldry sashes. I have another cloak design I NEED FIRST, The double crescent moons, same silver and gray but I want the sword piercing between the two moons. The sword is moving between the two moons so the shadowing should reflect like the moons and use black on those parts that are in darkness.

She nodded, "Like this? When the sword is like a third moon between them."

He smiled, "Yes, and on forest green cloaks. I need two of them. I want those on first-tier protection cloaks, do you have them?"

She nodded, "How many can you have by the day after tomorrow. No rush, I just need to know."

She thought hard, "I can have 60 cloaks and 20 of the sashes done by close of business tomorrow with your 2 with the new design."

He smiled, "You have my account number. Can I get you to deliver those to the market?"

She nodded, "By the end of that day tomorrow."

Eldar told her, "Look for Charlemagne or Annette there."

They left the shop and got back on the horses, "T'suras Biana. Now back to the market to assemble the guys."

They rode through the district and pulled up beside their first wagon. "T'suras Veta."

They were away from the crowd. He looked for the first one he wanted to give out and waited for them to get gathered around. He stuck the extra cloaks into the bag for now, "The wives and I went out and did a little shopping yesterday. Keyno, please come here."

He hung the sash in front of her showing the back first.

"Yours is the only one like this, I got cloaks for everyone but with your style of riding or shooting I did not want you to break your neck. This gives you the same level of protection as a cloak of protection; and has ties in the front and back so it will not fly down into your face and it leaves your arms free."

Keyno hugged him, "Thank you for thinking of that."

He smiled, "Now go try it out on your horse and make sure it does not create any issues."

She nodded and ran off and he handed out the others until he got to Annette's. He smiled at her as he put it over her shoulders, "She is not a Gray Blade so hers has an ink and quill symbol to denote she is an Administrator for the town."

He pulled Charlemagne and his out and put hers on first. He took the Silvertree pin off of his cloak. He attached it to the new one and donned the new regalia. "What do you think?"

Keyno came riding by upside down and flipped upright. She rode over, "Works great! We know what to get other archers too!"

He nodded. "All of these are enchanted and the Gray Blade Symbol with the double crescents is exclusive. You should note the sword is modeled after mine and has the double crescent symbol on the hilt."

Hunter looks at him, "How did you afford all of this?"

Eldar smiled, "When I went to the bank, I found out I had a second account that my father set up when I was born. Depositing some money every year. Grand Master Yetto was not the only one betting on me while I was in the Academy. I took a fraction of that money and outfitted my officers."

He got a round of applause. "That is not the only good news. I pulled the plans for the tavern, grain mill, leather and saddles, blacksmith, and bow and fletcher shop. I had the first planning guy hanging from the wall at one point and shitting himself the next. He took the rest of the day off. The lady who came in was much more helpful and even gave us this monster of an inn plan for free.

The entire fourth floor will have to be laid out differently. For rooms, nursery, a playroom for when the kids have company from all the others who have kids coming. We will look at getting someone who can watch the children. While people are overseeing the barracks, training others, or grabbing the occasional patrol.

It houses 70 rooms on top of that. Once it is built, we will have a roof over everyone's head until the other houses are built. I forgot to mention that I got floor plans for 3- and 5-bedroom homes. All my officers with families will have a 5-bedroom home. There will be more of those for people with large families. Fireball and Hunter time to get a wife or two."

That got a few laughs. "All business plans have a place to live above the shop except for the sawmill and grain mill. Doc identified another set of twins today. What Doc did not know was I told the couple exactly what they needed to do to achieve pregnancy; down to the positions they needed to use. Doc I got another check coming up here with Gatrius Moon Blade. They will have twins as well.

I went into full-blown prediction mode last night and it was like drinking from the bottom of the waterfall but it saved 5 Elven lives and a few hundred human lives. It has not completely gone away but it is down to a trickle now in comparison.

Speaking of which they will be here in just a minute. I have never met the lady but I described her, the furniture, and how to take her from behind over the back of her sofa to achieve pregnancy."

The group laughed at him. Just a few seconds later he walked around the corner. He spotted Eldar's horse. Eldar walked up to him, "Let us talk while Doc checks her over."

Eldar grabbed Gatrius Moon Blade by the arm, "Did you get it, and do you have it with you?"

He pulled it from under his cloak and handed it over to him. Eldar opened his bag and slid it in. It was in the scabbard which fitted perfectly. "Everything happened as I predicted?"

Gatrius nodded, "He tried to fight but did not stand a chance with the 3 of us."

Eldar took him back over to his lady who smiled. Eldar smiled at her, "What is the good word? I know she works or owns a dress shop but Gatrius has not given me a name."

She smacked Gatrius playfully, "You could have told him that! After he told you what would happen. My name is Jazzieta Silver String. We have twin boys!"

Eldar looked at Gatrius, "Glad to see that you can follow the instructions I gave you!"

Gatrius punched Eldar in the arm. "Did you find the other stuff I told you about?"

He smiled and gave a big nod, "Last night's trip for Gatrius took down a mass murder and captured an Ancient Anvil. That will cut the crafting time of your Gray Blade weapons in half. Along with enough other loot that Gatrius has been paid to create all of the blades now."

He turned back to Gatrius, "Now the question everyone wants to know; when is the big date?"

He glared at Eldar, "We have not talked about that."

Eldar smiled back at him, "No time like the present to talk but let me first make a couple of introductions. Jazzieta these 2 love ladies are Annette and Charlemagne Silvertree, my wives."

She looked at him, "You have 2 wives? That is not legal."

Eldar smiled, "It is legal, especially when the marriage was conducted by Sehanine Moonbow in front of many people including two Grand Clerics and the King and Queen. Plural marriages are coming back."

She looked at Eldar, "Seriously?"

He nodded, as did the team. He grabbed her hand, "There is a big all Academy event after the mid-day meal if you want to know more. Gatrius, I need to know if you want others to know about your sword or not? Mine will be a point of discussion."

He shrugged, "Everyone assumes there is one already all it does is confirm the suspicion."

Eldar nodded, "Good, I would like you with us on stage, or at least near it."

He smiled, "Near is good enough but why?"

Eldar smiled, "Who better to explain how the swords move from one wielder to the next, my father should hopefully be there."

He raised his brows but nodded, "You can call on me to answer that question."

Eldar looked at the sky, "We better go and get a mid-day meal early. We can get over to the Academy early. Join us please."