The Ranger: Ch. 04

Not understanding a word they say, I look over at Jacob. "They are asking your name." He says and they are hiding what they wish to do, seems like quite the 'coincidence' they don't want me to hinder anything.

"Kaethorn, how may I help you?"

He replies and I hold my hand up. "Did Dawson get the diplomat item?" Jacob turns on Dawson who pulls his pack down and it's a stone on a necklace. He sets it on the table, so I try it on.

"Does this thing work?" I ask the soldier asking the questions and he nods.

"What are your plans here Kaethorn?"

"I plan on staying here for a while, helping a friend of mine start-up trade to see if we can get this town up and running again." He looks at the cups on the table.

"You're talking to the town tonight in the Hall?"

"Liquid courage, I'm going to have to ask them for money they don't have to pay a ransom for a rumor I've heard might be coming our way. You wouldn't happen to know the amount needed, would you?" I see him visibly relax along with the ones behind him, he turns to Dawson, "You brought me down here for this?" I answer before he can.

"Hey, if you are going to help pitch in, that would be great as they don't have much, I figure with what I have and the Constable, we should have enough for a backwoods nothing of a town. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, sir."

"Sergeant Alawenith, we are not here to contribute, but we will make the meeting tonight to make sure they understand the consequences considering the rumor is currently docked at Twin Rivers now and the tribute will probably be anywhere from two hundred to five hundred gold depending on how you act when they arrive."

"You speak for the Constable now?" He seems the only one interested in what we are saying, the others are ensuring we're alone and it stays that way.

"What?! No, they are funding the trade so I know what we have. They are using the boat I was shipwrecked on earlier as the starter boat to begin trading."

"Ahh, I heard you washed up on shore. Nobody else made it?"

"Unfortunately not, my leg was slammed through the wall of the cabin is what kept me from being washed over."

"It's fine now? He asks glancing below the table.

"I set it and it and with no sailing ability, I kinda floated around for quite a while, ate everything on board, and was lucky to make it here."

"And you just gave it away?"

"It will be a while before I venture off of solid ground." I reply and take a drink shaking my head, besides, what other option is there other than pay it?"

"Tremont still lives in the same place?" Alawenith asks Dawson.

"Yes, I can take you there."

"He pushes past Dawson, "You are coming back with us so you can man an ore on the way around the coast. If Tremont's story matches we won't be making the meeting as I'd like get back sooner than later. Good day Ma'am." He nods over at Katelyn and walks out.

"This thing is nice." I hold up the blue-green stone.

"Your mouth doesn't match what you're saying, but it is nice not to have to repeat everything you say." Jacob picks up a cup and then looks over at Katelyn.

"Hold on Jacob." She walks into the back and Sabina comes out of the room.

"Is the Constable going to match your story?" Sabina asks looking towards the INN door.

"Yeah, I stopped there, before coming here to let them know what was coming.

"So we are going to pay it?" Katelyn asks coming out.

"As long as they don't get ideas on taking anyone in addition to the money."

"I have the money Agitha gave me, which came from you, so, I can help." Katelyn sits down.

"Did Dawson originally come from Twin Rivers?" I ask Jacob, "and, did he volunteer to go get them thing?" I hold the stone outside my shirt.

"Yes, he has always gone back and forth when anything came up." Jacob answers.

"Sounds like he is down here to keep track of things." I answer my assumptions. "Well, with that out of the way, let's see if I can spend a few hours with your bows, I'll start with Sabina's and work on your two."

"Sabina? Can you get Heran?" I ask standing up. "I figure we might as well go scout out as much mint, lavender, and anything else we can find that is worth selling.

"This is where I found the mint, you'll see it is taking over the entire area, it will kill off everything else around it, so we'll take cuttings, put them in water for a while and plant them in little containers."

"That's it?" Heran asked, "which parts?"

"I've made it harvest time, so take every offshoot at an angle with a little nub left over and it will regrow." There is enough in this patch alone for everyone coming to the meeting to get a few jars worth of leaves and several cuttings, every two years you split them from one container into two." I show them the cut and start pruning everything that looked nice enough to take.

"Everyone is going to have them outside?"

"Nah, you can place them in the morning facing windows if you want," I reply.

"If I teach you two how to take care of these, could you teach the rest of the people? This, and the Lavender to the west of here, and each family could make a few gold as is, or turn them into soaps and oils for quite a bit of gold each depending on the effort they put into it."

We have two crates of mint and leave the cart to head down the stream to the west. "Here we go, this is Lavender, the oil is better in the mornings. Leave the wilted behind and cut the good looking ones a few inches above this woody part down here."

"What is this used for?" Sabina asks smelling the flowers.

"Aroma for calming, stops coughing, minor scrapes and cuts, muscle pains, soaps, and oils again. Beau should know about lavender."

"How does such a manly man know so much about flowers?" Heran smirks at me.

"My mentor taught me, she knew every plant, herb and animal. The mint didn't need this but if we are going to take these now, let me show you something, just between us three? They both nod and watch in wonder as I walk to each one. I don't have to wave my hands to enable plant growth but it focuses their attention. The wilted parts firmed up again and each plant grew dramatically, walking around the area I was able to push each of them with almost no loss of power. Again, far surpassing what I could do when I was being taught and sweating to get through a lot this size.

"Kae, this one we cut the entire thing?" Sabina asks.

"Just under the first set of leaves, we should get several bushels, and this will make them bushier next season. Oh, do you have snow or frost here?"

"What are those?" Heran asks and they both stop cutting to look back at me.

"The rain freezes and covers the ground in white or freezes on the ground?"

"Not that I've ever experienced, does it do that where you were from?" Sabina replies.

"I'm going to love this land, and yes, it was cold most of the year with really short hot summers."

"It's like this most of the year, mother said there was a huge storm that almost washed the coastal towns away when she was my age."

Three armfuls of lavender and we walked beside the cart back to town, stopping at the first few houses asking them to "put the mint into water, pick off the bottom leaves on the lavender and put into soil clumps for growing later. Hang the left over sprigs upside down to dry and add to jars of oil and let them sit for a while shaking them on occasion. We'll explain more later, right now we have to get to the other homes..."

After that we each took homes on both sides and off down the side roads stopping at each one with Mertil and Beau at the end of town. Many were aware of the lavender, but all were surprised by the mint.

"I have plenty of lavender, what is the mint for?" Beau asked and I let her know we could talk about all of it over dinner later as it was getting close to the town hall meeting. She blushed and nodded with a smile. Sabina pulled Heran out and I rolled my eyes but decided to use the opportunity.

"Chew this," I took one and gave one to her and chewed vigorously. "Now swallow it." I take a step closer, grab both sides of her face, bend down and kiss her, waiting a moment and sliding my tongue into her mouth with her arms wrapping around me. After a moment I stop and pull back.

"It makes kissing much better." I reply and she is nodding and her faced is fully flushed.

"Yes, yes it does. What else is it good for?"

"It's running late, I do have to go, can you pull me away after, so I don't have to talk to everyone."

"Yes, I'll come up with something to save you." Beau smiles.

"Okay, maybe one more while it's fresh, walking forward she takes a step forward and we kiss one more time and then I turn and walk out."

"Alright, let's get the rest to the Inn, Katelyn wanted to put the mint in all of the rooms."

"The lavender smells amazing, It really is calming and wonderful." Heran remarks with the bundle that is left over.

"Is this really worth it to trade?" Sabina asks and I nod.

"It's better than what we currently have."

"What do we currently have?" Heran asks and Sabina laughs.

"Nothing, we currently have nothing." She answers Heran.

"This might only be a few gold per year per home, but it takes little effort and if we go with soaps, oils and healing remedies they can go for quite a bit. There is also sage and other things out there, but it can wait for now."

Back at the Inn we get everything situated with everyone in the kitchen jarring mint and plucking lavender to lay out to dry.

"I figure this is a comfortable community where everyone has a home and during the good times the average day was about 5 silver a day depending. A meal here is what Katelyn?"

"3-5 silver depending on who it is, just an ale is 10copper. I've been in others that are half that and in the aristocratic areas up to 4gold for the same exact meal just presented better."

"With this you want to be the most expensive with the oils at 5-10gold depending on the town and 10-15gold for the mint with who will want it. With two hours of picking we have 20 jars worth of each. And I can make the cutting grow before each order."

"I have no idea how many bars of soap can be made with the dried leaves or from the oil, but at three spoonful per pound you can imagine if we went with twenty bars of soap per pound at say 50silver to 1gold and each jar could make quite a few pounds of soap, it gets complicated in a good way that hurts my brain. Though the lavender soap would make the headache go away." I laugh at the end.

"Ugh, that's." Sabina starts and then stops counting a few times. "four to eight hundred gold for about a quarter of what we picked without adding in the soap?"

"Depends on the demand," I answer and she smiles.

"What's our part for picking it?" Heran gives an innocent smile.

"Our undying gratitude, a place to stay and being fed whenever you wish, Oh and this! "Katelyn walks over and gives Heran a hug.

"Ugh, yeah, thanks aunt Katelyn."

"Letting them dry for one to two weeks and then jarring them in oil for another four to six weeks is the longer part of the process."

"I'm not sure about that, after just one year each home will make more than running an Inn in Twin Rivers."

"What kind of oils do we want to buy in bulk around here? Almond, olive, safflower?"

Katelyn pauses, "Olive and Safflower are what I know of, not sure what almond oil is?"

"Sounds good, that and nice bottles to sell them in are the costs we have. After straining out the leaves we should get three sellable jars to these bigger canning jars. Then we let the leaves dry again and see if we can make some soap."

"Okay, you go out and sit down, I'll bring you something to eat before we head to the hall." Katelyn turns me and pushes me out of the kitchen."

"Heran, ale; Sabina plate the food and I'll find more jars in the back."

Katelyn walks into the storeroom and pulls out another crate of jars and larger cups for the mint, redoing the totals in her head as Sabina seemed to be missing the ratio of oil and leaves to final product.

Three to one on the big jars is only 30 gold per jar, probably 40-50 really, but five tablespoons per pound of soap is forty to fifty pounds of soap or 400 gold per jar, no, that can't be right, going over it again she stops figuring the first batch should be split in half trying each to see what sells best as six to eight thousand gold seems crazy for what they brought into the kitchen for one afternoon of picking.

"Would be nice to have everyone staying here calmer and smelling better." She laughs to herself and goes to sit down with Kae.

After a good meal, we walk together to the Hall and find most of the people are there early. We mingle and I work my way over to Mertil and Tremont. They were surprised when I talked to them in their own language, so I hold up the stone and we talk about Dawson telling Twin Rivers what we had planned.

"They left right after ensuring we would pay. I don't know if Dawson is going to return? Mertil replied. This mint and lavender though is what I'm more interested in? You gave it to everyone in town and we'll be able to sell this once a year?"

"More than that considering your weather is so nice compared to where I come from, we won't know the totals until we get a few batches out there but I expect your percent, just on what we picked today to be around three hundred to eight hundred gold or so gold if Saedin can find the merchants, apothecaries and or herbalists. I expect the bigger cities more influential districts to learn of this and scoop them up as word gets around which could double the profit."

"No! That can't be right?" Tremont scoffs and frowns at me.

"The healing benefits along with the aroma benefits are very, very strong. Mertil, how much would you pay for lavender soap that smells like what I delivered, helped you sleep, calmed your nerves and helped with scrapes and cuts healing?"

She stared at me for a moment and then smiled, "if it does that, whatever it cost, is what I would pay."

"Exactly, a luxury status smell all of your peers will know of that also has real benefits after a long hard day of work."

"Hmmm, every wife of every lord will; ugh, that payment seems less daunting now Tremont." Mertil hugs him and claps her hands.

"Katelyn and I will help out on that also."

"No," Mertil shakes her head, "you two figure this out and have Saedin spread the news of this and we are happy to take care of this small part."

"But we'll just break even for the year, dear." Tremont turns towards her.

Shaking her head, "I believe Kaethorn is seriously underestimating the demand, and they gave us enough to make twice whatever the final tally is, plus this will attract wealthy people or their servants to our town in droves to get it before it goes to market."

"Would you like to explain it? I can then explain the bows and such out front to take when they leave here." I ask Mertil, she pauses for a moment and then agrees.

"Either you or Tremont can talk about establishing relationships with the larger towns and cities after you talk about the trade and goods given out today and then I can go up last."

"You can just add that into the stuff we got today dear." Tremont walks on stage and takes a seat.

"I could just hug you to death right now." Mertil says beaming at me, she glances over at Beau and then gives me a frown, "Be nice to my best friend though or I'll take all this away, young man."

"A nice dinner with a fellow herbalist to celebrate Nikolas' recovery. Of course, I'll be nice."

"Thank you for that, he is the son I never had." Mertil does move forward and hugs me. "Nickolas is sleeping in his room at our house right now."

"Oh, let them know that Heran and Sabina were tasked to help everyone on the care and feeding of what we brought in today." She nods and makes her way to the stage.

"Okay everyone, I know you are all waiting for Kaethorn over there to do all the talking, but he is more of a doer than a talker, I'll go over what has happened since the last time we met here, what he, Sabina and Heran brought to your homes today and what it means, the new trade we are opening and what we can expect and then I'll bring him up to talk about the towns defense and your part in all of this."

"Where to start? The basics is Kaethorn is from another land none of us have heard of, was shipwrecked on our shores and was taken in by Saedin and his family. He killed the two animals eating our livestock and all the other bigger animals around us and then moved into town and is staying at the Inn."

"Saedin agreed to take the boat he was on and start trading with the coastal and larger towns around us, Tremont will build relationships and I am sure we will get plenty of visitors in the near future based on what was brought to all of you today."

"Yes Cassandra?"

"What's the point of all of this if the Skaldians are coming?"

"We talked to the commander from Twin Rivers today, he stated they are there now and they are abiding by the treaty, Tremont will pay the fee for them to go away. Kaethorn will discuss it more when I am done."

"Oh, Keathorn and Beau saved Nikolas after eating poison berries, so we all owe them quite a bit for that, she pauses and there are cheers and clapping. Now back to the trade, Sabina and Heran are going to help you all figure out how to make the most of what was delivered today. We won't know the tally until Saedin gets the goods to market, but each home that takes care of what they received should make a years wage for," She looks over at me, "How long until its ready?"

"two weeks drying, six weeks in oil, three times a year."

"OH, excellent, I was thinking once a year, ugh, my goodness. Well, ugh, where was I? You heard him, make sure you do this right and each home and the town should be drawing people from all over to get what we have before it goes to market. Give it another four months and wealthy men will be flocking here for; your goods." She emphasizes the ending and gets quite a few gasps and laughter.

"Why would men come here to get flowers?"

"The oils and soaps being made from these plants have many health uses and will fetch a hefty price. As the only place that sells these items, many will come here before the product ships to the merchants or apothecaries, and from my experience, men that wish to maintain their status will be among them."

"Now give Kaethorn a warm welcome as he has already done plenty to deserve it." Mertil calls me up to clapping and hooting and whistles.

"Are you available?" was the first question asked with a bunch of shushing and others laughing.

"I will be available tomorrow at Mertil's house to help everyone here learn how to use the bows in the cart outside the door. The raiders coming down will be paid, but, we have no way to defend ourselves from them either deciding they want more than money or bandits or you name it, and not to scare anyone more than necessary, so I'll get to it. I made the bows outside and they are easier to use than your normal longbow, I expect every single person here to practice once a day, those that do exceptionally well will get paid to help the others. If you can make arrows, you will get paid for your efforts. I'm making this town my home and I'll not lose any of you because we were ill-prepared. Anyone that moves here, will be required to do the same, man, woman or child."

"You can't be serious?"

"Are you Nieviana?" I ask and many start laughing.

"What, why?" she demands.

"Just trying to learn the names of everyone here, anyway, everyone is getting paid a healthy amount, will get access to items from all over the realm, all for spending up to an hour a day learning how to protect yourself and your neighbor if they need you. Give it a chance and we can discuss it again later. Heran was able to do quite well in just a few minutes, I'm sure you will also. Take a bow and we can give out the rest during your first training. Let me get everyone to fill in the chairs up front, everyone in the back or standing move up front. I see Mertil stand and turn and stop her. "You live there, you can come out whenever you wish." I smile and turn back, "okay, we are doing groups of eight so," walking down the stairs. Pointing to each person on the left, you eight please stand just over there, you eight stand in the middle there." Counting the last two and then grabbing six from the other side, "you eight by the door.