A Chance Encounter

You rise at the crack of dawn as sun filters in through the window of your new house. The bed had been a left over from the previous owner but other than that, your modest abode had little furnishings. A table with some chairs around it along with a bench along another wall in the main room was all that you had been left with, including your bed of course. You pull on your normal outfit which includes a pair of panties, your skirt and your top before you leave your room.

“Good morning, did you sleep well?” Assad greets you as you enter the main room downstairs from the bedroom.

“I did, and I have decided that we should sell the remaining cargo before I attempt to find any form of connection in this city” You reply as Assad takes a bite out of some bacon and biscuit that you had brought from the ship.

“A wise choice, it would be foolish to attempt to make contacts with eight gold to your name in this city, even if eight gold is a princely sum” Assad was wearing the same thing he had on yesterday, a black cotton vest very much similar to your own but with no detail on it, a leather jacket that is left undone and covers his shoulders down to his biceps and finally a pair of baggy trousers held up by a purple sash, the same as your own.

You devour your meal quickly as there is little to savour and head back to the forum with Assad in tow to find a spice merchant or some other trader that would buy spice and tea. Assad tells you that spices were not a common thing in markets in the Morridan Expanse so finding traders that specialise in them would be almost impossible so you would instead have to treat with a merchant house. The Forum is still just as busy as it was the previous day when you arrive but it takes you little time at all to find that the only merchant house that would trade for exotic foreign spices would be Friedman so you and Assad head to their merchant in this forum.

“The Merchant houses tend to have merchants running trade outposts in various areas of influence; the trade zone of Caelonia is currently held by Friedman and would thus be a logical place to start. Thankfully, their office is near the Forum, next to the **** markets.” Explains Assad as you arrive at a grand looking building just outside of the Forum and seemingly three stories high with a wall surrounding it and guards patrolling the perimeter in chain armour with spears and kite shields

“This is almost as impressive as master’s manor in the city” you say as you behold the trade post.

You and Assad aren’t stopped by the guards as you enter but are instead directed towards the main building where an aide of some sort guides you to a chamber filled with red velvet and lush silks with a large dining table taking up the centre of the room. A man with white hair in a dark silken vest and woollen trousers sits at the end of the table.

“Greetings, Kiara of Abiria and her faithful captain . . . I assume you are under her employ? Ahh it matters not, you both are guests here equally” says the man as he rises from his elegant mahogany dining chair. “I am told you have goods of quality that is rarely seen outside of Abiria, I am pronouncing that correct yes? And that a merchant guild under my protection has already made something of a profit from your venture here. I am Friedman, Patricio Friedman, the master of this great house and current mayor of the city of Caelonia” Patricio offers you and Assad a drink of some light brown and transparent liquid.

“This is a special blend of Maern, a drink that is quite common in this land with little alcoholic content, plentiful nutrition and made from the most common grain grown” says Assad as he accepts the gift with a grateful incline of his head. You accept the drink as well, offering Patricio a nod of thanks as well as you swirl it around and gauge its transparency.

“You will have to forgive my caution, I have plenty experience in matters of subterfuge and suspicion comes second nature” you say before carefully taking a sip and feeling the cool, smooth and slightly sweetened liquid slid down your throat. You take a bigger sip when you are confident there are no discernible poisons.

“That is quite alright my dear, though I tremble at the thought of who would be weak enough of the head to consider poisoning a young woman such as yourself, and a remarkable one at that” Patricio says as he takes a long drink from his own glass of Maern. “So I assume you have come here to discuss the sale of some more goods you have brought with you?” you nod your head in agreement as you take another sip.

“Spice, I am told, is something of a rare commodity in these parts so those who trade in it are few and far between” you say, taking another sip of the cool and refreshing drink

“Indeed, I would buy that from you of course, spice is a wonderfully expensive luxury that can be sold quite dearly in other parts but if you are from Abiria, you must have a luxury more closer to my own likings, Abirian spiced tea.” _So that is this man's game _you think to yourself. You look into the smiling face and the blue eyes of the man before you, you see that behind his eyes are the countless experiences he has had in similar situations. You put the drink down, glance at Assad and turn back to Patricio.

“It seems this entire arrangement has been set on a back foot” you say, catching Assad off guard with your cryptic statement.

“Oh yes my dear, I am loathed to treat with any simple trader regardless of whether or not they are foreign. You, my dear, have something I want personally” Patricio continues to smile warmly as he puts his own drink down. You are starting to realise his technique and you recall your instruction on an interrogation method similar to this. Patricio attempted to throw you off guard and bring you into a favourable mood to deal to his conditions and that he knew exactly what kind of tea you had in your cargo gave you more clues.

“I hope your men didn’t kill anyone when they boarded my ship, I would hate to have to return to my people with word that the Caelonians declared war on us” you say, hoping that he gets your message. Meanwhile, Assad is looking between the two of you, you assume he already knew about the boarding attempt but since no harm came of it, he felt it wasn’t necessary to tell you.

“Oh no, my people were skilful in their subterfuge but, perhaps fortunately for you, were unable to acquire the goods I demanded, treating with you is perhaps a more profitable venture then.” You let your cloak slip from your shoulders as you undo the clasp the held it there and you unsheathe your knife, setting it on the table beside your drink.

“I believe this would be one of those experiences that would have taught me caution” you say and Patricio’s smile never falters, though you do see his eyes widen slightly for a moment. “What are you willing to part with to possess my tea, and the spice” now that you have revealed your weapon, you have sent a clear message that he is now back on equal ground with you.

“Perhaps I was mistaken when I took you for a simple trader . . . twenty gold pieces for both the spice and the tea” says Patricio as you pick up and admire the carvings of flowers along the flat of the blade.

“Funny, I sold just silk for half of that and it was already heavily discounted . . . does that mean silk is worth more than spice? Or tea?” you ask casually as you test the sharpness of your knife. The knife was enchanted with runes to keep the edge sharp as possible but you still made a show of testing it for the old man.

“The silk you sold yesterday was quality that is rarely seen, spice is spice and set at an almost fixed rate due to the kind you have available.” He says as he watches your knife with interest while still maintaining his warm smile.

“I need business contacts, you need tea for personal use . . . I think favour for favour is a nice arrangement. I need to establish a source of slaves for my people back home; slaves from the Morridan Expanse are valuable. I also need to set myself up here . . . I have business of a kind that requires my special skill set. As for setting myself up, I assume you would need a **** trainer that can not only have your slaves to an acceptable level in half the time, but can also accurately evaluate any stock you present me?” This is finally what breaks through Patricio’s facade and his smile drops for a concentrated business look.

“Are you offering your services as a freelance and the tea in return for connections with the most powerful trade house in Caelonia and probably the whole of Morridan?” You nod at the old man’s summary. “Eleven gold, for the spice and tea, I assume the tea will be close to a free gift? And before we get to this sale, I shall be wanting a demonstration, there are plenty of slaves to choose from.” You grin as you shake Patricio’s hand, sheathing your knife as you do.