Talking On The Trail

JP with Lucian and Wim

Wim quickly found out when the patrol was leaving to go north to the new mining operation in Aquilo. The place would be no more than a shanty town but he needed to experience the trek to understand the logistics of the potential operation. How often the could travel, how dangerous it would be, and especially the type of wagons to travel across herd paths instead of roads where none existed yet.

Wim looked at the men that he was heading north with and raised an eyebrow. Tarmen Frespit was a man Wim had watched at the Drunken Hair. A man you could talk to when he had started drinking but not so much when he stopped drinking.
Wim felt like he would be safe on the trip. At least as he had ale.

The other party didn’t feel quite so generous. Tarmen wasn’t wanting one of the nobles, especially this brat, to join him. He hadn’t seen Wim in quite some time, but he couldn’t care whether or not the kid had grown a spine.
All the same, Tarmen needed him on side if he were to continue his plans. After returning to the front from a light perimeter check, he came next to Wim.
“So, how does a lordling like yourself go from getting threatened in a pub, to being betrothed to one of the few powerful families?”

Wim smiled at him and said, "Luck and hard work, I guess."
He continued, "It was a good lesson that I needed to learn. The rules of the game are different here than back home. I just needed to learn them. Around the Mill, I am just Wim till the boss is around. I helped load the lumber on the wagon and I carried the casks myself. Everyone has to pull their weight and be useful."
Wim was not scared of Tarmen. He worked around enough men who were brutes to be respectfully careful as not to disrespectfully pummeled.

An eyebrow raised at the pups claim. If true, then he had truly grown indeed. Still a cheating brat, but one that could be of use.
“Seems this place really did whip the piss out of you. Into the ale business? Then were you the one supplyin’ the Hare?”

Wim laughed and jokingly said, “You’ve drunk piss water at the Hare till Skunkworks started brewing. We don’t let the keep water it down, wouldn’t stand for it. Honest Ale for and honest coin.”
“This place has beat me, starved me, made me do thing I never wanted to do. I have been beat, mocked, belittled and I still don’t care for being told what to do and how to do it. I found I could laugh at myself. I also found some people actually care about me and want me to be successful,” Wim said with some pride.

Tarmen was impressed. He had expected the pup to be broken after his first week, far from the protection of his bloodline.
He still considered him a child out here, only having a few months of hard work under his belt, but he could respect who he had become.
He also couldn’t deny the kids sense of humor.
“I like the sound of that, was dreadin’ what supplies they were sendin’ with us. Let’s see if all that love can keep you safe out here. From what I can tell this will be a bare settlement. Lots of work a head of us and we will be needing good spirits.”
A small breath of silence came between them before Tarmen asked a more serious question.
“What do you think of the Duke’s plans? Expansion and conquest. I am assumin’ you are also here to help with the finer details for working with the Fang tribes?”

Wim looked a bit puzzled at this.
“The Duke is not sending me, Master Sadir is,” Wim replied.
Without missing a beat he added, “My opinion is that the mine is going to start a war or escalate it and draw us in. Iron is the key to weapons and these people have been fighting longer than we have been here. If you are the leader, I would be happy to help offer my help negotiate with the Fang Tribes if you want, or at least watch you back. I brought extra alcohol to help our negotiation with the natives if need.”
Wim could tell that Tarmen disliked Duke which made him a more like able fellow.

“Good to know we have similar thoughts on this venture. As for the tribes, the ale will help for sure.”
Tarmen gave a nod to confirm his thoughts, which had been oddly imp free as of late. He subconsciously brushed his hand against the head, just to be sure.
“I guess we will see just how successful he is. Anyways, I did hear word that you were part of the raid against the Creed? How did that happen?”

Wim frowned a bit, “They were targeting me and tried to kill me multiple times then they tried to kill a friend of mine.” He considered what he was to say next and said it quietly, “This is speculation but I think they got me hooked on Felfar to track and help put myself at risk by driving me out into the woods and pulling me to the grove.” He got quiet for a moment then still said that quietly, “I am not proud of that and it still pulls at me.”

Tarmen was caught off guard at his confession. The bastards were making him an addict the whole time. They truly deserved their fate then.
“You don’t say? I know a few tribes back home that do somethin’ similar, though not from any civilized cults. What is Felfar though, never heard of it.”

Wim described the vials and the content.
“Even where I am from there are stories of people doing the same thing to get what they want. Ghastly business! The apothecary says that it could be of some medical use if used properly,” He said.
“I think they lace it with magic of some sort to make you have visions,” he said.
“I dreamed I was visited by three of the gods,” he said laughing,
“Then the trees started calling to me,” he said.

Tarmen chuckled.
“Visited by the gods? Now that is quite the trip.”
Based on his own experience, he figured the Creed used it for manipulation. Made the followers see what gods they believed in and struck at that nerve. So then how did Slivhiki appear to him?
“For sake of conversation, which gods? I figure it would be quite nice to have a visit from Hoi.”

Wim looked at him and laughed.
“Hoi and Orestes and god I do not know,” he said.
“If ai start acting weird and run off in the woods and talk to trees. Tie me to the wagon bench!” Wim said.

Tarmen laughed off Wim’s comment but he was off put by where the conversation had led.
“Well, I doubt there is any of this substance in Fang, or I would believe us cursed.”
A shout came to his ears from the back of their group, pulling his attention away from the lordling. It seemed an argument had begun between some of the meat heads.
“Good to see you have some hair on your chest. I look forward to to havin’ your help.”
He then departed to settle the dispute with a respectful nod.
Wim hoped there was not any there too.