Theanore jumped with excitement as Afriga the chubby came through the tunnel with gremlins carrying baskets with clothes in them. Now, Theanore had the pixies and the worker elves make the clothes for the children of the grotto, but she knew she could trade these new ones easily.

Afriga stopped before the arrayed candy from Alerion and picked up a candy cane. She ate it and her eyes closed in bliss. Sugarcane didn’t grow in No Man’s Land. It was too cold there, but Alerion had subtropical regions too, so it could produce a lot of candy.

Theanore had paid for the candy a total of ten gold coins. So far, she had a ton, which was enough for Afriga for the first delivery. Judging by the many baskets with clothes, Theanore stood to make much more from the trade that she had invested.

“This is a daylight robbery, girl.” Said Afriga as she took another candy cane. “But this is some good stuff, Alerion, make?”

“Straight from the candy factory of grandpa Thinker, Madam Afriga.” Said Theanore. She went and picked up a shirt from the nearest basket. She couldn’t recognize the fabric, but it was nice to the touch.

“Madam Afriga, from what are these shirts made?” Asked Theanore. They were the softest shirts she had ever touched.

“Wool pony hairs. No pony has been hurt in the making of these shirts.” Said Afriga as if she had said the same many times before. Theanore noticed that the clothes were all brown in color.

“Madam Afriga, will you be willing to sell me a breeding pair of wool ponies?” Asked Theanore. They sounded cuddly. And must be soft.

“No way, girl! That is an even bigger robbery. These ponies are not only my only source of revenue, they are nearly extinct anywhere else. My valley is the only place with the right climate for them.” Said Afriga sternly.

Theanore sighed and nodded. Well, it had been worth a shot. And Afriga must really care for the ponies, if she made sure they were not harmed.

“What did it cost you to buy a ton of candy? And don’t you lie to me!” Snapped Afriga. Theanore had the impression that the gremlin was a spiteful thing.

“Ten gold coins.” Answered Theanore. Afriga huffed.

“You stand to make 90 coins from the clothes, more after people begin to search for them in the shops. I demand more from this trade. I hear you are good at enchanting?” Said Afriga. Theanore frowned at her.

“You wanted candy, a ton for 100 articles of clothing. I delivered. You won’t get more from me.” Said Theanore, determined not to be walked over.

“If only I wasn’t on the bad list, I wouldn’t have needed to have you as a middle person.” Said Afriga, and she huffed and brought a third candy cane into her mouth.

Theanore remained silent and as the last gremlin exited the tunnel she watched as they began picking up the candy baskets and go back to where they were.

“And you are sure you don’t want a teleport between our homes, Madam Afriga?” Asked Theanore. She couldn’t understand why the gremlin had refused her offer.

“What is the use for this perfectly good tunnel, then? It takes a week to travel to here, another back. We have dimensional bags with food, and it teaches the younger gremlins that there is more than No Man’s Land in the world. But I see you have collapsed some tunnels. Why, girl?”

“They are dangerous.” Said Theanore, the letter of the Emperor still raising terror in her mind.

“Well, I suppose you are rich enough not to take risks. A word of advice, there are more tribes in No Man’s Land. Why, there is a pixie grove where they make the best cacao beans. They mostly trade with grandpa Thinker, but I can get you in on the deal.” Said Afriga with a calculating glim in her eyes.

“For how much?” Asked Theanore, knowing full well that Afriga will try to fleece her for all she was worth.

“Five percent as a commission to your good old auntie Afriga sounds fair, does it not?” Asked Afriga with a deceptively sweet smile on her face.

“Five percent of which amount?” Asked Darion snappishly. He did not want his little supreme overlord to be led astray.

“The end price of the beans, of course. You will need a milk farm, come to think of it. Pony milk is delicious. Like buttermilk. I have a bottle on me. Come, take a sip!”

Afriga pulled out a bottle with a brown liquid and Theanore took it.

“Milk is white.” She said as she shook the bottle this way and that.

“This is with cacao powder and sugar. Try it, girl, and agree to make dealings with the pixies and your good old auntie Afriga.” Said Afriga as she rubbed her hands together.

“Supreme overlord, let me try it.” Said Darion, and he took the bottle from Theanore’s hands. He uncorked it and drank a sip. It was rich as chocolate and just as tasty. Better than any cacao milk he was allowed to have until now. This was grandpa Thinker’s personal bland, he was sure.

Darion wordlessly handed the bottle to Theanore, who also took a sip. Only to lift it up and chug it all down in a couple of big gulps.

“Auntie Afriga, do you have more?” Asked Theanore, hopefully. She had a massive sweet tooth, but she had never had something this tasty before.

“Ten silver coins per bottle. I have a thousand bottles.” Said Afriga happily. She had known when she has first seen the child that the deal to be a middle lady for the cacao was as good as hers. And if the pixies wanted an arm and a leg, well, that was not her problem.

“We will have enough for everyone to take seconds, even.” Said Theanore and Darion nodded at her with approval. “And enough to send some to Elmar and father.” With that, Theanore made the best trade in her life, despite her and Afriga not knowing it yet.