Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Deal Making and a Flame in the Night**

Jason and Vanna entered the townhall and found over half a dozen people huddled in groups. Byron saw the companions and he raised his voice and announced, “I think everyone is here.” Jason looked around and recognized a few people. Felix, his landlord, was there as well as Finnan. Jason recognized a few of the other faces, but couldn’t put a name to them.

The villagers began to break apart their conversations and shuffle towards the table. Jason and Vanna sat down next to each other and most of the villager sat across from them. Byron sat himself at the end of the table as if he prepared to moderate a debate.

Once everyone was seated the room went eerily silent and all the villagers stared at Jason as if waiting for him start speaking. “Oh, um hello everyone,” he said, but they all kept staring.

“Jason this is the elder council, each of them is the head of one of Finchead’s leading families,” Byron spoke up. Jason could tell the reeve was trying to butter up the villagers after Jason’s poor start. “They are the voting voices for the village.”

“Yes and I’m honored you all took the time to meet me,” Jason recovered. Jason paused for a moment and made eye contact with each of them. Besides Finnan and Felix; there were three other men all in their late middle age, as well as a heavy set woman and a spindly older woman. Jason looked closer at the latter and recognized her as Pot Lady.

Byron went around the room introduced each of the elders to Jason and Vanna. “Let’s cut to it lad,” one of the men grunted when Byron finished.

“Hush it, Joseph,” Pot Lady hissed, her real name was Nellie. “Just because you don’t raise sheep doesn’t mean you can complain, we all sit through your grain meetings.” There was some mumbling around the table, but a few stayed silent, including Felix. It looks like even though not all of them will be effected by this deal they all get a say in the matter, Jason noted. He decided to take Joseph’s words to heart and cut right to the matter.

“Alright,” Jason said getting everyone’s attention. “I’ve thought about the matter before coming here and I believe that I have my terms figured out.” An important lesson he learned in negotiating in the real world was to be the first to proposes an offer. It’s harder to add new terms than take away ones already in the proposal. So it was better to over shoot and let the other side lean down the contract then let the other party set the terms and Jason have to try and fatten up his side of the deal. “From my understanding, since the road to Exton has become essentially shut and I am the only trader bothering coming from Laxtar,” he hid the fact that many merchants in Laxtar didn’t know about the Fallows-Finchead situation yet, “I propose exclusive rights to buy wool in Finchead. In return I will pay a fix price per sack of wool that we will decide on monthly. In addition I would like to pay for the wool upon my return trips from Laxtar,” Jason finished. He had thought hard about the last point, it would allow him to trade wool even if he was short on cash.

The merchants talked amongst themselves for a minute. Jason tried to overhear what they were saying, but failed. Eventually they all went silent again and Nellie spoke up, “you have already been trading wool for my family. Jon is my grandson,” she clarified when she saw a slightly confused look on Jason’s face. “He trusts you to deliver, and I trust Jon’s decision. I am for this deal, but we all would like to reassess the terms.” Nellie raised a finger, “first, we will not give you exclusivity. How much wool do you think our sheep make a year boy?” She asked.

Jason was taken aback by the question, he had no idea. He quickly tried to remember how many sheep he had seen and threw out a ball park number, “I’d say five or six hundred.”

Nellie smiled and a few others at the table laughed. Nellie shook her head, “no, my family alone has almost nine hundred heads. There are a lot of hills in Finchead I’m sure you haven’t seen.” She looked around the table, “all together I believe the town flock is at two thousand sheep and grows every year.” There was a nod of approval from the other elders. “More importantly, we produce about a sack of wool per sheep a year more depending on how many sheep too old to survive the winter. How much can you transport at a time right now,” Nellie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Eight every two days,” Jason embellished, he probably could carry that much but hadn’t risked it yet, “but that will increase soon,” he added confidently.

“Still I don’t think it is fair to us if we cannot sell all of our wool because our exclusive trader can’t move it all,” Nellie said.

“How about this,” Jason said trying to stand his ground, “Give me a probationary period of thirty days, if I don’t have the means to transport fifty sacks per week by then I do not get exclusive trading rights. But, until then you only trade with me.”

Nellie looked around the table and there were a few nods of approval. “Alright, onto the next issue,” she said. “We will not front you the wool,” she declared flatly, “too many risks.”

“But it’s less risky than holding your wool around here,” Jason quickly replied.

“How do we know our wool will be safe and you will return?”

Jason pointed at Vanna, “I have a guard and I am starting to establish myself in Finchead, I have intentions of making this place my home.” Jason looked at Vanna and the woman nodded her head in approval. “I am a tenant to Elder Felix,” he added trying to add validity to his claim. “How about pay half of the wool’s price as a deposit and the second half on my return.”

Nellie puckered her lips, “we will have to discuss that.” Another session of discussion broke out, this one lingered longer than the first.

Byron leaned towards Jason and gave him a nod of approval to reassure the peddler.

The room went silent again. “A fifty percent deposit is acceptable,” Nellie announced. “We can decide on this month’s price later, but first we will add our own term to the deal,” Nellie said. “If you go a week without buying at least fifty bags of wool then the deal is dissolved.” Nellie raised her voice, “this term is nonnegotiable and it is something we have required of all traders we have done business with in the past.”

Jason looked at Vanna, but she only shrugged. “Of course that only applies if you have at least fifty sacks of wool to sell me in a week?” Jason asked making sure to cover his bases.

Nellie grinned, “of course. And that obviously won’t apply during your probationary period.”

Jason nodded, “Alright then I accept your terms.”

Nellie went through and stated each part of the contract again. She paused after each term for Jason to confirm. When she was done she turned to the other elders and announced, “all in favor say aye.”

A few of the elders raised their hands but all of them agreed to the contract with a verbal ‘aye’. As their voices rang out a punch of adrenaline rushed through Jason and he began to feel light head. He had finally done it, the only thing between him and upgrading to trader now was getting his bartering skill to Trainee I. Jason looked to Vanna and Byron and saw they both wore smiles.

“Don’t disappoint us young man,” Nellie warned and before Jason could respond she continued, “now that we have the basic contract formed we can decide on this months price.” When Jason had thought about his proposal he determined setting the price monthly could only help him. If the prices in Laxtar went up later in the month he would make a greater profit. If they went down then he could store the wool in Laxtar until they went back up, he would just need to make sure that he could afford to keep buying wool while the buying prices were low.

“Jon has been selling to me for no more than one silver a bag,” Jason said. He didn’t mention that was before the buying price went up in Laxtar due to the Hanwell ship crash incident.

“Yes I’m aware,” Nellie said, “but we are going into late fall and wool price increase as less people are sheering their sheep and more people need warm clothes. At anytime the price could go up.”

Jason gritted his teeth. Nellie was right but he didn’t want her to the advantage of suggesting a price. “True but it has been a warm Fall so far,” he bluffed. Jason didn’t have a clue about what the normal weather looked like this time of year in Finchead.

“It has, but the weather is always changes,” Nellie retorted.

“How about one silver and one copper,” Finnan offered to everyone’s surprise. From what Jason could tell the man didn’t raise sheep so he wasn’t sure how much the other elders would value his input.

Nellie looked at Jason as if she were the one making Finnan’s offer. “I can do that,” he said taken aback by the woman’s consideration of Finnan’s price. The one copper was only a five percent increase in price, but if the new wool prices held for a while he would still be coming out profitable.

The other elders nodded and approval. “Then one silver and a copper it is,” Nellie said.

“It looks like everything is decided then,” Byron said as he rose from his chair.

“Does anyone else have anything they would like to add?” Nellie asked the other elders. There was a moment of silent heads looking towards their neighbors, but no one spoke up. “Then our business is done for the night.” The elders began to get up from the table and make small talk amongst themselves.

**You have created a trade agreement with the Village of Finchead. For convenience, trade agreements can be found in the ongoing quests menu. Player will receive experience for each successful trade trip based on amount traded. Warning: Breaking a trade agreement without first consulting opposite party will result in severe reputation penalties.**

New Quest: Village of Finchead Trade Agreement [Ongoing]

Buy at least 50 sacks of wool from villagers a week on a rolling basis.

Reward: 4 experience per sack bought from Finchead awarded upon selling sacks

“Congratulations Jason,” Bryon said. The reeve had been able to sneak up on Jason while he was reading his notifications. Byron leaned in, “I had a feeling you’d be a good investment,” he whispered with a wink. Jason twitched his face in confusion at the comment but smiled anyways. Without Byron, Jason would have had a much harder time getting the trade agreement and setting up in Finchead so he was thankful for the reeve’s help.

Jason opened his mouth, but before he could say anything he was interrupted by a violent sound from the door. Everyone turned to the door and saw Trent rush in. The sheriff’s normally stonelike face was clouded in fear and haste. “Byron,” Trent yelled.

Byron rushed away from Jason and toward the door, Jason and Vanna followed after the reeve. “What has happened?” Byron asked calmly but with urgency in his voice.

“Hurry come with me,” Trent said then rushed back outside. The elders erupted into loud confusion, but Byron, Jason, and Vanna rushed outside after Trent.

As soon as they were outside it was clear why Trent had rushed to get them. Directly down the western road a pillar of flames could be seen. It was hard for Jason to tell how tall the flames rose but they were only a few hundred yards away form the nearest structure in the village. “Trent, what is that?” Byron roared.

Trent was huddled around a handful of armed villagers. Most of them had just entered adulthood and were shaking like fall leaves. Trent turned towards the reeve, “we don’t know, the western watchman just saw it appear a minute ago. We’re rallying a party to check it out.” The fire was obviously not natural as there were no nearby trees on the western road so there was no knowing what kind of dangers had created the inferno.

“Lets go,” Byron yelled without hesitation.

Trent moved as if to protest, but then sent a command for the armed villagers to head towards the flames. All of them with weapons ready.

“Are we going with them?” Vanna asked.

Jason looked at the group of armed villagers quickly getting farther and farther away from the town hall. Whatever was out there, the group would be able to put up some kind of fight, at least long enough for Jason to run to safety. Ultimately curiosity got the best of him. “Come on,” he said then began to jog after the group.

After a couple long minutes Jason and Vanna finally caught up to the group. The armed villagers had stopped as soon as they had a clear view of the fire. “My God,” Vanna gasped when they stopped.

Jason looked at the pillar of flames and saw half a dozen skewered sheep roasting one on top of the other. Safely in front of the fire a naked man wriggled like a worm trying to untie the binds around his feet and hands.