Chapter 74: The Paladin’s Wrangler

He lined up in one single row. The men that stayed in Ganamere are now being paid by Ser Garland himself. He sits with a bag of gold in front of him. Each man would get his pouch of cold and would show a smile wider than the cleared up sky.

He took a step and waited for his turn. They are in the courtyard of the Fort. He’s still in the middle of the line and there was much to wait. Jess felt rather tired and relief at the same time. The fort of Ganamere was filled with corpses after the battle in the night. With the dark lord of the bloodless killed and most of them nestling back to the shadows of the forests near Ganamere. The Fort was free from the bloodless. But the battle left corpses everywhere, the battlements were filled with the dead. And some were even turning into the bloodless that would then kill the rest of the men alive on top of the walls. Jess put down at least three bloodless. They were pitiful and even some were people he knew or at least talked to once.

He remembered slitting their throats. He remembered the way they look at him with fear as they die, and explode into ashes that would ascend up to the skies. The sky was clear now. Jess felt like the time he spent in this place was not worth the effort and horrors it brought.

He took a step. His head was still in the clouds. He could smell the spring wind that is lingering in the air. The cold blistering wind was gone. It was replaced with a calming scent of faunas. The sky above was now blue and glistening. There are clouds formed into many different shapes. There are animals making noises and the birds were chirping in the background as they return to the territory after spending time away from the place.

The fort was now being filled with wagons and carts. These wagons and carts traveled to Ganamere in order to start the mining immediately now that the bloodless retreated. The wagons are also used for transport since the horses of the men in the fort got either killed or stolen.

Jess already lost his horse coming here into this place so he would climb on the cart's along with the others to be transported into the nearby town. Ganamere is merely a town for miners and the likes of him. He could tell that the wagon that arrived were mostly filled with the collared, people who owed debts to the kingdom and are now forced to work under the damp mines located underground of the territory.

Jess luckily didn’t owe anything to the moneylenders. He’d rather kill and work as mercenary rather than owe money to moneylenders. To him, they are the evilest people in the world. They would suck the life out of anyone and Jess has already seen people despair as their debts became irredeemable. At least working as mercenary allows him freedom and the chance to earn big.

He looked at the line. He was already up next. The man in front of him took his gold and went away. Jess took a step forward and saw the Lord Commander of the Fort looked at him from head to toe.

“You survive.”

“I did.”

“What about your friend?”

“He died.”

“How did he die?”

“A bite to the neck, his throat got ripped out and the bone in his neck snapped.”

“I see.”

Ser Garland took the quill pen and on his right and dip it in the ink bottle near the paper he was listing. He wrote lines of words in the paper, took some gold, counted it and put it in a pouch like the others. Jess took the pouch and then looked inside it. He estimated the gold inside and was satisfied. It can last him for about three months and indeed the pay was not disappointing.

“Thank you.”

“Hold up,” said Sir Garland the Great. “Are you interested in working for me?”

“What?”

“I saw you work that bow. You are good, and you seem to be a Raven Wrangler if I am not mistaken.”

“I am, but why hire me, Sir? There should be others who are better than me.”

“Indeed there are, but you are good with the bow and the guy I was about to hire got killed three days ago. I am looking for a replacement.”

“A replacement,” Jess mumbled. “But aren’t you leaving for the Capital Sir?”

“I am, I will become a Paladin and I am offering you to become my Raven Wrangler, someone who could deliver letters for me. In the capital, there are people that adore wranglers like you. And I don't have someone like you.”

Jess knew about the Capital of Altria. To him, that place is the vilest place on the continent. Indeed the walls of the Capital are gilded and there is heavy security around. The city is bustling, the buildings and roads are well-maintained. But remove that cover and one would see the hidden daggers and toxic words that the people who control the city does.

“Yes, or No, I need your answer.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Good.”

Jess accepted the offered. The Capital of Altria is filled with many opportunities and not many can work alongside a Paladin. Ser Garland is strong and in the days he spent here, Jess knew that working for him is something that most people would jump on. He’d be a fool if he refuses an offer like this.

“Stay in the Fort for another two days. In that time the escort will arrive along with the new commander of the Fort. I will be heading back and you will too.” Sir Garland said straight. “Understand?”

“I understand, Sir Garland.”

Jess nodded. He then went out of the way. He could feel the jealous stares of the others but he ignored them. Now that he’s been recruited they can’t do anything about him. Jess felt great that he somehow got accepted as a wrangler for a Paladin. Before, he was planning to stay in an idyllic village for a week or so but it seems that will be canceled.

It seems nothing goes as planned, Jess thought. He trotted away from the line and then went near the carts and wagons. While walking near the hubbub of drivers and merchants, he heard them talk.

“The road in the south seems to be in chaos.”

“Indeed, to think that someone would start killing bandits and slavers, leaving only a trail of corpses in the snowy road. Either that person is strong or just insane.”

“Well, other than some of the slaver's being killed. The saw blade wielding lunatic seems to be killing off anything that remotely looked like they are evil.”

“Good lord, it is good that we are far from that place. I rather not have my head sawed by a lunatic wearing a Wooden Black Jester mask.”

“Aye, that tattered cloak and that smiling mask of that lunatic puts shiver even in the toughest fools I heard. One week, it took that lunatic one week to be known.”

“He’s like a ghost; most of the news coming from the roads there through te crows or ravens says the lunatic’s a ghost.”

“Ghost or not, he’d been making those sons of bitches flee. Chaos the road is, but it is far safer now that lunatic left a trail of bodies.”

“Who’s the man I wonder?”

“That’s the question right there. However he is, the man is a lunatic. Best not travel there. Well, I doubt we will.”

The merchants said. They seem to be wary, scared and at the same time while discussing. There was fear in their voice. Jess wasn’t that surprised however, such news was not that rare.