The Morning light peaked through the barred window that sat just outside the holding cell. Vakdragnar still waited to be released. He was beginning to believe that Shattershade had played some elaborate joke on him. Was their promise of freedom some attempt to get information from him? The uncertainty was tortuous. For all he knew, they had failed to convince Lance, and he waited to be executed, not released.

He waited until nearly noon. The anticipation was getting to him now; the total dread in believing that he was about to be executed. Then the door to the holding cell opened, Vak sat up apprehensively. Finally, Anka stepped into view.

“Get your things; we don’t have all day to waste.” She told him impatiently. He was almost glad to see her.

The conditions of his release this time were that he would be leaving the city this morning and only allowed back in under the supervision of a member of Shattershade. The law seems to regard this guild of adventurers highly. His axe would only be returned to him as he left, along with his pouch. Despite his predicament, he was optimistic. He would be working with real heroes to go on an adventure. He felt like a kid again.

They led him through the crowded streets with townsfolk mostly ignoring him when they weren’t sneering. Vak realized that this, again, must be the heroes’ influence. They must see that Shattershade is walking him and so they have nothing to fear from him. High regard, indeed.

Anka led the way, and every so often they were forced to stop as random townsfolk asked her for a favor or a blessing for something inane. Dam was doing his best to skulk behind. He was a bit obvious to Vak, but he supposed maybe the man was practicing moving invisibly.

They stopped in front of a small general store, and Anka led them in.

“Anka, I don’t think I’m supposed to be here,” Vak said diplomatically.

“Yet, here we are.” She said sarcastically. “Don’t strain your brain, Rag. We won’t be here long.”

The insult stung. Vak was growing to not like this woman.

The shop owner stood up as soon as they entered and he noticed Vak and presumably the bright orange clothing that he wore.

“Can I help you, Tey Paira?” He said, looking back and forth between Anka and Vak.”

“Yes we’re leaving soon, and we need to resupply on a few odds and ends.”

“Of course, anything I can do for Shattershade.” He said eyeing Vak up and down.

“Don’t worry. He is harmless.” Anka told him, and surprisingly, the man was mollified by this. He sat back down in his chair and began reading his paper. He would look up every minute or so, but he trusted her word.

Anka began to lead Vak around the store. She had a list of things to buy, but as she found the item and looked at the displayed price, a small “tsk” escaped her lips. She did not think much of the shop’s pricing. Vak had no frame of reference.

Some items, it seemed, were too pricey and she just placed them back on the shelves. Others she handed to Vak to cart around. So, I am going to be their pack mule after all. He counted slowly in his head. He needed to do something about this, but could he blame them, from Anka’s perspective maybe he did seem like a broke thief and villain. Perhaps, instead of expecting respect, he thought he should earn it a bit, probably start by getting to know Anka.

“Excuse me.” Vak began.

“Hmm?” She responded only half-listening.

“I tried and failed to ask you about the naming of your faith’s… uh... shamans the other day. I wonder if you would be willing to better explain them to me.”

“What are you on about?” She said, turning to him.

“You are called Tey Paira, correct? This is a title within the temple?”

“I thought you said you were familiar with the Sacred Hierarchies?”

“I am, with the gods and goddesses. It was a subject of some importance to me growing up. I must admit that I am ignorant of the organizational structure of their earthly servants.”

“Geez, you talk a lot.”

“I have been told that. My apologies.”

She rolled her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Yes, I am a Tey Paira, as in I am devoted to Paital.”

“The god on top of the Autumn Hierarchy?”

“And Peace. People like to focus too much on the seasonal affiliations and not their influence.”

“My apologies…”

“Yes, yes, ignorance…” She said dismissively.

“So, why were you in a temple of Vite, if you are devoted to Paital?”

“The Hierarchies aren’t like a club you join. I follow all of them. Vite, Paital, Marhar, and Gurent, or as you might be familiar: Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring.”

“Birth, Peace, Death, & War.”

“Excellent, Rag. Yeah, I will still pray to any of the various gods in any of the Hierarchies. My devotion, however, is to Paital and the gods and goddesses within his hierarchy. I am devoted to him.

“Like a specialist?”

“Sure, why not? Yes, a ‘specialist.”

“Then what about the other part. You mentioned the leader of the church was Joh Vira, and you were a Tey Paira. Does the first-word hold significance?”

“Obviously.” She said, rolling her eyes. Then she sighed again and explained. “The title is simply your station.”

“Is Tey high within your faith?”

“No.” She said with a laugh. “No, Tey is the lowest a servant to the hierarchy can be.”

“Ah. I meant no offense.”

“Hmm? Oh, don’t worry, I wasn’t. Just a stray thought.”

“Wha…”

“Can you believe this?” She said changing the subject quickly and picking up the item in front of her. “3 gold for a rope? It might as well be made out of gold at that price!” She slammed the rope back down on the shelf.

“Is that not something we need?”

“Eh, we’ll manage. I don’t feel like contributing to this thief’s pockets by paying some of these ridiculous prices. It’s obscene!”

“You know, we’ve mostly only picked up a few things off the list.”

“I’m aware! Braid gave me the list, and he trusts my judgment.”

“Very well.”

“We should be going anyway.” She said, dragging Vak up to the front of the store. Vak displayed the items to the shop owner. A piece of chalk, ten prepackaged rations, and a bag of small metal spheres. The shop owner looked them over and gave her a price.

“Eighteen Silver! You can’t be serious, most of this was marked a few coppers at most.”

“I’m sorry, Tey Paira. These are the prices I have to charge. There have been a series of recent thefts.”

“So, I’m shouldering the cost of these thieves?”

“I don’t have any other choice.”

“Did you not hear?” Vak said, speaking up. “Shattershade just apprehended the Grievespair Organization last night. With the thieves behind bars, surely you can lower your prices?”

“I… suppose,” the shopkeeper responded. “Fifteen Silver.”

“Three silver pieces for disrupting the major thieves guild?” Anka said

“If you are not satisfied, you can surely find what you need elsewhere.”

“Now, listen here, I’m not paying over five silver pieces for this substandard crap.”

“Twelve.”

“Six.”

“Ten.”

“Eight, final offer.”

“Fine. The shop owner said his face red with annoyance. If you will just both leave. Your servant is scaring away my customers.”

“Gladly.” She said, placing the money down on the counter and walking out. Vak grabbed the items they purchased and walked out of the shop. Dam was sitting there looking back and forth up and down the street. His eyes were scanning the road. Did he sense danger? The way he’s looking about is causing him to stand out. People could get the wrong impression that he is doing something very suspicious.

Anka nodded her head and dipped into an alley. Dam followed her as did Vak. Dam had laid out several items on a small stoop. Anka motioned for Vak to do likewise. Dam must have purchased some things while he and Anka had been conversing. He had bought a great deal more things then they had. His purchases included almost all of the items that Anka dismissed; like the rope. Vak took a step back, preparing for her to blow up on his poor spending. Instead, she laughed.

“Good work, Dam.” She said with exaggerated applause.

“Of course, of course.” He said bowing. “It was child’s play. I mean that idiot watched Rag like a hawk. I doubt he even saw me.”

“Wait,” Vak said. “What exactly happened here.”

“You, my big friend, are one hell of a distraction.” Dam said patting Vak on the shoulder.

“You stole these?” Vak said with disbelief.

Dam and Anka shared a look. “Well yeah.” Dam responded.

“This is unacceptable,” Vak said, feeling the anger well up in him.

“No,” Anka told him. “What’s unacceptable is that pompous bastard’s pricing.”

“So, we purchase from someone else. Heroes do not steal.”

“So, it is alright for him to charge prices that common people cannot afford?” She asked him. Dam grew bored of the conversation and began drawing obscenities on the wall of the alley.

“Then he will go out of business.”

“Or desperate people will keep him afloat. We are hunting terrible creatures that came into town, destroyed a home, and killed a woman.”

“I have not forgotten.”

“Yet, this shopkeeper gouges us on prices. He forces us to choose between items that might save someone else’s life, something that might stop an evil creature.”

“I agree that it isn’t right.”

“So, we just balance the scales. He cheats us, so we take that into account.”

“But stealing?” Vak said a lot less sure of himself than when he began the argument.

“Didn’t you steal some poor townsfolk clothes yesterday?” Anka demanded.

“I… I traded him my furs, he benefited from the exchange.”

“Probably, but you didn’t seek his consent, did you?”

“I was trying to stay hidden, Trying to find information to save…”

“I know,” Anka said softening. “You bent the law a bit to do what you had to, to save someone, right?”

“Yes.”

“We are doing the same here. The items we need on this list could protect us at an important time. It could mean the difference between stopping these goblins and certain death. It is not what I would prefer, but it is necessary.”

Vak really didn’t know what to make of her argument. He felt like what they were doing was wrong, but the way she explained it, it made sense. Perhaps we do have a right to them more so than a greedy shopkeeper. He wasn’t sure.

“So, what’s the decision, Rag? You could turn us in. We’d likely get arrested. The goblins would probably return and murder again; all over some overpriced items.” She paused, expecting an answer. Vak floundered.

“I know this for sure,” She added. “Make a decision. Every moment we waste is more time for those creatures to do more evil. So?” She paused again, and Vak had no response to that. “That’s what I thought. Grab the items, and let’s go.” She said stalking out of the alley. A few moments later Dam looked up, realized she had left, and sped after her.

Vak was alone with the ill-gotten gains. Is this what a hero does? He thought as he stooped to pick them up. He followed the Tey Paira feeling more dread then he had at the threat of execution this morning.