So the thing was, I didn’t want to help Iris. Sure her story was great, and she really did have an issue going. But I didn’t care too much about it. She could get sorted herself or find someone else. However, the sword changed my mind completely.

The dwarven-steel sword wasn’t enchanted at all but wouldn’t rust or lose its edge. To me, that was great; provided that I could get runes on it, I would have something far better than the short sword. Not that I didn’t like it, but rather, reach was nice.

Now that I knew how weapon cores worked and that I needed to watch them and help them grow more powerful. I had some plans for what I was going to do with the sword as soon as I saw them. I had kept coming back to an arming sword wanting to get one, but giving up before starting. This time, however, the base to work from just made me happy.

Once we bonded the Guild medallion to me, I would have the right to go into dungeons for free. I didn’t know that there would be costs to go into them or what those costs were. But more importantly than that, the medallion would let me wear my gear without problems. The medallion couldn’t be stolen, only given, and this one showed to be a legacy medallion that gave extra rights. What those were, Iris’s dad didn’t know.

By the time we were wrapping up our negotiations, other people had come down. So he had to go help with them. Iris, on the other hand, just sat awkwardly with me for a few moments. She didn’t seem to know what to do, and neither did I.

Then I felt Blink push into my head. “Daddysss morningss! Good hunts last night city funs!”

I sighed a bit and looked at Iris. “Okay can you go get Kasidy up? If we are leaving we have things to do.”

Iris nodded. I could tell that she was trying to hold back tears. It was why I sent her to get Kasidy. One of the best ways to get over being sad is to encounter someone who made you angry. There wasn’t anyone I knew who could get under my skin faster than Kasidy, so I figured that she would do the same to Iris.

A few minutes later, they both came down. Kasidy didn’t look awake, and Iris didn’t look sad anymore. If anything, she looked just a little angry. Which meant that everything went how I wanted it to. Kasidy came over to my table, and Iris went to help her dad.

I smiled at Kasidy. “So slight change of plans which I’m not sure how it will all work. But Iris is coming with us so we need to get gear for both of you. I suspect that you will want better clothing for travel and so will she.”

Kasidy nodded a little and then rubbed her face. “Iris? Who is Iris?”

“The girl that woke you up.”

“Good good. Okay.”

Kasidy just stared off into space for a few moments. It was always odd watching her try to process that the morning was happening and that she needed to think. If it wouldn’t slow us down too much, I had thought about dumping water on her head on more than one morning. But drying everything out just would take too long.

I saw her brain kick in, and my words processed. “What? She’s coming with us? Why, how?”

I grinned and shook my head. “Yeah, turns out there are people here she needs to get away from. Her dad gave me a nice sword and swore his Adventure’s guild medallion over to me. So we need that wagon that both of you can ride in. Also you both need gear. So eat up we have things to do.”

Just a few minutes later, the three of us were out the door. Kasidy and I followed Iris through the streets. I had with me the bundle of equipment that we wanted to sell, and then we were going to start getting other gear.

It took us a good thirty minutes to weave through the roads to get to the shop we wanted to go to. It was down near the docks but not so close as to have turned dangerous. As we got close, Iris slowed down.

Just as we were about to step up to the shop, Iris said. “Waldrake is a good man. He is stubborn and rude but has always been nice to my dad and me. I know he will give you a fair price. Just know he is what he is.”

I chuckled and nodded. “I understand. I knew a few people like that growing up.”

A bell rang as we walked in. The store wasn’t like what I expected. I had come to think of stores having the goods out where people could touch them. That wasn’t the case here. No, the front counter was in the front, about six feet from the door, and behind the counter were rows of shelves.

Behind that counter was an old man. He was likely in his 60s or so, and he was shaped like a bear. He was likely 7 foot tall and at least 400 pounds, and most of it was still muscle. I could see where he had started to sag some, but overall he was impressive.

He looked at me with eyes that could kill. It was like he was trying to stare through me. A slight chill ran down my back, and then he saw Iris, and he smiled. It was like a light switch had been his, and this angry half-giant of a man turned into a gentle grandpa.

Waldrake waved at Iris. “What can I do for you today, Iris?”

She smiled at him and pointed at us. “They have some things they want to sell and we might be buying stuff as well. I am going to be leaving to go see my cousins. I’ll be traveling with them.”

He gave her a smile and nodded, then looked over at me and squinted his eyes. “Alright, what do you have for me then?”

I smiled and placed the bundle on his counter. Then I untied both ends and rolled it out. Most of what I had in there were small cheap weapons. Clubs and daggers, there were two iron swords, but I hadn’t even thought of using them myself as they were poor quality. The rest of the stuff was small bags and a couple of leathers that hadn’t been ripped apart.

Waldrake grunted and then started to pick through everything. He picked up each item, looked over it, and then set it down to the side. When he got through everything, he looked over at Iris and then at me. He scratched his chin through his big beard.

Then he grunted again and said. “I’ll give you two gold and 17 copper for the lot and that included the blanket.”

I was about to take it when Kasidy stepped forward. “Now Waldrake you and and both know that there’s enough metal there that we could go over to the forge and sell it for two gold just to be melted down.”

He snorted, and I almost thought I saw a smile show up. “Now, is that so, Lass? If the iron was good, they might pay that. But the iron is poor, so it wouldn’t be worth even half that if it was scrap.”

Kasidy laughed. “No the iron is fine its the swords that are poor. I mean did you see the chips in them? It’s not the metals fault that they were used to fight wyverns.”

There was now truly a twinkle in the eyes of Waldrake. “Bah! If they were used on wyverns then they would have lost. Those swords couldn’t hurt one! Try something else as we both know you’re lying!”

Kasidy smiled. “How do you think we came by them? The wyverns killed the men with the weapons but they got a few. We just happened by after the fight. Now I’m sure you can do 4 gold and still turn a good profit!”

“4 gold you must be drunk on that piss that Iris’s old man calls ale! 2 gold and 5 silver not a copper more!”

“3 gold and 5 silver you ugly bear!”

“Bear! I eat them for lunch, you Tart! I won’t give you any more than 2 gold and 7 silver.”

“Tart! You wouldn’t know an honest woman if she hit you over the head and spit on your blind face! We’ll go to an real merchant down on the docks! I’m sure they’ll give us 3 gold!”

Waldrake spit on the ground. “Real Merchant on the docks! Now I know you’re drunk thinking that you’ll find one down there! Just because you’re with Iris, I’ll give you the 3 gold. I won’t make it back on this, but because of her, I’ll do it.”

With that, he pulled out three gold and gave it to Kasidy. She smiled and laughed. Then she gave the money over to me.

My head was spinning a little with the negotiation that they both did. It surprised me with its speed and the name-calling. I also had thought that Iris said that he was stubborn and would give us a fair price.

I nodded to Waldrake. “Well We have a few other things that we are going to need to buy. We might as well get them while we are here.”

* * *