Tears of Liscor, page 24
part #9 of The Wandering Inn Series
The room was packed with all the adventurers plus Lyonette and Mrsha. Moore had to sit outside, but he was glancing in. Mrsha peered over the table at the enchanted axe. She reached out with one paw and hesitated.
“No touching, Mrsha. It’s very sharp.”
Lyonette gently scolded Mrsha. She was mildly overprotective of the Gnoll now, but Mrsha bore with it well. She picked up a gold coin instead.
“A thousand gold. That’s…a lot.”
Pisces frowned.
“For an [Innkeeper] of Erin’s level? It’s not unheard of. I’ll wager that the Level 30 Drake in Liscor—Peslas, I believe—has at least that much on hand at any given time.”
“You think so, Pisces?”
“It’s not that large a sum. Consider how much Miss Solstice would usually pay just to renovate her inn without the Antinium assisting her. And given her contributions—I’d say it is less than she deserves.”
“Well, she only gets credit for her door, not the plan.”
Jelaqua remarked reasonably as she walked a gold coin over her claws. Seborn nodded. He was leaning against one window, letting everyone else crowd around the axe.
“It’s as good as they’ll give her. I’m surprised they gave the Goblins anything. This isn’t worth sixty-six thousand gold coins, but they were never going to get that.”
“I guess.”
Erin made a face. Seborn shrugged.
“That’s politics. They wouldn’t get anything in the north either. Besides, they probably got lucky getting one artifact guaranteed. Splitting the treasure never goes fairly no matter how it’s done. Believe me. I knew [Pirates].”
Jelaqua rolled her eyes as Erin turned and gave Seborn a deeply interested look.
“Everyone knows that, Seborn. Don’t bore us with another story. Hey, Erin. Did Ilvriss tell you who’s getting what?”
All the adventurers looked sharply at Erin. She hesitated.
“Well, he said they’d decide in a few days. But nothing’s settled, I think.”
“Damn.”
Halrac cursed. Lyonette glared at him. The [Scout] looked away.
“We haven’t settled anything. Every team wants the best artifacts. I want that bow—”
“And we want the staff! Come on, Halrac. I could use that wind-blasting staff. Or one of the wands!”
Revi folded her arms. Jelaqua threw up her arms.
“And I want the armor! But Keldrass is going for the same thing! It’s a mess. We might only get a bucketful of gold, and that would really suck.”
“What’s wrong with gold? You’ll probably get thousands.”
Erin looked at the others, mildly confused. Yvlon shook her head. She addressed both Erin and Ksmvr, who’d raised his hands, probably with the same question.
“The thing is, Erin, artifacts go up in value. Gold doesn’t. Plus, an artifact is hard to acquire since there’s limited numbers of them, especially good ones. Frankly, paying twice of what an artifact’s worth on the market is a better idea than just having the gold.”
“Especially Gold-rank items or better. Do you know how rare it is to find a piece of armor that blocks spells like that thing the Raskghar was wearing? It’s nearly as good as the Heartflame Breastplate—okay, it’s not, but we’ll own it, and that’s what counts.”
Jelaqua grumbled as she kicked about the room. Erin nodded understandingly.
“Sounds rough.”
All the adventurers gave Erin glares that were only half mocking. Erin had seen them arguing with the other teams over drinks, trying to reach a deal for the last few nights. She could only shrug and gather up the gold coins.
“Lyonette, we’ve got money. But I’m going to feed the Goblins and give them what they want with some of it, okay? The rest we’ll have to hide. We should get a safe or something.”
Lyonette nodded.
“Hide it in Bird’s room. Maybe in his bed since he never uses it.”
“Ooh, good idea.”
“I don’t suppose you’d let us make an offer for that axe, would you?”
Revi looked pained as Erin shifted the axe aside. She gestured towards her belt.
“I don’t know about the other teams, but my summoned warriors could do with magical gear. And that axe is a Gold-rank weapon…”
Erin shook her head.
“Sorry. This is going to the Goblins. They earned it, and they can decide what to do with it. Speaking of which…Pebblesnatch?”
She raised her voice. The other adventurers turned to the door. They heard some shuffling and then Moore’s voice.
“Oops. Excuse me.”
The half-Giant moved out of the way. A little Goblin appeared in the doorway. Pebblesnatch’s belly was round, and she was gnawing on some cheese. She was the only Goblin present in Erin’s inn. The Hobs were in their cave, managing the other Cave Goblins. But Pebblesnatch had refused to go with them and for good reason. She was eating nonstop in Erin’s inn, so much so that Erin was afraid she’d injure her stomach or something.
But the Goblin seemed to be able to eat without issue. She could certainly afford to put on some pounds. Erin saw Pebblesnatch pause as she stared at the room full of adventurers and then glance with interest at the axe. Erin smiled encouragingly at her.
“Hey, Pebblesnatch. Can you go downstairs and tell the Hobs I want to speak with them? It’s nothing important, but I’d like all five of them to see this.”
The little Goblin nodded. She tucked the cheese under one arm and walked downstairs. Jelaqua shook her head.
“I swear, that Goblin’s eaten twice her body weight in the last few days. I envy that. Are you going to make her an employee, Erin? What about the Hobs? All those Goblins have to go somewhere. Are they going back into the dungeon or what?”
Everyone looked at Erin. She hesitated.
She’d lied to Ilvriss. She did know how many Goblins were in the cave. The answer was a lot. And the Redfang Warriors were training them. They’d already started teaching the Cave Goblins how to fight like they did. As for plans—Erin had none.
She knew that the Goblins were a problem for Liscor, but she didn’t know what was going to happen. They could go back into the dungeon, but it was so dangerous. Then again, if they stayed above, they’d quickly become a problem as soon as the rains stopped and people started travelling to Liscor. She wondered if the Redfangs had a plan.
If they did, Erin hadn’t discussed it with them yet. She shook her head at Jelaqua.
“Nothing yet. But they’re not causing trouble for now. They just fish and cook all the time. And poke Shield Spiders.”
“You should seal that nest. One of the larger spiders breaks through the wall and there will be a problem.”
Halrac grumbled. Erin nodded.
“I’ll tell the Hobs that. Speaking of which…”
She turned expectantly to the door. There was a pause and then someone shuffled into view. Pawn scratched his antennae as everyone stared at him. He froze.
“Oh. Hello. I was looking for Bird.”
“Hi, Pawn. Look at what I got paid!”
Erin smiled at Pawn, despite him not being five Hobs. The Antinium peered into the room and nodded.
“That is a lot of gold. I am appropriately envious and happy for you, Miss Erin.”
“Thanks. Hey, do you think the Antinium will get paid a lot? You guys did fight with everyone else. Are you trying to get an artifact or gold?”
Pawn paused. He closed his mandibles and lowered them in a frown.
“Paid. Ah, you mean the distribution of wealth. I do not believe the Antinium were offered anything for our assistance in the battle.”
“What? Why not?”
Erin stared at Pawn. The Worker raised all four arms.
“I believe Wall Lord Ilvriss objected to it. As did Liscor’s Council. And Wing Commander Embria. It does not matter.”
“But that’s not—”
Erin bit back an echo of what she’d said to Ilvriss. Pawn cocked his head to one side.
“It truly does not matter, Erin. The Antinium fulfilled our contract with Liscor. And we obtained what we wanted anyways.”
“Which was?”
Pawn turned to look at Pisces. He hesitated.
“Um…oh my. Look at the rain. I should see Bird.”
He edged back and out of the room. Erin stared at the space where he had been, mystified. She looked back at Pisces.
“What did they get?”
“One wonders.”
The [Necromancer] tapped his lips thoughtfully, studiously ignoring the glances his teammates and the other adventurers gave him. He glanced towards the doorway as he heard some rapid footsteps.
“Ah.”
This time, the Redfang Warriors appeared as one, led by Pebblesnatch. The Cave Goblin pointed them into the room, and the Hobs warily entered. They stared at the gold coins for all of a millisecond and then fixed their gazes on the axe. Shorthilt whistled. Headscratcher nodded at Jelaqua. The Selphid grinned as Halrac stepped away from the Hobs and the others edged back to give them room.
“Hey…Numbtongue?”
Headscratcher looked disappointed. Numbtongue rolled his eyes. He looked questioningly at Erin. She took a deep breath.
“Hey guys, I’ve got some good news. And bad news. You see…I went to see Ilvriss and…well, he’s not going to pay you for saving the Gnolls. I mean, not with everything you should get.”
The Hobs stared at Erin. They looked at each other. Badarrow scratched his head. Rabbiteater frowned. Numbtongue looked at Erin.
“What pay?”
The [Innkeeper] blinked.
“Your…gold. For saving the Gnolls? Two thousand gold pieces? It’s a lot of money. And you’re not getting it.”
The Hobgoblins stared at each other. They shrugged. Numbtongue turned to Erin.
“Okay.”
He looked around and noticed everyone was giving him puzzled looks. Erin wavered.
“Aren’t you upset? I mean, that’s a lot of money! And you’re not getting any of it! Isn’t that unfair?”
“Sure.”
Numbtongue nodded obligingly. Erin gazed at him. And then she understood something about Goblins. They really didn’t care. Not about money. And not about things being unfair. Because, to a Goblin, everything was usually unfair.
“Well, I got paid some. And I think it’s only right that some of it’s yours.”
The Hobs stared at gold coins on the table. They looked at Erin and back at the coins. It was as if she’d offered them dirt. Badarrow picked up one coin, weighed it on a finger, and shrugged. He flicked it into the air and let it bounce off the table. Erin stared at him and then at the Redfangs who clearly didn’t care. She tried another tack.
“I can buy you food with it. Or weapons.”
Instantly, all the Hobs looked up with interest. They stared at the coins and at Erin as if only putting together what the money meant for the first time. Headscratcher cleared his throat.
“Swords? More?”
He spoke awkwardly and with difficulty. Erin nodded.
“More swords! If you need them. Or other things.”
The Redfangs looked at each other. They immediately huddled together. Shorthilt looked up.
“Mace? Dagger? Chainmail? Shield?”
“Yeah. Or…food.”
Rabbiteater smacked his lips together appreciatively. But Shorthilt smacked him on the back of the head. He elbowed the others until they nodded impatiently. Then the Hob stepped forwards. He stood in front of Erin like a statesman giving a speech. He looked at Erin and spoke slowly and carefully.
“Helmets. Coif. Vambraces. Oil. Whetstone. Spear. Glaive. Zweihander. Scimitar. Bardiche. Buckler. Pauldrons…”
It was like he’d memorized a dictionary of words that only pertained to weapons and armor. Erin stared as Shorthilt began listing off an armory’s worth of items. She eventually cut him off.
“You want all that?”
“Some.”
The Hob nodded eagerly. The other Redfang Warriors nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Rabbiteater grumbled and made it clear that he wanted some food. But Shorthilt was adamant. Erin wavered.
“Well, I can get you some of that. Some. But the money will also go to food. For the Goblins?”
The Hobs nodded at that. They looked satisfied, punching each other on the shoulders good-naturedly. In fact, they looked quite happy. Erin stared at them, mystified, and then pointed to the axe.
“Ilvriss also gave you that. There’s only one, but it’s all he’s willing to give you. So…”
The Hobs froze. They stared at the enchanted axe. They looked at Erin. Numbtongue inhaled sharply.
“For us?”
Erin nodded. The Hobs stared at each other. Then as one, they leapt for the axe.
“Whoa!”
Erin jumped back. The adventurers backed up as the five Goblins all tried to grab the axe. They fell, punching and kicking each other for it. Erin shouted and waved her arms for them to stop, but the Hobs didn’t listen. The first to emerge from the pile was Headscratcher. He pried Shorthilt’s hands off the axe and lifted it over his head, crowing.
“Mine!”
The Hobs all stared at him. Shorthilt groaned and smacked his forehead on the floor. Glumly, the other four got up and scuffed at the ground with their feet. Erin stared.
“Wait, that was it?”
Headscratcher nodded. He swung the axe carefully as the other Hobs glared at him. Apparently, they’d decided who would get the axe with the simplest of trials. Ceria looked at her team.
“Wanna try that for our next artifact?”
Yvlon laughed. Pisces just sniffed. The Hobs clustered around Headscratcher, disappointment forgotten as he let them try the axe. He looked at Erin, and she was surprised to see a bit of moisture in his eyes. Headscratcher nearly teared up. He kept elbowing Numbtongue until the Goblin translated.
“Very good. Very good. He says thank you.”
Erin raised her hands.
“I didn’t do much. Look, Headscratcher, aw, don’t cry. I’m glad you like it. But it’s not what you deserve. You should get two more artifacts. Or gold!”
The Hobs stared at the pile of gold dismissively. They shook their heads. Numbtongue looked confused. He looked at Erin.
“Why so important? For buying?”
Revi raised her eyebrows. Jelaqua laughed. Erin nodded.
“It’s important! Very important. If you had more, you could buy…tons of good stuff! All of the others want it.”
The Hobs looked at the adventurers. They nodded. Halrac looked stonily past the Goblins. Jelaqua scratched her neck and sighed.
“Yeah, it’s important. We might not get anything good. And—hell, it is a bit depressing.”
“Why’s that?”
Lyonette held Mrsha up. The Gnoll sniffed Jelaqua as the Selphid shrugged.
“It’s nothing. Okay—look. It’s just that we might not get any artifacts. Or if we do, we get one. And it’s…well, it’s hard after fighting in the dungeon for so long, you know? After so much…”
She glanced at Griffon Hunt and away. The other adventurers nodded. Jelaqua spread her arms out.
“Sorry. I know I’m griping. But the other teams will get a share of the loot, and that’s fair. But we—well, we were here first, you know? And we’re not getting much.”
“Yeah.”
Seborn nodded. Typhenous leaned on his staff.
“We have to agree. It is disappointing. Fair, but disappointing. I have no doubt we can negotiate for one artifact, but it might not be what we wish. As for the monetary costs…well, we’ll most likely have to forgo all the gold for a chance at one artifact.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
Erin felt bad as she thought about that. It was true. The Halfseekers and Griffon Hunt had sacrificed a lot. They’d lost Ulrien. And now, they had to gamble on whether they’d get anything worthwhile.
The Hobs stared thoughtfully at the adventurers. Then they looked at the gold. Badarrow picked up the gold piece again and looked at it. Then he bit it. He frowned at the faint teeth marks in the gold piece and showed it to Rabbiteater. The other Hob bit the coin as well and licked it thoughtfully. He showed it to Headscratcher who nodded and, true to his name, scratched his head.
“This is good?”
“Yup. This is what adventurers look for. This and gems and magical artifacts. And, uh…”
Erin looked at the others. Jelaqua shrugged.
“Artwork. Vases, tapestries, old documents, books, magical and non magical. Gilding on the walls…”
“Old maps can be worth a fortune. As well as correspondence. You can make a fortune on the right letters.”
Revi smiled.
“I heard someone sold a love letter from an old [Archmage] of Wistram to a Chandrarian [Queen] for ten thousand gold pieces. It was worth more than the gemstones they found!”
The Hobs stared at her. Then they looked at each other. Headscratcher wandered over to the table. He picked up the empty bag of holding and peered into it. He dropped a coin inside and watched as it vanished. Then he tossed it to Numbtongue. The Hob grunted as he inserted his entire arm into the bag. He waved it at Erin.
“This thing. Can we take it?”
“Oh, no. Sorry. I have to give it back.”
The Hob nodded.
“We’ll give back. But borrow for little while?”
Erin hesitated.
“Well, sure. Why not? Do you need both?”
The Hobs conferred. They nodded. Numbtongue turned to the others.
“We go. Come back later. You wait.”
He waved vaguely at the room then walked out the door. The adventurers watched as the Hobs followed him. Ceria frowned.
“Does he mean wait here?”
Revi snorted.
“Bugger that. As Dawil would say. Come on, if they’re coming back I need a drink to wash the poverty off my tongue. Look, let’s all sit down and figure out who gets what once and for all.”
