un: sweet lily of the hidden valley - handwritten

[bearshermark]

Haltham says we're going to need another 50,000 or 60,000 more coins for a smuggler, travel fees, rations, and papers, and because now there's more of us. They haven't figured out where we're heading after this or how long we'll be here. It's a little frustrating. I guess the regions of this world must have a lot of border security. He also said the weather is unusually bad for this time of year, so that makes things more difficult.

But I'm not going to be able to go into town much now that I have someone that stands out a lot following me around everywhere, so it'll be hard to make more money to put toward that fund. But I am going to make myself useful and help with everything that needs done around the farm. I think it's important to work together as much as we can, so if anyone could use an extra set of hands or two with anything, please let me know.

P.S. Don't mind Hendrik too much. He only looks intimidating.

-Eleven

Comments

[unswervingcompanion]

[Hendrik shook his head.]

Pay it no mind. It is my duty to assist you in any way that I can so you have no need to formally request my assistance.

[It made him happy the Luminary was asking for his help because he had been wondering if the other wanted him around at all by the conversations he overheard.]

[bearshermark]

[Eleven relaxes]

Thank you.

[And now he's a little awkward] Um, was that all you wanted to talk about..?

[unswervingcompanion]

[The knight cocked his head slightly to the side.]

I am curious. By assisting with tasks on the farm, that will help us raise some of the required funds for our necessities, correct?

[Not to mention he was going to need the Luminary's help here and there as Hendrik was no farm hand. But he could work hard and lend his strength wherever it was needed.]

[bearshermark]

No- well, sort of, I guess.

[He shrugs]

The more we can manage on our own, the less coin we'll need to spend on supplies. But the work we're doing is mostly for our own benefit, to live more comfortably until we leave. I think, in the long-run, Bloodbonnet is going to benefit the most from this. Assuming this is his land, he won't have had to pay anyone to fix it up as much.

[Suffice to say his opinion of the man is rather abysmal]

[unswervingcompanion]

[A slight growl came out at Eleven's words. They weren't meant towards the boy himself of course, but at the situation. He did understand self sufficiency which is what a lot of this sounded like to his ears. But he still didn't like the idea of doing someone else's work for them if someone else profited the way it sounded.]

But you said we needed coins of this realm to help, did you not? Food can be grown but that takes time and people will go hungry if there is not enough to go around now.

[bearshermark]

[Eleven runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head.]

We'll need coin for what supplies we can't procure on our own, but escaping here is a separate fund. We spent the last moon raising a hundred thousand. Surely we can manage half as much again..

[He eyes Hendrik's armor, thinking of how the man has sold it once already. He'll sell his own before asking that of him.]

I don't think we're going to have a surplus enough of food to be saving it for our journey east.

[unswervingcompanion]

And how precisely did you manage to raise such a huge lump sum?

[Hendrik is both impressed and curious. There had to be some way that they managed it and now of course he was here to lend a hand. He had no idea why the Luminary was looking at his armor and of course it was an odd sensation. Back home they fought beasts and did all sorts of things to obtain what they needed. And he wondered if something like that could be done here. He had to admit though, the food thing bothered him.]

Is there no other way to gain supplies here?

[bearshermark]

[Eleven shifts]

Uh, well, there was an auction where a lot of merchants came in, so we sold things unique to our worlds that no one here would find elsewhere. I had some forging materials to offer myself. So combined, we made a lot of coin that way. Of course, a lot of us were working, too. I spent a lot of time in the salt mines, and some on the docks. I offered healing to the ladies at the um, brothel in exchange for food. It's really been up to us to forage or else raise funds for supplies.

[unswervingcompanion]

"Merchants and auctions..." Hendrik mused, pondering. Well he'd sold his armor once to help out, he could do so again. But then he listened to the part about the forging materials and heard what was said about salt mines and docks.

Blue green eyes narrowed slightly as Eleven reported that he'd offered healing, but that was a thing that he had to do for survival. Hendrik was here so whatever adverse situation the other had found himself in before..well that had to change now.

"This work to be found on the docks. It would be best to investigate to see if they still have such a need, correct?" He didn't mind being put to work, especially if it would help the Luminary.

[bearshermark]

Eleven eyed Hendrik, quite clearly dubious.

"Well yes, I'm sure you'd be a great help there, but.. as I've said, you stand out too much. You're much taller than most everyone here. The undead are looking for us. Going back and forth from the city could lead them here."

But he looked contemplative, if hesitant, chewing on his lip before speaking. "Both Archeval and Fox have offered to help disguise you or allay suspicion.."

[unswervingcompanion]

He was about to state that he wasn't afraid of the undead as they'd fought so many creatures just like that back home. But he did worry for the Luminary who didn't seem too keen on the idea of that.

And while it wasn't his fault that he was quite tall, he did know that it made him stand out, even more so than he would notice. The people here weren't an entire nation nor were they even truly allies as they'd had back home. That alone perplexed him into thinking tizzies.

That last part though had him highly doubtful. "What precisely would you have me hide me as?"

[bearshermark]

Eleven shrugged, glancing off.

"Fox has stealth magic.. I'm not sure about how it works yet, but it takes components and I'm worried about how much they could cost versus what working would make. Archeval can just.. distract attention so long as you're dressed somewhat normally and don't otherwise draw attention to yourself, but he's not likely to want to do so for long hours.."

[unswervingcompanion]

"So your intention is to hide me." That came out as a half growl because the last time he hid was in a basement when Zwaardsrust was being attacked. He'd felt so helpless camped out in that cramped basement while hearing the screams of the dying.

And now here the Luminary was determined to have him hide as if he was an issue. "And just how do you propose I dress normally? What if you're attacked? Should I no longer wear my armor and fulfill my oath to you?" Really this whole conversation was doing nothing but giving him a headache.

If only he could make sense of it in his own head that might help out a great deal too.

[bearshermark]

Eleven huffed an agitated breath and shook his head.

"I'm just letting you know your options if you want to go into town. That's why I said I would stay here on the farm." He dragged a hand through his hair and gave a helpless shrug. "There is work that needs to be done here, so it isn't like we aren't contributing. It just means we won't have any coin."

[unswervingcompanion]

"I am sure we will be fine." Hendrik turned to look at the boy and wondered why he seem agitated. It wasn't as if this was the first time he'd seen the other like this though. Their journey back home had been quite filled with moments like this.

But he sighed, knowing that eventually he knew he'd have to give into this ludicrous demand.