"I know that you want to help right away, but think about it Prād," Sanjaya and Prād sat by the fire in the taproom, the wrought iron fireplace radiating a warmth that warded off the outside cold. "If one of those spider masters shows up with a few hunting spiders, we will be lucky to escape with our lives. And what if two or three show up?"
Prād frowned. "We have to do something. Elhandriel's people are suffering and I gave my word."
"Yes," Sanjaya stroked his beard, "but those who were caught are probably already dead and those who escaped will be in hiding and difficult to find."
"Then what should we do?"
Sanjaya arched his fingers. "First, we need more people. The 'huge stone house' that Elhandriel mentioned is probably an ancient ruin and who knows what treasures lie within. I will spend this evening here spreading information. In three or four days time, the caravan for the iron should arrive. At that point there will be the maximum number of soldiers present, perhaps some of them will join looking to get rich. Right now, we have very little information, we can see if the pixie has any ideas - going into unknown hostile territory without a plan is a good way to die young. Finally, we can discuss the matter with Mr Slate, but if we spread the information correctly, he will come to us.
Prād seemed satisfied. "Ok, I will leave it to you. Just tell me how to help. I'm going to go train." With that, he stood up, placed his hands together, gave a slight bow and left.
Sanjaya chuckled. Who goes outside on a day like this to train?
Sanjaya sat in deep contemplation for some time before returning to his room.
Inhale. In a wide stance, Prād spun the staff up, over his head and secured it behind his back with his left hand, his extended right palm open forwards. Exhale…. Sweat mixed with rain as he gripped the staff with both hands and ripped it to his right in a short, low strike, followed by a side kick. His grip changed and as the last of his breath hissed out, he whipped the staff around in a full length circle, continuing its path. Inhale, he shifted the grip of his left hand, released his right hand and, using the remaining momentum, swung the staff overhead with a deft wrist movement to lock it behind his back while extending his right palm once more. Prād turned his head, his palm tracking the next enemy in his mind.
"Muladhara," he whispered, sacrificing this wisp of breath to call his base chakra by name, allowing the kundalini energy to snake up through his body and into the staff.
Heartbeat. The feel of the soft ground beneath his feet. The tingle of energy flowing through his body. The sturdy wood gripped lightly in his hand and across his shoulder blade. Rain on skin. Water dripping from nose, chin and eyebrows. The slight ache of his wounded shoulder. Release….
"I can't help but wonder what kind of treasures will be there." It was late afternoon and Sanjaya was helping Tercia to cut vegetables for the evening meal, her blonde hair tied in a ponytail. "Oooh!" Exclaimed Tercia. "Maybe there's a room full of gold or ancient magic or maybe there's a demon chained up in there waiting to take over the world!"
Sanjaya chuckled, "I think the pixies would have warned us if that was the case. It seems like we just need to beat these 'spider masters' and then the treasure will be ours. From my understanding, these 'spider masters' are just ettercaps, and while they are quite nasty, it's nothing that a few good men with swords can't handle. Back in the capitol, there used to be bounties for ettercap fangs from time to time. However, if we leave them alone for too long, they might become an infestation and then there will be a real problem. I've heard stories of ettercaps coming out of the forest at night and stealing livestock and children. Sometimes they even take over whole towns if left unchecked. Do you know that they can lay up to twenty eggs at a time?" Sanjaya was not exaggerating, of course most of the clutch would die of predation or cannibalism, as was the nature of spiders. Some spiders would lay over three hundred eggs in a batch, but of those, maybe ten or fewer would reach adulthood.
Later that evening, a knock sounded on Sanjaya's door. "Sanjaya prabhu?" Called Prād's voice. "Some people downstairs want to meet you."
Sanjaya smiled, he was expecting this. It seemed that the seeds he had planted were already bearing fruit. He stood up, put on his black, embroidered cape, grabbed his notebook and headed downstairs.
"So you want to join us in clearing out the ruins for a share of the treasure." Sanjaya sat across from two strong, rough looking men. "That's great!" He said with a smile. "Your actions will help to ensure the safety of this town for future generations." Sanjaya opened his notebook. "Please tell me about your combat experience, your preferred weapons and any skills that might be useful during the mission."
The men were both miners who had once served as militia. While they had only very basic spear training, they had at least seen real combat. Sanjaya noted their names and told them that he would hold a strategy meeting in three days' time and that anyone who wanted to join would be welcome.
As the evening progressed, a number of the townsfolk introduced themselves and asked various questions. Sanjaya answered politely and took a few names. These were mostly simple people who had come to make a life for themselves away from government and taxes. Although the iron valley fell under the duchy of Sejen, there was no nobility in town, and only the mining operation was officially managed. In short, most of the people were free.
12 days remaining…
"Fourteen barrels of lamp oil," called Prād's voice. Sanjaya sat at Jack Slate's desk, surrounded by papers arranged into small, orderly piles. He made a note and called back: "Fourteen barrels of lamp oil."
While noting the current stock, he was compiling an analysis of stock usage over the last year, taking into account previous stock takes, outgoing shipments, incoming supplies and iron stamp transactions.
"Twenty seven lengths of rope," called another man's voice. Three of Jacks men had also been assigned to the task of counting. Sanjaya took note. "Twenty seven lengths of rope," he called back.
It appeared that the town was heavily reliant on the iron shipments for its supplies. Jack had done a decent job keeping record of the transactions, but was definitely more of a soldier than a scholar and it appeared that the information had never been compiled and analysed.
As evening approached, Jack Slate's muscular frame filled the doorway. "How is it going?" He asked. "Pretty good," replied Sanjaya, "I have found a few anomalies though," he pointed to a column of numbers on the sheet of paper in front of him. Since your last stock take, it appears that a number of supplies have gone missing, including two barrels of lamp oil and five sacks of grain. I am in the process of compiling a complete list." Jack looked at the unintelligible array of numbers and frowned. He hadn't asked Sanjaya to do this and was secretly impressed. "That would be difficult to steal," he said. "Maybe it went to the market and I didn't keep proper records, let me think about it. How far are you with the stock take?"
"We've worked out a system and its going smoothly," replied Sanjaya. "We will easily be finished tomorrow. Then I will compile a projection of what the town needs."
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The following afternoon, Sanjaya sat across from Jack Slate, the latter pouring over a page filled with items, dates and numbers. "As you can see," said Sanjaya pointing out a row of figures, "we don't have enough grain for the winter and the prices get steeper as time goes by, so it makes the most sense to order a large amount now since we have the storage space. Additionally the output of the mine drops by about 30% during the winter, but I believe that if you put a hot food and drink service in place, the miners will be more motivated. Finally, the oil consumption increases significantly and it appears that the mine is operating at a loss over midwinter, so it may be worthwhile to investigate alternate forms of heating, or consider closing down for a winter break."
"And how is the supply of salt?" asked Jack, "Last year…." And so the discussion continued into the evening.
Jack thought a bit. He was somewhat out of his depth when it came to this sort of administration. He was far more comfortable training and commanding his men. This paperwork was a constant headache, but the mine had been entrusted to him personally by the Duke of Sejen, and he knew that the supply of iron was important to the Veil of Stone - one of two castles that secured the eastern front from the wild lands beyond.
Jack put a small pile of iron stamps on the desk. "Good job, " he said. "Would you be interested in managing the warehouse? Most of the people here can't even read let alone work out numbers like this."
Sanjaya arched his fingers, easily meeting the captain's intense stare. "While this kind of work is easy for me, it is not my calling," he said, opening the negotiation.
"What is your calling?" Asked Jack, taking the bait.
"I am a scholar," replied Sanjaya, "I want to know the secrets of the universe, the reason that life exists and the nature of all things."
Jack sat back and laughed. "You might find them in one of the crates over there," he said, waving his hand towards the recently mined iron ore. "Seriously though, are you willing to help? We can discuss payment...."
"I'll draw up some terms," replied Sanjaya with a smile, "l think we can work together."
"One more thing," said Jack, frowning. "The men are talking about a strategy meeting tomorrow night. Apparently you plan on clearing ettercaps out of some ruins in the forest and they want to join for a share of the treasure that may or may not exist. I have fought ettercaps before when I was stationed in Dragon's Rest. Nasty creatures. They farm spiders like cattle and their venom is deadly."
"They also breed incredibly fast," agreed Sanjaya, "If left unchecked, they may well overrun a small town like this in a few years. It's Prād's idea, I am just supporting… though I do wonder where they came from."
"I will attend the meeting," announced Jack, "but the supplies are meant to arrive tomorrow, so I hope you will come in and…." Jack frowned. "You planned this."
Sanjaya shrugged, "this is how I support."