ROUGH DRAFT - Thousand Hands 1.3

Straight from my ghostwriter friend, reminder that I haven't even read or checked this over yet prior to when I rewrite it.

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When they got back to Imperalis, it was business as usual. Nellie did what she did best, used her shady connections and insider information to score big with all the loot they got. She knew people in Grimme's Grotto, the mage district, who were always looking for the essentials and any new items. The scrolls and books were particularly popular, to the point that many of them had to be auctioned because so many mages wanted them. She knew fences all over the city who weren’t scared to take on some of the more attention-grabbing pieces, such as the jewelry and gems. She knew which pawn shops treated people fairly and which ones weren’t worth visiting at all. They were the ones who took the statues and other decorative pieces. She made it a point to always go to the stores first and see if they had anything in particular they needed, such as any of the identifiable potions. What was left of them, identifiable or not, was sold to the alchemists and healers. And the absolute last resort that they, thankfully, never had to use, was the Guild, which paid for any treasure gathered. If one could call it paying, since their rates were atrocious.

After offloading all their loot, they split the gold evenly between them. And then it was Rinzer’s turn to do what he did best. Just like how their differing fighting styles helped them work together well, Rinzer complimented Nellie’s selling prowess with his shopping skills. She knew all the best places to sell, and he knew all the best places to buy. It was strange, like some kind of supernatural power, but he was always aware of every shop in Imperalis having a sale, and those were the ones they hit up first.

Working off his usual mental shopping list and his memorized list of requests, he went around making stops all over the city. His first stops were the healers and alchemists, picking up potions, ingredients, and tools. The butchers were next, where he bought their scraps and bones leftover. People in Scadlan knew how to make those stretch, and they got creative with them. He checked off the rest of his grocery list at the grocers, mostly rice and dried vegetables with some treats thrown in. He went to the cheapest tailors to pick up the orders he had left during his last visit, and while there he also bought their scraps, too. Many things could be made from fabric scraps, once you gathered enough. And the general stores were last, where he picked up anything that was leftover.

It never failed to impress Nellie, despite having seen it all dozens of times over the years. It was one of the things she liked about him, even though it came with an unwanted consequence. Rinzer often couldn’t say no to people, and it was as kindhearted as it was stupid. Nellie couldn’t count the number of times he had let someone walk over him, whether knowingly or not. She’d had to bite her tongue each time to keep from saving him. She knew he wouldn’t appreciate it, whether he knew he was getting walked over or not. Conversely, him being stupid like that had become endearing over the years, despite her best efforts to think otherwise.

That endearment had led to her becoming a part of his crusade. She always helped him distribute his goods after his shopping was finished. Not because she actually cared, of course, but because she had nothing better to do anyway. Most of the places she wanted to spend her gold in weren’t open till later in the evening, so there wasn’t anywhere else for her to be. It was one of the biggest signs that they were just built differently. Rinzer, being the nice guy that he was, wanted to change the world any way he could. Or at least make the community he grew up in, the community that helped raise him, better. She knew he was already planning out his next adventure, even as he emptied out the cart. Maybe it was because Nellie didn’t have the same ties to the community, but she didn’t have the same ambition, the same drive to help, that he had. She didn’t get anything out of this charity work except a headache.

That’s what she liked to think, anyway. But then Rinzer turned to her and told her to get the arthritis potion for Granny. It only took a second for her to find the basket he meant, and just a few more to dig through it and find it. She jumped down from the cart and waded through the crowd to get to his side. Ignoring the shining smile he gave her, lest she do something dumb like blush or smile back, she wordlessly held the potion out to the old woman.

Granny, instead of being put off by the silence, smiled gratefully at her. When she reached out to take the potion, Nellie couldn’t help but notice how crooked her fingers were, how they shook. She felt something inside her clinch in response, tightening to the point of pain. But then the woman bowed her head to her, murmuring, “Thank you, child.”

Nellie’s face burst into flames and she was suddenly very grateful her scarf was up. Clearing her throat, she nodded and mumbled something that sounded vaguely polite. Then she beat a retreat, hurrying back through the crowd to get to the edge of it. She found a spot against a wall, that looked solid enough, and leaned against it. Crossing her arms, she watched Rinzer work. The cart was full of a mix of things. There were generic items everyone needed such as food and blankets. Those were shared equally, separated into bundles as they were. And there were things that he had gotten specifically for certain people. He never forgot a request or mixed them up, thanks to his perfect memory. He always made sure everyone got a bundle first before he began passing out the requested items. It was truly a thing of beauty, the way he moved through the crowd, interacting with each person as if he knew them personally. And she knew he probably did.

He pulled a thick jacket, made of some kind of leather, off the cart and held it out to an older man. She recognized him, it was hard not to with his long, fiery red hair and the scar running down his face. She knew a bit about him, from what Rinzer had told her. Kurnax, a retired bounty hunter who’d been injured on a job years ago. He’d lost his eye and despite still being a capable hunter after adjusting to the loss, had lost all work. And once he had hit rock bottom, he’d stayed there. She thought there might have been more to it than just that, some other history between him and Rinzer, but he had never offered any other information when she asked.

She watched Kurnax take the jacket with gentle hands, holding it as if afraid it would disappear from his hands. With Rinzer’s encouragement, he slipped it on and a delighted smile split his face. It fit perfectly. He grabbed Rinzer’s shoulders and pulled him forward. Touching his forehead gently to the adventurer’s, he said in his growling voice, “Thank you, Rinzer.”

Rinzer closed his eyes for a moment, leaning into Kurnax’s touch. Then he reluctantly pulled back and gave the older man a kind smile. “You’re welcome. I’ve got the shop keepers looking out for a new pair of boots, too.”

“Ach, don’t worry about that!” Kurnax waved his hand through the air before pointing at his sandaled feet. “I know how hard it is to find them in my size. Sandals have done me alright so far.”

Rinzer shook his head. “You know I can’t do that. A hunter needs a good pair of boots, you can’t run or jump in those things.”

Kurnax snorted sardonically. “Not a hunter anymore, boy.”

“You’ll always be a hunter at heart.” Rinzer grabbed his shoulder and, copying Kurnax, pulled him in for another forehead touch. That was too much for the retired hunter and he pulled away after just a few seconds. He turned and hurried away, surreptitiously wiping his eyes. Rinzer’s face fell as he watched him go. But then he shook himself and his smile reappeared.

The next person he turned to was a younger woman, visibly pregnant. Just looking at her made Nellie rage inside. Her story was all too common in Scadlan. Born and raised on the streets, she’d fallen for the wrong guard’s empty promises. Now that guard was nowhere to be found and soon, she’d have another mouth to feed. She’d been pretty enough that Nellie had always thought she had more of a chance than anyone of getting out, of getting into the city and moving up in the world. Now though, that beauty had diminished. She looked far too frail and pale to be healthy, with ragged clothes that hung off her worryingly. She had her thick brown hair chopped short and uneven out of convenience. But her blue eyes brightened when Rinzer held out a bottle of pills.

“Hey, Cassara. I’ve got your prenatals. Enough to last the rest of your pregnancy, and for a bit afterwards,” Rinzer explained, pressing the bottle into her palm. “And I’ve worked something out with a midwife inside the city. She’s going to send a raven to you, I gave her your description to find you. When it’s time, or if you think something is wrong, it’ll fetch her and she’ll get here quickly.”

Tears freely dripped down her face as she clutched the pill bottle to her chest. “Thank you, Rinzer. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, just let me know. I’ll have more stuff for the baby after my next trip.” He handed her the bag he’d packed just for her, helping her situate it comfortably on her shoulder. He took a moment to make sure it wasn’t too heavy before she slipped away.

When he turned, he found a gangly, teenaged boy waiting, arms crossed awkwardly. Khel, who Nellie didn’t know much about other than that he’d survived on his own since he was a young child, was only fourteen. Despite that, he was already as tall as Rinzer. He ducked his head, his face red with embarrassment, and mumbled something. Giving him a kind smile, Rinzer nodded and replied, “I got all the ones they had, and they said they’ll hold anymore they get for my next trip.”

He searched through the cart for a moment and when he turned back around, he had a stack of books in his hands. There were four total and each one was thick, easily a few hundred pages. One was on plants in general, another was on the medicinal uses of plants. And the other two taught about potion making. Nellie could find no fault in this, as in a place such as Scroungetown having that kind of knowledge was a good thing. Khel seemed to agree with her. He lit up, beaming, and carefully took the stack himself. He quietly slipped away, pausing briefly to throw a thank you over his shoulder before he disappeared.

Finally, after ten minutes, almost all the blankets, barrels, and bags had been emptied. Everyone had received the medicines, blankets, clothes, and other things they needed. And the crowd had thinned, dispersing as people oohed and aahed over their gifts. The only two left were two boys, who had stood nearby watching and clutching each other’s hands. As soon as Rinzer was alone, the younger one approached him eagerly, pulling the older one along. They stopped in front of him and the younger one looked up at him with wide eyes, obviously in awe. The older one composed himself much better, but even Nellie could see he felt the same way.

Rinzer smiled down at them and reached out to pat both their heads. “Hey, Brant, Coryn. Been keeping out of trouble?” Even as he asked, Rinzer’s eyes were already looking over Coryn. Even from her place, Nellie could see them, too. They both knew what the older boy did to get food, so they weren’t ever surprised to see the bruises. Rinzer’s face tightened for a moment, his jaw quickly clenching and unclenching, before he put his smile back on.

Brant answered for Coryn with an enthusiastic nod. “We’ve been real good, promise! Do you have anything for us?” He didn’t see the reprimanding look Coryn shot him for asking.

Laughing, Rinzer replied, “I think I’ve got something here for you both. Let’s see now.” He turned to search the cart again, making a big show out of digging through the nearly baskets. After a minute of searching and Brant steadily growing more excited, he let out a triumphant, “Ah ha! Found it!” Both boys stepped closer, with Coryn unable to hide his anticipation any longer. Rinzer spun back around with both hands hidden behind his back. “Are you ready?”

The boys nodded and closed their eyes at his instruction. Brant’s popped open when something was placed in his hands. Hopping with excitement, he shouted, “It’s an adventurer! Look, Coryn, it’s an adventurer! I’ve seen his picture on some fliers before, remember?” Coryn didn’t respond, too stunned by the box of food that had been set at his feet. It was bigger than the bundles that had been given out, but he couldn’t even think about how unfair it would seem. All he saw was food, plenty of it, and his mind spun thinking about where they could hide it. Brant didn’t even notice the food, too busy seeing what the action figure could do. Dwarven made, as was most mechanical things, it had moving limbs and even a mouth that opened. Giggling, he moved the mouth and made up a voice, saying, “Show me the monsters!”

He stopped suddenly and his face fell into a frown. He looked at the toy for a few seconds, then looked up at Rinzer. “Hey, Rinzer, when are they going to make an action figure for you?”

Rinzer was stunned speechless for a moment, genuinely delighted by the question. When he found his voice again, he reached out and tussled Brant’s hair, saying, “I’m not big enough for that, yet, buddy.”

“But you should be! Right, Coryn?” Brant looked expectantly at his brother. Coryn shrugged, putting his nonchalant attitude back up now that his shock had worn off.

Rather than being offended, Rinzer ruffled his hair, too. He earned a small smile from the older boy in return before he ducked his head. Taking the hint, Rinzer pulled the attention back to himself. Looking over at Nellie, he asked loudly, “What do you think about that, Nellie? Think I’m big enough to have a toy made from me?”

She snorted and sarcastically joked, “Your head is already plastic, isn’t that enough?” If one listened close enough, they’d hear the warmth hidden within her words. She couldn’t help that, watching him with the kids always made her feel warm and tingly. It was one of his only true hobbies, playing with kids. Cleaning up the streets and getting them food wasn’t enough for him, he had to personally spend time with the kids.

Though, sometimes she thought it was cruel for him to give them useless hope. But that wasn’t a thought she let herself entertain, as it only took her mind down dark paths. It was an unspoken truth between them, that despite all his efforts it still wasn’t enough. He still couldn’t make any real change, and his little shopping trips and giveaways only gave them false hope that didn’t last. It was unspoken but well known, and there was no point thinking on it when she didn’t need to.

She’d rather think on other things, like Rinzer’s past. She knew some things about him, the important things. She knew everyone loved him, and for good reason. She knew he’d been doing odd jobs in Scadlan since he was a boy. He knew everyone on a first name basis and managed to remember little details about each person. She’d heard many stories about them over the years. Despite the gangs and guards and the violence, she knew most of the people were just trying to get by. They looked out for each other when they could, and they had looked out for Rinzer when he needed it most, after the death of his older brother.

That was something Nellie didn’t know, at least not fully. But she figured Rinzer had a good reason for how much he loved these people, his people. And they were good people, she had to admit, even if they sometimes took advantage of his kind heart. And she knew, after eight years at his side, she’d never be able to connect with them as closely as she sometimes wished she could. Growing up in Scroungetown did awful things to a person, and it killed any good inside. Yet that hadn’t happened to Rinzer, if anything his rough life had only made the good in him bloom and grow. And similarly, he could see the good in everyone else around him. Even her.

It was just another thing that made her heart hurt in the best way.

The hopeful, happy atmosphere was broken when someone suddenly let out a frightened shout. Everything stopped, everyone went silent. Seconds went by with nothing happening. And then a group of men walked out into the street, five of them. They wore the armor and signet of the royal watch, each of them armed. The one leading the group had his sword drawn, held confidently at his side. His head moved side to side, inspecting the people who cowered in his presence.

Nellie instantly went on alert. She knew the guard heading the group well, they’d both dealt with him multiple times. Olgir looked as mean as he was, with short cropped black hair and a permanent scowl. Unlike the gang members who rightly feared Rinzer, he and his cronies had no such fear. They knew Rinzer couldn’t touch them. If he did, it would be immediately reported and that wouldn’t be good for anyone.

As the group made their way through the crowd, people ducked down and backed away. Some disappeared completely, worried their gifts might be confiscated. Coryn instantly put Brant behind him protectively, before Rinzer pulled them both behind him. They all had experience with the watch, being victimized in various ways throughout their lives. Every once in a while, they met a good one, but those instances were few and far between. They knew this wasn’t a problem that could be solved with punches, so they all were watching and waiting to see how it played out. Luckily for them, Rinzer knew how to play their games.

It took a massive amount of self-control to be friendly and respectful to assholes, but Rinzer had long since mastered that skill. He put on his friendliest smile, hiding his real feelings about them. He approached them with arms spread wide. It was a laughable attempt at appearing nonthreatening when one considered that his fists were his weapons. The guards knew this and despite their confidence that he wouldn’t do anything stupid, they still treated him with caution. They spread out around him, with Olgir directly in front. They almost surrounded him completely and he had to turn his head to see them all.

“Hey, guys! You’re all looking good.” He looked between them, addressing each like they were old friends. “Olgir, still keeping that sharp cut, I see. Is that new armor, Thrace? Looks good on you, and new weapons to match, too? Jehan, Renfry, how are the wives? Kids? All good, that’s good.”

He got no responses, which he knew would happen. After going through the motions of politeness, he made the next move of the game. He let out a very fake gasp, pretending to notice something. He pointed to the guard in front of him and exclaimed, "No wonder you guys can afford new stuff! Look at those fat sacks of gold on your belt. Did you guys get a bonus? It’s about time, you’ve all earned it.”

Nellie sighed. She knew the game too, tiring as it was. With the guards’ attention on Rinzer, it was almost too easy to slip around them. She crept up to them, one at a time, and got to work. In a trick she’d mastered years ago, she slipped off their coin sacks, put her smaller ones into them, and then put them back on the belts, all in just a few seconds. She’d counted out gold just for this purpose beforehand and so she knew exactly how much each guard got, 300G. She slipped out from behind the last one just as Olgir made his move.

He pulled his coin sack off his belt and the other four followed suit. They inspected the coins, either visually or physically confirming the new amount. It was a tense moment, waiting for Olgir to make a decision. The four cronies would follow him no matter what, even if they didn’t agree. It was the only assurance they had, that they only had to buy him off.

When Olgir raised his head, a smug smirk on his face, he nodded to Rinzer. That was confirmation he was satisfied and everyone in the street breathed a sigh of relief. Not Nellie though, she had her arms crossed and her eyes locked on Rinzer. He wanted to squirm under her stern gaze, but he shoved the feeling aside to focus on the guards. “Don’t spend it all in one place, now.”

Accepting that the game was over and they’d won, like always, Olgir turned his back to Rinzer. He started walking back the way they’d come and the other four guards followed him. Two of them cast dirty looks at the crowd but neither did more than that. No one moved, no one breathed, until they disappeared around the corner. Another collective sigh was released, and Nellie rushed over to Rinzer.

She didn’t bother hiding her anger, unnecessary and irrational though it was. This was the only way to deal with the guards, she knew that. But it didn’t make it any less annoying when he had to play their games. She didn’t like seeing him stoop to their level, getting his hands as dirty as theirs. Just thinking about it all the times it had happened before had her grinding her teeth and resisting the urge to follow them. It wouldn’t be hard to set up an accident, it would be child’s play to her, but she knew he wouldn’t forgive her easily for it.

She’d just have to wait for her bi-monthly murder allowance. She snorted at her own joke, earning a raised eyebrow from Rinzer. She cleared her throat and shook her head, literally shaking off his question. He nodded slowly, agreeing to let it go, and turned away from her.

“Well, it’s always nice getting visited by our friendly neighborhood guardsmen, isn’t it?” The joke, lame as it was, lightened the mood slightly. He could still see some who looked frightened, though, as if waiting for the guards to come back. There was only so much he could do to soothe that fear, much as it pained him to admit it. Holding in a defeated sigh, he ducked his head.

Granny quietly came up to him then, taking the place at his side. He automatically offered her his arm and she took it graciously. She watched with them for a moment, before murmuring, “He’d be so proud of you, Rinzer.”

The sudden use of his name caught both his and Nellie’s attention. Her eyes snapped up at him just in time to see him swallow heavily. His jaw moved, clenched and unclenched, before he replied, “I hope so.”

“Trust me, child. You make us all proud.” She patted his hand, her touch affectionate and motherly, and then she walked away.

Rinzer watched her until she was gone from his view. Then, either ignoring or missing Nelli’s concerned gaze, he shook himself. She could practically hear him talking to himself, probably telling himself to get it together. It worked, apparently, because he put his smile back on just seconds later. He suddenly clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s eyes to him. “There are some items left on the cart. If you want a little extra, or know someone who needs something, take a bit. And if anyone has a request, give them to me now. I’ll be off on my next adventure in a few days.”

He was swarmed again immediately. Laughing, he stepped back and then back forward when he bumped into someone. He spun around and grinned down at the boys, who hadn’t moved since he put them behind him. “I guess I got a lot of work ahead of me, huh?” He joked, ruffling Brant’s hair. He looked at Nellie and wasn’t surprised to see her watching, arms crossed in disapproval. He flashed her an unrepentant smile and earned a head shake and eye roll in response.