The Axe Falls 2 -ch 17-

“That’s Goba,” Harlowe stated, walking along next to Nick as he rode table.

The Werewolf didn’t have a mount and most of the horses in the party didn’t much like her.

Table had given her a snort, eyed her for a second, and then returned to being the goodboy he was.

Because Nick hadn’t bothered to do anything with Harlowe, Table had decided that nothing needed to be done as well. After all, unless he was told to do something, he would immediately go into a netural state.

And become a Table.

Ker, on the other hand, seemed to like Harlowe.

The big Fisher was waddling along next to Harlowe, ocassionally running off and then coming back with some small creature. Often with it’s guts already ripped out and eaten, then offering a hunk of it to the Werewolf.

Who, in general, took it and ate it without a concern at all.

She did decline on rodents.

“It is indeed. We’ve been working out of there for now,” Nick answered with a small nod of his head. “It seems it’s time for you to decide. My offer remains. I’d like to hire you on as a mercenary.”

“The price is low,” Harlowe grumbled, her brows drawing down and throwing him a glare.

“Yes. It is,” agreed Nick. “You were working for some unsavory people and there’s no guarantee that it won’t catch up with you.

“As you yourself noted, there’s people missing from all the bodies we went over. It’s unlikely that they’ll just forget the big attractive Werewolf that wasn’t amongst the dead.

“So hiring you puts a risk on myself, which I’m willing to take up, but only at the price I suggested.”

Nick had low-balled Harlowe pretty bad. To the point that most people would be insulted.

However, he had done it with the same smooth and warm tone he always spoke to her in. His body posture was always presented to her at an angle or sideways.

Never head on.

When he did give her the offer, he made sure he didn’t threaten her, or try to cajole her in any way.

He had laid it out for her in depth compared to the summarized version he had just given her. As well as the reason why he would take the risk for her worth and value, but given that risk he couldn’t be kind about it.

It wasn’t personal, it was just the right thing to do to make sure his hunt was successful.

“It’s just so low,” Harlowe muttered again, still glaring at him.

“It is. I admit it. As I mentioned before, I’m happy to offset with fresh bloody meat as you like for meals. I can’t tell you what type of meat it’ll be day by day, but I guarantee it can be fowl, beef, or pork at the very least,” Nick reiterated. “It isn’t personal Harlowe. Regardless of you being as good a girl as you were and are, it’s just the right thing to do to protect my people.

“I’m sure you understand. In fact I’m sure you’ve already considered what you would do to protect your own pack in a similar situation. Haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Harlowe admitted with a snort, her brow smoothing out. “I will consider it. I need to check in with the my mercenary guild first and see what’s going on. Thankfully they have a branch in Goba.”

“Wonderful. Alright,” Nick said then reached into his new backpack. He had ended up purchasing a smaller version of the one he ended up handing off to Claudia and Rahak. They had suddenly taken charge of it and he found that he still needed something similar.

This was unfortunately a fourth as big as the backpack, but the cost was right, and could carry all the things he imagined he would need personally.

He pulled out a rather cheap hunk of raw beef and held it out to Harlowe.

Meats were quite cheap in the Ledger.

It seemed as if there was a race to the bottom between a few different providers.

“Consider it a goodbye present,” he said as she eyed him.

“The Fisher is your Familiar,” she said and then took the slab of beef from him. She lifted it up and neatly snipped off the tip of it with her rearward teeth.

He noticed in that moment that her slightly wider jaw accommodate her teeth for that very reason. She had managed to pull her cheek back a significant way that wasn’t normal for a human.

“He is,” confirmed Nick.

“Hm. Alright. Thank you,” Harlowe said and then set off at a rather fast jog. Her long legs moving her along easily in long strides. Even as she went, as casually as could be, she continued to nip off sections of the beef.

“Well,” Jessie said, easing her mount up next to Nick’s. “I’m not entirely sad to see her go. I couldn’t get much out of her other than a growl or a snort.”

“She bared her teeth at me,” Julie added, easing up to the other side of Nick. “And literally snarled.”

Sara and Rahak had kept their distance from Harlowe after Julie and Jessie had been repeatedly rebuffed.

Claudia was someone Harlowe didn’t mind at all, unsurprisingly.

If Harlowe wasn’t with Nick, or doing something else, she had fallen back to talk with Claudia.

The day long ride back had been a bit longer than anticipated if only due to the company of the trip.

“I didn’t realize you had a hand for taming beasts,” Sara murmured from behind him.

“Grew up in the country. Wolves were normal. So were foxes and coyotes,” explained Nick. “I actually made friends with a few wolves. I’m just mostly treating her in a similar way, just without treating her like a dumb dog like creature.

“The coyotes were way harder to deal with. They didn’t have the same fear as wolves so they ended up getting too friendly too quickly. Other villagers would just kill them and eat’em.”

“I… I don’t think… you know what, Nicky, I suddenly feel like my own upbringing wasn’t as hard as I thought it was,” muttered Jessie. She then reached over to grab his thigh and patted it. “Good job, King of my Bits, you’ve done amazing coming as far as you have.”

Nick shrugged, then snatched Jessie’s hand before she could pull it away and held it within his own. Their horses walking side by side toward Goba.

“I’ll turn in the bounties and see what’s going on,” stated Julie. “The first shipment of resources the Duke’s purchased should have made it there already as well. Chances are we’ll have a letter waiting for us.”

“Yes, more sales,” Rahak croaked. “The coin was quite good for the first deal, but we need to-mm-sell much more. If the Dukes of Dolphen cannot buy more, do we dare see about speaking to an embassy?”

“Ah, yes, I should be getting a letter myself. We could easily go see the embassy for Wretin,” Sara put in enthusiastically. “I know for a fact that they would be willing to deal for resources. There’s more than a few imports that they can’t get from here anymore due to the war, that they’d be happy to purchase elsewhere.”

Nick always felt weird when anyone said the name of the country itself.

The fact that it shared a portion of his own last name was intentional from the original founding of the country. All attempts to change the name failed regardless of how hard the Fash king’s pushed.

“Your progenitor was a man who didn’t know the definition of the world humble,” Lucian remarked wryly only to laugh. “He was a prideful man and wanted all to know his achievements. I liked him. He had a nature similar to my own, you realize.

“Be proud that the country is named after you in a way. It is your country after all. It’s also why it provides you with quests. Though it’s been quiet as of late.

“Given that it isn’t actually quite a sentient being that… worries me. For all we know it’s providing quests to other people to try and draw them to us.”

It can do that!?

“It… has done similar things in the past. It did everything it could to keep your family in power, but the king at the time didn’t listen. It didn’t… it doesn’t matter,” muttered Lucian sounding quite bitter. Then he coughed. “We’re here now and we are well on our way to our goal.”

“—stupid as hell,” cursed Jessie, her head turned toward Sara. “You can’t think that’s a good idea at all, can you Bright Tits?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” denied Sara with a wave of a hand. “I was very vague to the point of it being almost worthless. My family will understand it though and be able to relay it upward. I also lied about where I was!

“Technically, I’m still employed by the guild for another six or seven months as severance.

“Any mail I get there would be resent by the guild to here. It’s all nice and neat.”

Nick let his thoughts turn inward and he rode on quietly toward Goba.

I think… maybe we should rent a house.

Renting rooms is just going to cost us a fortune.

If we rent a house and call it “group-housing” it’d be understandable. In fact, I bet there’s a whole bunch of houses we could pick from that wouldn’t even be that expensive.

“Yes, Sire. I would agree,” confirmed Lucian. “I would suggest asking Julie to handle it. I think she could manage to have a home settled before the day was out, in fact. As well as likely as the best price possible for it.”

***

“I do think this is the best we can manage given what our expected income would be as well as what level we’re at,” Julie muttered with a shake of her head. “It’s rather old but the condition is quite good. It’d be a good party-house for us at this time.

“Though I do think I’ll have to hire a cleaning service to come through. There’s a must in the air that will need a top to bottom cleaning done that we don’t have the time for.”

Nick only smirked at that, keeping all his other thoughts and feelings penned up inside.

He wasn’t about to tell her that he grew up in much worse and with much less. That this alone was already far more luxurious than he could have ever dreamed of in his early life.

“I assume you’ve already rented it out?” Nick asked on a hunch. “Please make sure to take a receipt so that I can repay you.”

After he walked up to a window, Nick saw that there was a small garden just outside of it. He smiled, thinking about that it might be interesting to see what he could manage here.

“I mean, you owe me quite a bit?” Julie asked in a tight voice.

With a laugh, Nick looked to her over his shoulder.

They were alone at the moment.

Claudia and Rahak were currently going through the market and writing down prices.

Sara went to go check in with the guild and surprisingly Jessie had gone with her.

Table and Ker had been put into the stables though Ker would do as he liked.

“Is that so?” he asked in amusement.

“Yes. I still-still have that debt you need to pay me,” Julie said, her shoulders straightening. “The Margrave house would ask for reparations from you. You may add the rent for the home to it.”

“I see, I see,” chortled Nick as he looked back out the window. “And what kind of reparations would you like? I’m afraid I really only have coin and not that much of it. That one deal with the Dukes easily quadrupled the coin I had, so you have a fair idea of how much I have.”

“I would ask that you invest in me personally as Julienne Margrave. I do not have as much noble status as Claudia, nor my family for that matter, but we an impressive family of magicians that aren’t limited by much in the pursuit of our goals,” stated Julie. “As-as a royal consort and concubine, I feel I’m worthy of investment and that you continue to provide for me as someone who has taken his highness to a bed.”

Blinking, Nick was trying to process what’d just been said.

Even as he stared through the glass at the overly-sun saturated top soil in the garden, he just couldn’t quite seem to figure out the words that Julie had chosen. As if his brain refused to acknowledge any of it.

“Royal consort,” he said instead, trying to stall for time.

“Admittedly I was not able to successfully carry an heir at the time, but I do feel that in the future I will be able to do so. I only need to spend more time with his highness and I know it’s possible,” declared Julie. Her voice had firmed up considerably now and she seemed as if she knew exactly what she wanted to say. “So, I would ask you to invest in your royal consort and her family as we will serve you loyally and to the death.

“We are well practiced in many unsavory magics that the King would not be happy if he were to find out we knew. Such as Necromancy, Puppetry, and even Mind Magic. Which of course as you know has been illegal in our country since it’s founding.

“As your royal consort, I’m putting myself well within your power and control to punish as is your right. I do not think you’ll treat your faithful concubine poorly, however, and am quite confident that you’ll invest deeply in me, and my family.”

Well… that… hm.

“It was well stated,” opined Lucian. “It was clearly rehearsed and likely written more than a few times. I imagine her family was also involved in the writing of it.

“To be fair, she has already joined the royal bed as it were, and wouldn’t be a poor consort to have. A consort with connections to illegal magics would be quite useful as her family would then be beholden to you for protection to continue as they have.

“It’s quite well done all in all. Their plan is quite well thought out. I’m curious as to why she thinks you’ll invest in her, however.”

“Why do you think I’ll invest in you?” Nick asked, deciding that Lucian’s question was a great starting point. “You. You personally. Not your family. Why do you think that?”

When he finished speaking, Nick turned and looked to Julie over his shoulder.

She was standing with her hands in front of herself.

He only now realized that she’d changed from her adventurer’s clothes to a rather snug dress that showed off her figure quite well and flattered it. Her hair was styled in soft ringlets and at some point she’d managed to apply a smattering of makeup.

Julie was a lovely woman.

“Because you wouldn’t be protecting me from the others, or my dignity, if you didn’t care,” Julie stated with absolute sincerity. “I was introduced as a magician that kidnapped you that was minor nobility. Everyone has treated me exactly as you’ve stated without a hint of anything else.

“You-you also tease me mercilessly at every chance. If you weren’t interested in me as a woman, you wouldn’t do such a thing.

“Not to mention you stare.

“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be rude, but you stare, your highness. You stare so often.

“ I’ve caught you staring at me so much that I was afraid the others would notice and then they’d change how they behave toward me.”

“You do stare, Sire. I’ve tried to warn you about it, you’ll remember,” Lucian huffed.

Laughing, Nick couldn’t help himself.

“You’re beautiful. Of course I stare. I do like the ringlets by the way. Is your hair naturally curly? Have you been straightening it this whole time?” he inquired.

“Ah, yes? Yes it is. I’m glad you like it. I didn’t have time to-no, you won’t-anyways,” Julie stated firmly and shook her head. “You’ll invest in me because you’re attracted to me, and care for me at some level. Even if it’s just a casual care that one would have for a posession. You’ll-you’ll retain me as your royal consort, invest in me, have children with me, and invest in my family.

“Which in the fullness of time, would become a branch of your own family. A family of loyal dark casters that want to only work for the king and make money doing so without being hunted down.”

“Jessie might kill you,” Nick countered, grinning at her. He got the impression his pretty Dark Elf wasn’t dealing with him possibly needing multiple women as much as she let on.

“She will not,” Julie argued with another shake of her head. “I get the impression she suspects that we slept together previously and doesn’t care. She doesn’t get clingy when I get near you the same way she does with Claudia or Sara.

“I think I have the most likely opportunity to be accepted by her majesty comparatively to anyone else. In fact, I know for a fact that she likes the fact that I’m not a… good person.”

“Ha! Too true. Jessie does seem to enjoy the fact that we’ve been surrounding ourselves with people who wouldn’t be normally welcome in a court,” admitted Nick. He turned around and faced Julie directly. “Royal consort, hm?”

“I mean… I had fun. Didn’t you have fun?” Julie asked, grinning at him with a shrug of her shoulders. “I don’t mind becoming your consort and dedicating myself to you. You’re rather fun and you genuinely listen to me when I complain.”

“Even if I put kids in you?” Nick pushed, he wanted to know if she was serious.

“Oh, easily,” Julie said with a wave of her hand and a laugh. “My family’s quite good at bearing children. My mother pushed out eight of us. Only two girls, though.

“When you’re a family of dark magicians the only ones you can rely on is family. So… we breed a lot, though we’re quite selective with who we breed with.”

“Pretty sure you weren’t being selective with me when we met,” Nick put out, raising his eyebrows.

“I mean, I felt I was being selective at the time. You’re handsome, had a sense of humour, and honestly… I half expected I’d get to keep you as a personal hostage,” Julie admitted, her grin growing wider.

“Fine… I’ll name you my Royal Consort another time after I speak with Jessie and Claudia about it. Since they’ll both be involved at that point,” Nick allowed then sighed.

There was a pop of a door unlatching followed by it opening.

Looking to the entry, he saw Sara and Jessie coming through it.

“I got my response,” Sara said with a strange grin. “Did your own letter arrive Julie?”

“It did,” Julie confirmed, pulling out a slip of paper from somewhere. Likely her storage item. “I was waiting for everyone to arrive before telling Nick it’s contents.”

“Ah, well, Claudia and Rahak looked like they were deeply engrossed in their ‘not shopping’,” Sara murmured and went and sat down in the couch. “Is this our house now? I like it. It’ll be good forus.”

“Yeah, I like it. Move over Bright Tits, your fat ass is right in the middle,” Jessie grumbled and thumped Sara on the shoulder and then slammed herself down on the couch next to her. “I say we read the letters and then tell Claudia and Rahak later or let them read them.”

“Not all of us are as narrow as a man, Jessie,” Sara demurred and slid further over. “Some of us have a womanly shape made for a king, you know.

“Perhaps we should consult the Leger to see if there’s anything that might help you grow a bit more?”

“Just cause you’ve got big tits, Bright Tits, doesn’t mean you’re a better woman,” hissed Jessie, staring at the other elf.

“Yes it does. I’m amazing. I’m beautiful.

“I mean, look at me. Every man stared at me. Gazes at me. I light a room up when I enter it and I leave men wondering who I am.

“You… well… Jessie… you’re lovely. A wonderfully rich and dark orchid. You’re just overshadowed by me. But it’s alright, I see you, I notice you, I acknowledge you,” purred Sara, raising a single eyebrow at the other Elf.

With a snort, Nick looked back out the window.

He imagined the two of them would have a nice spat for five minutes or so before they were able to cool off and do something else.

“You know,” Julie whispered, stepping up next to him. “I can’t tell if they’re overly friendly with one another, or heated rivals. Either way, they clearly enjoy the banter with one another.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Nick saw both Elves were grinning ear to ear at one another. Both of them clearly enjoying the fight they were having.

“—stick my face in his crotch,” purred Jessie.

“Of course you would. You’re always so quick to such things. My vulgar little Queen. I’ll have to each you so carefully to make sure you don’t embarrass our king,” lamented Sara, reaching out to very gently pat Jessie’s cheek.