Law between Traders

"Lord Holf, I have important news from the knights of Ringhood!" said a knight in white armor with gold trim.

"Don't tell me, more knights to die. Well I don't know, we've already gotten rid of all those who came close to discovering our diversion of funds. And I really don't feel like sending more pretty girls to die for nothing, at least not without first tasting of their fruit."

"Not another gentleman's request, sir!"

"Then what is it?"

"I think you'd better see for yourself."

After those words, the knight hands the captain three scrolls, one with the latest update on the victory over the Ringhood nest, and another to request acceptance of the next assessment for one Fenrir. Lion's elder brother in case he should one day visit the facility to join the brotherhood of the sun knights and finally, a warning not to obey the last request. The man hits the table knocking a gas lamp to the floor in annoyance at being extorted again by the man who knew Holf's dirty laundry.

Fenrir and Kalishar were eating while they let the horse rest, despite the girl's suggestions to keep the animal walking, the man insisted that animals deserve to rest too. That was the key to developing a good relationship with a horse, he said, knowing when to give them a break so they know you are there for them too.

"How beautiful the sky is when it's this bright and clear, it's almost like seeing the ocean from the sky," commented Fenrir happily.

"Hmm!!!" He continued to eat.

"You sure do like what I prepare, only me and my horse enjoy what I cook, and that's because you haven't tasted my meatballs yet."

The horse raises his face in terror at having to taste his owner's disgusting meatballs again.

"Ghmmm!" He continues to eat.

"You're an idiot." He just watches her eating. "Without a doubt, this is the best conversation I've ever had."

The girl looking at her empty plate like a small child tilts it forward to her companion to fill up some more. The hustler jokes about the girl's weight. She doesn't react like any other person, she just looks with longing eyes at the man to continue feeding her, Fenrir sighs and gives her a fifth plate, but warns that it is the last one because it is important to still have food until she reached her destination and she still had two or three days of travel before she arrived.

Kalishar asked out of curiosity why they should save food if they could eat it safely. From his perspective, it was better to eat it all at once when the opportunity arose. Fenrir only commented that if he were rich, he might be able to afford to do as his companion suggested, but he was a poor devil if he did not know how to manage his resources well. All would die a pitiful death, all except the horse, for being a useful animal, Fenrir pointed out that others would enslave the animal.

A strange sound caught the attention of both of them, making Fenrir not hesitate to draw his crossbow, he would not use his relic yet because it was his card up his sleeve to catch his enemies unawares. He makes signals that indicate to Kalishar to move silently around to surprise the invader from another angle. The girl didn't understand the signals, but she could recognize from Fenrir's scent that he needed her to be ready to fight on his signal.

"Wow, I think I might have lost them," said a mean-looking man emerging from the bushes.

As the mysterious fellow noticed the presence of Fenrir and Kalishar, he saluted politely only to be greeted by a crazed girl who had thrown herself at him with a fork ready to murder the poor fellow with it. Fenrir calms the girl down by warning that they are not murderers, only thieves at best, but the girl was just saying that it would be easier that way, killing the unknown was the law of nature to keep safe and secure.

"Please don't kill me! I beg you, take pity on my pathetic existence and don't take my life!" the poor man pleaded.

Fenrir analyzed the situation, he evaluated the ragged appearance of the guy, he could tell that this guy had suffered several days without eating or taking a shower by the pallor and dirtiness of his appearance. He asked Kalishar to wait while he began a quick interrogation of the situation.

"Alright friend, I have a few questions, if you don't give me an answer that makes me feel confident, I promise you that whatever you were running away from, it will seem like your best option. Got it?" Fenrir with a kind expression decides to start with the question "We should start with the most obvious; that is what happened to you, my friend. You look like a pack of wolves have been chasing you for a week."

"Sure, I can tell you, but please, could I have some food and water to ease this terrible pain from lack of food and water."

"You will not touch our food you wretch!" He stabs the guy's arm with the fork.

"Kalishar calm down for God's sake, that was unnecessary!"

"He wants our food, our sustenance, he deserves to die!"

"Ahh it hurts!"

Fenrir shoves the girl and scolds her ordering her to watch the area to see if she could find that which threatened the guy and possibly them if she found them while he solved the interrogation. He apologizes to his guest and clarifies that rewards were discussed after the interrogation and only if he passed.

"If he touches my food, I'll kill him," the girl whispered angrily as she obeyed the order.

"Well, I'm still waiting for the answer, because I can make her come back."

"Please some water, at least that."

"A sip, but don't abuse my patience." She hands him the canteen.

The man quenches his thirst, feeling how his throat could finally enjoy that healing concoction clear and pure for a brief moment. The poor man took a few seconds to continue to savor the water and clear his throat a little so he could speak to his savior.

"Good. Now it's your turn to give me what I want," Fenrir said.

"Alright, allow me to introduce myself, I am Theodore Griforn, I am a travelling merchant who travels from Noftes to Crimson Road. Three weeks or more ago I had been kidnapped from my room in an inn in Tortule and since then I have been tortured to share my knowledge of routes to travel without so much trouble. The reason we met today was because I had finally seen an opportunity to flee from the Gronbule brothers."

"Momento, repeat that name for me. Gronbule. Are you talking about the same brothers Tony and Alejandro Gronbule?"

"I don't know any other Gronbule brothers. The twins had already died before their nephews ascended to run the family factory."

"Interesting, we now have the most dangerous and fearsome duo of torturers in the entire kingdom. Are the routes of yours that valuable?"

"I don't know if valuable would be the right term to describe it."

"First and last warning, don't lie to me. These idiots don't waste time with simple thefts or swindles like a common criminal. They are only after the best, everyone knows that and if it's true that they are after your routes. It's because they're really valuable."

"I..., I..." He notices the look on the guy's face realizing he couldn't fool him. "Okay, look, it's not entirely untrue that my routes aren't special, but I do have two that are really valuable for those monsters' purposes."

"And would you share them with me if you would be so kind."

"Mooncastle and Ringhood."

"Ringhood!? The nest of the zerbarix!? That must be a lie."

"No, I swear on my family. Those madmen, I don't know what they were planning, but they cut off three fingers on my left hand to get me to spill the information about that place."

"Suppose I believe you, how close are they to here?"

"Well..."

"Fenrir, I need you to help me with a question!"

Kalishar appears with a group of wolves and people wounded, but alive, judging the amount of blood they were losing, Fenrir deduced that those hunters would not be able to move nor their pets.

"What is the doubt?"

"Can we take the new meat?" asked Kalishar cheerfully.

"I've never eaten wolf meat and I honestly don't feel like tasting it now either, just leave it there.

"But."

"Don't worry, we'll find better food, the world is very big, with a great variety of tastier and better animals to eat."

"Wait, where are you going? Won't you help me?" asked a frightened Theodore.

"I don't remember us agreeing to extra help. I gave you water and you gave me information. We are done with negotiations and I do not wish to antagonise the Gronbule brothers."

"Do they frighten you?" Kalishar looks at Fenrir in disappointment.

"No, but, as a professional ethic, I must not seek out or create trouble with my best clients."

"How?" Theodore is paralyzed with fear. "You work for those monsters."

"Yep and no. I just move information and merchandise for them. More nothing, I don't get involved in their more important business and they don't try to seek me out for unnecessary things. We are in a very good arrangement and as some would say, there is no need to change anything if it works the way it is and my business with them still works."

"But, but!"

"No buts, please or mercy. In this life, you can't save everyone, that said. Even if I decided to save you, it would only cause your problems to become mine too; you know what that means for businessmen like you and me. In the end life is a business too, what matters is making profits from our decisions, not losses and it would be very remiss of me to seek big losses for myself."

"I beg you!!!"

Fenrir kicks the fellow hard in the face to knock him unconscious. He calculated that poor Theodore would not last long in the forest, with the blood of the hunters' corpses and their wolves he would attract a bear in a matter of time. That would be Fenrir's mercy for the cartographer, at least it was better to die devoured by a wild animal than at the hands of the world's most sadistic madmen. Kalishar commented that it made the most sense, as Fenrir was an alpha of the group, his decisions were important and should be made in the pursuit of the best outcome. It was better to let a poor man die who was not worth the interests of the two of them.

Hearing the last words, Fenrir remembers how everyone thought of him as worthless trash who had nothing to offer alongside his brother. He looks at the cartographer again, feeling guilty and doubtful of the situation, not to mention that he had made a promise to himself at his brother's grave that he almost forgot. It was his time to see if he could continue on the path he had decided on or if he had no conviction and was just a worthless con man.