After they got up in the morning, the road began to take them northeast along the bank of a large river. Oakhamping, the next major city on the route, was built along the banks so that they could have plenty of fresh water, but Karl did wonder if they had problems with spring floods.
The road itself was in rough shape, but it showed signs of having been groomed. There were drag marks where something large, perhaps a group of logs, had been pulled along the muddy road surface to flatten it.
The traffic was light, and the fields were busier, with more livestock and fewer pulse crops. It made the area feel more alive, even if the ambience still felt somewhat unwelcoming to Karl.
There was no good reason for it that he could tell. The people were kind enough and happy to see him, but he got the feeling that the land itself was rejecting him.
The city of Oakhamping was impossible to miss. Unlike Halsearing, it was a stone-walled fortress city, designed as an eight pointed star fort, on a hill beside the river.
Being twenty metres over the riverbank, plus ten metre walls, Karl could see it from a dozen kilometres away, and Hawk had been giving him updates all morning, while avoiding getting too close, as the town had huge crossbows on the walls equipped with magical bolts.
When they got a few kilometres away, Hawk returned to his space and Karl led Thor into the lineup to get into the gates.
There was a massive Rock Troll in an ornate guard uniform filling water skins for travellers and asking questions.
“What are you importing?” He asked, ready to make a note on the sheet attached to his clipboard.
“We’ve got an assortment of tools from Halsearing.”
The Troll nodded. “Anything else in the wagon?”
“A barrel of Rum and one of cooking oil. That’s also going to be up for sale if we find a buyer.”
The Troll whistled and raised his hand, which brought over a smaller troll with deep red skin and highly polished tusks that had golden bells hung from them.
Karl almost mistook him for a jester, then he realized that it was the Troll version of a nobleman’s outfit.
“Yes, Guard Captain?” The Troll asked.
“Check this wagon, they’ve got good stuff to sell.” The big Troll explained.
The Troll Noble gave Karl an appraising glance, estimating his power level and wealth. His outfit was naturally mostly made with an Epic Grade skill, but the coat was Royal Rank silk.
That caught the Noble’s attention, then he noticed the inner lining of the wagon’s cover, which had also been made by Rae.
That was enough for his trained glance to know that Karl was no average merchant, no matter how cheap the good he was selling were. In fact, with the two Royal Rank Naga Warriors guarding the clerics and their personal guards, it didn’t take a genius to know that Karl was more likely to be a mercenary than a merchant.
That didn’t matter to him, what mattered was that they might have items that the city was short on, which could be sold at an unusual markup.
Tessa pulled back the cover on the tools for the Troll to check, and he smiled in satisfaction.
“The tools all appear to be good quality. How is the oil and liquor?” He asked.
Lotus grew a pair of sticks with a small scoop on the end and popped the bungs on the kegs to dip a small sample.
The Noble appraised the oil carefully. By smell, taste, and then by shining a glowing stone through it. Karl wasn’t sure what that tested, but he seemed satisfied. The sip of Rum made him wheeze, and the Guard laughed.
“It must be the good stuff.” He joked.
The Noble gasped and handed back the spoon, which Lotus dipped for him.
The Troll sipped the Rum and smiled.
“I don’t think this is quite fit for the average Nobleman’s palette. But I will buy the whole barrel from you right now. I can give you twelve silver coins and a trusted merchant trade token for it.”
Karl saw at the edge of his vision that the merchants in line on either side of him looked envious, so the price was either above average, or the trade token was worth the loss.
“Alright, I will take that deal. Let me know when you’ve got someone to grab it.” Karl agreed.
The Troll just smiled and handed Karl a fistful of coins and a wooden token on a leather necklace. The Nobleman was wearing an identical token, so it wasn’t something that was traded, but one that you kept with you to signify that you were trustworthy to trade with.
The gaudily dressed Noble finally caught his breath as the big guard grabbed the barrel of rum and slung it over his shoulder.
The Guard Captain motioned for someone to come take over his water distribution and questioning duty before opening the bung and pouring himself a whole mouthful of rum directly from the barrel.
He was a big troll, but it was still comical to see him drink directly from a barrel.
The replacement just shook his head as the Guard walked away, and checked the notes that had been left behind.
“You have tools to sell, and Mister James is here to purchase them? Alright. If you finish the sale, let me know. If you don’t need a sales spot in the market, you can skip the line.” He explained.
The Troll Noble that had been identified as Mister James took out a notepad and made marks as he counted the tools.
“I will give you four Gold, six silver. That’s as high as I can go, even with your new trusted trader token.”
That was more than they had paid, Karl was fairly certain.
“You have a deal. Did you want a ride back into town? We can drop these goods at your shop before I go looking to restock for the next leg of the trip.”
“That would be excellent. My shop is near the gates, the James Mercantile Store.”
Karl pulled out of line and gestured to the Guard that they were headed in. He just waved for them to go, and Karl made his way to the front of the line, with the merchant on the other side of the driver’s bench at the front of the wagon.
The Naga Warriors were getting strange looks again, but at least it wasn’t lustful lizard folk this time, just curious trolls wondering why they were so far from home.
The interior of the Star Fort designed city was a direct contrast to the masterful stonework of the walls. Everything was dirt roads, crude wood and thatch or field stone buildings with shale and slate roofs.
Perhaps the Trolls hadn’t made this place, but had only taken it over at some point.
They should have the technology to make it, though. The quality of the tools that Karl had brought to them was good, and it wasn’t that hard to cut square blocks. They just hadn’t, for whatever reason.
This entire country was strange, but this mystery really made Karl wonder what sort of history the city had.
