Not understanding a word they say, I look over at Jacob. "They are asking your name." He says and they are hiding what they wish to do, seems like quite the 'coincidence' they don't want me to hinder anything.
"Kaethorn, how may I help you?"
He replies and I hold my hand up. "Did Dawson get the diplomat item?" Jacob turns on Dawson who pulls his pack down and it's a stone on a necklace. He sets it on the table, so I try it on.
"Does this thing work?" I ask the soldier asking the questions and he nods.
"What are your plans here Kaethorn?"
"I plan on staying here for a while, helping a friend of mine start-up trade to see if we can get this town up and running again." He looks at the cups on the table.
"You're talking to the town tonight in the Hall?"
"Liquid courage, I'm going to have to ask them for money they don't have to pay a ransom for a rumor I've heard might be coming our way. You wouldn't happen to know the amount needed, would you?" I see him visibly relax along with the ones behind him, he turns to Dawson, "You brought me down here for this?" I answer before he can.
"Hey, if you are going to help pitch in, that would be great as they don't have much, I figure with what I have and the Constable, we should have enough for a backwoods nothing of a town. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, sir."
"Sergeant Alawenith, we are not here to contribute, but we will make the meeting tonight to make sure they understand the consequences considering the rumor is currently docked at Twin Rivers now and the tribute will probably be anywhere from two hundred to five hundred gold depending on how you act when they arrive."
"You speak for the Constable now?" He seems the only one interested in what we are saying, the others are ensuring we're alone and it stays that way.
"What?! No, they are funding the trade so I know what we have. They are using the boat I was shipwrecked on earlier as the starter boat to begin trading."
"Ahh, I heard you washed up on shore. Nobody else made it?"
"Unfortunately not, my leg was slammed through the wall of the cabin is what kept me from being washed over."
"It's fine now? He asks glancing below the table.
"I set it and it and with no sailing ability, I kinda floated around for quite a while, ate everything on board, and was lucky to make it here."
"And you just gave it away?"
"It will be a while before I venture off of solid ground." I reply and take a drink shaking my head, besides, what other option is there other than pay it?"
"Tremont still lives in the same place?" Alawenith asks Dawson.
"Yes, I can take you there."
"He pushes past Dawson, "You are coming back with us so you can man an ore on the way around the coast. If Tremont's story matches we won't be making the meeting as I'd like get back sooner than later. Good day Ma'am." He nods over at Katelyn and walks out.
"This thing is nice." I hold up the blue-green stone.
"Your mouth doesn't match what you're saying, but it is nice not to have to repeat everything you say." Jacob picks up a cup and then looks over at Katelyn.
"Hold on Jacob." She walks into the back and Sabina comes out of the room.
"Is the Constable going to match your story?" Sabina asks looking towards the INN door.
"Yeah, I stopped there, before coming here to let them know what was coming.
"So we are going to pay it?" Katelyn asks coming out.
"As long as they don't get ideas on taking anyone in addition to the money."
"I have the money Agitha gave me, which came from you, so, I can help." Katelyn sits down.
"Did Dawson originally come from Twin Rivers?" I ask Jacob, "and, did he volunteer to go get them thing?" I hold the stone outside my shirt.
"Yes, he has always gone back and forth when anything came up." Jacob answers.
"Sounds like he is down here to keep track of things." I answer my assumptions. "Well, with that out of the way, let's see if I can spend a few hours with your bows, I'll start with Sabina's and work on your two."
"Sabina? Can you get Heran?" I ask standing up. "I figure we might as well go scout out as much mint, lavender, and anything else we can find that is worth selling.
"This is where I found the mint, you'll see it is taking over the entire area, it will kill off everything else around it, so we'll take cuttings, put them in water for a while and plant them in little containers."
"That's it?" Heran asked, "which parts?"
"I've made it harvest time, so take every offshoot at an angle with a little nub left over and it will regrow." There is enough in this patch alone for everyone coming to the meeting to get a few jars worth of leaves and several cuttings, every two years you split them from one container into two." I show them the cut and start pruning everything that looked nice enough to take.
"Everyone is going to have them outside?"
"Nah, you can place them in the morning facing windows if you want," I reply.
"If I teach you two how to take care of these, could you teach the rest of the people? This, and the Lavender to the west of here, and each family could make a few gold as is, or turn them into soaps and oils for quite a bit of gold each depending on the effort they put into it."
We have two crates of mint and leave the cart to head down the stream to the west. "Here we go, this is Lavender, the oil is better in the mornings. Leave the wilted behind and cut the good looking ones a few inches above this woody part down here."
"What is this used for?" Sabina asks smelling the flowers.
"Aroma for calming, stops coughing, minor scrapes and cuts, muscle pains, soaps, and oils again. Beau should know about lavender."
"How does such a manly man know so much about flowers?" Heran smirks at me.
"My mentor taught me, she knew every plant, herb and animal. The mint didn't need this but if we are going to take these now, let me show you something, just between us three? They both nod and watch in wonder as I walk to each one. I don't have to wave my hands to enable plant growth but it focuses their attention. The wilted parts firmed up again and each plant grew dramatically, walking around the area I was able to push each of them with almost no loss of power. Again, far surpassing what I could do when I was being taught and sweating to get through a lot this size.
"Kae, this one we cut the entire thing?" Sabina asks.
"Just under the first set of leaves, we should get several bushels, and this will make them bushier next season. Oh, do you have snow or frost here?"
"What are those?" Heran asks and they both stop cutting to look back at me.
"The rain freezes and covers the ground in white or freezes on the ground?"
"Not that I've ever experienced, does it do that where you were from?" Sabina replies.
"I'm going to love this land, and yes, it was cold most of the year with really short hot summers."
"It's like this most of the year, mother said there was a huge storm that almost washed the coastal towns away when she was my age."
Three armfuls of lavender and we walked beside the cart back to town, stopping at the first few houses asking them to "put the mint into water, pick off the bottom leaves on the lavender and put into soil clumps for growing later. Hang the left over sprigs upside down to dry and add to jars of oil and let them sit for a while shaking them on occasion. We'll explain more later, right now we have to get to the other homes..."
After that we each took homes on both sides and off down the side roads stopping at each one with Mertil and Beau at the end of town. Many were aware of the lavender, but all were surprised by the mint.
"I have plenty of lavender, what is the mint for?" Beau asked and I let her know we could talk about all of it over dinner later as it was getting close to the town hall meeting. She blushed and nodded with a smile. Sabina pulled Heran out and I rolled my eyes but decided to use the opportunity.
"Chew this," I took one and gave one to her and chewed vigorously. "Now swallow it." I take a step closer, grab both sides of her face, bend down and kiss her, waiting a moment and sliding my tongue into her mouth with her arms wrapping around me. After a moment I stop and pull back.
"It makes kissing much better." I reply and she is nodding and her faced is fully flushed.
"Yes, yes it does. What else is it good for?"
"It's running late, I do have to go, can you pull me away after, so I don't have to talk to everyone."
"Yes, I'll come up with something to save you." Beau smiles.
"Okay, maybe one more while it's fresh, walking forward she takes a step forward and we kiss one more time and then I turn and walk out."
"Alright, let's get the rest to the Inn, Katelyn wanted to put the mint in all of the rooms."
"The lavender smells amazing, It really is calming and wonderful." Heran remarks with the bundle that is left over.
