A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"That means I'm doing things properly then," Greeves said. "Those more goblin heads in the sack?"

Beam nodded. "About that. I want double for them."

Greeves froze his hand midair as he reached for the bag and he narrowed his eyes at Beam. Beam could almost see the gears turn in the merchant's head as he worked out the profit and how much he would be losing if he agreed to double. "Mm, can't do that. Let's say, out of respect for my young little associate here, I give you an extra half as much on top, mm? That's fair?"

"If you agree to send someone to collect the corpses in future, then I'm in agreement," Beam said.

Greeves gave a toothy grin at that. "We'll make a merchant of you yet. 'Bout time you started sending some of the bodies my way. I'd hate to think that all that good money was merely left there to rot. You speak to Judas and agree on a spot and I'll send my men over to pick them up at the end of every day. Then I'll pay you when I see you."

"Works for me. It'll have to be a spot in the woods though," Beam said.

Greeves nodded. "Fair enough. Seems even you're a bit worried about Lombard, mm?"

As they talked, the two of them watched the crowd together. When one of the soldiers dared to approach Nila, the two of them noticed it at the same time.

Even from where they were standing, they could hear the soldier shout out to her. "Oy! Where are you off to then, lass?"

Nila looked at him for a moment and then merely turned and continued walking away. She had two rabbits in her hand and her hunting attendants were carrying a deer together just behind her. Beam saw the two of them blanch as their employer showed such blatant disregard for the soldier.

Beam could see the soldier fume as well, going red from the rage.

"Where are you off to, I said?!" The man marched up behind her, daring to grab her and pull her back by the shoulder.

Beam saw her say something back in reply, but he didn't hear what. Whatever it was, it mustn't have been good, for her two hunters carrying the deer behind her looked like their souls had left their body, whilst the soldier was stood stunned, rooted to the spot.

"…This doesn't look good," Beam said as he watched.

Greeves smiled. "Fiery little thing, brings herself no end of trouble with that attitude of hers. But you don't need to get involved yet – she's better than she looks."

This time, when Nila turned to continue walking away, the soldier didn't follow. Instead, he stood rooted to the spot for a few solid moments, as though staring into the void, and then he merely shook his head and started walking in the opposite direction.

Greeves looked at Beam with a grin. "Told ya, didn't I? She knows how to stand up for herself, she does. At first, I thought it was a bit cute seeing her go around doing business, y'know, kinda like seeing a kid playing house. But she's the devil, that woman, mark my words. Give her a few years, and she'll be a force to be reckoned with."

"She's doing that well?" Beam asked in surprise. He was looking at things through a different lens, for he knew the burden Nila was carrying, that she was fighting to repay her family's debt to the village Elder. He worried that such a thing would be getting to her, but apparently, it was quite the opposite, it was only spurring her forward.

"Oh, aye. There was a big fuss a couple of days ago – some of the bigger hunters came over, looking for a fight with her, and me and Judas were standing here watching, just like you and me are," Greeves said. "Those hunters she's got working for her, I don't know what she's done, but by god are they loyal now.

Might have been the threats Judas made, or it might be the money she's making them or the way she's treating them, but they stood their ground against ten men and the butcher came over as well, was a proper staredown. But they backed off in the end, she chased them all away. Some of em' are even wanting to work for her."

Beam's smile grew as he listened to the story. "I guess I don't know to worry about her, huh?"

"Naw, 'course not. It's them you should be worried about. From their perspective, some girl just crawled out of the woodwork and now she's showing everyone up. It's a real kick in the teeth for them, after they've put their lives into it. But it's' just the way the gods work. Shit is unfair from the start," Greeves said.

"Ya just gotta spit on the unfairness and take what you want anyway, by whatever means necessary."

"You have to do what you can," Beam agreed. "Though there are some lines that you shouldn't cross. How are things with Lombard?"

Greeves shrugged. "They could be going better with the man himself. He seems to look down on pleasure, he does – narrow-minded, that's what that is. But as uptight as he might be, he's not a fool. I had a chat with him a few days ago and he's agreed to let my whores in his camp on a night to do their business. He gets to keep his men's morale up and I get to get my coin up, it's working out so far.

Though, as you've seen, they're arrogant fuckers these soldiers. They keep pushing things."

Beam nodded grimly. "The villagers don't look like they can take much more."

"Aye, and that damn old Elder is nowhere to be seen. It's meant to be his job keeping things in line, keeping things civil, but I haven't seen the old bastard since the welcoming ceremony," Greeves said. "He's probably thinking about running away, by the looks of him. He's got evil in him that old man does, let me tell you.

Speaking as a man of the darkness myself, he's got the look of someone who's gone even deeper than me."