A Different Trade

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The Girls let a giggle after seeing their mother whack Glato on top of his head with her broom. Linee says to Glato “At least speak to us before offering our land to anybody!” even their father is displeased by Glato’s actions.

The Glato speaks with the Trader, who walks up Linee and offers her a coin. Linee looks the coin over and says Glato “Tell your friend that offering one Dinie is a good start for a peace offering.”

 

Soon the caravan starts making camp near the house. The Holstaurs have a few standing guard and watch over the wagons. The rest set up the camp and get a fire going for them. The girls stay nearby to watch them work but know to stay out of the way.

Glee, Glato, and the Trader are sitting around watching the work get done while smoking their pipes. The Trader says something and Glato seems to agree with him. Glee says “What did he say old friend?”

Glato says “You have some good stuff here.”

Glee says “It’s one of the few vices my wife lets me have. I just can’t smoke in the house.”

Glato speaks to the Trader then says Glee “He says your wife knows how to keep her husband happy while still holding some ground.”

They hear a ruckus near the camp and a few Harpies flee the area with the girls and farmhands stopping the Holstaurs. Speaker comes in for a landing as the lead Hostaur walks up. Speaker says “Hello, sorry they wanted to know about the strangers.”

Glee says “It’s alright, we’ll talk for you.”

Glee and Glato put their head together to figure out how to explain everything. The Trader’s eyes go wide when he hears of the deal they have with the Harpies and explains it to the Lead Holstaur who seems to not mind the Harpies being around them now.

Glato says to Glee “Our friend here is quite interested in the deal we have with Harpies. He wants to know more.”

Speaker says Glee “You don’t understand him?” motioning to the Trader.

Glee says “I’m not like you. But Glato knows Trader's tongue and can speak with him. So he’s like you in a way.”

Speaker says “learning a new tongue is hard anyway. What he and the others do?”

Glee and Glato try to think of a way to explain Trading to Speaker when Glee’s youngest speaks up saying “Well, he trades in goods. Like how you bring a kill and we give you meat.”

Speaker says “oh! So we trade with you.”

Glee says “Yes!”

 

The eldest daughter tries speaking to the Holstaurs after they have finished setting up camp with a few words she has heard. The Holstaurs laugh at her attempts. She says to Glato “Uncle Glato, what am I saying wrong?”

Glato says “I don’t know. I don’t speak their tongue remember.” Glato speaks to the Trader and he speaks to the lead Holstaur. Glato says to the girl after getting the response from the lead Holstaur “You’re too nasally to them. Speak from your throat. I think words in their tongue can change upon what tone you use.”

She tries again with a deeper voice. Which makes the Holstaurs laugh harder. She finally just walks away.

 

Glee calls his farmhands to a meeting the next morning to start planning the day. The Trader and the Holstaurs join in the meeting with Glato speaking to them. Soon Holstaurs volunteer to help with the work, mostly moving and carrying things for the farmhands. Lucky some of the farmhands know a few words that the Holstaurs can understand. Glato and Trader start walking away after the work assignments are given out. The girls ask Glato “What’s going on Uncle Glato?”

Glato says “We are heading in town to get some supplies for him” motioning to the Trader.

The girls say to their mother “can we go with him?”

Linee says “Only one.”

The girls look defeated for a moment, then the eldest yells “I’m It!” and runs to catch up with Glato and the Trader.

The youngest yells at her “That’s not fair!”

Glee says “Now you two. You know she is trying to learn Traders's tongue. Besides she’ll tell you everything when she gets back.”

 

The eldest daughter tries to think of something to say to the Trader as they walk in silence. She says to Glato “Uncle Glato, I’m trying to think of the words to start talking to your friend here.”

Glato says “Trader's tongue isn’t meant for talking. It meant for making deals while trading with someone who doesn’t speak your native tongue.”

She says “Then how do you talk to him and explain things to him?”

Glato says “I phrase it in the form of a trade deal.” The Trader speaks to Glato for a moment. He then turns to the girl and starts talking to her like she knows what he is saying. Glato says to her “did you get any of that?”

She says “I think he said something about crossbows.”

Glato says “Good, Let’s find him one.”

 

Glato shows the Trader where he got his crossbow. The Trader says to the shop owner “Tal-a-de, Tal-a-do?”

The Shop keeper says “Tal-a-de, Tal-a-e” and starts showing his wares to the Trader.

The eldest daughter looks around the shop as The Trader haggles over the prices. Soon the Trader has selected a crossbow. He aims it at the eldest daughter’s head as she walks around looking at the different items in the shop. He quickly shifts the bow and pulls the trigger. The bolt hits the wall right behind the girl’s head causing her to jump. She quickly looks at the bolt and then at the Trader. The Trader laughs, but Glato quickly slaps the Trader with his hat and starts yelling at him in Trader's tongue. The Trader then walks over and gives her a coin. Glato walks over and says to her “That is for your silence. The last thing I want is your mother to find out about this.” She agrees knowing that her mother would use the crossbow on both of the men if she found out.

 

The Trader buys a few more things, mostly to resell elsewhere before they head back to the farm.

 

The Trader and the Holstaurs prepare to leave the next day. Linee calls to the Trader and tosses the coin back to him saying to Glato “Tell your friend that that’s for the Holstaurs help yesterday. They paid his debt in full.” The Trader bows to Linee and then signals the drummer to start. With that, the caravan moves out.

 

The eldest daughter looks at her coin and sees that it is not used in town or any of the neighboring settlements. She wonders where it is from and where he got it. Even if it’s worth only a Dilly, the story of how it got to her is worth more than a pile of Dinies. =

Please read the main story.

Human Myth: Vol 1

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