Even though we insisted that we didn’t want any pay for our deeds. The hill folk of Dil’s Nook furnished us with cured meats, aged cheeses, casks of mead, and crates of bottled spirits. The volume came to so much that neither of our mounts had the means to help transport it.

Despite his silent distaste for Hruk, the blacksmith created a new frame for Hruk’s Bauble Maker, and a new dagger. He made us new flasks too and Hruk covered them in runes before attaching young ice elementals to them.

“What are we going to do with all of this?” I asked, on our last day in Dil’s Nook. “Do you think we can sneakily sell it to the other families?”

Tom shook his head. “It’s a small hamlet and everyone talks,” he said. “You’re one of us, Perry. How can you even think of returning gifts from fellow hill folk? Selling it back to them would be a graver insult.”

“I’m sorry, Tom.” I sighed. “I just can’t figure out how to deal with all of this logistically. We’ve been here for close to two lunar cycles now, and I should understand your ways better. I didn’t grow up amongst fellow hill folk besides my aunt, you see. She was so busy tending to her inn, I didn’t get to learn what it is to be one of us. It’s not that I want to return the gifts or get rid of them. We just can’t figure out how to carry it all to Eldar’s Port.”

“To be honest, Perry, some of us were hoping that you and Mage Hruk would stay.” Tom’s chubby cheeks reddened, and he diverted his eyes to the ground. “With a mage in our hamlet, we can grow into a village and perhaps a town much quicker than one would expect. Besides the gnomes, bandits and beasts occasionally raid our borders, setting us back. If we construct a little wizard’s tower for Mage Hruk, that’s our defence sorted. A bard around also gives us an excuse to build an inn. It would give the road through here presence and travellers would have an excuse to stop, bringing more trade.”

Hruk glanced at me wide-eyed. Given the hatred for globlinkind among the ‘fairer folk’, the invitation likely took him by surprise. In all fairness, it caught me off guard, too. Throughout our stay, even though the hill folk were hospitable, I sensed that they didn’t consider us one of them. A strong ‘us and them’ vibe had weighed heavily on us. Now, Tom’s speech felt genuine.

“I can’t speak for Hruk, Tom, but it’s a no from me,” I said. “I’m flattered. Really. However, a bard’s life is on the road. It might be not the hill folk’s way, but I wish to see every corner of the disk and compose songs about them.”

“It would be an honour, Tom.” My heart dropped hearing Hruk’s words. “But my skills as an artificer aren’t yet good enough. I need to go to Eldar’s Port, join the guild, refine my craft, and sell my wares. There’s nothing for me out here.”

“Well, we could build a workshop alongside the tower.” Tom's eyes lit up as he spoke. He padded closer on his giant hill-folk feet and took Hruk’s normal hand in both of his. “Just think about it. This road connects directly to the dwarven lands. It’s a ten-day round trip and we make a trip once a season to get metal. Aetherite, aether crystals, copper, iron or whatever you need, I can trade with the dwarves for it. Even though Eldar’s Port is a day’s ride closer, the prices are significantly higher. Then whatever you make, we can sell back to the dwarves—they aren’t particularly gifted when it comes to artificing. You can grow rich from the comfort of your tower.”

Tom sighed, glancing at the dining room door. His wife and children ducked out of sight with panicked eyes. We’d heard them shuffling and peaking throughout the conversation. The anticipation must’ve become too much.

“The other residents and I have spoken about it. We’re willing to grant you a patch of land, Mage Hruk. If you stay, Perry, we’ll do the same for you. The inn will go next to your home—”

“Do we have to accept the offer right now?” Hruk asked, interrupting Tom. “I know we got side-tracked, but there is genuine work we need to do in Eldar’s Port. I need guild membership to legally sell my goods in the markets and access to archived runescripts will help expand my knowledge. It might take a couple of years to get to the desired level, but afterwards Dil’s Nook could become my home.”

“I have and that might get the hamlet growing, though,” I said. “How much more expensive are material costs in Eldar’s Port when compared to directly buying from the dwarves?”

“The journey from Schwartzberg to Eldar’s Port is an upriver journey,” Tom answered. “The path is perilous, too. We transporters undertake incredible risks and its doubly so on the river. It’s a fortnight-long journey and as a result comes with a long list of costs. The merchants monopolising the trade route like to maintain high profits, too. It adds up and depending on demand, metals are at least three times the base cost.”

“How long is the journey for you?”

Tom raised his eyebrows as he caught onto my train of thought. “I don’t go all the way to Schwartzberg, but a smaller mining town with its own smelter. Their ingots are cheaper and the journey just takes me five days from Dil’s Nook. Then from here to Eldar’s Port is another four days. I prefer the safer roads that the Hunters’ and Adventurers’ Guilds protect, though. That adds another two days to my journey.”

“Then what if we put together an exclusive contract?” I asked. “Dil’s Nook is struggling because the Merchants’ Guild stopped buying your goods, yes?”

Tom nodded. “The businesses we initially supplied have slowly turned away from us to please the gnomes. They hold all the money, after all.”

“Well, we could cut out the middleman and buy our materials directly from the dwarves. Couldn’t we, Hruk?” The red-mohawked hobgoblin nodded, a wide grin spreading across his lips. “You can act as our transportation service and liaison for as long as we’re in Eldar’s Port. The job will involve confirming trade deals and procuring anything else we might need.”

“I can put in part’s requests too,” Hruk added. “After picking up the metal, you bring it here and have them made to our specifications. That way more money comes to the hamlet and you lot can continue to grow.”

“It’ll mean a lot more time on the road, though,” I said, glancing at the dining-room door. We could still see giant hairy feet sticking out from behind the door frame. “So think—”

“He’ll do it!” Tom’s wife exclaimed, hopping into sight. “It won’t be easy not seeing you regularly, love, but think about everything we could do for Dil’s Nook!”

“We’re in agreement, then?” I asked.

Tom nodded. “Let’s get your belongings loaded onto the cart. I’ll drop you off in Eldar’s Port and we can detail the terms along the way.”

“I’ll Print a quick contract for the blacksmith while the pair of you work then,” I said, digging into Hruk’s pack for blank pieces of parchment or paper.

“You’re seriously not going to help load the cart?” Hruk asked, his brows furrowing.

“How much help will I be with my two units of strength?” I grinned, trying my best not to sound cheeky. “Let me get this best-ever business idea started and you do the leg-work.”

“Are you really going to let a bard talk toy out that way, Mage Hruk?” Tom sounded shocked.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Hruk sighed. “He’s the one with all the gold. Instead of buying a house in Eldar’s Port to settle down, he’s investing it in us. It would be poor form to complain.”