Chapter Twenty-Six

**A Place to Call Home**

To Jason, there was no doubt the five coppers he invested in the bath and clean clothes was worth it. The bathhouse was tucked between hills along the river. He was surprised to find the bathhouse wasn’t actually on the river, but built on top of a hot spring. The women who ran the bath house made him bathe in the river before he could use the hot spring so he wouldn’t contaminate the precious pool.

While he floated around in the warm water, allowing the heat to massage his sore muscles, the women cleaned his clothes. They let him put his valuables in a locked chest while he bathed. However, he kept his phoenix stone on hand. His money he could earn back, but not the stone.

He was told his clothes would take an hour to dry and when he was done with the hot spring and bath he was given a plain gray smock and a room to wait in. Jason took the time to take an inventory of his UI.

Name: Jason

Level: 3 (Experience 1172 of 3000)

Total Experience: 4172

Class: Peddler

Tribe: Braccian

Hit Points: 45 (5*Constitution)

Injuries: None

Stamina: 40 (5*Strength)

Affinities:

Earth: 23

Air: 20

Water: 90

Fire: 7

Light: 40

Dark: 55

Attributes:

Constitution: 9

Dexterity: 8

Strength: 8

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 8

Charisma: 13 (+2 from Groomed buff [time remaining: ~23hrs])

Luck: 10

Skill

Level

Effect

Bribery

Beginner I

+1% to bribery success

Perception

Beginner II

+1% to senses

Bartering

Beginner VI

+3% boost in price when selling or buying

Appraising

Beginner III

N/A

Magic Channeling

Beginner 0

N/A

Magic Manipulation

Beginner 0

N/A

Magic Efficiency

Beginner 0

N/A

Dodging

Beginner II

2% faster when dodging

One Handed Weapons

Beginner I

+1% damage to one handed weapon attacks

2% chance of being disarmed in combat

Reading

Beginner I

+1% to reading speed

+1% to experience from reading

Sneaking

Beginner III

Reduces chance of detection by 3% when active

Paying Vanna her wages the day before and the rent for their new cottage had taken a big dent out of Jason’s funds. When he was done counting the metal coins he found he was down to only four silvers and nine coppers. He was sad to be without the gold coin, but he held on to the belief he would have more of the pretty coins than he could count one day. And a bed, a nice fluffy feather bed, Jason thought happily.

Waiting around in the room made Jason realize how inconvenienced he was by only owning one pair of clothes. If he had a spare set he could have left and picked his clothes up later. Just one more thing I’ll have to spend money on when I’m back in Laxtar.

Jason considered reading a few page of his book, but before he could decide an elderly man walked into the room. “Hehe, hello there young man,” the man said, he wore the same gray smock as Jason. “Your first time at the bathhouse?”

“Yeah it is, a friend recommended it to me,” Jason said politely.

“Hehe, does my old bones real good,” the man sighed then sat down across the room from Jason. “The name’s Finnan.”

“I’m Jason.” That name sounds familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve heard it before, Jason thought.

“How do you like Finchead,” Finnan asked, his bearded face crackled into a grin.

Jason squinted his eyebrows. “It peaceful here, I’ve seen much worse.”

“Aye but it’s not what it used to be,” Finnan sighed. “You should have seen it before the brewery burned. Folks all around were calling it the new Exton, that’s how many travelers came through.” The inn, Jason remember, I think Byron said the old owner was named Finnan. “If you ask me,” Finnan said leaning forward. He dropped his tone down to a hush even though they were the only ones in the room, “I think someone from Fallows burned her down.” He leaned back and shrugged, “but all these years no one could find any evidence for what caused the fire.” Finnan sighed. “What I would give to see that old place running again,” he sighed. He looked up at Jason and his eyes popped in excitement. “Oh I’m sorry, just ignore this old man’s rambling,” Finnan laughed.

A notification popped up in Jason’s view.

New Lead: Restoring Finchead

Ask Finnan about the brewery at Finchead to learn more about the site and how to retore it.

**Note This: Leads are precursors to quests. While they offer no reward, they give hints for tasks to begin one or possibly multiple questlines.**

Jason opened his mouth to ask Finnan a question, but someone knocked on the door. One of the bathhouse women poked her head in, “Jason, you’re clothes are ready.”

Finnan tilted his head, “nice to meet you Jason, hehe.”

I guess I’ll have to ask him some other time, Jason thought sadly and followed the woman to fetch his clothes.

*****

When Jason left the bathhouse, the world around him seemed cleaner. The wind breathed crisply, the river water rippled wonderfully, and the flowers popped brightly with color and smell. I can’t believe I waited this long to washup, Jason thought to himself.

On his way back to town Jason passed by the training grounds. He watched from atop a hill as Vanna, Trent, and half a dozen young men sparred with wooden spears and swords. Trent’s shouts could be heard as he corrected someone’s bad form or technique. Jason smiled as Vanna helped one of them with his sword strokes; he remembered the practice she gave him. After a few minutes, Jason continued his walk back into town without making himself known to the fighters.

Jason couldn’t help but smile as he walked up to his new hut. Having somewhere to call home finally made him feel like he had a foot in the door to this world.

He pushed the door open and his nostrils filled with earth and spices. The heat of the fire flushed his face and he grew a delirious smile. However it quickly slackened when he saw Eliza standing in the middle the room. The woman stood still like a statue. Jason’s heart began to race and his throat tighten like wet wool.

“Why hello Jason,” Jule cried as she walked out of the side room. Jason anxiety thawed. “Sorry to invite myself in, but I thought Eliza might want some help.”

“You’re always welcome Jule, especially after all you’ve done for us,” Jason said trying to hide the wavering in his voice by talking loudly. He looked at Eliza shyly. The woman shuffled and Jason quickly averted his gave. He looked around the room and noticed it was in the middle of a makeover, “Eliza?.?.”, Jason started.

“Isn’t the girl sweet,” Jule squealed. “She wanted to surprise Vanna and you by cleaning the house while you were out.” She put an arm on her hip and wagged a finger at Jason playfully, “but you just had to ruin the surprise, didn’t you.”

Jason eyes darted around the room taking in all the improvements. Standing next to the door was a wooden barrel full of water, the cobwebs were gone from the ceiling, the leaves and dead bugs had been swept out of the house. Jason looked at the fire and saw white spark pop in the flames accompanied by short zaps.

“We put chestnuts and nutmeg in the fire to make the room smell nice,” Eliza said quietly.

“Get the musk out,” Jule added.

“I don’t know what to say,” Jason mumbled, “thank you Eliza… and um Jule, you didn’t have to do all this.”

Jule brushed his comment aside with a flick of her hand and Eliza blushed. “Now get out so we can finish dear,” Jule commanded. “Byron should be at home, go bother him.” Then the woman pushed Jason out of his own home and slammed the door in his face.

*****

Jason caught Byron just as the reeve was walking out of his front door. “Jason,” he called out.

“Hello Byron.”

“If you want to talk I don’t have much time, but you can walk with me to the stable while I feed the animals,” Byron offered.

“Alright,” Jason said then followed after the man. “I saw Vanna and Trent training,” Jason commented as they rounded the townhall.

“A sorry sight I assume,” Bryon said half-jokingly half concerned, “any boys we get with a hint of talent for fighting go off into the lord’s service as men-at-arms.”

“Where is the lord? I haven’t seen a castle nearby” Jason asked, curious about the geopolitical landscape.

“Cullen Castle is north of the river, near the mountains. About half a day’s trip,” Byron explained. “I have to take a trip up there once a month to give a report to the lord’s chamberlain. The Cullen’s control Finchead and a half dozen mining villages in the north.”

“I spoke to Finnan earlier today,” Jason said. Byron had been pulling the stable door open, but paused.

“What did he say?”

“Just told me about how thing’s used to be here,” Jason said.

Byron nodded then opened the door completely. “Aye, the inn did mighty good for this town.”

“And I was thinking,” Jason started hesitantly, “if I’m setting up in this town, I’d like to rebuild the brewery one day when I have enough money. From what I can see there’s no better person to do it and Finnan seems willing to help a drunken mule if it wanted to take over the inn.”

Byron let Jason finish talking then laughed hard for an uncomfortable length of time. “Oh your funny son, and mighty ambitious I’ll give it to you.” The reeve wiped tears from his eyes, “but you need to learn to take things a little slower. I’m guessing you got a ‘lead’?” he asked jokingly.

Jason nodded, worry beginning to grow in his chest.

“Anytime someone talks to Finnan they get it. But,” Byron paused and turned serious, “I wouldn’t say that you’d be the worse person to actually take Finnan up on his offer. However, before any of that. If you are serious about staying in Finchead you will need to become a citizen before you can own land. Technically you need to be a citizen to sell anything in town as well, but we ignore that rule for traveling merchants and only apply it to physical stores.”

“How to I become a citizen?” Jason asked.

“Well you pay a gold and you need two citizen to sponsor you,” Byron explained.

“That’s it,” Jason said, he was sure if he had the gold coin he could become a citizen that very day.

“And you swear an oath of loyalty to the lord,” Byron continued.

“Oh,” Jason droned, unsure of his thoughts on being tied down to the whims of another person. “What would my responsibilities be?”

“The lord could call you into service in times of war, but that doesn’t happen often and its possible to get out of conscription depending on your class. Also you pay the head tax once a year, last year it was three silvers per person living in a house you own. The tax hasn’t gone up in half a decade.”

Jason nodded, if he could avoid being conscripted then the oath didn’t seem like a bad trade for the ability to own land in the village.

“As reeve, Jule and I, and Trent cannot be your sponsors, but I have a feeling that you won’t have a hard time finding a pair. Let me know if you ever want to say the oath,” Byron said. “Alright,” he sighed as he tied the sack he used to feed the animal from, “I must go now, I have place to be and people to see,” he winked. “But I have arranged the meeting for dusk at the townhall, feel free to bring Vanna.”

“Thank you Byron,” Jason said with a tilt of his head. The reeve smiled and left Jason with the animals.

*****

After a poor lunch of jerky and fruit, Jason walked around town introducing himself and making a new list of items the villagers needed. Most of the villager knew his face by then and weren’t nervous when he walked up to them. The people of Finchead were nice and put a smile on his face, adding another reason for Jason to consider making the village his permanent home. Old grandmothers offered him fruits and talked of their grandchildren. The men too old to work in the fields recanted the history of Finchead to Jason with a child’s pleasure. Children too small to work taught him games with marbles or rings they played while they slacked off on their chores. One mother swept her children back into their house with a broom when she found out they weren’t collecting water.

When the sun began to droop in the west Jason finally head back to his hut. He could hear Vanna and Eliza talking before he opened the door. “Oh wait until Jason sees this,” he heard Vanna squeal. Jason pushed open the door and both women turned and stared at him. “Speak of the devil,” Vanna mumbled.

“Eliza, you’ve out done yourself,” Jason said, his eyes bloomed with suprise. “Are those cots?” He asked mouth agape.

“Jule helped me sew together some old cloth I brought with me and stuff them with fresh hay,” Eliza answered. Jason walked over to cot on the ground and touched it. While nothing like what he was used to on Earth, it felt just as comfortable as what he slept on in the inn in Laxtar. More importantly, it would be tenfold better than hay on the floor.

Jason looked up with tears almost running down his face, “thank you Eliza.”

“Wimp, he doesn’t even know what scoliosis feels like,” Vanna muttered. They all laughed and then Eliza showed off the improvements she made to the hut. Fresh wood was piled by the fireplace, the lord didn’t charge for lumber and Jule let Eliza borrow Byron’s axe to chop down a tree. Sap still dripped from the logs, but they would dry out in a few days, Eliza noted. Jason’s pot was bubbling over the fire along with a metal grill. Eliza brought the grill with her from her old home. Chips in the walls had been sealed with a tan concrete like substance.

“Eliza you’ve done too much,” Jason said as he blew on the vegetable soup the woman had made.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Eliza said quietly through sips of soup. She took another sip and set her bowl down, “Vanna… Jason,” she said turning to look at each of them in turn. “I know we haven’t been together long, but for some reason I trust you,” she said the last part looking at Vanna, but Jason wanted to believe she meant the both of them. She breathed heavily, “I would like to ask if you would continue to let me stay with you for the time being.” Vanna smiled and opened her mouth to talk, but Eliza help up a hand to pause her. “I can’t offer much, but as you see,” she gestured around the room, “I can help around here and I can look after the place when you are traveling. All I ask is for food and a place to stay until I can find a way to start my life again,” the woman went silent and stared at them.

Vanna looked at Jason, he looked at the ground silently. “Well, you already know my answer,” he said after he looked up. “Stay as long as you want,” he smiled and added, “and let us know anyway that we can help you. I don’t have a lot of money right now but maybe one day, hopefully soon, I can lend you some to buy yourself some pigs.”

Eliza smiled, “thank you Jason,” she looked at Vanna and they both exchanged happy looks. Jason had a suspicion that they discussed this matter already without him but he kept his thoughts to himself.

“Alright, it’s getting dark. Vanna are you ready to head to this meeting?”