Joe:

In the morning I awoke, snugged up under a large bush. I wiggled my way out into the sunlight and took a look at my hand. After unwrapping the blood encrusted sock, I saw that the wounds had closed, but my hand was swollen and bright red. I could move my fingers a little, which was a good sign, but I couldn’t make a fist or really use the hand. I wanted to move the fire ring to my left hand in case I needed it, but my finger was too swollen to remove it. With a thought I moved it to my inventory and then back and put it on to my hand.

I pulled over my pack and dug out my first aid kit, and popped 2 ibuprofens for pain and swelling. Instead of putting the pack back on, I just slung it into my inventory. I kept my weapons and basic kit on me in case something happened, but I was becoming a big fan of Gar’s inventory perk.

I filled and treated my water bottles, using the small pills I’d packed. I washed the blood out of my sock, and jerry rigged the laced on the boot I’d removed before. I drank two of my 4 remaining water bottles from Bill, and refilled them with river water, purified and inventoried them. I tucked my swollen hand into the pocket of my leather jacket, and started hiking downstream. I really wanted to eat my last MRE, but I didn’t think I could pull it off with just one hand. Hopefully my hand would be better by lunch.

As I pushed my way through the grass heading down stream, I began to hear a bit of whistling now and again,. Soon I saw a raft floating down river, a blond lad of about 17 laying on a tarp covered pile of boxes, whistling and letting the raft float however it wished, meandering down river with the current.

When he got closer, I waved both my hands over my head and called “Ahoy the ship!”. The lad sat up and called back to me

“G’day! ahoy the land, whatever that means.” His accent was pure Australia, his clothes simple and worn, but his smile was bright and interested.

I called back “I hurt my hand, I was wondering if we could trade for a float down river.”

By this point he’d caught up to me and I started jogging down river to keep pace with him.

“What’cha got to trade?”

“I can trade my labor, such as it is, or I have a bronze coin, about as big as the knuckle of my thumb, if that will not work. It’s not from around here, but it’s got to be worth something.”

He squinted up at me, and asked “what happened to your hand, that looks nasty?”

I told him “A palmetto bug ripped it up good, it’s healed, but I think it’s infected.”

“Oh yeah, those are nasty buggers, I’m always along the far shore when I pass their nest back there.” He pointed a thumb up stream. ” Buggers can swim, nasty like. As long as you will peace knot your sword and stash it here in my baggage, I’ll trade you a ride to the next village, or to the big town for that coin. There is a healer that can take a look in Plainsford, about 16 hours downstream. But you’d better have another of those coins or something to trade, she’s a cash on the barrel-head type of lady.” He got up off the pile of boxes and picked up a long pole, and started to use it to push the raft my direction.

Soon the raft grated to a halt a few feet from shore, and I waded out on the sandbar and hopped on the raft. I saw another pole tied to the base of the raft, untied it and used it to help him get the raft off the sandbar and back into the current of the river. Using my injured hand as little as possible.

One we were back floating, he tied both poles back down, one on each side of the load, and stuck out his right hand, “Names, Jimmy, I’m from Duomsford, 3 days up river.” He slapped the boxes and continued “I’m carrying a load of rutabagas and other veggies to sell in Pekaton.” Here he pointed downstream. What about you?

I smiled back at him shaking his hand, “Names Joeseph Walker, but you can call me Joe, I’m new here, landed 2 days due east of the river from the palmetto nest. I walked right into it heading to catch the river. You always work this raft alone? I thought 2 people usually worked a raft?” I stuck my hand in my pocket, summoned one of my gold-colored dollar coins and handed it over. “I want to get this out up front, don’t want any questions about payment.”

He took the coin and flipping it over and looked at it “Ay, that’s right pretty. I may have come further ahead on this deal than I thought.” He nodded to me and said thanks, tucking the coin away.

I pointed to my sword and said “I don’t know how to peace knot a sword, and I’m not sure I could do it one handed either way, do you mind?”

“Nah hand it over,” and he ducked to pull a bit of string from a bag at his feet tucked into the ropes holding his load. He tucked the string through the hilt and around the scabbard and then just tied a series of square knots, like a paracord bracelet, till there wasn’t much of the cord left. “Usually, the guard makes you pay to put a wax seal on it, so you can’t just pull it off willy nilly, but this will do for now.”

He tucked it into the top of the load, and pulled another piece of twine to affix it firmly. “I normally do have a partner on these vegetable runs, but me mate, Davey got caught kissing on the baker’s daughter again and her parents and his have them locked up for a while. You got anything to eat, I’m right sick of raw carrots and rutabagas.

“I’ve got one meal of travel rations, but I can’t eat it with one hand. I’ll split it with ya. Even better if you can trade me some veggies so I’m not starving tomorrow.”

Jimmy said “Just a sec, pulled out the pole and pushed up back into the main current. Stashed the pole and dug out a couple huge carrots , an onion, an ear of corn, a potato, and a few lumps I couldn’t recognize “You got a bag? He asked me.

I pulled out the pouch the first MRE had come from and handed it to him He tucked the veggies in and started to rub his fingers on the plastic of the bag. “Cool pouch, is it waterproof?”

“Yeah, I said, not strong enough to put a drawstring through. My other travel ration came in it.” He passed it back and I exchanged it for my last MRE and a pocket knife. I flipped the knife open and cut the top of the MRE pouch open pulling out the accessories pouch. I handed him the spoon and one of the packs of gum. Saying “Save that gum for after, it’ll taste like ass if you eat it first.”

I dug out my spoon, cut open the pouch handed it to him and we shared out the beef stew, taking turns as I pulled out the rest of the pack, I noticed the matches had been replaced with another of the smallest sized firestones. Sighing, I put It in my pocket and flipped it secretly into my inventory.

Jimmy looked at me oddly and asked “Why are you sad mate? Those firestones are worth 5 Silver Crowns, the big ones. That’s more than this whole load plus the raft is worth. Treat those like money.”

“Really? I didn’t know, what can the bronze coin I gave you buy?”

Jimmy thought,” Honestly, you could buy my raft for 2 or 3 bronze knuts which I’m guessing is a bit under what your coin is worth by weight.” He pulled a Bronze Knut and my Sacajawea coin out and weighed it. he saw me peering at the Knut and handed it over so I could look.

“I’d say these are around a quarter of a bronze crown by weight. But the carvings on yours are so pretty, I frankly think I can get more for it maybe a whole bronze crown, if I find the right seller. Pretty much everyone will give you the value by weight. That’s 4 or 5 of these to an ounce of bronze making a crown, All Crown are one ounce. Knuts are 1/10th of an ounce. The value changes, but you can usually get 15 or 20 Bronze coins for a silver coin of the same size. Copper is about 5 or 6 coins to a bronze coin.” He pulled out a copper knut, and passed it over. “I don’t know what that sword of yours would cost, I’ve never seen one like it, But the Sherriff back home spent 25 silver crowns for a sword no where near as pretty. Oh, it’ll kill you just fine, but not as pretty as yours. I bet you could trade that sword for most any medium sized farm you could find and the farmer would dance his way home. You watch your back carrying that thing around, right? You’d be better buying an Axe and tucking it through your belt and hiding that sword in the big city. OK? Thieves and scammers will come out like flies if they see that, and you not surrounded by folks like a noble, or flash like a mage.”

“Yeah, good point I’ll be careful, what about this”, I pulled out my SRM763 pocket knife, flicked it open and passed it over.

He pulled it up close to his face and said “Never seen a folding knife like this”, He set the knife down and fished in his pouch, pulling out a simple Friction knife much like a Svord peasant knife. Rough forged and wood handle with a long tail on the blade.

“That cost my dad 2 bronze knuts and 3 bushels of corn, Probably the most expensive item I personally own. I’ve been saving up to buy some more farming tools in Pekaton. That’s where I’m selling all this produce. The raft belongs to the Family. I’ll sell it before I trek back up river on foot, but the money from it isn’t mine. I make a little on the side though, for my own pocket.”

I pulled out the last 2 bottles of fresh water, split the bag of lemon lime drink mix and shook them up, passing one to Jimmy. He fiddled with the cap, so I showed him how to unscrew it. He took a drink and his eyebrows shot up and he looked at it closely. “How’d they turn this into a powder, tastes like the honey lemon punch we get at the fall festival but sweeter.”

“Dried lemon and lime juice and sugar all ground together, is probably as close as I could do it myself. I’m sure they way they actually do it is way more complex though.”

He reached out and took the empty drink pouch and looked at it. “This kept the powder perfectly dry? waterproof too?”

“Yeah, all the pouches are water proof, why is it worth something?”

“Pouches are always worth something, one that keeps it drier than oilcloth or leather, I can’t tell you, but it’s worth something. My mom would trade you a fist of herbs for something like this, easy.

“I took it back, folded the top over the save the left-over powder, and said “it’s not air tight after you open it. but here, take it. You can rub your finger on the inside to get the leftover powder and lick it off your finger. When it’s all gone give it to your mom.”

I pulled out the vanilla pound cake, cut it open and split it with him, giving him that pouch too.

He took a bite and said “Oh my God, what is this Elven Trail Bread? It’s delicious!”

“Nah, just vanilla pound cake, nowhere near as good as my moms either. Equal parts by weight butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, with a little vanilla added for taste. Adding some lemon Juice and a bit of grated zest is good too. Not sure how long to bake it. It’s called pound cake, because you add a pound of each ingredient to make it. Super easy recipe.”

Jimmy was still relishing the cake, “I wonder if you can use honey, we don’t get much sugar, way too rich for us. I’ll ask my mom to try it.”

“I’m sure you’ll have to play with the recipe, but I bet you can figure it out” I said.

I pulled out the “multi grain snack bread” cut It in half, and squirted the cheese spread all over it. I passed one to Jimmy, even though he hadn’t finished the pound bread.

He looked at it, “What’s this orange stuff, some kind of exotic poop?”

I replied “Cheedar cheese spread, it’s okay, think party melted cheese with enough oil mixed in to keep it soft. The bread is basically a type of trail bread, not great but edible.”

Jimmy set his pound cake down, and took a bite. “That’s good, not as good as the pound cake, but better than I eat most days. You say this is trail rations?”

“Yeah in these special packs, before you open it, it’ll stay good 5 years or more, this bag is probably at least that old. The bags aren’t magic before you ask, they just keep all the air out. Think like an untapped keg of beer. Or cheese dipped in wax. Its food for soldiers in our army, I bought them to keep in my pack so I had some food if I had to run with it. Wish I’d packed more.”

Jimmy shoved the rest of the bread and cheese in his mouth and chewed. “Your soldiers must be happy, aside from festivals, this is probably the best food I’ve ever eaten.”

I laughed, “Ha! Like any food you eat enough of it and you get sick of it. For soldiers complaining about food is one of their hobbies”

I pulled out the bottles of hot sauce and passed two to him “This is spicy pepper sauce; the top unscrews like the water bottle. Save it for next time food is boring and add a drop or two. It goes along way, if you are not used to it, very spicy if you don’t eat peppers much. 2 for you and 2 for me. Splitting it evenly like we agreed. You can close the bottle back up like the water bottle to save what’s left.

I told him we’d split the coffee in the morning, and we settled down to talk and drift down the river.

When night came, we took turns sleeping and watching for snags. It was one of the more peaceful nights I’d spent in a while, I drifted off to sleep without noticing.