There is an odd tranquility to a quiet road, like a dried riverbed. The patterns in the dirt tell stories, but instead of currents and rivulets, roads tell about caravans of wagons and horses, about the men either too foolish or too urgent to heed the weather. Erak sat where one road fed into the next. Or, perhaps it was where the road forked away from the main road. Perspectives.
He gazed at his hand, cupped palm up, a small pile of dried seeds resting in it. He'd been siting like this, motionless, for some hours. Waiting on someone. It was only a matter of time, the giant could sense them, standing just behind him, just out of view. Motionless he remained. Perhaps five minutes went by before there was a change, as Erak felt the squirrel hop onto his knee. Another minute before the creature felt safe enough to hop to his arm. Another two before it started to slowly- in a squirrel's uniquely jerky slowness -head towards the seeds in his hand.
But it was for naught. The sound of an approaching wagon startled the tree rodent, and it ran off. Much like the affronted silence had fled when the crescendo of a wagon's axle against it's stocks as the wagon progressed. Then slowed, and eventually stopped in front of the sea wolf. "Well I'll be damned, Eric?" Erak sighed as he stood up, why were these mainlanders so dead set on making even his name soft? He nodded when he came to his full height. the man in the wagon seemed slightly unsettled by this. "Yes, I am Erak"
This time, the driver nodded. "I wasn't sure you would actually be here, yet here you are! Here, these are yours." He slid a small, heavy looking box over to him. It was a kind of wooden lockbox, and had a thick envelope resting on it. He picked up the envelope and- as gently as he could -opened it. He glanced over the writing. 'Hereby grant... five hundred acres of heavily forested land outside Clinesgrove to one Erak Ragnak at the sum of... By the powers vested in..' Erak grinned as his eyes moved from the text to the scroll work along the side of the page. Working through proxies had been a labor of faith. Trusting that these mainlanders would keep their word and not absconder with his gold. But it had been necessary, for Erak never could have entered into a noble's court unmolested, especially here on the coast.
Erak folded the deed to his newly acquired land and placed it inside his vest. Next, he reached over to take a hold of the box and gingerly broke the lock, letting the man driving the wagon see the fifteen or so tightly packed stacks of coins. "Take me to Clivesgrove." slowly, Erak slid the box back towards the man, "Yours." Bumbfounded, the driver nodded. The money was of little consequence to him. he had the combined wealth of two Sea Wolves entire raiding careers within his ruksya.
It was just becoming dark when the wagon crossed into the town proper. If it could be called that. Clivesgrove was the first town from the city of Cerenis, or perhaps the last one until you reach Cerenis. Again, perspectives. It sat on a popular trade route into the city, as as such, many of the towns citizens lived by trade. Lightening the load of wagons heading to port to do trade, and then the purses of those heading back home. Erak felt the place was perfect. Far enough from the sea that people's first thoughts seeing him wouldn't be 'Oh shit, it's a raid!' and the commerce would bring news from all of Serendipity. For him, it was perfect.
But for now, it was dark, and the land he had purchased didn't come with a home. He would have to build it. Last time he'd been to Clivesgrove, he mostly avoided the town, camping in the forest that he now held the deed to. This time, he'd stay in the town's single inn, at least for tonight. Making his way towards the windowless building, his eyes narrowed at the name. "Lusty Hydra." The mere idea sent a shiver swimming laps up and down his spine.
Shaking off the tremor, he moved inside, eyes surveying the lowlight. Spying the bar, he made his way over to it, patiently waiting while the woman behind the bar treated other patron, then eventually came up to him- he wasn't going to impose on her after all. "Ale. Darkest you have." Then, as an afterthought, added, "Please." then made his way towards a table, leaving a solid Gold Mark where his hand had been. A kindly crone in moonspear had told him that soldiers who enlisted during times of war were paid a gold mark every half year. Erak hoped that meant the coin was worth a lot, and not that the military was grossly underpaid.
Selecting a table against the wall- and away from most of the other patrons and the stage. He elected to pull the chair away from the table and sit on the ground, his back against the wall. Like this, the table came to just at rib level, so he could rest one arm on the table, the other against his knee. Soon enough, he had his ale, and was content to sit there and relax until much later.
Except, he felt a need to look at the stage. He couldn't quite place it, like a sudden itch that needed to be scratched. And so he did. Where before there had been many dancers on the stage, there was now only one. She wore clothes he had never seen, and moved in ways that were unprecedented. The Seawolf was fascinated. This was something new, strange, and enticing. Erak never once tore his eyes away, occasionally bringing the ale to his lips.
Unlike the other patrons, Erak never once vocalized, he simply watched with an unwavering curiosity. As the belly dancer ended her routine, and the barwenches started making rounds of the tables, taking drink orders. When one came to his table, a dark ale already in hand, Erak allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk in a smile. "Thank you. Who was that?" he asked, nodding towards the stage.
"You must be new here" she replied in a somewhat bubbly manner, "That was Utani, she owns the place." Nodding appreciatively, he turned his attention back towards the stage as the next act came out. Lagestonia didn't have shows like this, so Erak sat quiet, attentive, and curious. Drinking in the experience with his eyes and ears.