Chapter 20: 20. The City and the Guild

Elyssia pulled her hood up and followed Thyra outside onto the quiet side street. Elyssia relished first experience of a medieval town, taking in all the sights. Feeling the drop in temperature, she used a little of her magic to keep herself warm.

It was quite clear from the narrow street she was on that the area was not as well kept, which was something to be expected of society at this time period. The cobble street was quite uneven, with dirty snow piled up to the sides. Icicles could be seen hanging from the wooden support beams of the nearby buildings with small clumps of snow occasionally falling into the street.

“You better keep up, I won’t stop to wait for you.”

Looking back, Thyra spoke up with a clear look of distain on her face.

Shaking her head in exasperation, Elyssia caught up behind and matched her pace.

As Elyssia followed, she was led out onto what she assumed to be the main street of Havall. The street was around 16 metres wide, easy enough for 3 carriages to pass by at the same time. There was a large amount of traffic filling the street as people walked about their daily lives.  

The main street was maintained far better than the side streets, lined on both sides by a variety of different shops. Some were built from wood, others from a mix of half-timbered wattle and daub, while in some rarer cases built from stone. In front of some of these shops were a number of small stands selling fresh produce such as root vegetables while others were being used to advertise the products sold in the shops behind.

There were also a small number of stalls selling food, the smells quite enticing as Elyssia walked past. Elyssia could also make out a few taverns along the main street, hinted at by the smell of alcohol and the volume of the midday drinkers inside.

‘I guess no matter the world, there will always be drunks.’ Elyssia chucked to herself, remembering some of the patrons of the local pub in her old village who would be on the verge of passing out by 1pm.

Looking to her left, she could see that the street was curving its way up through the city towards a large Nordic style castle built at the highest point where you could see it from anywhere in Havall. The castles multi layered wooden roofs rose high above the sturdy stone walls that surrounded the castle, the majestic view exciting Elyssia’s inner history nerd.

While towns and daily life might have been interesting to her, grand structures like castles, churches, temples, and palaces always intrigued her more. They were the culmination of many peoples hard work and the large buildings usually found themselves at the centre of important historical events that had impacts on the future for generations to come.

Looking in the other direction Elyssia see that the road went into the direction of a large gatehouse made from stone, its 2 towers rising above the rooftops.

Elyssia continued following behind Thyra who led them in the direction of the gatehouse in silence, something she appreciated as she could take in the new sights around her.

Elyssia enjoyed looking about, observing the culture of the Norsemen around her. She had expected the town to be far more underdeveloped than it actual was, but she assumed that due to the stimulus of trade in the city, development had increased alongside wealth.

As they made their way down the main street, they entered a large plaza that featured a large marketplace made up of long rows of stalls. To one side stood a large stone building rising one floor above the surrounding 2 story buildings, its wooden roof surrounded by crenellations. This building looked significantly more opulent than everything she had seen so far. Carved above the large wooden front doors was a carved stone icon featuring a set of weighing scales.

Looking at the building, Elyssia concluded that this was either a courtroom or a place for trading, and after taking a close look at the doors and seeing that there was a steady flow of people entering and exiting the building, some carrying goods, she decided on the latter.

On the opposite side of the plaza Elyssia spotted a large wooden building with a multi layered wooden roof similar to the castle. The roof was decorated by dragon heads carved onto the ends of the support beams, proudly reaching their heads to the sky.

Looking at the front of the building Elyssia could see a large hanging sign above the main door that depicted two axes crossed behind a imposing metal helm, the helms most prominent feature were the two large black horns that curled from the sides towards the chin.

Thyra led Elyssia towards this building which seemed to be the adventures guild. The guild seemed quieter than Elyssia had expected, with two men clad in heavy armour sat on the stone septs leading up to the entry way, their helmets laid on the steps next to them as they happily ate away at one of the hard pieces of bread Elyssia had eaten for lunch.

She could only commend their fortitude at being able to eat the bread without breaking their teeth.

Elyssia could also see a mother leading her young son by the hand walking inside. She was initially baffled by the sight as she thought of her perception of adventures guilds from a modern perspective, then she realised that they were likely going there to post a request.

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They made their way up to the guild, Elyssia’s hooded appearance gaining a curious glance from the two warriors eating their lunch. Walking inside, Elyssia could immediately notice the strong smell of alcohol along with some hints of blood. She recoiled slightly at the smell, something that Thyra noticed.

“I would expect nothing less from some pampered little princess like you. It would be good if you could just piss off back to whatever place you came from.”

Hearing Thyra’s sharp words, Elyssia turned to look at her, maintaining a neutral expression.

“You know, manners cost nothing. I’m not sure what I have done to offend you in the short time I have been awake but being antagonistic without actually explaining anything is quite pointless.”

Thyra paused hearing this, then let out an indignant huff before walking inside and picking a table to sit at, clearly not wanting to explain anything.

Shaking her head with a sigh at the incomprehensible actions of this girl, Elyssia made her way deeper inside towards the long reception desk. To her right and left were a row of support columns leading directly across the building. To either side of the reception desk were a set of stairs that looked like a grand staircase leading to the 2nd floor. To the side of the pillars on the right was a large area filled with tables and chairs, clearly a seating area for the large bar that was against the right wall. The left side was split between more tables and chairs and slightly more luxurious seats that resembled modern sofas, just without as much padding.

Elyssia assumed the comparably more comfortable seating that was closer to the reception as a waiting area for clients wanting to submit a request. This was confirmed when she saw the young mother and son duo who were sat, looking towards the reception desk in anticipation.

Taking a close look at the reception desk, Elyssia could see that there was only one receptionist who currently talking to a young man who looked to be in farmers clothes, so she walked towards the seating area and made herself comfortable while waiting for her turn.

While waiting, Elyssia could see around 6 adventures currently relaxing in the bar area. They all wore an assortment of armours, all of which seemed to resemble traditional Nordic designs from back on earth. Some wore chainmail, while others wore light leather armour.

Looking at their weapons, Elyssia could see that they were either made from iron or steel. She could see that the weapons had some chips and scratches along the edges of the blade, showing that they had seen their fair share of battle.

While she was lost in her thoughts, a sudden voice brought her attention towards the reception.

“Excuse me, Client in the hooded cloak, we are ready to take your request.”

Seeing that the receptionist was looking at her, Elyssia stood up and walked over.

“Good afternoon, my name is Eydis, how can the Black Horn Adventures Guild help you today?”

The young receptionist in her 20’s greeted Elyssia with a welcoming smile.

Looking at the young girl, Elyssia noticed she was slightly better dressed than everyone else she had seen so far. She was wearing a well-made white blouse with ruffles on the chest, a long black skirt, and a brown laced corset. Her brown hair tied was tied up in a ponytail and her brown eyes held a sharp look. She was not exceptionally beautiful, less so than Thyra, but she would still undoubtedly gain the attention of many men.

“Good afternoon, I am currently looking for Frida, can you help?”