Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Market Tactics

Nay and Nom’s room was on the second floor.

There was a single bed, an oak chest at the foot of it. A mirror and a sink with a wash basin.

There was plumbing, and Alric mentioned Quincy had some amenities installed by a gnomish artisan Marrow Eater, so some stuff was operating off magic. Not a lot, but enough that people didn’t have to use chamber pots and each room had a heat-source, and supposedly the bulk of the amenities were in the kitchen and within the foundation of the structure.

Alric had given her a set of new clothes he had purchased from Igby’s, the local tailor shop.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Nay had told him.

“You’re wearing over-sized bloodstained clothes, whose origin I would rather know nothing about,” he had said. “If you’re going to be making and serving food for the people of Lucerna’s End, you could start with a fresh and clean set.”

She had hugged him before he retired to his room. She had thought he blushed when she did so, but he had turned around and excused himself so quickly she couldn’t exactly tell.

There was a fresh tunic, dyed black, with some string to close the chest and collar. A green cloak that she could use outside to shield her against the wind and snow. A pair of leather pants that were form-fitting, comfortable and were probably the most durable piece of clothing she had ever put on in her life.

And best of all a pair of gray boots that seemed to be made out of some water-resistant material. It made her think of otter skin. He had called them ‘nagaskin boots’. He said they were also good against slipping, which he thought would be perfect for a kitchen.

She didn’t have any heavy hides or furs or anything if she had to travel in the snow, but that was okay.

She figured she could start building a wardrobe when she got paid. She would be spending most of her time in the kitchen, anyways.

Nom was happy not to be attached to her and was exploring the room. Quincy made sure he had a goosefeather-stuffed mat to sleep on that the tentacle could use as a bed.

“I’m still offended Alric didn’t get me anything,” Nom said. “What am I? Chopped liver?”

“What’s he supposed to get a tentacle?” Nay said as she washed her face in the water basin. There were two agate-like stones on the rim. One was red and black; and the other was blue and black.

When she tapped the reddish agate, the bowl grew warm, heating the water. She tapped the blue stone and the bowl chilled, cooling the water.

“It’s more the gesture that counts, not so much the gift,” Nom said, spinning in circles on his bed, getting the mat trampled just right, before finally lying down.

Nay stripped down to her skivvies and crawled underneath the wool blanket on her bed.

“Get some sleep, Nom. We have an early morning.”

/////////

Gracie was the young stitchgal who had filled in for ‘Ol Pat when she passed.

She was barely out of her teens and more interested in boys than she was in cooking. Although Nay recognized the gal had an affinity for baking in the way she handled the duties for the production of bread.

When Nay examined the dough she knew it was of a pretty low-quality. It looked to be comprised of legumes and bran. Baking wasn’t her strong suit but she knew enough methods to improve what the Lodge was currently serving.

“After these rolls are done,” Gracie said, “I set them out in the dining room for the breakfast with the oats, hot water and milk. We also serve a nice pepper tea that gets the blood flowing in these early morning hours. In fact I have some now. I always drink a few cups as I’m baking. I need it to wake up.”

“I’ll have a cup or two,” Nay said. “I need coffee to function. Especially before the sun is up.”

“What’s coffee?” Gracie said.

“It’s like tea, but it comes from a bean. A harsher drink, but addictive. I’ll see if I can get some soon so you can try it.” If it’s even a thing in this world, Nay thought.

Nay set down the basket Quincy had left in front of her door. He left her a note saying it was for Nom, for his transport from their room to the kitchen so no one would see him.

As Gracie turned to pour Nay tea, Nom slipped out of the basket and slinked into the shadows of the kitchen, exploring what Nay was beginning to describe as the ‘medieval line’.

The kitchen was a huge arched chamber that had a fire-pit in the center and a spacious hearth against one wall. There were curved alcoves that served as ovens. The whole chamber was filled with a warm, amber glow from the candles hanging from the curved timber above. The floor seemed to be a mixture of stone and clay tiles and the chimney was carved from big squares of stone. There was a buttery, a bottlery, a pantry and several storerooms, one off which was a chamber for drying meat. The larder was stocked with containers of legumes, grains and root vegetables.

There was a stove-top adjacent to the hearth with iron surfaces, and Nay saw more of the temperature agate stones on the device.

There was whimsy to the design of the place and Gracie explained that most everything was stitchmen designed except for the special appliances that operated off magic, designed by a Marrow Eater gnomish tinkerer from the city of Mechalopolis.

Nay would have time to explore all the tools and devices later but her first matter of business was taking inventory and then getting out to the market to meet the vendors of Lucerna’s End.

She had told Nom, “The key to ensuring this enterprise is a success is acquiring the best ingredients that are available in the town. We need to figure out who the suppliers are and make some deals. Fresh and simple ingredients is my philosophy.”

“You want me to go with you?” Nom had said. “I’m perfectly happy exploring this kitchen and observing Gracie with her bread.”

“I need you with me because I need you to taste the product of these vendors,” Nay had said.

Gracie handed her a wooden cup of pepper tea. Nay took a sip. There was a kick to it. She knew because she could feel a burning at the back of her throat. She was sure this was loaded with caffeine.

“So you’re the new cook, eh?” Gracie said, observing her.

“Not yet,” Nay said. “I’m the new trial.”

“Well, I’m grateful to have the help. Only so much I’ve been able to do. I’d rather go back to serving. I like talking and meeting with people. But Quincy said I was the only gal that didn’t burn the breakfast bread and if I wanted a job then I best be comfortable in the kitchen.”

Nay nodded and got her first good look at Gracie. She was young and pretty with rosy cheeks. She kept her long blonde hair in braids and kind of looked like a young shepherdess and maiden. She was sure she got a lot of attention from the men in the Lodge, which is probably why she wanted to be working front-of-the-house.

She was unusually chipper for being up this early in the morning, which was probably another reason Quincy had her getting up at baker’s hours. It would be torture to someone who isn’t a morning person. Which meant Quincy cared about his employees. He could have just stuck anyone down here, but he chose the person who would be the most agreeable to the position.

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“So here’s the deal for today, Gracie,” Nay said. “You run things like you normally do every morning. I’m going to go meet with vendors and see about getting more product in this kitchen.”

“I’m sorry, miss. Product?”

“You know, more vegetables and fruit. Different kinds of meat. We need to branch out from just fish.”

“Sometimes we do roast chickens and snowquail. But it has been a while since we’ve had any fowl to prepare for dinner.”

“Exactly. So you hold down the fort here and I’ll be back in a few hours.”

/////////

Nay set out towards the Wharf District of Lucerna’s End, where she was told all the market vendors set up shop, with Nom coiled around her torso and shoulder underneath her cloak.

There was a cold drizzle that hit her sideways due to the wind, and the white of the sun was rising somewhere in the east. Dawn was blocked by a barrier of storm clouds in the dark, gray sky.

She shivered and she could feel Nom’s body sapping her of some heat.

She carried a purse in a pocket on the inside of her cloak. It was filled with silver coins. It was some of the weekly kitchen budget for the Lodge, and Gracie had given it to her. She mentioned that it was more than usual because she rarely spent all of the allocated budget each week so it had accumulated in savings.

The ground was muddy and cold, but the nagaskin boots kept her feet warm and firm on the icy street. There was a street-crew of stitchmen wearing furs, who had shovels and carts of salt for keeping the roadways from being totally frozen over. They smoked tobacco cigarettes and hummed songs as they worked.

Lanterns hung from street poles, keeping the streets lit by gaslight, and already groups of stitchmen were up and on the way to their jobs. Still, two-thirds of the establishments and buildings were still closed. Not everyone in Lucerna’s End was an early riser.

“I don’t think I’m ever gonna get used to this cold,” Nom said.

“Well, we play our cards right,” Nay said, “and we’ll mostly be in the Lodge. But for now, we have to figure out how much of a strangle-hold The Two-Headed Trout Inn has on the vendors here. And if we can manage, I’d like to check out their establishment sooner than later. I want to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Know thy enemy,” Nom agreed.

Nay knew they were in the Wharf District when the smell of fish assaulted them. The whole town smelled like the Lac, but the distinct smell of sea creatures permeated the district. There were a few blocks of warehouses before they got a view of the shipyard and the boardwalk, which is where the Lucerna Market was located.

The Lucerna Market was a street before the boardwalk where vendors had set up shop on each side. They mostly dealt in fish and fresh-water crab, but Nay spotted the fruit and vegetable vendors, and there were sellers hawking meat that clearly wasn’t seafood.

“We’re interested in anything that isn’t seafood,” Nay said. “That’s everything here, the rare stuff is the wild game brought in from the forests or even livestock meat. I want beef, poultry and pork.”

---

[Quest Detected]

[Quest: Make Deal with Moonglum Farms]

[Accept Quest [Y/N?]

---

She accepted the quest and a middle-aged stitchman handling a crate full of eggs in front of a wagon seemed to shimmer with a yellow aura. A dot appeared on her mini-map designating him. Sure enough, as they got closer, they saw the brand on the side of his wagon. Moonglum Farms.

He had cages of chickens and he had various cuts of beef and pork wrapped in butcher paper and sticking out of barrels. His tables displayed different vegetables, stuff she recognized like potatoes and squash and other stuff like ‘icebite cilantro’ and ‘tundra peppers’. Green, lettuce-like vegetables that somehow flourished in the cold soil here in Stitchdale.

Nay picked up a cut of beef loin and unwrapped the butcher paper a little to get a peak at the meat.

“The finest beef you’ll find in all of Stitchdale,” the Moonglum farmer said.

“That’s what every farmer and cattleman here says,” Nay said.

“Who said that?” the farmer said. “Was it Bill from Snowdew Farms? You should know he’s a liar.”

“Didn’t sound like he was lying when he offered me a wholesale deal on what he described was Grade A beef even better than Japanese wagyu.”

The farmer blinked, only half-comprehending what she said. But he had definitely picked up on her tone. And her tone said she got a better deal from a rival farmer who though his cattle was superior.

“He’s lying. You’re making a big mistake if you make a deal with him.”

Nay took out her pouch and idly tossed it up and down in her hands, jingling the silver coins. “I don’t know. He offered to throw in some poultry and pork as well. It’s a deal that’s hard to beat.”

The farmer’s eyes lit up with greed. “Before you make a decision, why don’t you do a taste test so you can see for yourself?”

He produced a plate and pulled the cover off it, revealing some roasted beef rib. It was covered in some type of brown sauce. He offered it to her. She grabbed it and took a bite. The farmer leaned in to watch her. She took her time chewing and showed no reaction.

“That’s pretty good,” Nay said. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll pay point five percent less per pound than what The Two-Headed Trout is paying you for a week’s supply of beef. And I’ll pay you more than whatever they’re paying for poultry and pork if I get here first at the beginning of each week.”

“How much more?”

“What sounds good to you?”

---

[Quest Complete!]

[Make Deal with Moonglum Farms Quest Completed!]

[Congratulations!]

[You have been rewarded with Vigor Points]

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