Neutral Parties by Christopher J Taylor

Author:Christopher J Taylor [Taylor, Christopher J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Epic Fantasy
Publisher: DLS Publishing
Published: 2014-11-21T04:30:00+00:00

Two hours later, Daniel left his horse with a groomsman at the Red Ox. Payment guaranteed by a guardian of the empire and the honor of serving one of the greater families had motivated Master Ransel to show his best and Daniel was happy to have it. The journeyman talking measurements had been polite and thorough. The repaired armor should fit perfectly. Even better, the master smith had provided a new padded hauberk and two sets of clothing adjusted to fit while he waited. Daniel wore a dark blue doublet and pants with a light blue undershirt. A red and black set along with the hauberk were bundled under his arm. The return to civility was a welcome change.

Ransel had also offered a variety of decorative options that had caught Daniel’s eye, ranging from a replacement of the gold inlay, to detailed enamels, to an acid etching that left a pattern in the metal seen best in shifting light. Daniel chose to forgo decoration. He cared little for the cost as the guardian was paying. Time, however, was important. He had a hunt to attend to. Decoration could be added later. The repairs would take less than a day, Ransel had promised. However a new helm, of a design the master smith promised would improve vision without sacrificing protection, would take three days.

Three days in the company of Dame Sarafina. He could find hospitality with any of the local nobles, but that would require social niceties Daniel preferred to avoid. There would be inevitable invitations to a variety of feasts and balls. Honoring all of them would take weeks. Accepting this one or that would insult those he ignored. He didn’t care about the insult, but the complaints they would generate would be endless. He could stand three days with the cow if it meant he could avoid having to choose between weeks of social entanglements or years of enmity.

When Daniel stepped through the door of the inn, he was greeted by a large main room with high ceilings and a score of tables between him and the bar at the back of the room. A stair to the left led up to what he expected were private rooms. To the right the wall was dominated by a wide fireplace. Hanging over the fire was a brass engraving of an ox. The craftsman had painted the sheet of brass red before engraving the image. Light reflected off the carved lines in an orange and yellow shimmer. The fire within the hearth burned low and gave out little heat or light. Expensive oil lamps lining the walls easily made up for the lack. Doors at either end of the bar led deeper into the inn. The one nearest the fireplace swung in and out, allowing wenches to come and go from what was likely the kitchen. The tables and chairs looked to be of fair quality and there was no sign of dirt or sawdust on the floor. This was not an establishment used to regular brawls.

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