“Well, this can’t be right” muttered Maith Ceol as she looked quizzically down at the piece of parchment in her hand.
Summoning Bacon Bits with a wave of her hand, Maith quickly rode into town and plopped herself in front of the gently snoring Minister of Trade.
“Bennett!” Maith hopped off Bacon Bits and stomped her foot loudly.
“Ma’am?” Bennett opened one eye and peered up at the pint-sized duchess.
“Bennett. Read this and explain it!” Maith angrily handed Bennett the parchment. “Chuck the Scribe just handed it to me!”
“Read it? Hmph. You’d think scribes would have better quill work … “ Bennett glanced at the paper and handed it back dismissively.
“Bennett! Chuck accosted me while I was picking up supplies at the Lycaeum. I managed to calm him down but … he tells me that they are dangerously low on supplies. He said that they are only able to get about a dozen of each supply regularly. Bennett. We are KNOWN for our mystical supplies … we can’t … we … what is going on, Bennett?”
“Ma’am.” Bennett sighed and stood up wearily. “It’s true. We have been having some supply chain issues lately. I thought perhaps it was a seasonal event. There have been people coming and going to the Lycaeum since around April’s full moon but … “
“But what?”
“Well … I snuck up there after dark and discovered Dorr was handing out candles in exchange for eggs so no one is buying the supplies. I don’t know what he’s doing with all those eggs. He SAYS it’s to save us all from the sin of coveting, but I think he’s working in conjunction with … “
“Stop!” Maith cut Bennett off mid-sentence. “Bennett. What is going on? In ten words or less.”
“Orcs.” Bennett summed it up succinctly.
“Orcs? What? There haven’t been orcs in Moonglow since … I can’t remember the last time!”
“Ma’am, we’ve been sending our trade requests to other cities as usual, and they say they have dispatched them but the ships never make it to Moonglow.” Bennett shook his head and sat down heavily on an empty shipping crate. “We don’t have any reason to believe that they are just taking our gold. I suppose it could be possible but we never had any trouble before with any of the trade routes except during the holiday season when our trade requests slow down, but I put that … “
“Bennett!” Maith nudged the portly trade minister over and sat down next to him. “What about the orcs?”
“Oh yes! The orcs!” Bennett exclaimed. “I ran into Laird at The Scholar’s Inn and he mentioned that he’s seen orc ships full of trade cargo sailing past the Lycaeum. Day and night. He told me he was down at the Sea Market and saw similar ships, sails fully unfurled, sailing at top speed.”
“Orcs are stealing our trade goods?”
“Yes ma’am, it would seem that way except …” Bennett shrugged as his words trailed off.
“Except what?” Maith nudged him.
“Except Laird said they were fancy orcs … well-dressed orcs.”
“What?!” Maith smacked Bennet with a closed tessen. “Was he with Blackheart again? We really need to stop vacation travel to Buc’s Den … ”
“No no! No … ma’am it was early in the day and he was perfectly sober! And … well. There’s more.”
“Tell me.”
“He said the orcs weren’t always in orc ships.”
Maith scoffed and stood up. “Come on, Bennett. You know that orcs always sail in their ships. It’s part of who they are. This is all highly suspicious and I’m not entirely sure you aren’t in on this illegal endeavor!”
Bennett quickly stood, pulled his hat off and put it in his hands before addressing the angry and increasingly twitchy mage in front of him. “Ma’am. I would never and you know that in your heart.”
Maith stared at the ground and took a deep breath before putting her hand gently on the shaken man’s arm. “I do know that, Bennett, and I’m sorry I accused you. I’m so upset about this but it’s all so … fanciful.”
Bennett nodded sadly. Maith sighed and looked at the empty docks.
“I’m not going to bother Governor Lauren with this right now but I am going to investigate. I don’t believe your story … “
“Laird’s story!” Bennett exclaimed.
“Laird’s story.” Maith smiled reassuringly. “This story of fancy orcs on normal ships but … stranger things have happened!”
“Yes ma’am!” Bennett smiled gratefully “Stranger things indeed!” They both smiled at each other, remembering.
“Let me think about it for a bit. Try to find some different suppliers of goods, even if it means going to Felucca. Just get an escort first please.”
“Of course, ma’am!” Bennett nodded eagerly.
“Try to keep this under your hat as much as possible. I’ll talk to the scribes … they are so chatty and if they start talking over at the Abbey during their monthly meet-up … then the elves will find out and ugh … what a mess that will be!” Maith shook her head angrily. “Mum’s the word, Bennett. We must keep our mouths and Moonglow’s reputation secure.”
Bennett smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Maith smiled back and turned to leave. Her face hidden, the smile fell off and was replaced by an angry and worried glare as she summoned Bacon Bits.
“Fancy orcs indeed. I know just where to go … “
Summoning Bacon Bits with a wave of her hand, Maith quickly rode into town and plopped herself in front of the gently snoring Minister of Trade.
“Bennett!” Maith hopped off Bacon Bits and stomped her foot loudly.
“Ma’am?” Bennett opened one eye and peered up at the pint-sized duchess.
“Bennett. Read this and explain it!” Maith angrily handed Bennett the parchment. “Chuck the Scribe just handed it to me!”
“Read it? Hmph. You’d think scribes would have better quill work … “ Bennett glanced at the paper and handed it back dismissively.
“Bennett! Chuck accosted me while I was picking up supplies at the Lycaeum. I managed to calm him down but … he tells me that they are dangerously low on supplies. He said that they are only able to get about a dozen of each supply regularly. Bennett. We are KNOWN for our mystical supplies … we can’t … we … what is going on, Bennett?”
“Ma’am.” Bennett sighed and stood up wearily. “It’s true. We have been having some supply chain issues lately. I thought perhaps it was a seasonal event. There have been people coming and going to the Lycaeum since around April’s full moon but … “
“But what?”
“Well … I snuck up there after dark and discovered Dorr was handing out candles in exchange for eggs so no one is buying the supplies. I don’t know what he’s doing with all those eggs. He SAYS it’s to save us all from the sin of coveting, but I think he’s working in conjunction with … “
“Stop!” Maith cut Bennett off mid-sentence. “Bennett. What is going on? In ten words or less.”
“Orcs.” Bennett summed it up succinctly.
“Orcs? What? There haven’t been orcs in Moonglow since … I can’t remember the last time!”
“Ma’am, we’ve been sending our trade requests to other cities as usual, and they say they have dispatched them but the ships never make it to Moonglow.” Bennett shook his head and sat down heavily on an empty shipping crate. “We don’t have any reason to believe that they are just taking our gold. I suppose it could be possible but we never had any trouble before with any of the trade routes except during the holiday season when our trade requests slow down, but I put that … “
“Bennett!” Maith nudged the portly trade minister over and sat down next to him. “What about the orcs?”
“Oh yes! The orcs!” Bennett exclaimed. “I ran into Laird at The Scholar’s Inn and he mentioned that he’s seen orc ships full of trade cargo sailing past the Lycaeum. Day and night. He told me he was down at the Sea Market and saw similar ships, sails fully unfurled, sailing at top speed.”
“Orcs are stealing our trade goods?”
“Yes ma’am, it would seem that way except …” Bennett shrugged as his words trailed off.
“Except what?” Maith nudged him.
“Except Laird said they were fancy orcs … well-dressed orcs.”
“What?!” Maith smacked Bennet with a closed tessen. “Was he with Blackheart again? We really need to stop vacation travel to Buc’s Den … ”
“No no! No … ma’am it was early in the day and he was perfectly sober! And … well. There’s more.”
“Tell me.”
“He said the orcs weren’t always in orc ships.”
Maith scoffed and stood up. “Come on, Bennett. You know that orcs always sail in their ships. It’s part of who they are. This is all highly suspicious and I’m not entirely sure you aren’t in on this illegal endeavor!”
Bennett quickly stood, pulled his hat off and put it in his hands before addressing the angry and increasingly twitchy mage in front of him. “Ma’am. I would never and you know that in your heart.”
Maith stared at the ground and took a deep breath before putting her hand gently on the shaken man’s arm. “I do know that, Bennett, and I’m sorry I accused you. I’m so upset about this but it’s all so … fanciful.”
Bennett nodded sadly. Maith sighed and looked at the empty docks.
“I’m not going to bother Governor Lauren with this right now but I am going to investigate. I don’t believe your story … “
“Laird’s story!” Bennett exclaimed.
“Laird’s story.” Maith smiled reassuringly. “This story of fancy orcs on normal ships but … stranger things have happened!”
“Yes ma’am!” Bennett smiled gratefully “Stranger things indeed!” They both smiled at each other, remembering.
“Let me think about it for a bit. Try to find some different suppliers of goods, even if it means going to Felucca. Just get an escort first please.”
“Of course, ma’am!” Bennett nodded eagerly.
“Try to keep this under your hat as much as possible. I’ll talk to the scribes … they are so chatty and if they start talking over at the Abbey during their monthly meet-up … then the elves will find out and ugh … what a mess that will be!” Maith shook her head angrily. “Mum’s the word, Bennett. We must keep our mouths and Moonglow’s reputation secure.”
Bennett smiled and nodded his head in agreement. Maith smiled back and turned to leave. Her face hidden, the smile fell off and was replaced by an angry and worried glare as she summoned Bacon Bits.
“Fancy orcs indeed. I know just where to go … “
