Japan in Alagaësia

Conversations among Barbarians

Feel free to add suggestions on future plot developments, and whether there should be additional Dragon Riders.

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Conversations among Barbarians

Jeod's hopes were swiftly dashed. Day by day, the foreigners would stop by the bathhouse so they could continue gambling with their health. After the first few days, and when Jeod had determined that they could find their way to one of the city's nexus of contagions and back on their own, Jeod stopped accompanying them altogether. He would probably go there one more time before winter arrived, to properly wash himself and enjoy the warmth of the waters for the last time before the coming spring, but that was how far he would take his self-indulgences.

The coming winter. He had promised Helen he would endeavor harder to recoup the losses from his business misfortunes, so that he could again provide her with the comfortable life she was used to. That had been the outcome of their heavy but necessary conversation to sort out some of the issues in their relationship. And in the months before winter was the seasonal trading period when trade activity would spike for a manner of goods, such as a variety of harvest items, seeds, poultry—for their eggs—, preserved foods, salt and other food preservatives, ale and beer, wool, firewood and fuels, candles, oil and fats, and more. Jeod resolved himself to take advantage of the ample business opportunities this seasonal trading period would provide, and hopefully, just hopefully, their financial situation would start turning around.

And they themselves would have to start stocking up on many of those items, for winter was harsh and not for the ill-prepared, even in a good harvest year. While Teirm had mild winter seasons, one could still not grow things during this time of year. Ominously, the harvest so far this year had been rather poor and at the current rate Jeod feared that, in Teirm, at least a few hundred more than usual would not make it into the next summer. The Empire's punishing taxes were not helping either.

He continued to ruminate on their financial situation until he finally arrived home to his mansion. He tried to sneak past the entrance hall...

"Where have you been?"

Jeod nonchalantly turned to face the direction Helen was standing by the door to one of the hallways, answering casually: "Just a routine trip to a chandlery, Helen. We have been burning more candles than usu—"

Helen interrupted him by snatching his pack from his hand, opening it to examine what was inside, and Jeod stopped himself from wincing inwardly.

With a sullen expression, she finally said: "Those aren't beeswax candles. Are you so destitute that you can no longer afford to buy even such cheap commodities?"

"The shop happened to be offering generous discounts today only for tallow candles," Jeod said, then regretted his wordings, for they only served to drive home Helen's point. "Helen, dear, tallow candles are little different from beeswax—"

"Tallow candles are for... for peasants!"

"No, they are not," Jeod quickly hurried to say. "Peasants burn rushlights, or nothing at all. Many people of the higher classes burn tallow candles, they are no worse than beeswax."

Helen huffed. "I know very well that it's because you can no longer afford beeswax candles." Then she turned around to walk away.

Feeling slightly ashamed, Jeod started walking up the stairs to the study. In truth, him having to buy the much cheaper tallow candles filled his soul with disgrace, but he had to put up a face before Helen. He had to honor his promise, but how, gods how? His business was falling, another ship had disappeared, and there was nothing he—