Katerin was content with her quiet life of studying the arcane, and wanted for nothing in her life. She had friends, family, and plenty to do.
But life has a way of changing people--a way of pushing them to do things far outside their comfort and ex...
Holter waited impatiently, tapping his fingers on the tabletop. Byron should have been here by now. He had endured a long day, and that girl—he pondered, trying to place her. She certainly did not seem to be a member of any merchants guild, nor had she acted like one—slamming his door like she had—but she was looking for the woman from the Illixian guild, so she had to have connections. He smiled to himself. The money he could make if the deal worked would almost make living in this miserable place worth it. He sipped his wine and heard the door creak open.
Byron emerged from the entryway looking tired and tense.
"Finally, you made it," Holter said, reclining in a chair that was just a fraction too small for him.
"What was it you needed to discuss?" Byron stepped out of the hall and clasped his hands behind his back.
Holter tapped his fingers on the wood once more, and smiled at the man he had so tightly wrapped around his finger. "I found something disturbing in the ledgers, not too long ago." He sipped his wine. "A good amount of Luxian is going missing. I need you to look into it. We have to have the ore to sell the ore, don't we?"
Byron gave a curt nod. "Where shall I start?"
"With the dwarves," Holter drawled, as if he were talking to a child. "This needs to be fixed. I can't have any discrepancies if this deal with the Ilixian guild is going to work." He spoke in a bored tone, rubbing one hand across his balding head.
Byron raised his eyebrows. "The Ilixian guild is here?"
Holter mistook his curiosity for interest and smiled. "Yes. One of their emissaries approached me, and there is quite a promising deal in the making."
"Interesting. I'll see what I can learn about the Luxian, then," Byron said. "Why bring this up, now? Is your emissary returning soon?"
Holter frowned. "No, but I had another visit today. Somebody looking for the merchant. I don't know if she is connected to the guild or not..." He took another sip of his wine. "...but this needs to be fixed quickly. If we are losing ore, we are losing money, and that isn't acceptable." He tsked, and cocked his head to the side.
Byron took a deep breath. "I'll make sure it gets taken care of. What about the mines?"
Holter laughed, "The dwarves are stubbornly arguing for now, but that will cease when they learn that the hand that feeds them is a stern one." Holter smiled, a strange power hungry expression. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's late and I need to retire. Many things to do tomorrow."
Byron's face was as blank as a river stone. "Of course. Have a good evening."
"And next time... try not to be so late," Holter called after him in a condescending tone.
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Byron's jaw flexed and his eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as he disappeared back into the hall. All he had to do was wait. Soon it would not matter what the man thought or said. Let Holter be as arrogant and blind as he wanted. It would make his realization that much more painful.
