The After Effects

Lefty's Trading

Ragnar stopped and waited for me to dismount before he turned and walked to the stables that were only a couple of streets over.

He snorted a goodbye and left me alone.

I watched as he started strutting down the road, kicking and stomping his hoof at bystanders. What a faker...

People marveled at Ragnar, his huge body, and rare presence.

Horses were kind of rare nowadays. In fact, I thought I was going crazy when I first saw him. I have no idea where he came from or who he belonged to, but he didn't seem to care.

Before the Plague, it seemed that most people who lived in the country had horses. The plague killed not only billions of people but also livestock and pets. So animals were important but rare. The only exception to that being the North territory, as the Vikings all had horses and many people raised livestock there. Horses and other livestock were typically a sign of wealth as not many people had them and they were expensive to keep.

Luckily for me, Ragnar is an easy keeper. He finds his own food, usually in the Black Forest, and every now and then I sometimes get him some treats, but otherwise Ragnar takes good care of himself.

When we are in Everest though, he's spoiled rotten at the local stable. Since not many horses come through here, the family running the stable loves when we visit.

Before we leave, I slip the family a nice tip along with the bill for caring for him. Plus it's nice to know that I'm helping a family in need.

Most people nowadays don't expect kindness. It's so rare for someone to smile and not curse you out. I guess that's what happens though in this day of age.

Everyone's just doing what they have to survive. Working to feed their families is most people's priority.

I had a family. Parents and siblings. My mother died sometime in the first year of the Plague and my sister... well she died while fighting for me. Something that had motivated me to become who I am today. A cold-blooded killer with a sweet smile. The rest of my family... well... we'll get there someday.

Once Ragnar was out of sight, I turned and entered the trading post. The old sign displaying its name, Lefty's Trading, mirrored the wear and tear of the whole building. Dust coated the window seals and the floorboards whined when weight was put on them. Despite the fading look of the building, I still loved coming here.

"We're closed." An old voice hollered from the back room when I rang the bell at the front desk.

"Aw shucks." I leaned against the counter and sighed.

I heard a distraught sound and footsteps quickly move around the backroom. The splintered wooden door flew open and out stepped Lefty.

His usually grumpy face was split with a smile that reached his eye. His left glass eye spun around helplessly as he limped to the counter, while his right eye was trained on me and my backpack.

"Lady Bjerke, I haven't seen you for a while," Lefty said as he got to the counter and stretched his back. His huge hands rested on the edge of the counter as he talked to me.

"It's literally been two weeks." I rolled my eyes and shouldered my backpack off.

"Like I said, awhile." He watched as I set my bag on the counter and started digging through it. "Did you have much luck?"

I started setting some of my findings on the counter. "Surprisingly yes." Lefty picked some of the items up and inspected them. "I found a barely touched bunker with lots of goodies."