Adventures of Jessa

64

The next morning Dhiren doesn't want to wake Jessa up. He gets Moonglow saddled and explains to her that he needs to hold Jessa because of her being so ill. For the first time ever she allows someone other than her owner to ride her. Dhiren carefully mounts Moonglow before he is handed Jessa by Kallen.

Wind trots next to them and is allowing Kallen to ride him for a short time. Normally Kallen would have walked and taught Jasper as they went towards the city, but time is of the essence right now and they are all riding.

Kristoff had already left for Silva when Dhiren had decided that so he sent Mel with a message for his father to have horses waiting to return with Kristoff.

None of the guards are complaining about the chance to ride the horses. Elven horses are rarely sold to humans. Even though they aren't riding the royal horses, the ones they are given to ride are better than can be found outside of the elven realm.

Dhiren wakes Jessa as they near the gates. They have already been opened for the day and the traffic had been let through so there is no wait for them. Master Culeb is practically frothing at the mouth to get through the gates and to his home with his goods.

Dhiren directs his men to go with the untrustworthy caravan master. Tells them to take the horses back to where Frosnak has stabling for when something comes up for her customers. Many of the guards are aware of the location and nod as they move out with the shifty master.

"Master Culeb, you will give Jessa her full wages. If it weren't for her none of the guards would have survived, you wouldn't have survived and your merchandise would be taken by the bandits. You will also give your wounded guards their full wages, including for the time they were recovering in Silva. Mistress Frosnak will ensure that you pay them accordingly. If you don't, then I'll be coming after you for salvaging rights to your caravan. Since you wouldn't have been able to return to Castlerock without the assistance of the elves.

"Am I understood, Master Culeb?" Dhiren tells the angry human before him.

Culeb grits his teeth in anger to keep back his retort. He'd hoped to be able to swindle the pay out of the guards and especially Jessa. But the elven prince would have the law on his side. He stomps his way through the gates and to where his holdings are to unload his merchandise.

He looks longingly at the elven horses as they are being taken away. Those are fine horses and what he wouldn't give to get his hands on them. He sighs, he knows that they are too easily identified to be able to steal. That's usually how he gets the horse flesh he needs. Now, with needing a whole new group of horses he won't be able to steal, he'll have to actually do an out lay of cash and buy the stock.

He grinds his teeth at the thought of all the money he's going to have to pay.

If he knew the price for his caravan's to go through the pass will be more than others he would be grinding his teeth even more. But, happily for him, he didn't know that yet.

It is the beginning of the end for him as a merchant.

Dhiren goes more slowly then Culeb and stops to talk to the guard. "Could you give me directions on where I can take Master Silvermoon's caravan merchandise?"

The guard perks up, "You have news of Master Silvermoon? He is a week over due and Mistress Silvermoon is quite worried."

"I'm afraid he didn't make it, but we brought his merchandise in and would like to know where we might take it and we also need directions to see his widow." Dhiren tells the guards.

"Please, I'm sure that she would like to know what happened to him." Jessa adds in when the guard hesitates.

Slowly he nods and gives directions to the warehouse for Master Silvermoon and then the directions to his widow's house. "Thank you," Jessa says and gives the guard a smile.