“So, how do you want me to invest this?” Hazel inquired.
“I’m the silent partner in this business. I provide you with the capital, and you provide the profits. Hazel, if you invest it and we lose it all I really wouldn’t care. I know you would feel bad but I wouldn’t. I’ve never cared about money. As long as I can keep equipping myself to go adventuring, I’m good. When I get old I might want to live an easy life, and money might become useful, but for now I am content.”
They decided to get a safe. Roland said he had a friend who would provide one. The new furniture for the house came later that day. The house was full. They ended up sending the old furniture to the second-hand shop for resale. Roland had a huge bed with a dresser and an armoire. The only thing he really liked about it all was that his pack fit well in the armoire. Vivi and Hazel were overcome with emotion. They had never lived in such luxury. Hazel didn’t have to run away to be in luxury. She was in it.
Chapter 6
Ogre Faced
The house was getting old quick. Hazel was in a mood that Roland couldn’t explain. She was working hard to get the house put together the way she wanted it. She was having a hard time finding a new employee. She was trying to decide from which Merchant’s house she should try and get an apprenticeship. Gnorbit was helping out with that issue. He seemed to know which would be the better houses. Vivi would break down and cry every time she and Roland were near each other. She would throw her arms around him and thank him for everything.
One night, Shadow met Roland in the basement and they headed out into sewers. They had placed several traps and locks on both the door leading out of the basement and the door leading into the sewers. The disguise was good. Gnorbit was impressed with how well the door was hidden. They made their way to the Adventures Guild. They were both ready for a decent job. One can only sleep so many nights in the city. Roland was finally realizing why his father loved the forest.
Imala was at the front desk. “How are you today Imala? I hope you are doing well.”
“Roland, it is good to see you and yes I’m doing well. Are you looking for a job?”
“As a matter of fact, I am. You wouldn’t be holding a message for me, would you?”
“No. I haven’t been given any messages to deliver lately. Things have been boring. Rumors are few, and the gossip is pathetic. I’m living the most boring life imaginable.”
“Well I hope things pick up soon.” She really did look bored and a bit depressed.
They were looking at the job board. There were caravan jobs. He didn’t want that. Unless he was going in the same direction, getting paid to travel wasn’t a bad way to go. The Alchemist Guild had a few jobs. They needed cockatrice feathers. There were different things in the Endless Swamp too. There just wasn’t anything that looked interesting. Maybe he would come back later. He still needed to pick up his new pack.
They arrived at the leather worker’s shop a few minutes later. Yaegar was at the front desk when they walked in. “Roland, I thought you might be around soon. I finished your pack a few days ago. I think it is one of my best efforts.”
He pulled out the pack with three quivers and placed it on top of the table. The pack had a mountain wolf emblem on the lid. The wolf looked to be howling. Each of the three quivers had the same wolf emblem on them. You could tell they were meant for one person.
“This is wonderful Yaegar. I didn’t think you would put the emblem on the quivers. This is perfect.”
“I did get two runes placed on the bottom and top portions of the pack. They should stay dry unless you dunk it under water. I did place a few pockets inside the packs. If you carry small items, this will keep them together without bouncing around. I also added a pocket on the outside of the bottom part of the pack. Straps are on the top part of the pack for the quivers. The straps on the bottom are for canteens. I hope you like it.”
“You have outdone yourself. I will tell everyone who made it for me.” He placed the quivers on the pack and he put the third smaller quiver on his belt. As he was carrying the pack out of the place, it seemed a bit heavy. It was made of heavy leather but it still seemed heavy.
They made it to Gnorbit’s place a bit later and found him working in his workshop. He was putting something together that looked dangerous. Dangerous in the fact that it had multiple blades of different shapes and sizes at different angles. “I’m not even going to ask what that is, or what you are going to do with it.”
“Good, because I wouldn’t tell you anyway. It is part of my new security system for the house. I wouldn’t want those mages to find my new place. I call this the dead mage security system. Guaranteed to kill any mage who comes into my house. Uninvited that is. Why are you here, Roland?”
Roland placed his pack on the workbench. “This is my new pack. I had it tailored but it seemed a bit heavy. I thought because it was new you could make some improvements, if possible. It does have two runes on it to keep it dry.”
“Why two runes? One should have been enough.”
“You see here, the top separates for a smaller pack. I can drop the bigger portion and take just the top that has the most important items that I might need in a pinch. The bottom will carry my blanket, food, water and an extra pants and shirt. Two canteens attach to the outside of it here.”
“I like the ingenuity. The frame is too big and bulky. The padding is nice, but it is heavy too. Leave it with me for a bit. I will do my best.”
“In return, I could use your assistance. I have been told that the thieves are trying to sell some Ogre Faced spider silk. I could really use the stuff. It is stronger than steel while still remaining flexible. How they obtained spider silk from an Ogre Faced Spider is beyond me. The things are as ugly as their names indicates. They aren’t as big as an ogre, maybe only three to four feet tall and their venom is extremely toxic. Being that they are large and toxic, their silk is rare and hard to come by. The easiest way to obtain it is to either buy it, or steal it from the thieves.”
“Rob a thief? I like that. The last time they tried to steal from me it turned out bad for them. I didn’t kill any of them, instead I left them piled up at one of their businesses. I will see if I can’t find some silk for you. I have a good idea where it might be stashed.”
They hadn’t been in the thieves’ tunnels in a long time. They still hadn’t finished mapping the tunnels yet. If their luck held out they might find the spider silk in one of the storage rooms they previously had found. The big question was when they should return to the tunnels and snoop around. They didn’t use the tunnels much and they had only been in the tunnels at night. Maybe they should go in the early evening. That sounded good.
That evening, after Hazel and Vivi retired, Roland and Shadow headed for the sewers. The basement was now full with racks of drying herbs. This made the exit door even harder to find. The herbs gave the whole basement a really nice smell.
Before they walked into the sewers Roland cast shadow illusion as well as night vision. He had his knives, but left his bow. The tunnels didn’t facilitate the use of bows and arrows. His throwing knives were much better in the confined space. He cast detect trap as they came to the first hidden door to the thieves’ tunnel. It was clear.
The tunnels were generally dark. A few had candles burning. Someone had to have been down here not too long ago for the candles to be still burning. Roland and Shadow made it to one of the main intersections and Roland cast navigate. If they found additional tunnels, he wanted to map them. They passed three thieves. The men were carrying items through the tunnels. They were very casual and didn’t seem to be worried about being detected.
They did notice a new smell as they were exploring the tunnels. It seemed to be stronger at certain points. Finally, Roland cast detect trap. Along the side of the tunnel was a small recess. It was a convenient place to hide if you didn’t look like a shadow. The new odor was coming from the trap. It was a bladed trap. The blade had some type of poison on it. Neither R
oland nor Shadow had ever smelled anything quite like it.
Roland disassembled the trap and moved it out from the wall. If someone walked too close to the wall they would trigger it. Because it hadn’t been moved very far from the original spot, they were hoping that when it triggered the thieves wouldn’t get too suspicious. They wouldn’t move any more. Keep them guessing. They found several more tunnels and another set of storage rooms. These new rooms were a bit different. The rooms didn’t have locks on them but they did have doors that opened and closed. The items stored were fairly standard items found in any general store. Probably the very supplies they purchased daily.
Eventually they made their way back to the locked storage rooms that they had unveiled on their previous adventure to the tunnels. Roland cast detect traps again but nothing showed up. The first locked room took a bit of time to unlock. The lock had seven tumblers, one which was spool shaped. The thieves obviously didn’t want anyone breaking into this room. When the door finally opened, they discovered it contained all weapons. The major items included swords. There were also crossbows, knives, and even spears. None were anything particularly special. They were well made but just a mishmash of weapons.
The second room Roland unlocked contained potions and items normally found in either an Alchemist or an Apothecary shop. Roland thought about taking a few of the mana potions because they were so expensive. But he thought better of it. Who knew what the quality of the potions was?
The next room held cash, jewels, and other expensive items. It someone wanted to put a hurt financially on the thieves, this would be the place to raid. He was sure some of the rings and necklaces were probably magical but they probably contained curses as well. That would really prevent someone from taking something that wasn’t theirs.
The next and last room was different. The smell they had noticed earlier was strong near the door. Roland cast detect trap again but it didn’t show anything. The lock was an indication something wasn’t right. This lock only had three tumblers. It was a very simple lock. The thieves evidently didn’t care that anyone broke into this room, in fact, almost seemed to encourage it.
I’m thinking this is a trap. The lock is too easy and I smell the poison very strongly here. If we open this door we need to be out of the way if a blade comes flying out. Or multiple blades even.
Shadow shrugged, if a wolf could shrug that is what he did. If we know there is a trap here we should spring it. Find out what it is and if it is a good trap we might be able to use it.
That sounded like the best plan. Roland unlocked the door, then used one of the spears that had a hook on it to open the door. They were both back quite some ways. After the door opened, nothing happened but the smell of the poison was even stronger. Just then, Roland heard a noise. Something was moving in the room. They waited for a considerable amount of time.
Something is in there. Should I look in?
Shadow hesitated before answering. The trap is some type of beast. It is from the beast that they got the poison to put on the bladed traps. Look in and back out quickly.
Roland crept silently to the doorway. He had both his Elvin and Dwarven knives ready. He quickly stuck his head in just to get his eyes around the corner. He was about ready to pull his head back when he saw the beast. Oh, it was hideous. It had two large eyes at least three times larger than a human. It also had two more eyes to the side and a bit lower but they were smaller eyes. The face, if you could call it a face, actually looked like an ogre. He pulled his head back swiftly.
Shadow that was probably the ugliest thing I have ever seen.
Is it uglier than that Manticore?
Most definitely. It looked like an ogre with four eyes and they were all different sizes. The two bigger eyes were huge. It was almost as big as you, but not quite. I didn’t see much more than that.
Shadow was trying to peer in without showing too much of himself. Do you think you can speak with him? Use your animal communication abilities?
Well I guess it couldn’t hurt. I would rather not fight the thing. I’m sure it had at least two large fangs, too.
Roland stepped back up to the door. He tried to speak with the thing. If it was an animal, technically he should be able to speak with it. We aren’t here to hurt you. We were looking for some items. Are you ok?
To Roland’s surprise the thing spoke back to him. Food?
What do you eat? I might be able to find something.
I eat rats, birds, lizards, or small animals. Shadow left immediately to find some rats, or other small rodents.
My friend is going to get you some rats. What are you?
I am a spider.
Now that made sense. The thieves had somehow captured an Ogre Faced Spider.
How long have you been here?
For a long time. I don’t know how long. I haven’t seen the sun in a long time.
Did they harvest your silk from you?
They get my silk and they take my poison. The food they give me makes me sleep. When I fall asleep they come in and take what they want.
Do you want to leave this place? Roland inquired.
I want to go back to my home.
Do you know where your home is?
It is a hole with a cover on it. When food comes close I jump out and take the food. Have you seen my home?
I don’t have any idea where your home is. I might have a friend who knows the area where you come from. We could ask him.
At that moment Shadow showed up with four dead rats. I’m going to throw some rats into your room for you. They don’t have anything that will make you sleepy. He tossed the creatures into the room. They could hear the thing eating. It made a peculiar sound as it ate. Do you feel better?
I feel much better. Can we go now?
Come on out. I want to see what you look like and see how hard it is to get you out of here.
The spider came out slowly. It was more legs than body. It was a dark grey color. The eyes were very large. But when he came out of the room Roland could see there were more than two sets of eyes. There were a numerous eyes. He also had two large fangs. The smell of the poisons radiated from those two pincers. You’re not going to attack us, are you?
You have rescued me. I am not going to attack you.
Ok, then follow us as best you can. If someone comes down the tunnel I will cast magic on you to make you disappear. So, if you are unable to see yourself don’t worry. Also, step to the side of the tunnel and let the man go by.
They quickly made it to the sewers. The spider was very fast. As they were progressing through the sewers, the spider picked off several rats. How he would explain a giant spider to Hazel and Vivi, Roland didn’t know. Shadow wanted to keep him. He thought he might keep the rat population down around the house. That had been an issue he wasn’t sure how to fix.
They made it into Roland’s bedroom without anyone knowing. As they were moving through the basement, they discovered that the spider’s name was Nipper. Roland wanted to know how he got the name, but thought better about asking. He ended up hiding under Roland’s bed for the night.
The next morning Hazel and Vivi left the house without waking Roland. They were aware he went out most nights. After the girls left, Nipper came out and explored the house. He quickly cleaned the house out of the few rodents that had been living there. Once Roland awoke, he and Nipper went outside to peruse the yard. Roland explained that the owl was off limits to be eaten because it was acting as a guard.
Nipper found the idea of employing a guard interesting. As they walked the perimeter of the yard, he continued to kill and eat rats. He hadn’t had a decent meal in a very long time. When they came around to the gate, Nipper went through what seemed like a dance. He stomped and moved then stomped and moved again. Then he turned to Roland.
This is where my new home is.
You want to stay here at my house?
No, this spot I’m standing on. I will make my home here and I will guard the gate.
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br /> I think your standing here guarding the gate might cause some problems. I don’t think many people have ever seen a giant spider and the people we just rescued you from would quickly locate you and kidnap you again.
No, I will make my home under the ground here. I will put a lid on my home. I hide well so at night, I will guard the gate and I will hunt rats. If someone comes here to steal or hurt me, I will bite them. Nothing walks away from a bite.
Well, could you wrap them up in your silk instead of just poisoning them? I might want to talk with them before you poison them and I wouldn’t want you to poison someone who might be a friend of mine.
I can do that. I will put the bundles by your door.
If you’re in the hole, how will I communicate with you to let you know who my friends are, and which are enemies? Roland wanted to know.
As you walk by with a friend, kick the ground twice. If they aren’t friends or foe, kick the ground once. If they are your enemies, keep walking and don’t kick the ground. I will see them. If you need to talk with me just come out here and call for me.
How long is it going to take to make this hole of yours to hide in? asked Roland.
Before the sun goes beyond its highest point in the sky.
That is fast. I have one more question for you. Can I get some spider silk from you? A friend of mine is making me some things and he needs spider silk to complete the project.
Nipper shifted his body and quickly spun a length of spider silk very neatly into a coiled bundle. Is this sufficient?
I believe that is more than enough. Thank you, Nipper. If you’re going to dig your hole here near the gate I’m going to put up an illusion to hide you and what you’re doing. Roland cast his illusion.
Nipper started to dig his hole. The spider moved quickly and efficiently to craft the lid for the hole. The lid was camouflaged to look like the ground where the dirt had been removed. Then, the spider distributed the dirt around the yard as it dug out the hole. After they had watched for quite some time, Roland and Shadow returned to the house, both admitting that even they couldn’t dig that quickly.
Caged: Book 2 Of the King's Hand Series Page 14
