Chapter 145
"All right, done deal" Dag said.
The old man rose from the table holding on to the stick and without saying anything, opened the door of another room, which was locked.
He walked out the same door after a few minutes and placed on the table three bags full of gold coins.
Karl and Reidar couldn't believe their eyes: they had never seen so much money all together.
Dag tried to remain unmoved, even though Benjamin's offer had far exceeded his expectations.
Each of them took their own bag of money, while Benjamin collected the items on the table, placing them neatly on it as if preparing them for cataloging.
"Thank you again for your hospitality. We both made a good deal" Dag said, as he and his teammates headed for the exit.
"Thank you. Remember to pa.s.s by me, if you have other objects with that historical value!" replied Benjamin, greeting the three explorers.
When they left the house and headed to the horses, Karl could no longer hold back the euphoria: "It's amazing! 100 gold coins! Do you have any idea how many things you can buy with all this money?!"
"Hahah, yeah... it's a lot of money. I knew we'd find someone willing to buy those items. But I'd say we were more than lucky!" replied Dag enthused.
"It about time! Hahah! Since we left Temple Of Orn, we've never had much luck, am I wrong?" chuckled Reidar, when his friends confirmed his statement with a laugh.
After hooking the side pockets to the saddles of the horses, which had to carry much less weight, the three friends got back on track, despite the Sun setting on the horizon.
"I believe that the coastal stretch that separates us from the next village is completely uninhabited. If you agree, we will continue to ride for a few more hours to earn the time we have lost in recent days" Dag said.
Both accepted Dag's proposal:
"What's the next village?" asked Dag to Reidar, who pulled the map out of one of his pockets.
"The next village is called Halm. It is the largest in the region, which makes it Kvete's capital. Unlike Tyven, its port is the only port that connects Kvete to Sjonir through the Lukket Sea" Reidar said, reading notes he had written on the map.
"Well. Then we know where to go when we complete the mission" Dag continued.
The sky had become dark and the stars were s.h.i.+ning.
Dag continued to ride looking up.
At long last, he had almost arrived at his destination, the divine blacksmith. He hoped with all his heart that Vegard would know more about his powers. With his help, he could also make the Red Executioner more manageable, preserving its inner power.
Continuing to look at the sky, Dag thought of his sister Gridd. They haven't met in months.
"How is she? Will she have made any progress in her Clan? What will she think when she discovers Brann's true story and sees his axe in my hands?" he thought, as the mild wind from the sea caressed his neck.
As he thought with his eyes open, Dag could see in the distance the faint lights, which shone in the darkness of the night.
It was the village of Halm, still several kilometers away.
"Perhaps we should stop and rest. At dawn we will resume the journey to Tyven, never stopping" he said, feeling his heavy eyelids.
His companions supported the decision, and within minutes, all three camped near the coast, around a bonfire.
They lay down next to each other and fell asleep in a few minutes, with the sound of the sea singing like a lullaby.
After about 3 hours of sleep, the Sun began to rise, reflecting its red light on the sea water and then on the beach, where Dag and his comrades were camped.
Thanks to the calm and silent awakening, the adventurers immediately regained their strength and, ready to continue the journey, mounted on horseback and continued towards Tyven.
The coastal road led them to Halm without a hitch.
As Reidar mentioned, this time it was a city, the only real shopping center in Kvete.
Looking out to sea, they could see several boats taking off, next to others approaching the port, marked by a high tower, on which a man gesticulated with his hands, signaling to the incoming sailors where the available docks were.
"We will visit this town on the way back. Now we'll just turn around it, it's better not to waste any more time" Dag said, addressing his men.
Halm was surrounded by small brick walls, much more robust than the wooden fences that protected Frokost.
In front of the two entrances of the town, two or more guards, equipped with armor and a large spear, stood still to protect the access.
It looked like a well-organized city and certainly had its own hierarchical system, with a Jarl that served as the citizens' chief.
Dag and his companions continued to ride north, moving away from Halm, but it remained visible behind them even after many kilometers, shrinking on the horizon without ever disappearing.
The Sun began to descend inland, giving the plain a warm and welcoming appearance, as if the sweetness of its slight slopes helped the three adventurers to sooner reach their destination.
When Dag saw the village of Tyven in the distance, he also felt a strange sensation in his chest.
He was close to where Brann had sacrificed his brother for power and could breathe that past event in the air around him.
"Is it all right, Captain?" asked Reidar, flanking him, after noticing his puzzled expression.
"Yes, Reidar. It's all right. I never thought I'd come to this place... for me, it's not a place like the others. I feel negative energy here, which grows as we get closer" Dag said, continuing to ride without stopping.