Post by james p on Apr 5, 2022 9:35:12 GMT
[DTA 04/04/22] Futility ringing in her ears
Anåbæl didn't know how she felt. The last few days had been a thankless stream of tasks which had taken her time and energy, but given back very little in return.
First, she had searched far and wide, looking for somewhere that she could turn a profit on the carved bone centaurs' rings that she still held. No matter where she wandered, she could not improve upon the 5 GP that Rax Silerroad had off-handedly mentioned for a ring of inferior quality that they had examined back in Arva. Eventually, her feet aching from the cobbled streets of DH, she had decided to cut her losses, and seek some work in the smithy instead.
Initially, she had thought that things had been going well throughout her shifts. At least it looked like she was going to be able to earn enough money to cover her board and lodgings as usual. She was strong, interested in the craft if the forge, and a hard worker - and this was usually rewarded well. This week, however, was a different story...
As the last ringing clangs of hammer on anvil slowed to a gradually diminuendo, and the workers began to tidy up the workshop, Samed shuffled out among his workers. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes sunken into an anxious face, and his eyes glanced around - yet seemingly were unable to meet anyone else's. Wringing his hands together, he opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, swallowed, and then tried again:
"Due to unfortunate, unforeseen circumstances, there will be no wages this week. The Smithy is unable to pay for this week's work ... but please know that your hard work has definitely not gone unnoticed or unappreciated."
Shocked silence. Samed seemed to be struggling to speak once again... He coughed to chat his throat and then continued, his normally robust and bassy voice breaking and emitting an occasional slight squeak:
"I'm really very sorry, but my hands are tied here. It isn't a choice that I would willingly make myself, but ... matters have been taken out of my hands it seems.
That said, all being well things will resume as normal next week, and wages should be fulfilled as usual."
Glancing behind himself nervously, he hurried straight back out of the workshop (the way he had come), past two bulky shapes that Ana hasn't noticed before. Those shapes resolved themselves into two towering figures, dressed in dark clothing, who stepped forward into the room.
"You heard the man. There's nothing more here for you this week - git yerselves moving! And no thinking that anyone can take any 'offcuts' with them to compensate themselves with neither, not unless you want to leave one of your hands behind instead ... we'll be watching you."
The initial consternation was quickly silenced by a collective assessment of the number of spikes and sharp edges on the gear being carried by these two large beings. Stood at the back of the room, Ana couldn't get a good look at them, but even she could pick up on the reaction from those further forward.
She thought briefly about striding forward with her axe ... for a 'discussion', but swiftly reconsidered when she thought how this might endanger her co-workers again, and maybe even Samed himself. She couldn't bring herself to believe that this has been truly his doing.
At least she was a lot better off than many of the other folks here. None of them would go hungry for certain, as Samed normally paid his workforce well, but a few would definitely have to tighten their purse-strings. She felt almost guilty about the 250 GP sat in her room back in the Three-Headed Dragon, from her last adventure*. That had been one strange day of work.
No, all things considered Ana had no real reason to complain. Despite some setbacks and disappointments over the last few days, she still considered herself very lucky to have been paid so well on her last job, and (more importantly) to have escaped alive from whatever it was that she and the others had experienced. She shuddered slightly. Whatever it was had been beyond the comprehension of some very experienced adventurers, as well as those bookish professors back at the academy. If it was too much for them to fathom, then Ana would try to waste no more time thinking about it herself.
So once again, her thoughts turned back to Samed. Not paying his workers was not like him at all... What was going on, and was he in greater trouble than anyone realised?
*The Astromancer
Anåbæl didn't know how she felt. The last few days had been a thankless stream of tasks which had taken her time and energy, but given back very little in return.
First, she had searched far and wide, looking for somewhere that she could turn a profit on the carved bone centaurs' rings that she still held. No matter where she wandered, she could not improve upon the 5 GP that Rax Silerroad had off-handedly mentioned for a ring of inferior quality that they had examined back in Arva. Eventually, her feet aching from the cobbled streets of DH, she had decided to cut her losses, and seek some work in the smithy instead.
Initially, she had thought that things had been going well throughout her shifts. At least it looked like she was going to be able to earn enough money to cover her board and lodgings as usual. She was strong, interested in the craft if the forge, and a hard worker - and this was usually rewarded well. This week, however, was a different story...
As the last ringing clangs of hammer on anvil slowed to a gradually diminuendo, and the workers began to tidy up the workshop, Samed shuffled out among his workers. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes sunken into an anxious face, and his eyes glanced around - yet seemingly were unable to meet anyone else's. Wringing his hands together, he opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, swallowed, and then tried again:
"Due to unfortunate, unforeseen circumstances, there will be no wages this week. The Smithy is unable to pay for this week's work ... but please know that your hard work has definitely not gone unnoticed or unappreciated."
Shocked silence. Samed seemed to be struggling to speak once again... He coughed to chat his throat and then continued, his normally robust and bassy voice breaking and emitting an occasional slight squeak:
"I'm really very sorry, but my hands are tied here. It isn't a choice that I would willingly make myself, but ... matters have been taken out of my hands it seems.
That said, all being well things will resume as normal next week, and wages should be fulfilled as usual."
Glancing behind himself nervously, he hurried straight back out of the workshop (the way he had come), past two bulky shapes that Ana hasn't noticed before. Those shapes resolved themselves into two towering figures, dressed in dark clothing, who stepped forward into the room.
"You heard the man. There's nothing more here for you this week - git yerselves moving! And no thinking that anyone can take any 'offcuts' with them to compensate themselves with neither, not unless you want to leave one of your hands behind instead ... we'll be watching you."
The initial consternation was quickly silenced by a collective assessment of the number of spikes and sharp edges on the gear being carried by these two large beings. Stood at the back of the room, Ana couldn't get a good look at them, but even she could pick up on the reaction from those further forward.
She thought briefly about striding forward with her axe ... for a 'discussion', but swiftly reconsidered when she thought how this might endanger her co-workers again, and maybe even Samed himself. She couldn't bring herself to believe that this has been truly his doing.
At least she was a lot better off than many of the other folks here. None of them would go hungry for certain, as Samed normally paid his workforce well, but a few would definitely have to tighten their purse-strings. She felt almost guilty about the 250 GP sat in her room back in the Three-Headed Dragon, from her last adventure*. That had been one strange day of work.
No, all things considered Ana had no real reason to complain. Despite some setbacks and disappointments over the last few days, she still considered herself very lucky to have been paid so well on her last job, and (more importantly) to have escaped alive from whatever it was that she and the others had experienced. She shuddered slightly. Whatever it was had been beyond the comprehension of some very experienced adventurers, as well as those bookish professors back at the academy. If it was too much for them to fathom, then Ana would try to waste no more time thinking about it herself.
So once again, her thoughts turned back to Samed. Not paying his workers was not like him at all... What was going on, and was he in greater trouble than anyone realised?
*The Astromancer