Chapter Five
Euclid had piled up all the contraband from the dead soldiers. Looking through it all, Dipak found mercenary licenses, confirming his suspicions. Unfortunately, none of them appeared to have carried a convenient letter from their employer precisely explaining what he wanted them to do.
On the positive side of things, he had an absolute surfeit of metal-tipped arrows. He would need to strip many of them of the added enchantments, but that was an easy task to spread over several evenings as he sat by the fire drinking tea.
Other than a few knives, because in this job there was no such thing as too many knives, he had no use for their weapons or armor. Maybe Euclid could sell it all somewhere.
He did take some of their clothes, especially some winter gear he found, and a couple of satchels and other odds and ends. The rest he left for Euclid to do as he pleased.
After that was done, he finally went and found the requested pheasants, which were less wily and elusive today, thankfully. Following a quick lunch, he turned his attention to fish. Preparing and smoking fish was a relatively easy affair, and it would break up the monotony of wild game come winter.
While the fish smoked, and so he could remain nearby to see nothing went wrong, he set to work washing all of his newly-acquired clothes.
Once everything was clean and dry, he could see about what tailoring would be needed.
Clothes for hunters needed to fit and move well; otherwise a snagged shirt could catch, loose pants could impede movement, and so forth.
He'd just finished setting everything out to dry when a familiar voice called out. "Having a good day, hunter?"
"Quite productive, yes," he replied, arranging the last shirt over the clotheslines he'd strung up before turning to Euclid. "How about you?"
"Very well indeed. I convey gratitude for the pheasants on behalf of Parvin. They were quite happy to get them. Everyone is enjoying having a true hunter in the forest."
"Do all these people you mention ever meet up? Is there some tiny village in this forest? A gathering point? Or are we all faceless names to each other?"
"There is a meeting point. We gather on the solstices, weather permitting.
There are about fifty people in these woods, mostly human, but not all.
The next solstice is in a few weeks. People sing, eat, dance, trade smaller things, trinkets, jewelry, that sort of thing.
Many are hopeful you will attend. They would like to meet you. "
"Not sure they'd feel the same if they knew I was a king killer."
"You'd be surprised how many people here have dark pasts. The Forbidden Forest is home to many exiled and other outcasts. Many of them would be impressed, I think. King killers don't normally get to live."
Dipak regarded him pensively. "That doesn't bother you? Your territory filled with terrible people?"
"Most of your kind consider me to be a monster simply by dint of my size and power.
I am old by your standards, hunter, but still quite young by the standards of dragons.
True monsters are rare, and I only condemn those who thrive on their terrible choices, like those mercenaries who bragged about all the 'good game they were going to bag' while hunting me down.
No, the people in these woods are not monsters.
They were victims of terrible circumstance. "
"I see, and am all the sorrier for my terrible plan to kill you."
Euclid shrugged. "Your thinking made sense."
"How were you able to get my stuff back?"
"I asked some goblins. They're willing to do most anything for gold and jewels, and I have those in abundance. Once they got it into the forest, I managed easily."
Dipak checked on his smoking fish, then headed for the cabin to make some tea for them, something good and strong to go with the hard work. So what sort of trading have you done today?"
"After I dropped off your pheasants, I took poultices and tonics Minali made for the woodcutter to him, stacks of wood to the goblins and the dwarves, and I still have the goods collected from them because there are things to collect from you that I need for the next stop."
"How do you keep it all straight? Why is this the thing that you do? All this intricate trading?"
Euclid smiled. "I told you before, it's my pleasure to keep well all who dwell in my forest. This is my territory, my home, and those who live here are under my protection and care.
The nature of these woods precludes anything like a village being built; it wouldn't be safe, too much a draw for all the dangerous creatures about.
Many residents dislike living in villages anyway.
And they cannot travel easily to each other to make their trades, and as you've noticed, there are many different ongoing trades to keep track of.
Most would not even know about each other without me to keep track of all the moving pieces.
And I am the only one who can make the many necessary journeys in a matter of minutes rather than hours or even days.
"Trade is important. No one person can do everything, even if they wanted to.
We must all help each other, and that help must be fair.
So, me. It is what we dragons do, in one form or another.
My sister does much like me on her mountain, far, far away from here.
My cousins live deep in the earth, managing complex cave systems, keeping terrible things from happening that would harm everyone above.
No one in the surrounding villages knows if they are real or not, and that's how they like it. "
"Dragons manage. Huh. Never heard that before."
"No, the legends are usually that we hoard, piling up treasures in our caves and guarding them fiercely.
I suppose that's not far off from the reality, but gold and jewels only hold the value that people give to them.
If tomorrow nobody cared about gold and rubies and diamonds, what would be the point of keeping them? "
"Your territory and the people that you protect became the treasure that you guard.
I can see how it evolved. The fish should be ready if that's what you're waiting on.
I'll go pack it up." He set his empty cup aside and strode over to the little smoking shack he'd improvised until he could make a proper one, pulled out the fish, and got it wrapped up in some cleaned leaves that would keep them safe and dry until they could be better stored by the recipient.
Euclid smiled as he took the packaged fish. "I had a request of my own, relating to the solstice."
"Oh? Meat, I assume, to feed everyone?"
That smile grew sunnier. "Yes, exactly. Clever to catch on so quickly."
"I'm a hunter, there's a large meet-up of people, it wasn't hard, dragon," Dipak said with a laugh. "How much do you want? Remind me the day before the meet-up, and I'll attend it."
"Two deer, and if possible, one wild pig. Those little bastards are so hard to catch." He pouted faintly, and Dipak really needed him to not, because the stupid thing was more adorable than it had any business being and made him want to do whatever Euclid asked.
"You're an enormous dragon— Oh, I see. You're too big, and they're too fast and agile. You can't catch them in human form? Or with magic?"
"Throwing around magic just for a snack is irresponsible, and it scares them anyway, which is cruel."
"A skilled hunter makes clean kills."
"Precisely."
Dipak smiled. "Two deer and a wild pig. I can manage that."
"If you need to hunt them early, I can use magic to preserve them for a day or two."
"Deer and pigs are plentiful, I can hunt them the morning of the gathering, so long as you can fetch the kills and take them to the destination. Is that all you'll need?"
"Yes, and if that changes, I will let you know. What would you like in trade?"
"You'll be cooking it, won't you? And I'll be eating it. Isn't that trade enough?"
"No!" Euclid said. "People do not pay to feast at gatherings, that is unconscionable.
What if someone was struggling and had no way to pay?
Should they stand there going hungry while others feasted around them?
I trade with fairness and honor. Public gatherings are public, and thus all are welcome freely. "
Dipak smiled, old aches twisting in his heart. "I wish there were more people like you. My mother and I hunted to trade for basics back in my village. But where people were starving like we were so often close to doing, she caught extra rabbits and such as she was able."
"Good hunters kill cleanly and share the meat. So name your trade, hunter."
"I honestly don't know," Dipak said. "You brought all my things.
I have food aplenty, the well works, the cave offers protection aplenty for my finer things…
I guess all I really lack is furs and other wintering supplies.
What I had was mostly for city use, and my good stuff was taken or otherwise lost to me the day I was arrested.
I arrived here late, and getting ready for winter alongside everything else is difficult.
I collect furs where I'm able, and lifted more off those mercenaries, but if you know where I can obtain good blankets and a pair of winter boots, those would be appreciated.
Whatever part of that is equal in trade to the meat, I'm still learning all your measures. "
"Blankets I will have for you no later than tomorrow. I will speak with the man who makes boots. He lives just outside the forest, close to the watermill that makes flour for the village on the far side of the river."
Dipak chuckled. "Is there anyone you don't know, dragon? Shoemaker, witch, blacksmith, goblins…"
"And now a hunter with moon eyes," Euclid said. "That reminds me of a question the goblins had, but as we were… at odds…before, I didn't know if I could ask it. I'm still not sure."
"As long as you're not going to ask me something like 'did I enjoy killing my lover,' I don't mind."