Solo Gardener for a Day... Selling Sticks and Stones?

[Belugnir]

‘’Alright, pretty boy, quit ye daydreaming now.’’

As the young carpenter turned over to the mercenary, Ein had already walked a way over to his side, pulling a collected fist from the pouch which hung at the back of his belt. Taking the runaway fellow’s hand by the wrist, he pulled it upwards and slapped eight whole gold coins into it.

The young man looked at him completely dumbfounded this time around.

‘’What’s this supposed to mean? You’re giving us charity?’’

‘’If ye get prideful with me when I’m genuinely tryna help your sorry arse out, I’ll make sure to put a limp on your other leg just as well if not worse.’’, Ein’s voice was cold and dull, and his proposition got the other fellow to step backwards.

‘’Nay I ain’t givin’ ye fuckin’ charity, ye bellend. I’m helpin’ ye not starve to fuckin' death along with your little merry band of misfortune over there. And I expect you to return the favor if you ever find me in a pinch. You're a Sunberthese fellow. You ought to know not a cockin’ thing in this world is for granted.’’, Ein made attempt at feigning a cheerful tone through some of his slang, though it was visible that the whole matter held some personal importance to him, as much as he’d wish to deny it.

Einar’s explanation was met with blinking eyes, though the lad eventually seemed won over. The two exchanged an oddly hearty handshake.

‘’T-thank you… Uhm…’’

‘’Name’s Einar.’’

‘’Right. I’m Bosanquet.’’

‘’Bosanquet? World’s got some fuckin’ odd names.’’

The carpenter seemed more amused by the comment than the mercenary himself, holding back a chuckle, rather than finding himself assaulted.

‘’Alright then, carpenter, get back to bloody work. I want to be done trading with the black ‘uns by supper.’’

Weekend 4/8K Marathon Word Count: +301

[Belugnir]

It would take the unlikely pairing of fellows somewhere under a full bell to finish their work on the conifer. The tree fell swaying the way Einar had readied it to, falling upon the ground the opposite side of the palisade. Once the thing was brought down, the two men went about relieving it of its branches, and relieving the thicker branches they'd severed of excessive growths that would hardly do any good if those were to be used in any manner of building. Once everything usable was retrieved from the conifer, they removed the upper part of the tree, one way too flexible and frail to be construction material, and that would be when Einar would dismiss the young carpenter's further aid.

''Alright, carpenter, tha's about it. You can bugger off to your own now, afore the lot of 'em starve.''

''Are you sure you don't need anymore help...?'', Bosanquet was reluctant to leave, still a good deal uncertain in regard to Einar's honesty. They did start off on an awfully poor note, after all.

''Aye, I'm bloody certain. Hell you ogling at?''

''It's just... I still don't understand why you'd do this for us, after how we started out, too.''

There was a long pause, Ein's back stood turned to Bosanquet as he was caught piling and tying together the materials to later haul over with his pony.

''I don't fuckin' know, alright? I felt like it.''

The carpenter only rose a brow, still hesitant, with some offhand fear that this mercenary might still rat him and his makeshift family out.

''If you want me to apologize for beating the snot outta ye, you can bugger right off. That dimwit bravado earned you every ounce of it.''

''No... that's not it, just...''

''What? You need more coin? You a fuckin' leech?''

''What?! No! No I wouldn't be so brazen as to ask any more of you, just...''

''Just fuckin' what, mate? I beat the piss out of you for being a stupid, I dragged you over to help me with some work, gave you a handful of coin to help your arse get on its own two feet.'', Ein snorted: ''And in another month or two, when you set up around this place, I'll make a fuckin' habit of bringing my shyke to you so you can fix it up. Gods know my poleaxe gets fucked over every now and again. And maybe if you've grown a pair in the meantime, I'll even treat you to a pint over at fourarms' watering hole or some fuckery like that, aight? Stop sniveling. It ain't like the whole fuckin' world is out to get ya... would be a right pain in the arse, that.'', Ein made a point to vigorously continue working, rather than paying the carpenter any further mind.

''Thank you. Einar.''

''Fucks sake, mate, get going already. And try not to be such a wuss, else someone other than me might figure you out and then the lot of you are petched. Seriously now. Move the buggerin' hell along.''

The ounce of advice given by the mercenary was taken to heart, and instantly Bosanquet straightened his back, lightly thrusting his chest out in a more dignified posture. He would take his leave of Einar and his business, going back to his family to bring them the handful of good news.

Weekend 4/8K Marathon Word Count: +562

[Belugnir]

As for Einar, he would go get his mountain pony and have the animal loaded to help him haul over the materials he'd gathered. He would spend the better part of a whole bell, even with the help of his horse, for he was well and properly worn by the chunk of daylight he'd spent laboring. The hauling of stones and wood would provide decent exercise upon the back of his shoulders in the very least. He carried the materials over, two stones, one upon each shoulder, at a time, and the same he did with the planks and crude shafts he’d fashioned. His horse was really only needed for carrying over one more cumbersome load and the conifer’s severed trunk, as Ein could hardly move that thing properly by himself.

Either way, Einar would proceed to present the goods he'd gathered to the crew that was receiving them for payment. The sum of his day would be six planks slightly worn under time, five wooden shafts, each reasonably sturdy and thick, though of slightly varying quality, considering he’d plunged one from a broken cart, next on the list would be the conifer’s trunk, severed of its frail tip, still standing seventeen feet long, and finally, there would be eight heavy stones of relatively round shape, each a varying size greater than a grown man’s head. Petch if he knew whether or not those’ll be useful, as he knew naught of dock building, but either way, if they could nick him coin, all the better.

Once he’d collected his payment for the materials, he would pay a visit to the issuer of the contract on clearing the road leading to the outpost’s main gate. Ein would report his workload there as three and a half dozen square meters of ground cleared of thorns, shrubs, stone debris and other buggery of such sort, along with a single tree, felled for its high proximity to the road.

And finally, once his pay was delivered unto him, hopefully with as little argument and stingy attitude as possible, Einar would make way to his tent, dump the majority of the coin earned today into his caches, and take leave for a cold pint and a colder yet bath, to let sore muscles relax and be free of the day’s sweat and dust he’d gathered upon himself.

I do fuckin’ hope that bugger makes better use of my coin than I tend to.


Weekend 4/8K Marathon Word Count: +408 (Total Words From This Thread: 2147)

[Okara]

Belugnir

Bodybuilding 4
Running 1
Endurance 4
Observation 5
Salvage 1
Intimidation 2
Weapon: Hatchet 1
Unarmed Combat 1
Climbing 1
Logging 3
Negotiation 1
Interrogation 1
Rhetoric 2

Bodybuilding: Using Buckets of Water for Resistance Training
Salvage: Pulling Apart an Old Cart
Hatchet: Using the Broadside to Knock Down a Foe
Logging: Using Rope to Guide the Fall of a Tree
Bosanquet: Runaway Slave from Sunberth
Bosanquet: Owes a Favor in the Future
Logging: Cut Branches off Log to Prep for Building Material

Rewards/Penalties/Notes

(+) Inventory: Hatchet
(-) Ledger: 6 sm for hatchet
(-) Ledger: 1 gm for use of saw
(-) Ledger: 8 gm donation
I didn’t award you payment for what you turned in since it seems like that has already been taken care of in your ledger. Let me know if I’ve misinterpreted that. This was a fun thread to read and I was surprised at how things turned out. Belugnir certainly has an interesting sense of morality and justice. It was nice to see him turn around and help out the little struggling family, it was a nice moment despite how tough he tried to be about the whole thing. Overall I enjoyed reading your thread, good job! PM me with any questions/concerns.

Please edit your post in your grade request to reflect that it has been graded. PM me with any questions.