“This place is really wild.” Elias looked around as he guided the horse and wagon along the old overgrown trail. It was still passable, but just barely. He had set out at dawn, but it wasn’t until early evening before he saw the smoke of Leon’s fire. He looked around, and frowned a bit. “Why is there no one around? No noise either.” Then he turned and his face paled. Leon was behind him.

“There is no noise because the last two people who came here were fools that looked for death.” He grinned and walked around the cart. “Lucky for you, I know you’re not a fool.” Elias shook off the dread he felt and led the horse and cart into the clearing.

“I didn’t hear a single step, though he was right there! I couldn’t even feel his presence!” He shivered again, and pulled the reins of the mule into the clearing. As soon as he approached the fire, he noticed that there was a massive foundation laid out. Dozens of trees were also cut to length, ready to be laid on the foundation.

“Hello, Elias!” Llani smiled and waved. “How is Deena?” He smiled.

“Smarter than most everyone else in Belford, Llani. She packed several things for you and the girl. Hopefully, you have a use for them.” Leon lifted an eyebrow, then looked at Coral. Coral smiled up at him, but still held onto Llani’s leg shyly.

“Let’s take a look at what he brought for trade. We have enough meat and skins to trade with.” She smiled and rolled her eyes.

“Enough? I think every beast in the forest decided to attack us in the last two days! We have a bear, two wolves, and four deer!” Leon shrugged.

“It has been slow. Don’t worry. We won’t run out.” Elias shook his head in amusement.

“Iron works are normally expensive, but food is like gold right now. The price will eventually come down when things balance out, but for now, it's pretty much an even trade by weight.” Leon looked at him and shook his head.

“Prepare, Elias. Now that the kingdom is dead, there will be others trying to stand on top of their ashes.” Elias thought for a moment.

“Are you sure of that?” Leon shook his head.

“No, but where I am from, if the government is overthrown, the surrounding powers start to salivate for their resources. And the gold. Not to mention the petty people who have thoughts of being a warlord.” Elias thought for a moment.

“There might be a few kingdoms on the borders who’ve had their eyes on our lands. They might invade when they learn about the demise of Erat. Warlords though? I’m not sure about that.” He sighed sadly. “We don’t really have anywhere else to go, Leon. Right now, I can only consider what is right in front of me. That means providing for my only child, Deena, and getting the merchants to return.”

“See that hill over there?” Elias followed his finger.

“Yes.”

“Its filled with this.” He picked up a piece of stone and handed it to him. Elias’s eyes went wide. “If you want to think about the future, someone needs to mine that ore, and someone needs to smelt it. Do you know anyone like that?”

“I....I....” He took a deep breath. “I need to think!” He shook his head to clear the cobwebs. “Can I take this with me? Test it for purity?” He already knew that the ore in his hand was of a high quality. He had not been able to get his hands on much iron ore in the last decade or two, so his products were made with scraps, and oxides. That lowered the amount he could produce, and increased the price. In order to create good quality products with what he had available, he had to spend a lot more time to process the scraps then he would for good quality ore.

“It's not much. Consider your steps carefully.” Elias watched him carefully.

“How much experience do you have with this kind of thing?” Leon shrugged.

“I was sick most of my life. I studied a lot of books, and tons of history. Let’s handle the trade properly.” He looked at the girls and smiled. “Buy it all if you need it.”

“Leon....I....” He came towards the wagon, and saw the brush in her hand. He examined some of the merchandise and smiled a bit.

“Your daughter?” He nodded. “We’ll take it all.” She bit her bottom lip.

“But Leon, we don’t really need it.” He smiled and looked down at Coral.

“But you want it. And so does Coral. We’ll take it all.” He then looked at Elias. “I need a good sized axe. This one is almost dainty. And a grinding stone to sharpen my tools. Arrange it, and when you come back in a week, I’ll have enough ore to fill your cart mined out for you.” Elias nodded.

“Done. I’ll bring two carts next time. Leave some stone about twenty feet from the hill. It would make a nice forge. You know. Just in case.” Then he thought while the girls went through the cart, and Leon unloaded it. “There are a couple of masons in the town. Out of work, and hungry. They have wives, and children.” Leon looked at him squarely.

“Decent folk are welcome. Raw materials will be provided, as well as a place to set up. Troublemakers won’t be tolerated. They can camp, or build permanent. Their choice. Meat will be provided as well. Plenty of wild vegetables in the area.” Elias nodded. He had plenty of information in those short sentences, and didn’t need clarification.

“I’ll leave it up to them. Also, one farmer had practically given up sowing crops as his were always raided, and most paid in taxes. Left very little for his family.” Leon pointed to the large clearing just outside his foundation.

“Plenty of land cleared here. Only fools will raid this place. Taxes are low too.” Llani smiled.

“Tell Deena she’s welcome here, and so are merchants. The trail is overgrown, but they should remember it. They made it.” Leon put an entire deer onto the cart and watched as Elias pulled it back towards the town. “Why didn’t you invite him to stay for the night?”

“Because he has a lot of work to do, and he heard my unspoken offer. Plus, we have a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it. Winter approaches, and I want enough on hand that you will not worry about what to eat day after day.” Llani looked up at him, and smiled. There was a bit of color on her cheeks, and that made Leon smile.

“Just in case?” He nodded. He then looked at the area for the house he wanted to build.

“I’ll start the cabin. Still don’t know how to build the roof though. No time to make clay tiles.” She smiled.

“Me and Coral can do that. I just need a flat place to put the clay onto a frame, let it dry for a few hours, then put it in a kiln. A kiln can be made easily with just a few stones, and a space underneath for the fire. Some will break, but it's just clay.” He smiled, then his eyes went wide as she hugged him around his waist. “Thank you for taking care of us.” She said in a soft voice.

 

 

“Mom, you made him blush.” Coral said as she grasped her hand. Llani smiled and reached down to lift her into her arms.

“I know, but if others are coming here, I need to make him realize that I care for him.” Coral grinned.

“He knows, mom.” Llani hugged her as much as she dared since her skin was still far too thin. Coral hugged her around her neck. “He knows.”

 

 

Elias groaned as he pulled the card back into the town. Too many eyes were on the deer, and far too many of them were good for nothing troublemakers. They saw the large mallet on the cart, and decided that it would not be worth it to rob the blacksmith. Elias was not an easy man to bully.

“Things are about to go to shit now that the kingdom of Erat has been destroyed. And it isn’t from foreign invaders.” He kept his mallet close at hand while he took the cart to the store.

“Father.” She looked at the deer and smiled. “He’s quite generous, father. Let’s get that sectioned up and put some stews on.” He muscled the deer in through the door and grunted.

“He picked this up like it was only a pillow, and I have to drag it.” He grumbled. “I’m thinking that next time, you will come with me.” She frowned.

“Why?” He gestured with his chin as a group of their more troublesome citizens started to gather at the gate. “I see. He took that bear down like it was nothing. Did he say we could go there?”

“He showed me this.” He picked up the piece of iron ore, and showed it to her.

“That’s really pure, father.”

“He’s left some stones for me to build a forge there. My tools could barely take up any room on the cart, and we can take two.” She thought for a moment, and nodded.

“I’ll start the stew. When it’s done, I’ll gather up my supplies and the rest of what I own. I can’t leave my investment behind.” He smiled.

“Just as he said. Just in case.”

 

 

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” The group rolled their eyes.

“Its food, and we’re starving! There are enough of us here that we can take him!” He closed his mouth, but as they approached the camp, he started to slow down.

“What am I doing here? I shouldn't be here!” Even though he was the last of the group, he didn’t make his decision in time. As he was about to turn around and leave, he heard a voice at his shoulder.

“Let me hold those for you.” A deep voice whispered.

 

 

“Someone turn around and shut that guy up! If he lets our target know before we get there... why is he screaming?” Half the group turned around and watched as the last man in the group fell down, and stopped shouting.

“Holy shit, he has no arms!” He ran back to his body.

“Where are his arms? Where did they go?” The leader growled, and started to look around. When his eyes swung to the front again, their target was right in front of him.

“Here. Let me give you a hand.” Leon laughed. The leader’s face turned white as the arms landed softly at his feet, and the blood from the stumps stained his clothes.

 

 

“Father, there is a commotion outside the gate. What do you think happened?” Elias growled.

“Leon probably sent those guys back here in horrible shape, and that’s if they were lucky. If they got anywhere near to his home, they are probably dead. I’ll go invite the two masons, and the farmer. A safe place to live is really hard to come by.” She looked at him carefully.

“Are you sure that’s all we should invite?”

“That’s all for now. I can personally vouch for those families. Everyone else had no problem with the sacrifices of our daughters, and their families. I can tell that Leon hates those kinds of people.” She continued to put her merchandise and personal belongings in crates to be loaded onto the cart. “Take only what you need, Deena. Those idiots confirmed Leon’s words. This town is not safe for honest people.” She sighed.

“I understand, father. I’ll be done soon.” Then she had a thought. “What about the potter? He works with clay, and his skills would be in demand in a new community.”

“Later, Deena. Once we are settled in, anyone else that is qualified can join us. As long as Leon gives his permission.”

 

 

After another two hours, Deena guided the donkey that pulled her cart to the gate, while her father guided his own horse not too far ahead of her. As soon as they went through the gate, Elias’s eyebrows went up.

“Leon? Why are you here?” Leon shrugged.

“Just in case.” He looked passed the gate. “You two keep going. I’ll make sure no one tries to stop you.” Elias stepped out from the side of his cart and looked behind him.

“Shit.” A group of ten local guards and a newly self appointed governor quickly approached the gate with the swords drawn.

“Elias, we can’t let you leave.” Leon stepped in between the guards and the carts.

“Keep going, Elias. I’ll catch up within a few minutes.” Deena kept her head down and followed her father closely. Not long after they entered the pathway, they heard the terrible screams behind them.

“Father, is this right? Him killing so many people?”

“Deena, it may not feel right because we lived in that town, but remember what they have done over the last few decades. Theft and extortion are just the gentlest of crimes they committed. I don’t have the strength to recount the number of murders those guards are responsible for, nor the amount of rapes.” Deena shivered. She was also a victim in that town, and though Elias was strong enough to protect her, the one time she walked outside alone was more than enough for it to happen.

“I....I guess I’m just used to this kind of life. Will the same things happen in our new home?”

“Not a chance. You didn’t see the way he looked at Llani, or Coral. He would never let the terrible things of this world exist close to those he loves.” Deena shivered.

“I wonder what the cost for this kind of safety will be.” The cost to live inside the walled town of Belford was extremely high.

What would the cost of starting over be?